CTE Director

This page explains how to apply for your first Career and Technical Education (CTE) Director certificate in Washington state. It covers both the Initial and Continuing CTE Director certificates, who qualifies for each, and the requirements you must meet.

Washington Offers Two Types of CTE Director Certificates

• Initial CTE Director certificate is the first-tier, full credential for new CTE Directors.
• Continuing CTE Director certificate is the second-tier, full credential for CTE educators who hold an Initial CTE Director certificate and have met the requirements to upgrade it. 

Initial CTE Director

This application is for career and technical educators who hold an administrator certificate or have three years of certified CTE experience and have completed a state-authorized CTE administrator training or a state-approved college program for CTE administration. 

Requirements

• Complete one of the options below:
  • Option 1: Hold a Residency, Continuing, or Professional Administrator certificate
  • Option 2: Three years of experience as a certified CTE Teacher, CTE Administrator, CTE Counselor, CTE Occupational Information Specialist, or CTE Career Guidance Specialist (4074B-Initial CTE Director Experience Verification)
• Complete a state-authorized CTE administrator training or complete a state-approved college program for CTE administration (4074E-CTE Director Program Completion Verification).
• Submit CTE Director Application

CTE Program Contacts

• City University | Melissa Myers or Teri Proff
• Eastern Washington University | Brock Taylor
• WA-ACTE CTE Program | Michelle Spenser or Shani Watkins

Continuing CTE Director

Requirements

This application is for CTE educators who hold an Initial CTE Director certificate and meet the requirements below to upgrade it to the second-tier certificate. 

• Must have completed 150 continuing education clock hours or 15 quarter credits since the issuance of the first Initial CTE Director certificate

  • Please Note: Credits obtained from the director training program cannot be used towards the clock hour requirements. 

• Must provide documentation of two years of CTE director experience with a Washington state authorized employer (i.e., school district or skills center (4074F-Continuing CTE Director Experience Verification)
• Submit CTE Director Application
• Completion of one of the following options:
  • Option 1: Completed all requirements for the Initial CTE Director certificate
  • Option 2: Hold a valid National Board Professional Teacher certificate