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Teacher Certification Section - Reasons for Disciplinary Action

The PSC is authorized to take action against an educator’s certificate for any of the following reasons:

• Obtaining or attempting to obtain a certificate, license, or permit by fraudulent means or through misrepresentation of material facts;
• Physical, mental, or emotional incapacity or unfitness;
• Commission of an act of moral turpitude;
• Conviction, plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere for violation of a law punishable as a felony or misdemeanor other than a minor traffic violation;
• Incompetency in discharging assigned duties in the field or fields for which the educator is certified;
• Violation of ethical standards of the education profession;
• Revocation of a teaching certificate in another state on grounds;
• Personal conduct that seriously reduces the certificate, license, or permit holder’s effectiveness in his or her employment position or conduct detrimental to the health, welfare, discipline or morals of pupils;
• Breach of contract of employment by abandonment of the work assignment without first being released from the contract of employment by a local board of education; and
• Any other good and sufficient cause.

Child Support Payment Non-Compliance

Senate Bill 227, passed during the 1996 regular session of the Georgia General Assembly, to become effective January 1, 1997, provides for the denial or suspension by state agencies of professional licenses for failure to comply with an order to pay child support. The suspension or denial is based on the issuance of an order of a superior court of Georgia or failure to comply with an order for child support enforced by the Department of Human Resources (DHR). A suspension based on this law is for an indefinite period of time until the PSC receives official notification that the individual has complied with the order to pay child support. All other PSC rules and procedures associated with certificate suspension apply.