Department of Education explains what you need to do to keep your teaching certificate up-to-date
Teachers, school counselors and school psychologists must meet continuing education requirements to renew their certificate or license every five years.
The requirement can be met by completing six semester credits, 18 State Board Continuing Education Units (SB-CEUs), or a combination of the two. Three SB-CEUs can be used in lieu of one semester credit.
A Michigan teaching certificate or license will expire on June 30 of a given year. Only credits earned during the five years preceding the date of application will be considered for renewing the certificate or license, according to the Michigan Department of Education.
Semester credit can be earned from any Michigan institution of higher education, including any of the state community colleges, or from an out-of-state four-year institution that has been approved as a teacher preparation institution.
However, out-of-state community college credit will not be recognized by the Department of Education to renew a certificate or license.
Various education organizations, including MEA, routinely offer SB-CEUs to certified teachers, counselors and school psychologists at conferences and workshops.
Be sure to request SB-CEUs, if available, at the time of registration. The SB-CEUs may not be awarded retroactively.
Occasionally, a provider will offer continuing education units that have not been approved by the state of Michigan, but rather, are available from the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
Continuing education units approved through IACET must be converted to SB-CEUs within 30 calendar days by presenting your certificate of completion to an approved Michigan SB-CEU coordinator from an intermediate school district.
Also keep in mind that a number of out-of-state institutions offer IACET credit as an option rather than receiving semester credit. These IACET credits also must be converted to SB-CEUs.
It’s also possible to receive SB-CEUs for participating in professional development activities, even when the provider has not requested the CEUs.
An approved SB-CEU coordinator from your intermediate school district may apply to receive approval for you, if done in advance of participation. Remember, approval must be sought prior to participation and will not be awarded retroactively.
Teachers are reminded that they are responsible for keeping their certificates up-to-date. A teacher with an expired certificate may not be employed by a district or school until the certificate is made whole again. Similarly, tenure rights of a teacher are jeopardized with an expired certificate.
Contact Susie Koenigsknecht at the Michigan Department of Education Office of Professional Preparation, 517/241-4928, with further questions.
First Rule of Teacher Certification
It is the teacher’s responsibility to keep his/her certificate valid at all times.
Please know what type of certificate you hold and its expiration date.