Due to uncertainty of state funding levels, the Educator Retooling program has been suspended effective October 27, 2011.

If you would like to be contacted if funds become available, add yourself to our Educator Retooling Contact List.

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) has funding and technical support through the Pathways program available to support teachers to add the following endorsements:

• Secondary Mathematics
• Any Secondary Science area
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth and Space Science
• Physics
• Middle Level Math
• Middle Level Science
• Bilingual Education
• English Language Learners

Funding supports Washington certified teachers in adding an eligible endorsement to their certificate through Pathway 1, 2, or 3. The program is also available for unemployed Washington certified Elementary Education teachers to add Middle Level Math and Science endorsements via Pathway 2- taking the endorsement test (WEST-E) and completing the pedagogy assessment. For information on the various Pathways to Add an Endorsement visit http://www.pesb.wa.gov/educators/pathways.

Funds may be used to pay for endorsement test (WEST-E), university administration for the pedagogy assessment, and tuition for coursework.

Funding for this program is through the Conditional Loan Scholarship program. The conditional scholarship is a loan that is forgiven for teaching service in the endorsement area added through the program (partial assignments are allowed). Teaching service must be in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive the loan obligation entirely if the recipient teaches in the shortage area endorsement area added through the program in a Washington state public school for two years per each scholarship. Each candidate is allowed up to $3,000 per scholarship, with a total of $6,000 (two scholarships, one per fiscal year).

Get Started:

1) If you are Pathway 2 or 3, you must contact with a university or college offering the endorsement. You will need to obtain a Plan of Study from an adviser at the college and include it with your state application.

2) Next, Request an Application and receive your the state application for funding by email.

3) Once the scholarship application is received by email, it must be printed and filled out completely. Be sure to include your teaching certificate number in the space provided. Applicants must sign and put their social security number on the bottom of pages 2-5. Applicants also must include their Plan of Study and mail the completed application to:

Mea Moore
Director, Educator Pathways
PO BOX 47236
Olympia, WA 98504-7236.
(We cannot accept emailed or faxed applications at this time)

Have Questions?

See Frequently Asked Questions - Educator Retooling Program, or email Retooling@k12.wa.us.

Helpful Links:

• Pathway Chart
• Washington State Endorsement Programs
• Colleges and Universities offering Pathway 2 Programs
• Frequently Asked Questions - Educator Retooling Program
• WEST-E Information
• Request for an Application (Due to uncertainty of state funding levels, the Educator Retooling program has been suspended effective October 27, 2011)