Office of Human Resources and Development
Educator Certification Information
ABOUT MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (MSDE) LICENSURE
The MCPS Certification Unit works directly with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to provide licensure services for all MCPS contracted educators (teachers, specialists, and administrators). MCPS is MSDE for MCPS educators and handles ALL licensure needs via its direct access to the MSDE's The Educator Application and Certification Hub (TEACH). Please contact a member of the Certification Unit (not MSDE) with any and all questions about your Maryland Educator License and any services we provide to MCPS educators.
Information given by any other office or MCPS employee may not pertain to your specific needs or circumstances. If you are not a contracted MCPS educator OR if you are an MCPS supporting services employee or substitute teacher, you must contact MSDE directly for certification services at 1-410-767-0390 or at certinfo.msde@maryland.gov.
Certification News
- There are NEW MSDE regulations as of April 1, 2024. MCPS educators will not need to worry about renewal requirements until transitioned to the new license at the expiration of the current certificate.
- NEW - COURSEWORK TRACKING GUIDE - See SALARY ADVANCEMENT
- TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY CREDITS YOU HAVE toward salary advancement or want to track your professional development courses? We've provided a way for you to track your credits - VIEW and UTILIZE the salary advancement GUIDE to track applicable credits toward salary advancement.
- VIEW this Power Point presentation (PDF) about understanding salary advancement.
IMPORTANT CERTIFICATION REMINDERS
- ALL MARYLAND EDUCATORS must register their educator account with "The Educator Application and Certification Hub" (TEACH), Maryland's portal for educator certification. Please utilize our step-by-step guides when using TEACH!
- SEE the MCPS TEACH Registration Guide
- SEE the MCPS TEACH Application Overview
- IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER to know the current certification requirements and to complete and submit the renewal requirements prior to the expiration of the professional license.
Useful Links
- FAQs-All Professional Staff
- MCPS Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Courses
- National Board Certification (NBC) from National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
- MCPS Tuition Reimbursement
- MCPS Higher Education Partnerships
- MCPS Professional Development Online (PDO)
- MCPS Form 440-34, Verification of Equivalent Activities for Advanced Professional Certificate (APC)
- MCPS Form 475-1, Request for Advanced Salary Placement
- Common Acronyms & Abbreviations
Contact Us
Certification Unit Staff
The MCPS Certification Unit handles the needs of approximately 14,000 professional employees and monitors all local MCPS requirements. The certification coordinator and certification specialist are granted authority by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to handle all of certification services including certificate renewal, credit applicability, additional certification areas, and any other related services. Once employed as a professional employee with MCPS, you work directly with us for all of your certification needs.
Certification Unit Address Information
PONY ADDRESS:
ATTN: Certification Unit
OHRD/Department of Talent Acquisition
45 W. Gude, Suite 2300
MAILING ADDRESS:
ATTN: Certification Unit
MCPS/OHRD-Department of Talent Acquisition
45 West Gude Drive, 2nd Floor, Suite 2300
Rockville, MD 20850-1159
Telephone and Fax Numbers
Phone: 240-740-8030
Fax: 301-279-3813