SC Public School Employees

Beyond the initial three-year validity period, an educator who does not yet meet the requirements for a Professional certificate, but who is employed by a South Carolina public school district, is eligible for an annual extension at the request of the employing district, subject to the following conditions.

• Extensions must be requested annually and consecutively. An educator with an Initial certificate that has been expired for a school year or longer is not eligible for an extension and must reapply for certification and meet current requirements.
• An educator employed at the Induction or Annual contract level, as defined in S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-40, may have the Initial certificate extended annually at the request of the employing school district provided the educator will not exceed the four Annual contracts allowed on the current Initial certificate.
• An educator employed in a position that does not require certification or is not included in the ADEPT system may have the Initial certificate extended annually for an indefinite period at the request of the employing school district, so long as Annual Requirements for Initial Certificate Extensions are met every five extensions.

Educators Employed in Other Educational Settings in South Carolina

Beyond the initial three-year validity period, an educator who holds an Initial certificate and is employed in a non-public school or educational setting in South Carolina (e.g., an independent or parochial school) may have their certificates extended annually at the request of the employer. The educational entity may request extensions each year for as long as the educator remains employed with the entity, so long as Annual Requirements for Initial Certificate Extensions are met every five extensions.

The following requirements apply:

• Extensions must be requested annually and consecutively.
  • An educator with an Initial certificate that has been expired for a school year or longer is not eligible for an extension and must reapply for certification and meet current requirements.
• The educator must submit a request for an extension through My SC Educator Portal.
• The employer must submit a formal correspondence to the Office of Educator Services.
  • Formal correspondence submitted for an extension request must:
    • be presented on the official letterhead of the employing entity,
    • state the educator's full name and certificate number,
    • indicate the school year for the extension,
    • verify that the educator will be employed by the entity during the period of the extension, and
    • bear the handwritten or verified electronic signature of the entity’s human resources or administrative personnel.
  • A PDF copy of the formal correspondence may be emailed by the employer to certification@ed.sc.gov. Alternatively, the educator may upload a PDF copy of the formal letter through My SC Educator Portal by using the "Submit Documents" feature and choosing "Correspondence" after submitting an extension request.