Strengthening Washington's Public Schools

Research tells us that students learn best from those who are trained and licensed to teach.

In Washington's public schools, that means having a current and appropriate license from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction's Professional Education and Certification Office.

• The Professional Education Office provides staff assistance to the State Board of Education and the Professional Educator Standards Board, and coordinates with approved colleges/universities and employers for the development of pre-certification preparation programs and post-certification continuing education for educators in Washington state.
• The Professional Certification Office verifies preparation and continuing education for individual certification applicants, ensuring they meet or exceed state requirements.
• You can find certification information from the state online at http://www.k12.wa.us/cert/.

Note: It is important that you remember to renew your license and allow plenty of time for processing. You will be ineligible to teach until an expired certificate has been renewed. In addition, letting your certificate lapse will cause you to be subject to newer certification standards that may have additional requirements.

Advanced certification

Beyond the professional teaching certification that is the foundation for employment in Washington's public schools, there also are advanced certificate programs such as National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Thinking about a career change?

If you're considering changing careers and wondering how to juggle the cost of college, you might consider researching the state's Alternate Routes to Certification program. Alternate routes are available for certain hard-to-staff teaching assignments (i.e., science, mathematics, special education and certain languages). The program allows candidates to earn some compensation as they obtain their teaching certification. Details about Alternative Routes and other programs are available at the Professional Educator Standards Board Web site.