The International Schools Review Forum

If my Pennsylvania certification goes Inactive, would the better international schools care? The certification would still be Valid, it would just be Inactive. In PA, the only way you can get hours toward reactivation is if you take specified courses in PA or certain college credits. Just curious if that is something I absolutely need to do in order to be considered at some of these higher tier schools. (I am certified in Math and currently teach AP Calc and Pre-calc in Bangkok)

Thanks. Any help anyone can give is appreciated.

Other input may vary but my opinion/guess is that some schools and countries (for visa purposes) may consider it an issue. Technically, you are not a “certified” teacher if you are not currently/actively certified from some entity or organization.

Like I said, others may have more specific/informed feedback.

Its not valid, inactive is essentially the equivalent of expired for failure to do PD. This is one of the scenarios that demonstrate the difference between a credential and a license. An inactive PA credential does not meet the license requirements to provide instructional services in your HORs DE and DS, even though you are still credentialed. Youre otherwise in the same position as many ITs with limited PD options, which requires 180 units per 5 year PD cycle. These option are limited because your not employed by a PA LEA, thus your main source of PD is going to be uni credits/units.

For PA, the eligible credits are pretty broad. Almost anything education-related at the graduate level from an accredited university, last time I looked. Whittle away at it with credits from attending conferences, or just bite the bullet and take a couple online courses.
Schools will expect you to have a current active cert.

Credits/unis do not need to be obtained at the graduate level, undergraduate units/credits count as well as long as the tertiary institution is a 4 year bachelors granting institution, regardless of the actual level of the courses, whereas courses taken at junior/community college (2 year associate institutions) are not acceptable.

You can only obtain PD credits/units from conferences if the conference is one such that PD units/credits are approved, issued and available. There are some broad guidelines for these, but many IE conferences arent going to be accepted. In IE if the conference is sponsored or supported by a tertiary institution they would likely meet the general guidelines, but if the conference is just organized by some IS or consortium of ISs its not likely going to count.

If you haven't spoken directly to the PA certifying organization, I'd highly recommend calling them. I thought I was in the same situation in my state (not PA), and I called. They let me know that the principal at my international school could 1) Sign off that I had done an equivalent amount of school embedded PD or 2) write a letter that my certification was a condition of employment and then I would have my certificate renewed. This information was nowhere online for me to find. Good luck!

@OP,

In Washington state, we can earn our hours through PD or through credits. When my son was battling cancer 9 years ago, I realized my cert renewal was coming up and I didn't have enough hours. I was able to do online credits through a 2 year college no problem - 5 quarter credits = 50 hours. Of course, YMMV, but online credits rock! If your state has a reciprocal agreement with another state, you may be able to transfer your cert and then do online PD.

Best wishes for your resolution...………….

~ Marci

I agree with @FV2020, there isnt a lot lost in contacting the PA DOE.

PA accepts online credits/units as long as they are earned from an accredited institution. They wont accept credits/units from a 2 year junior/community college whether its online or traditional F2F instruction for meeting the level II credential bridging requirements.
It would be better to transfer the credential to a state that dosnt require PD for renewal (CA, etc.) or offers a lifetime credential (NJ, UK).
Regardless, your still looking at getting Uni credits/units which come at some (considerable) cost. You can find cheap coursework though UoPe at USD$100/course for undergraduate credits/units and USD$200/course for graduate credits/units. The PA DOE provides various approved online PD though its SAS program portal.