Congratulations on becoming an educator with PWCS. We trust this will be an opportunity for you to make a difference in our school community by fostering a desire to learn and to show genuine care to the students of our great school division. Your role is important and you should be proud of the profession you have chosen!

As with all great professions of importance, there are licensure requirements associated with your assignment that must be completed. The Code of Virginia requires a Virginia Department of Education issued license in order to be paid with public funds. The Office of Certification is here to guide you through this process. Upon completion, your earned, original License Certificate will be provided for you to proudly display or frame as a reminder of your achievements and future goals.

It is the responsibility of the license holder to maintain a valid license issued by the Virginia Board of Education.

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE: The application for teacher licensure in Virginia requires that you provide your social security number. Section 22.1-296.4 of the Code of Virginia requires a check of the registry of founded complaints of child abuse and neglect in Virginia and other states. A social security number is required for this search. In addition, Virginia is a member of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, and uses their clearinghouse to check for licensure revocation, suspension, denial, and reinstatement in other states. Virginia also provides information to the clearinghouse regarding licensure revocation, suspension, denial, and reinstatement in Virginia. The social security number is used for the clearinghouse and was required prior to 1975. The Virginia Department of Education will not release your social security number except in reporting cases of licensure revocation, suspension, denial and reinstatement as noted above. 

Become familiar with the license holder responsibility and the administrator's role in the License Renewal process or access the Virginia License Renewal Manual for guidance:

Obtain the instructions and forms for adding endorsements or degrees to your license:

Check the "Alpha Roster" for your name to verify licensure requests were processed by the PWCS Office of Certification and sent to the VDOE on your behalf or check the VDOE Query to see the current license status for you or school staff:

Learn more about Virginia assessments. If you hold a Collegiate or Post Graduate Professional license, you may add some endorsements to your license by taking and passing the required Praxis II assessment with no additional course work:

Obtain forms and instructions to apply for a Salary Upgrade to BA+15, MA, MA+30 or Doctorate. Salary Upgrades processed twice a year with deadline dates of September 30 and January 31. Locate approved Virginia licensure programs that lead to a salary upgrade and additional endorsements: