Each year, the Pennsylvania Department of Education processes more than 56,000 teacher certification applications, and responds to tens of thousands of emails and phone calls as part of the services provided to applicants. In order to provide these services, the agency spends nearly $1 million more than it receives in fees, making the existing fee structure unsustainable. Therefore, effective July 1, 2010, a new fee structure will be implemented to meet the costs associated with evaluating applications. The new fees will allow us to bring our services back to previous levels, particularly in terms of backlogs and waiting times. The new fee structure is as follows:
|
Application Type |
New Fee - July 1, 2010 |
Old Fee |
|
In-State |
$100 |
$40 |
| (Program completed at a PA College/University) |
|
|
| Instructional |
|
|
| Educational Specialist |
|
|
| Administrative/Supervisory/LOE |
|
|
| Emergency Permits |
|
|
| Type 01, 04, 08 |
$100 |
$40 |
| Type 06 (upload or paper) |
$5 |
$0 and $40 |
| Out-of-State |
$160 |
$80 |
| (Program completed outside PA) |
|
|
|
Instructional |
|
|
|
Educational Specialist |
|
|
|
Administrative/Supervisory/LOE |
|
|
|
Program Specialist |
$100 |
$40 |
|
Resource Specialist |
$100 |
$40 |
|
Instructional Add-On |
$100 |
$40 |
|
Level II |
$100 |
$40 |
| MEQs/BEQs |
$100 |
$40 |
| TTP Conversion |
$100 |
$40 |
| Act 48 Extension Request |
$0 |
$0 |
| Voluntary Inactivation/Removal |
$75 |
$40 |
| Deletion of Certificate Area |
$75 |
$40 |
| Certificate of Preliminary Education |
$50 |
$15 |
| (Nurse, Funeral Director) |
|
|
| Private Academic |
$75 |
$15 |
| Public Librarian |
$0 |
$0 |
The revised fees are equal to or lower than certification fees charged by other states and remain a one-time application fee with no renewal fees following the Level II certificate. There are no fees coinciding with the five year continuing professional education requirements. Assuming a 30-year teaching career, Pennsylvania’s teacher certification fees total $200 ($100 for an Instructional I and $100 for an Instructional II). Pennsylvania’s $200 fee over a 30-year career is the same as the 30-year career fee in New York ($100 for a provisional and $100 for a permanent certificate). Other neighboring states and states in the northeast region charge fees throughout a teacher’s career. The fees charged over a 30-year teaching career are as follows:
|
State |
Fees over a 30-year teaching career |
|
Connecticut |
$1,500 |
|
New Hampshire |
$1,300 |
|
Vermont |
$1,280 |
|
Ohio |
$1,180 |
|
Rhode Island |
$625 |
|
Massachusetts |
$300 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$200 |
|
Virginia |
$200 |
|
New York |
$200 |
Within Pennsylvania itself, many certification or licensing fees paid by other professionals far exceed the $200 fees paid by teachers. For example, funeral directors pay $4,565, auctioneers pay $2,850, car salespersons pay $1,285 and social workers pay $1,075 over a 30-year career.
PDE is also planning several improvements to increase our overall efficiency for the benefit of teachers, teacher preparation institutions, and others in the education community. First, we are restructuring to provide more staff for evaluating applications, thereby reducing the waiting period from 11 weeks to 8 weeks for those applying for a certificate, with even further reductions in the waiting period over time. Please refer to Application Processing Status for further information on processing timelines. Next, we are establishing a single starting point on the Department’s website and a single telephone number to provide access to relevant assistance and services both within and beyond the Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality. Bureau staff and staff in other offices who provide ongoing services to educators will be cross-trained and function as a team, reducing any delays associated with identifying the correct office to contact for assistance.
Finally, we have developed an on-line certification program streamlining the evaluation process for certain out-of-state certified teachers who wish to teach in Pennsylvania. More specifically, we are working to identify other states that have certification requirements equivalent to Pennsylvania’s in an effort to shorten the evaluation process for applicants holding those out-of-state certificates.
Teaching in Pennsylvania continues to be affordable. We hope you will share this message and support our efforts to improve the services we provide to your members and the people of Pennsylvania.
Maintaining and Improving Delivery of Teacher Certification Services in Pennsylvania (pdf)
Regional Comparison of Certification Fees (pdf)
Certification Fee Change Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
