Educator License Renewal and PDP Credit Opportunities

In 2023, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) transitioned from using the term “certificate” to “license” for all educator credentials, and updated how professional learning activities are tracked for renewal. If you previously held a Professional Eligibility Certificate or Standard/Advanced Professional Certificate, you now renew through the new Initial, Professional, or Advanced Professional License system.

At the same time, MSDE reaffirmed the use of Professional Development Points (PDPs) as a flexible way to earn renewal credit. One PDP equals one hour of approved professional learning. PDPs now apply to a wider range of experiences—including conferences, curriculum work, micro-credentials, and more—offering educators more options than traditional CPD coursework alone.

Professional Development Points

Attending your local GLS host site clearly falls under the “professional conference” category for PDP credit because:

  • Format and Duration
    The GLS is structured as a seminar-style event with plenary talks and break-out workshops, all delivered in a sustained, coherent program. Host-site events run well beyond four clock hours in a single day, satisfying the “4 or more hours” requirement.

  • High-Quality, Ongoing Professional Development
    GLS content is explicitly designed to build leadership capacity, instructional innovation, team-building, and reflective practice—all hallmarks of “ongoing, sustained, and high-quality professional development.”

  • Documentation for PDPs
    After the event, the host site will provide a certificate of attendance (or official letter) indicating your participation and total hours. You submit that documentation to MSDE—or through your local education agency’s PDP approval process—and earn one PDP for each clock hour attended.

In short, by virtue of being a multi-hour, MSDE-approved seminar whose content is directly focused on advancing your leadership and instructional practice, a GLS host-site attendance qualifies you to accrue PDPs under the “Attending or presenting at a professional conference” provision.

 

Note: Before registering, please check with your local school district or professional development coordinator to confirm any approval forms, registration steps, or credit-reporting procedures required in your area.

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But it's two of my last precious days of summer...

 

We get it—those August days are sacred. But here’s why this just might be the professional development experience worth claiming for yourself:

  • Lowest possible cost: As a local host-site attendee, you pay around $130—a fraction of what many CEU-earning or college-credit PD opportunities cost (often $300–600+).

  • Real value, real refreshment: Unlike box-checking webinars or rushed in-service sessions, GLS is built to inspire. You’ll hear from world-class speakers, reconnect with your “why,” and leave with fresh ideas and energy right before students return.

  • You’re treated like a professional:

    • Move freely. Use the bathroom when you need to.

    • Interact with other adults—not just educators.

    • Hot lunch will be provided both days—catered, not pot luck from the PTA

    • Be poured into, instead of always pouring out.

And let’s be honest—two days spent in an uplifting, air-conditioned space with coffee, colleagues, and powerful ideas might just be the best send-off into the new school year.

We hope you’ll consider giving yourself this gift of purpose, renewal, and PDP credit—before the mandatory meetings begin.

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