 March 4, 2026
“What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again.” ―Suzanne Collins
- Action Needed: Residency Teacher Reissuance
- Certificate Reissue Vs. Renewal Guidance
- Website Renovation Coming Soon!
- You're Invited! CTE Office Hour
- Accepted Clock Hour Documentation
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Action Needed: Residency Teacher Reissuance
This is a courtesy notice from the Professional Certification Department at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for district HR staff and administrators.
Annual expiration dates have been added in the E-Certification (eCert) system for Residency Teacher First Issue (FI) certificates.
If an educator previously held an undated Residency Teacher FI certificate and was reported in a teaching role with 1.5 or more FTE on the annual S-275 report, their certificate will now show an expiration date of June 30, 2026.
Affected educators were notified by email through the address listed in their eCert account.
Please remind educators in your district with a June 30, 2026 expiration date to apply for reissuance if they have not already done so. They must reapply to avoid expiration.
Certificate expiration reports are now available in eCert. Administrators and HR staff can run district reports to identify educators who need to reissue their certificates. See the “Resources” section below for instructions on running a report.
How Do Educators Reissue in eCert?
1. Navigate to the Educational Data System (EDS), and log in to the eCert application. If an educator's certificate is available for Reissue, the option to apply for reissuance will be available.
2. On the home page, under the Educator Action Center, select "Get Started" on the "Apply to re-issue to Your Washington Credential" tile.
 3. To start the Reissue process, select "Apply for Credential." If an educator's certificate is available for Reissue, it will be listed.
 Certificate Reissue Vs. Renewal Guidance
Reissue the certificate if both of the statements below apply to educators:
- The certificate title includes "First Issue (FI)" (Ex. Residency Teacher, Administrator, or ESA — First Issue)
- They have met the service requirement of 1.5–2 years in Washington in the designated teacher, administrator, or ESA role
Renew the certificate if both of the statements below apply to educators:
- The five-year certificate is expiring
- They have completed 100 clock hours of professional development
Website Renovation Coming Soon!
A new certification website layout is expected to launch in late March 2026.
Based on feedback from a usability study with educators, improvements include:
- Reducing pages from 122 to about 43
- Simplifying and aligning information
- Grouping related topics together
- Shorter navigation paths
Once the new site launches:
- Update any saved certification webpages or favorites
- Links in existing slides may no longer work
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You’re Invited! CTE Office Hour with Kelli Bennett
Do you have questions regarding CTE certification?
The Professional Certification Department invites district CTE Directors, Human Resources staff, and anyone in the role to attend an open Q & A with Kelli Bennett, Administrative Program Specialist for CTE certification.
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 1:30–2:30 pm
Location: Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/92768503888)
Attendees are welcome to join at any point during the session to ask questions about CTE certification requirements, documentation, or related processes.
We look forward to connecting with you!
Accepted Clock Hour Documentation
Clock hours and equivalents are only accepted with proper documentation (WAC 181-85-107).
Acceptable documentation includes:
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OSPI in-service registration forms
- Official transcripts or certificates from an accredited college or university
- A letter or certificate showing CEUs, credits, or clock hours
- Pre-approved provider transcript (Ex. transcript from school district)
- pdEnroller eCert upload or transcript
- Clock hours uploaded to eCert by a school district
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Resources
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Questions?
If you or an educator has questions regarding information in this newsletter, reach out to our Professional Certification Customer Service team at 360-725-6400 or by email at cert@k12.wa.us, and one of our Program Specialists will assist you.
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The OSPI Professional Certification Department thanks you for your collaboration in support of Washington state educators!
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