Certification Needs
The Certification Department would like to welcome you to the Escambia County School District. We want to share with you the steps to follow to obtain certification and to ultimately get through the Human Resource employment process.
Employment Needs:
1. The district will need your official transcripts with your degree posted to keep in your personnel file. Please mail them to 75 N. Pace Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32505
2. If you are coming from another state outside of Florida, we will need a highly qualified verification form on file stating you took the PRAXIS exam and what subjects. Fax, mail or email your form. The fax number is (850) 469-6332. Generally, your academic advisor will fill out the form for you and fax it to the Certification Department. Link to form:
Out of State Highly Qualified Verification
3. Apply for your Florida Teaching Certificate. See instructions below on Certification Needs for when and how.
4 Go to the Escambia County School District website and click on New Hires (yellow button) on right hand side of screen for information on fingerprinting. You will need a Customer Identification Number, CIN# when you make an appointment online, which should be obtained from your new principal. Your fingerprints will be sent to Florida Department of Education for an issuance of a certificate when the time comes. If you have an arrest that isn't a disqualifying offense, then be prepared to produce a certified copy of an arrest report, and a certified copy of the final disposition and a letter of explanation to our background department before you can be processed as a new hire employee. Your fingerprint clearance email will provide further information. Generally, it takes about two days for fingerprints to clear. When you have completed all of the steps above, you will be called for an appointment.
Certification Needs:
1. If you graduated from a university in an education program and qualify for a professional teaching certificate in the state you are graduating from, then you should apply for a teaching certificate in that state first, i.e., you graduated from Troy State in Alabama with a degree in Elementary Education, then apply to Alabama Department of Education for your professional certificate. This may take a few weeks for them to issue you a certificate, so please act now.
2. Using the example above, when the Alabama certificate is issued, then you will apply online for a Florida teaching certificate with the Florida Department of Education Teachers Bureau and mail a copy of the Alabama certificate, have the university mail your official transcripts, or you may mail them in a sealed envelope from the university to the Bureau. The cost is $75.00 per subject area you want on the certificate. Florida will notify you with a statement of eligibility that you are eligible for a professional certificate and not require you to meet any more requirements, other than fingerprinting and proof of employment for issuance. The district certification office will take care of the request of issuance and submit your prints for you automatically. FLDOE Educator Certification Site the link to the FLDOE Teachers Bureau for application.
3. If you graduated in another program other than education, then you are ready to apply for a Florida temporary teaching certificate and should do so right away ( see link in #2 above) . You will receive a statement of eligibility in about six weeks that will have the requirements that you need to meet during your three year non-renewable temporary certificate. The General Knowledge exam will need to be taken during your first year of employment. FETC/FELE Exam Site is the testing website should you want to download a small study guide and see what is on the test, or even take it and get it out of the way. The Certification Department will provide a checklist of all of your requirements to follow with a timeline to follow when you are processed through Human Resources.
Questions: If your last name starts with A-K, contact Jane Bell at (850) 469-6252, or jbell2@esambia.k12.fl.us If your last name starts with L-Z, contact Bonnie Staples at (850) 469-6251, or bstaples2@escambia.k12.fl.us
