If you wish to serve in an educational leadership capacity in Georgia’s schools, either at the building or district level, you must attain educational leadership certification.
Learn more about the graduate school process. Contact schools offering educational administration degree programs in Georgia.
If you intend to work as a Superintendent, you must complete the educational leadership program at both the building and district levels.
During the internship portion of your educational leadership program, you will be given performance assessments from time to time. Additionally, you must complete both parts of the GACE Content Assessment for Educational Leadership. If you intend to work as a Superintendent, you must complete the assessments at both the building and district levels.
You must complete a residency requirement in order to become certified in educational leadership. This involves a planned, guided internship in a school system in which you get the opportunity to apply what you have learned in your educational leadership program to real-life situations.
To receive certification in educational leadership, you must complete the Application for Certification form, and send it along with your official transcripts and score reports to Georgia PSC Certification Section, Two Peachtree Street, Suite 6000, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3141.
Georgia does not require a criminal history background check or fingerprinting for educational leadership certification applicants unless you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony involving moral turpitude in another state. If this is the case, you must submit an FBI criminal history report with your application. Go to the nearest Cogent fingerprinting center and request a criminal history check. Submit the completed report with your certification application.
Once you are hired by a Georgia school system, however, you must submit to a criminal record background check. Depending upon your school’s policies, this may be an FBI/fingerprinting background check or a Georgia criminal history check. Information on how to fulfill this requirement will be provided to you by the school system. Usually your employing school system will pay all costs associated with this background check.
For more information on approved educational leadership programs in Georgia, search this database.
For more information on educational leadership certification in Georgia, contact the Certification Section at 404-232-2500.