1. Traditional Certification
2. Alternative Certification
3. Permits
4. No Certification. See APS Board Policy- Non-Certified Newly Hired Employees

Please refer to Educator Pathways At APS.

APS Hiring Guide to Certification

Depending on your occupational experience, you may qualify for a Permit or the Non-Certification Pathway. 

Once you hold a certificate issued by the GaPSC, you may NOT opt for the Non-Certification pathway with Atlanta Public Schools.

Please note that this excludes Paraprofessional certificates and Clearance certificates. These certificates are eligible for the Non-Certification pathway. 

No.  Atlanta Public Schools cannot waiver certification requirements for these fields. In order to teach, you must gain state certification. 

• Professional Development (PD) coursework and Seminars conducted by MRESA (cost $600)
• Clinical Supervision & Support (job-embedded)
• Culminating Assessments
• Positive performance observations and evaluations
• Meet annual PD requirements each year of ongoing employment  

Yes; however, you will only receive a Clearance certification. The Non-certification route only allows you to gain certification for employment with Atlanta Public Schools. You will not be certified with the State of Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). 

Eligibility + Registration Steps for GAPSC

Due to the adoption of the New GA Literacy House Bill (HB538), mandated literacy assessments will impact the initial issuance and extension of several certificate types issued with the beginning validity date of 7/1/2025. 

• Every teaching preparation field is aligned to one of three Literacy Assessments,
• Adding a Teaching Field to a Teaching Certificate will require a Passed Literacy Assessment, and
• Initial Teaching Preparation Programs beginning on or after July 1, 2025, will require a Passed Literacy Assessment.