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Gwinnett County Public Schools
a woman smiling with text: Why Teach at GCPS? Make a difference in Students' Lives!

Why Teach at GCPS?

For the 2022-23 school year, there are 142 public schools serving approximately 180,000 students in Gwinnett County, GA. Gwinnett County
Public Schools is an award-winning district that has been recognized nationally as a great place to teach!

  • GCPS is committed to employing high quality teachers to
    provide high-quality instruction for each and every student, every day!
  • GCPS teachers have the knowledge, skills, and support they need to be successful in a Gwinnett classroom!
  • Our students are the “Promise of Gwinnett” and the teachers at our schools help them fulfill this promise.
  • Gwinnett County Public Schools is the only district in GA to offer a locally-funded retirement system resulting in higher take-home pay for all teachers! Click on the link for additional details about the Gwinnett Retirement System!
  • Gwinnett County is a community that supports public education and our teachers. It is a great place to live, work and play!
Three-Time Best Employer for Women - Forbes Magazine
Two Time Broad Prize Winner for Urban Education: The Broad Foundation
Top 25 Best Places to Work: Gwinnett Magazine
One of America's Best Employers: Forbes Magazine
2021 Best Employer for Women: Forbes Magazine
Top 25 Employer: Atlanta Business Chronicle

“When students feel safe and supported, rather than frustrated and embarrassed, they are more likely to consistently attend their classes and do their best work.” Mrs. Cloninger strives to support district goals by providing a “culturally relevant curriculum to my students in engaging ways. By the end of the school year, students have a rich understanding of how the ocean impacts each and every person on the planet, regardless of background or status.”

Jenna Cloninger
2025 GCPS Teacher of the Year
Central Gwinnett High School

How To Be Certified

Thought of Teaching and not certified?  Did you know that you can be initially hired to teach with only a college degree?  After you are hired, you would need to complete all certification requirements within a period of time: 

All Gwinnett County Public Schools teachers, school administrators, service personnel, and paraprofessionals are required by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) to hold an appropriate certificate for the field, subject, grade level, or assignment. The GaPSC is the state agency that establishes regulations and procedures to evaluate the credentials of prospective teachers, as well as other professional employees in the schools, to ensure they meet specified preparation standards and requirements.

Degree and transcript from a country outside of the us?

List of Accredited Agencies for Foreign Credential Reports. Once you receive your credential report, please upload the report to your online application. 

Basic steps to be eligible for a provisional teaching certificate:

  1. Visit the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) website at www.gapsc.com and create your MyPSC account from the registration button. Complete the requirements listed below:

 a. For information on GACE tests, testing materials, registration dates, go to: http://gace.ets.org

 b. For test prep through GACE, go to: Test Prep

 c. For GACE prep tutoring, go to: 240Tutoring 

2. Pass the Georgia Educators Ethics Assessment 360 exam.

3. Pass a GACE Content Assessment Test in a teaching field. This is the subject field that you wish to teach.

  1. If already certified, elementary education may not be added as a certification field. Candidates interested in adding
    elementary education as a certification to an existing certificate would need to enroll in a Master’s level teaching program that includes student teaching.
  2. Those interested in teaching Special Education who hold a bachelor’s degree (2.5 GPA) in any subject field may be eligible to be hired after completing Steps 1 & 2. If hired, a GACE Sp. Ed. content test would need to be passed prior to hire or asap.

 

What's Next?

  1. Start by completing an online application at the GCPS Careers page.
  2. Upload your GACE test results and official college transcript in the supplemental materials section of your application.
  3. Add 2 current supervisory email addresses and send the reference survey form within the application. References from friends/co-workers are not acceptable.
  4. If a job offer is made, a provisional certificate is issued for one year and you must enroll into a GaPSC approved teacher preparation program in the field you are teaching to extend the provisional certificate for two additional years.
  5. GaPSC approved programs are available at www.gapsc.com. Under Quick Links click Georgia Approved Programs. Select Gwinnett County Public Schools and your certification field for a list of all approved programs; Bachelor, Master’s and GATAPP programs.

Program Options include: 

  • Enroll in a Master’s in Teaching (MAT) program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes student teaching and certification. 
  • Enroll in a Georgia TAPP program (Teacher Alternative Preparation Program) for certification only.
  • To earn Georgia Certification or to add a field or endorsement to your Georgia certificate, use this Educator Prep Programs search tool to view the list of GaPSC approved certification and endorsement programs. 

Choose your area of expertise

We’re committed to filling our 140 schools with teachers who are passionate, innovative, and driven to help our students receive the world-class education they deserve. View all open positions for certified teachers or get more information about our critical needs openings in the following areas:

 

Nationally Acclaimed. Incredibly Diverse.

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