My k-8 teaching license expires in July of this year so I am getting everything ready to send in tomorrow to renew it. What I can't believe is the fee: it's $200.00!!! OMG! Yes, it's good for 5 years but I can't believe how much it has gone up since I started teaching in 2000! I'm just curious: what are your licensure renewal fees in other states?
In IL it's $25 dollars for 5yrs. Edit...wanted to add: The previous district that I worked for paid for and took care of the renewal of your certificates.
Oh my....I have to renew my provisional (again) and get my new Special Ed. Licensure too....should be fun while job hunting. There is no excuse for our prices going that high. Ugh. My guess is they raised the rates because of all the teachers who make millions of dollars in the state of Ohio. I mean, its not like our schools are in financial trouble, or that we have a lot of good teachers looking for work or anything.
It is absolutely because teachers make WAY too much money. You can afford a couple hundred dollars...NO PROBLEM!
I would love to know where all that money goes. I wish I knew why the fee is so high. Any additional licenses or endorsements are $20.00 more for each one. I asked someone at the dept. of ed. and they said that the state of Ohio sets the fee. It sucks!
I just renewed in Ohio a few months ago. I got a heads-up that it was increasing and sent my stuff in right before the increase. I think I paid $40? Or $60? Plus, in my district we have to pay for the fingerprinting/background check now, too. Although I managed to get that for free right before they changed that, too. I know I was told the rationale for the increase, but I don't remember right now!
I know in TX if you graduated college b/f a certain year, then you have a lifetime certification that you don't have to pay for renewal.
Our school let us know early about it & actually held an extra LPDC meeting to run them through. Mine expires in June so I did mine early. I like the part where the state justifies it by stating that other professions licenses are much more. Geez could it be b-c others like doctors and lawyers make a bit more.
Currently, Arkansas doesn't charge for renewals. That is about to change though, and it will be $100 for 5 years.
I believe OH increased the fee to pay for administration of the the new teacher misconduct standards that are being implemented. Possible good news though - Susan Tave Zelman resigned yesterday, so maybe things will improve at ODE!!
Can't do it anymore. cmw, is right. You start off with your provisional 2 year, and once you get with a school that allows you to take the PRAXIS III, and you pass you move up to the 5 year. If you are unlucky like me and get stuck with something like Head Start (who said I could take the PRAXIS III with them but...lied), you can renew your 2 year as long as you keep taking college classes.
I just renewed my license here in GA and even though the forms said there was a fingerprint fee/renewal fee/endorsement fee the county I am employed with covered all of the costs. That's one of the perks they offer their teachers- Stay employed with them and they will cover most of your fees. The only thing we have to pay is if we take a PLU (Professional Learning Unit) class through the county. They charge $10 per course (non-refundable) to cover the paperwork they have to turn in to the state. We have to earn 10 PLU's per 5 year period to be able to renew our certificates again.
I was very upset when I heard about the fee increase. I have an endorsement and I will have to pay more for that as well. Every 5 years until I retire!!! Of course, who knows what the feel will be by then! Teachers were permanent certificates are upset now, b/c they have to pay for fingerprinting/background checks, but at least they don't ever have to pay for licenses again. It's crazy!
I have to admit that I have never heard of permanent certificates. Here, we have to take six hours of credit every five years to renew... and I thought it was steep when they went from $20 to $30 a few years ago! Didn't know how good we had it!! We also do NOT have to pay extra for each endorsement we get. Besides that insane fee, what other requirements need to be met to renew?
I'm glad someone mentionned the finerprints. We also have to get the State & FBI checks which cost additional money. My state was 22 and FBI 35. I paid 117 total (renewal was 60). It will cost 257 to renew next time (or more if it goes up again)!
I just renewed my credential this morning. It was $57 here in California, all done on-line. That's an increase...five years ago it was $25.
Someone asked about other requirements. We have to get our masters within 12 years of graduating. We start with a 2 year license and then go to 5, so this means before we get our 4th license. You have to take 6 (I think) credit hours before each renewal. You have to have an IPDP approved by the school too.
I graduated in 1999 and received a 4 yr provisional certificate so I don't have to get my masters degree. Anyone who graduated with a certificate doesn't have to get their masters. I talked to the people at the dept. of ed. and it's also on our paperwork for renewing as well.
Here in Minnesota Here in the state of Minnesota it is currently $57 for a five year license and we have to have 125 continuing education credits every five years. My license is up in 2011 but I already have most of my credits for renewal. Mldouglas
Wow, Mldouglas! We need 18 ceu's to renew. Do you get yours mostly with course work? I can't even imagine that many ceu's without it. Uou see, 1 ceu=10 contact hours.
In Texas, unless you have the no longer available lifetime certificate, you pay $20 to renew it every 5 years and you must have 150 hours of professional development classes. Counselors need 200 hours. My application for my inititial certification cost me $52 plus $42.25 finger printing fee. It will also cost me another $20 in gas to get my prints taken! Then when I get there the agency charges $10. So basically the certification is cheaper than the fingerprints, go figure!
In GA, the renewal fee is $20 and you must have 10 PLU's (Professional Learning Units) to renew. Those are pretty easy, though...I've been teaching 2 years in GA and already have 22 PLU's. Renewal is good for 5 years. I just updated my certificate from Non-renewable to Clear Renewable and they didn't charge me to make the change.
