Beginning April 1, 2024, the state of Maryland has moved from a certification to a licensure model of educator credentialing. Under the new COMAR 13.A12 Educator Licensure regulations, educators must now hold a valid Maryland license in order to be employed in a public school system.

COMAR 12.A12 mandates that all educators must have at least one hour of professional learning in each of the following categories: 

• Content or pedagogy that is related to an area on your license

• English as a Second Language, Sheltered English, or Bilingual Education

• Strategies for teaching students with disabilities or differentiated instruction

• Culturally Responsive Teaching or diverse student identities in education

Additonal requirements MAY apply for educators who hold specialized licensure. Please see FAQ document and/or contact certification@fcps.org with individual questions. 

The new Educator Licensure regulations (COMAR 13A.12) allow a Local Education Agency (LEA) to award Professional Development Points (PDPs) through an approved Professional Development Activity (PDA) and assign a designated number of Professional Development Points (PDPs) to the approved activity. Each PDP equates to one hour of learning. Therefore, PDAs must be a minimum of one contact hour. We anticipate having a process for approving locally-sponsored PDAs and awarding PDPs available July 1, 2025. If you have transitioned to a license and participate in a FCPS-sponsored professional learning opportunity, please keep any documentation of that activity in the event that it becomes an approved PDA and we are able to award PDPs retroactively.

*Please note: Professional Development Points will only be awarded for Pofessional Development Activities that are approved by FCPS, MSDE, or another LEA. It is the educator's responsibility to obtain completion documentation from the PDA facilitator at the end of the Professional Development Activity and document it on the IPDP.  Documentation will not be provided retroactively.

In the Spring of 2024, the MSDE announced changes to the required reading coursework for license holders with endorsements in certain areas.  These new requirements replace the former 12 or 6 ancillary credits of reading and are required for the following areas:

• Elementary Education

• Early Childhood Education

• Special Education (all grade bands)

• ESOL

Visit www.mdcert.org and follow the pathway to "Demonstration of Proficiency in Teaching Reading" to learn more information, including approved professional learning coursework and registration information. 

For additional information, please visit the Science of Reading Proficiency - Licensure FAQ or reach out to certification@fcps.org

All Maryland educators are responsible for planning for and maintaining record of professional learning, including PDPs during the educator's renewal cycle. All Maryland educators are responsbile for submitting a completed professional development activity log as evidence of renewal requirements to the The Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH).  * click below to access TEACH.*