Georgia Professional Standards Commission

Created by the GA General Assembly, GaPSC assumes full responsibility for the preparation, certifica

The Professional Standards Commission was created by the Georgia General Assembly on July 1, 1991, to assume full responsibility for the preparation, certification, and professional conduct of certified personnel employed in the Georgia public schools. The development of certification in Georgia has been a cooperative effort between the State Legislature, Department of Education, teacher preparati

on institutions, and the state professional teachers’ associations. The first provisions requiring certificates of all teachers in schools receiving funds from the State were found in the school laws of 1858; however, certificates of qualification to teach and be of "good moral character" were issued by the county Board of Examiners. In 1887 the issuance of a permanent state license by the State School Commissioner was authorized, but it was not until 1924 that the State Division of Certification was established. In 1946 the dual system of state certification and county certification was discontinued and all teachers were required to hold a state teacher’s certificate. Since that time, certification in Georgia has seen many changes including increases in the requirements for initial preparation, the addition of many new fields of certification, new trends in alternative preparation, developments in the initial and continuing assessment of educators, and moves toward national trends in certification. The variable that remains constant throughout this history, however, is the continuous collaboration between the Division of Certification, teacher preparation institutions, and the educators of Georgia. In July of 1991, a legislative mandate was enacted which created the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) as a separate government agency, removed from the Georgia Department of Education, with the central responsibility for establishing a certification/licensure process that is streamlined, understandable, and flexible in order to remove barriers and to attract qualified individuals to the education profession. Specifically, the PSC’s major purposes are: to simplify and make more efficient the process of certifying educational personnel in Georgia; to attract the highest possible number of qualified personnel to become educators in Georgia; to promote the hiring of qualified educators from other states; and to improve the level of preparation of educators.

06/03/2026

The Certification Division is currently processing complete application packages submitted on or before May 19, 2026. If you have submitted an application for a certification transaction, please monitor your MyPSC account for updates.

06/01/2026

Standards 1-10 of the Code of Ethics GaPSC’s Video Series is available at https://www.gapsc.com/VideoSeries/home.aspx.

05/27/2026

The Certification Division is currently processing complete application packages submitted on or before May 15, 2026. If you have submitted an application for a certification transaction, please monitor your MyPSC account for updates.

05/26/2026

Inspire, lead change, and foster innovation by becoming a Georgia educational leader. A list of state-approved Educational Leadership program providers is available at https://www.gapsc.com/EducatorPreparation/ApprovedPrograms/EducationApprovedPrograms.aspx.

05/22/2026

The offices of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission are closed on Monday, May 25th, in observance of Memorial Day.

05/20/2026

The Certification Division is currently processing complete application packages submitted on or before May 11, 2026. If you have submitted an application for a certification transaction, please monitor your MyPSC account for updates.

05/18/2026

Read Georgia’s Strategic Plan for Educator Recruitment and Retention available at https://www.gapsc.com/Downloads/SR237_StrategicPlan_120125Final_SHBP_links.pdf.

05/13/2026

The Certification Division is currently processing complete application packages submitted on or before May 3, 2026. If you have submitted an application for a certification transaction, please monitor your MyPSC account for updates.

05/12/2026

Seeking a certificate level upgrade with a Master’s degree program in the field of Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Technology, or Teacher Leadership? To ensure your program qualifies for an upgrade, find a Georgia college or university at https://www.gapsc.com/EducatorPreparation/ApprovedPrograms/EducationApprovedPrograms.aspx.

05/06/2026

The Certification Division is currently processing complete application packages submitted on or before April 27, 2026. If you have submitted an application for a certification transaction, please monitor your MyPSC account for updates.

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Location

Atlanta

Telephone

+14042322500

Website

http://www.gapsc.com/

Address

Atlanta, GA

Georgia Professional Standards Commission

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