Expanding the Pool of Teachers Policy
Georgia does not support licensure reciprocity for certified teachers from other states.
Regrettably, Georgia grants waivers for all of its licensing tests to any out-of-state teacher who has at least three years of experience in the last five years.
Teachers with current, comparable out-of-state certificates are eligible for Georgia's professional certificate. To qualify, teachers must meet the state's recency requirement of one year of out-of-state teacher experience within the last five years or six semester hours of continuing education units in the past five years. Georgia requires additional coursework in special education and computer skills competency. However, special education courses may be waived with three years of experience in the last five years.
Georgia is also a participant in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement; however, the latest iteration of this agreement no longer purports to be a reciprocity agreement among states and thus is no longer included in this analysis.
To uphold standards, require that teachers coming from other states meet testing requirements.
Georgia takes considerable risk by granting a waiver for its licensing tests to any out-of-state teacher with three years of experience. Georgia should not provide any waivers of its teacher tests unless an applicant can provide evidence of a passing score under its own standards. The negative impact on student learning stemming from a teacher's inadequate subject-matter knowledge is not mitigated by the teacher's having recent experience.
Offer a standard license to certified out-of-state teachers, absent unnecessary requirements.
Georgia should reconsider its recency requirement as a means to judge licensure eligibility. Recent coursework or experience is unlikely to positively affect a teacher's effectiveness, and such a requirement may deter effective teachers from applying for licensure in the state. Georgia should also offer out-of-state teachers a test-out option for all coursework requirements.
Georgia recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state added that Rule 505-2-.15, Certification by Interstate Reciprocity, became effective June 15, 2011.
It does not appear that this rule has changed any of the pertinent requirements discussed in this analysis.