The State Department is close to completing reviews of applications for professional certificate renewals submitted by CT teachers this spring. With almost 10,000 applications reviewed so far, they expect the remaining 3,000 to be completed soon. 

Some teachers have questioned why, when they completed their applications online in early-mid April, they still haven’t received their new certificates, and the online system indicates their application is ‘pending.’ According to Certification Bureau Chief Nancy Pugliese, the system doesn’t necessarily automatically keep the applications in order according to their date of receipt, so when an application is accessed by the SDE reviewer, it may not be the one that was received first. 

This is an issue the SDE will try to resolve, but in the meantime, their priority is to complete all reviews as soon as possible. Teachers whose applications are being audited are being notified and asked to send in CEU certificates to verify the completion of the requirements for the renewal. The SDE will also try to notify superintendents about their progress in completing the reviews of renewal applications, so those who question why teachers don’t have an updated copy of their certificate for their personnel files will understand that the SDE is trying to provide these as quickly as possible.