Rule 505-2-.07 - Lead Professional Certificate(1)Purpose. The Lead Professional certificate is part of Georgia's tiered teacher certification system and provides a statewide structure to promote, support, and expand opportunities for teacher leadership in grades P-12 to improve effective classroom practice resulting in higher levels of student learning.(2)Requirements. The Lead Professional certificate is a renewable certificate issued to educators holding a valid, professional Georgia teaching certificate and meeting the requirements outlined below: (a) Satisfy one of the following: 1. Hold a valid, Georgia Advanced Professional certificate; or2. Have earned a minimum of five (5) years of successful educator experience, as defined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS, while holding a Georgia professional teaching certificate and/or out-of-state professional teaching certificate. Three (3) years of successful experience must be earned in the state of Georgia within five (5) years preceding the date of application while holding a professional teaching certificate;(b) Receive ratings of satisfactory, proficient or exemplary on the annual summative performance evaluation while holding a Georgia professional teaching certificate.(c) Meet Georgia's Standards of Conduct;(d) Hold one of the following: 1. Valid, renewable professional Teacher Leadership Certification;2. Advanced degree in any teaching field held by the educator beyond an initial preparation program and reflected on the Georgia educator certificate as outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.33 CERTIFICATE UPGRADE and hold a valid, renewable professional endorsement in one of the following: Teacher Leader, Coaching, or Teacher Support and Coaching;3. Valid, renewable professional certification in Curriculum and Instruction or Instructional Technology and hold a valid, renewable professional endorsement in one of the following: Teacher Leader, Coaching or Teacher Support and Coaching; or4. Valid National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification and hold a valid, renewable professional endorsement in one of the following: Teacher Leader, Coaching, or Teacher Support and Coaching;(e) Pass the Teacher Leadership GACE; and(f) Request the certificate according to procedures outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.27 CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCEDURES.(3)Renewal.(a) The Lead Professional certificate may be renewed by meeting the following requirements: 1. Satisfy professional learning requirements as outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36 RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS; or2. Hold a valid National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification; and3. Have a minimum of one (1) year of successful teaching experience in Georgia, earned within five (5) years of the date of renewal;4. Meet Georgia Standards of Conduct; and5. Request renewal of the certificate according to procedures outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.27 CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PROCEDURES.(b) Educators who have received any combination of two (2) "Unsatisfactory," "Ineffective" or "Needs Development" annual performance evaluations in the previous five (5)-year period shall not be entitled to a renewable certificate prior to demonstrating such performance deficiency has been satisfactorily remediated but may apply to the GaPSC for the appropriate non-renewable certificate as defined by the GaPSC. (See GaPSC Rule 505-2-43 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION): 1. Upon successful remediation as outlined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.43 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, the educator may apply for the appropriate professional certificate if all other renewal requirements are met. The Lead Professional certificate title will be lost. (i) In order to qualify for the Lead Professional certificate after it is lost, an educator must earn a minimum of five (5) years of successful educator experience, as defined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS, while holding a Georgia professional teaching certificate issued after the Lead Professional title was lost and within five (5) years preceding the date of application to reinstate the Lead Professional title.(c) If an educator has received one (1) "Unsatisfactory," "Ineffective" or "Needs Development" annual performance rating during the validity period of the certificate, the educator shall be entitled to the appropriate professional certificate if all other renewal requirements are met. The Lead Professional title will be lost. 1. In order to qualify for the Lead Professional certificate after it is lost, an educator must earn a minimum of five (5) years of successful educator experience, as defined in GaPSC Rule 505-2-.25 EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS, while holding a Georgia professional teaching certificate issued after the Lead Professional title was lost and within five (5) years preceding the date of application to reinstate the Lead Professional title.(d) If an educator fails to meet the renewal requirements outlined in (3)(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 above, he or she may apply for a one (1)-year Non-Renewable Professional certificate (See GaPSC Rule 505-2-.09 NON-RENEWABLE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE). Upon completion of the requirement, the educator may apply for the appropriate professional certificate.(4)Validity.(a) The standard validity period of the Lead Professional certificate is five (5) years, with the following exceptions: 1. A Lead Professional certificate issued to an educator holding an unexpired renewable professional certificate is only valid for the remaining validity period of the existing professional certificate; and2. The standard validity period may be decreased by the number of years for which the educator has held a Non-Renewable certificate, including a Waiver certificate, in the same field.Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-2-.07
O.C.G.A. §20-2-.200.
Original Rule entitled "Certification by Evaluation" adopted. F. Dec. 18, 1991; eff. Jan. 7, 1992.Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. Dec. 16, 1992; eff. July 1, 1993, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Jun. 21, 1996; eff. July 11, 1996.Repealed: New Rule entitled "Waiver Certificate" adopted. F. Feb. 20, 2004; eff. Mar. 15, 2004, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Oct. 22, 2004; eff. Nov. 15, 2004, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Feb. 10, 2006; eff. Mar. 15, 2006, as specified by the Agency.Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. June 7, 2010; eff. July 15, 2010, as specified by the Agency.Repealed: F. Jun. 11, 2014; eff. July 1, 2014, as specified by the Agency.Adopted: New Rule entitled "Lead Professional Certificate." F. June 12, 2015; eff. July 1, 2015, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. Sep. 24, 2015; eff. Oct. 15, 2015, as specified by the Agency.Amended: F. June 8, 2017; eff. July 1, 2017, as specified by the Agency.