Complete guide to Georgia's PLU requirements, TKES evaluation alignment, and GaPSC certification renewal through the MyPSC portal.
Georgia PD and PLU tracking is one piece of EX in Education, the educator experience platform. Districts connect compliance tracking to coaching, evaluations, and goals in one system, so every educator moves from hired to thriving.
GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36 sets two different routes. If you are employed by a Georgia LUA in a position requiring certification, you renew by engaging in professional learning on a continuing basis, fully participating in your LUA's professional learning community, as documented by your supervisor - and the employing LUA documents and verifies this as part of your renewal package. The PLU, CEU and semester-hour totals below apply to educators not employed in Georgia schools, agencies or education organizations. Georgia private school employees may use either route.
Georgia educators holding a Clear Renewable Certificate must renew every five years. GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36(5)(a): Georgia certificates "usually have a beginning date of July 1 and an ending date of June 30," and valid certificates "may be renewed from December 1 of the calendar year preceding the ending validity date to June 30 of the calendar year in which the certificate expires." A certificate ending June 30, 2027 opens for renewal on December 1, 2026.
Requirements differ based on employment status. Teachers employed in Georgia public schools must also have an Individual Professional Development Plan coordinated with their school system and complete a criminal background check.
Georgia offers multiple pathways to meet certificate renewal requirements. Choose one of the following options:
Six semester hours from an accredited Georgia college or university with an official transcript.
Ten Georgia Professional Learning Units from approved providers (100 contact hours total).
Ten CEUs from IACET-accredited providers or other approved sources (100 contact hours total).
U.S. Department of Education Teacher-to-Teacher Workshop credits.
100 hours of Bright from the Start (BFTS) approved training (primarily for early childhood educators).
Georgia uses the Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) to evaluate teachers in public schools. TKES ratings are important for certain certificate types and professional learning alignment.
Requires three years of successful experience within the last five years in a Georgia public school with summative TKES ratings of "Proficient" or "Exemplary".
10 performance standards evaluated through observations and documentation.
Student achievement growth data contributing to overall effectiveness.
Student perception surveys on classroom instruction quality.
Individual goals aligned with TKES performance standards.
PLUs must be awarded by approved Georgia education entities. Ensure your professional learning comes from one of these sources:
Finish your required PLUs, CEUs, or college coursework during your 5-year certificate validity period.
Submit fingerprints for a criminal record background check prior to certification renewal.
Access the MyPSC portal (mypsc.gapsc.org) starting December 1 of your certificate's expiration year.
Complete the online renewal application and submit required documentation by June 30 of the expiration year.
Applications accepted from December 1 (year before expiration) through June 30 (expiration year). Don't wait until the last minute!
In EX in Education, what you track for Georgia renewal sits beside new-hire onboarding, walkthroughs, coaching cycles, goals, evaluations, staff surveys and recognition. Leaders see how every educator is doing from their first week onward, not only whether they are current, and the renewal record builds out of the growth work already happening.
Start a conversation about GeorgiaPLUs are Georgia units, awarded by a State of Georgia education agency, a RESA, a Georgia LUA or a GaPSC-approved college or university. CEUs come from a GaPSC-accepted college or university or a provider authorized by IACET or the International Dyslexia Association, and the rule sets ten contact hours as the equivalent of one CEU. Ten of either counts toward the professional learning requirement under the not-employed-in-Georgia route.
Yes, if the provider is IACET-accredited. You can use 10 CEUs from any IACET-accredited provider to meet renewal requirements.
GaPSC Rule 505-2-.36(8)(a) waives renewal credit for reinstatement only for individuals whose most recent renewable certificate or license "expired between June 30, 2011, and June 30, 2017." Outside that window, renewal requirements for an expired certificate "must have been completed within the five (5)-year period preceding the date of renewal application," and any outstanding Special Georgia Requirements still apply.
TKES applies to Georgia public school teachers. Private school teachers are issued Standard Professional certificates and have different requirements. Contact GaPSC for private school renewal guidance.
Background checks typically take 2-4 weeks. Submit your fingerprints early in the renewal window to avoid delays in certificate issuance.
EX in Education helps Georgia educators track PLUs, align professional learning with TKES, and prepare for MyPSC renewal, connected to the same system that runs coaching, evaluations, and goals.
Start a conversationJoin Georgia educators using EX in Education to track PLUs, align with TKES, and streamline the renewal process, connected to coaching, evaluations, and goals across every school.
Evaluated in Georgia? See how Georgia teacher evaluation works, and how the evidence connects to the record you keep for renewal.
Not in Georgia? Find requirements for your state.
Part of EX in Education
Georgia PD and PLU tracking are one part of how districts support educators. In EX in Education, they connect to the bigger picture: walkthroughs, coaching, evaluations, goals, PD, recognition, surveys, and retention. Bring your own process, or start from a template, then run it across every school so every educator moves from hired to thriving.