Section 20-2-200. (For effective date, see note.) Regulation of certificated professional personnel by Professional Standards Commission; rules and regulations; fees

   (a) The Professional Standards Commission shall provide, by regulation, for certifying and classifying all certificated professional personnel employed in the public schools of this state. No such personnel shall be employed in the public schools of this state unless they hold certificates issued by the commission certifying their qualifications and classification in accordance with such regulations. The commission shall establish such number of classifications of other certificated professional personnel as it may find reasonably necessary or desirable for the operation of the public schools; provided, however, that such classifications shall be based only upon academic, technical, and professional training, experience, and competency of such personnel. The commission is authorized to provide for denying a certificate to an applicant, suspending or revoking a certificate, or otherwise disciplining the holder of a certificate for good cause after an investigation is held and notice and an opportunity for a hearing are provided the certificate holder or applicant in accordance with subsection (d) of Code Section 20-2-984.5. The commission shall designate and define the various classifications of professional personnel employed in the public schools of this state that shall be required to be certificated under this Code section or under Code Section 20-2-206. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "certificated professional personnel" is defined as all professional personnel certificated by the commission and county or regional librarians.

(b) (1) The Professional Standards Commission shall establish rules and regulations for appropriate requirements and procedures to ensure high-quality certification standards for all Georgia educators while facilitating the interstate mobility of out-of-state certified educators.

   (2) Requirements established for initial certification applicants new to the profession, to include out-of-state program completers with or without certificates and with no teaching experience, may include, but are not limited to, demonstrated satisfactory proficiency in the following: a test of broad general knowledge; a test of specific subject matter content or other professional knowledge appropriate to the applicant's field of certification; computer skill competency; standards of ethical conduct; and course work in the identification and education of children who have special educational needs; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to alternative certification requirements as provided in Code Section 20-2-206.

   (3) Requirements established for holders of valid, professional out-of-state certificates applying for their first Georgia certificate may include, but are not limited to the following: computer skill competency; course work in the identification and education of children who have special educational needs; recency of study; and standards of ethical conduct. These requirements may be completed during the validity period of the first Georgia certificate. At the time of application for the first Georgia certificate, satisfactory proficiency in subject matter content appropriate to the applicant's field of certification may be determined based on Professional Standards Commission approved tests or combinations of successful teaching experience and academic, technical, and professional preparation as outlined in rules of the Professional Standards Commission.

   (4) Requirements for certification renewal shall be established to foster ongoing professional learning, enhance student achievement, and verify standards of ethical conduct; provided, however, that from July 1, 2010, through July 1, 2015, no professional learning requirements shall be required for certificate renewal for clear renewable certificates for certificated personnel or for certificate renewal for paraprofessionals. Such requirements may include, but are not limited to, professional learning related to school improvement plans or the applicant's field of certification and background checks. Should the Professional Standards Commission include a requirement to demonstrate computer skill competency, the rules and regulations shall provide that a certificated educator may elect to meet the requirement by receiving satisfactory results on a test in basic computer skill competency. If a certificated educator elects to take such test pursuant to this paragraph, the local school system by which such educator is employed shall make available the opportunity to take the test on site at the school in which the educator is assigned. Each principal shall identify an administrator on site at each school to serve as a proctor for individuals taking the test pursuant to this paragraph. Individuals holding a valid Georgia life certificate or a valid National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate shall be deemed to have met state renewal requirements except those related to background checks.

   (4.1) Prior to July 1, 2015, the Professional Standards Commission shall revise its certification renewal rules established pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection, to require demonstration of the impact of professional learning on educator performance and student learning for purposes of certification renewal. Such revised rules shall be effective beginning July 1, 2015. As part of the revision process, the Professional Standards Commission shall establish a task force to determine the level of evidence necessary for educators to demonstrate the impact of professional learning and how such evidence will be collected and submitted for purposes of certificate renewal.

   (5) Requirements designating approved in-field assignment standards appropriate to the applicant's field of certification shall be established to ensure that educators are assigned to those areas for which they are properly prepared. These standards may be determined based on reviews of state approved curriculum courses, state approved preparation programs, and designated certificate fields.

(c) (For effective date, see note.) An individual who has received any combination of two unsatisfactory, ineffective, or needs development annual summative performance evaluations in the previous five-year period pursuant to Code Section 20-2-210 shall not be entitled to a renewable certificate prior to demonstrating that such performance deficiency has been satisfactorily addressed, but such individual may apply to the commission for a nonrenewable certificate, as defined by the commission. Each local school system and charter school shall report all unsatisfactory, ineffective, and needs development ratings of all performance evaluations as provided in Code Section 20-2-210 for certificated personnel in their employ in a manner, format, and frequency determined by the commission. The commission is authorized to release such data provided it cannot be personally identifiable to any currently or formerly certificated person.

(d) No applicant who is under review by the commission shall be allowed to withdraw his or her application for a certificate, permit, or other certification document without the written consent of the commission. The commission shall retain its authority over those applicants to proceed with the denial of the certificate, permit, or other certification document upon any ground provided by law, or to enter an order denying the certificate, permit, or other certification document upon any ground provided by law. The suspension or expiration of any certificate, permit, or certification document, or its surrender without the written consent of the commission, shall not deprive the commission of its authority to do any of the following:

   (1) Institute or continue a disciplinary proceeding against the holder of a certificate, permit, or other certification document upon any ground provided by law;

   (2) Enter an order suspending or revoking the certificate, permit, or other certification document; or

   (3) Issue an admonition to the holder of a certificate, permit, or other certification document.

(e) (1) The Professional Standards Commission shall charge the following fees to persons who file applications with the commission under its regulations adopted pursuant to the authority of this Code section:
         (A) For an applicant for initial certification who is not currently 
                  employed in Georgia public or private schools.........$ 20.00
         (B)  For an applicant for initial certification who is not a graduate 
                  of an accredited education program from a Georgia college or 
                  university..............................................20.00
         (C) For an applicant for a higher certificate when the applicant then 
                  holds a Georgia certificate but who is not currently 
                  employed in Georgia public or private schools...........20.00
         (D) For an applicant for a certificate which adds a field or which 
                  endorses a certificate but who is not currently employed in 
                  Georgia public or private schools.......................20.00
         (E) For an applicant for a conditional certificate...............20.00
         (F) For an applicant for the renewal of any certificate if the 
                  applicant is not currently employed by a public or private 
                  school in Georgia.......................................20.00
         (G) For evaluating transcripts where certificates are not issued and 
                  for issuing duplicate copies of certificates............20.00
         (H) For an applicant for a clearance certificate pursuant to Code 
                  Section 20-2-211.1 who is not currently employed in Georgia 
                  public or private schools or who is not a graduate of an 
                  accredited education program from a Georgia college or 
                  university..............................................20.00

   (2) The fees provided for in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be paid by an applicant by cashier's check, money order, credit card, debit card, or other method as approved by the Professional Standards Commission as a condition for filing the application.

   (3) The fees provided for in this subsection shall be paid by the commission into the general funds of the state. The commission shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this subsection.

(f) As used in this part, unless the context indicates otherwise, the term "commission" means the Professional Standards Commission established under Part 10 of Article 17 of this chapter.

Code 1981, § 20-2-200, enacted by Ga. L. 1985, p. 1657, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1169, § 1; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1735, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1806, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1312, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1339, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1487, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1991, p. 94, § 20; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1546, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2365, § 1; Ga. L. 1994, p. 801, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 521, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 618, § 30; Ga. L. 2002, p. 397, § 1; Ga. L. 2003, p. 398, § 1; Ga. L. 2005, p. 60, § 20/HB 95; Ga. L. 2006, p. 534, § 1/HB 972; Ga. L. 2007, p. 259, § 3/SB 72; Ga. L. 2010, p. 237, §§ 1, 1D/HB 1079; Ga. L. 2010, p. 258, § 1/HB 1307; Ga. L. 2011, p. 511, § 1/HB 285; Ga. L. 2013, p. 1091, § 1/HB 244.