1. Why do I need to be certified?
Obtaining certification demonstrates a dedication to your profession and offers a base of useful information taught by seasoned practitioners. School districts are requiring certification before employment or within a year after employment because they believe certification matters.
2. How do I become certified?
If you have less than five years of school experience, complete the letter of commitment. If you have over five years of school experience, complete the grandparenting application to determine if you can be grandparented. All certification tracks have an opportunity to grandparent except the Chief Financial Officer track.
3. Which certification track should I apply for?
It depends on your current responsibilities and your long-term goal. If you have the prerequisites for a certification track, the recommendation would be to apply for that certification.
4. How do I know what I need to complete the program?
When you complete the letter of commitment or the grandparenting application, a confirmation letter is sent to you with a transcript to indicate the classes required to take to complete the certification program.
5. Can I get more than one certification?
Yes. Just remember that the certification is good for five years. Each certification track except Chief Financial Officer requires 90 hours of professional development to maintain the certification. The Chief Financial Officer certification track requires 180 hours. If you are in the renewal stages of more than one track, you need to maintain the full hour requirements in one track and 45 hours in the other. These must be separate hours for each track -- an event counts only once for one track one time.
6. How much does the certification program cost?
Each six-hour class is $140 for a MIEM member and $200 for a non-member. Three-hour classes are $70 for a MIEM member and $100 for a non-member. Each certification track has different requirements. There is an initial certification fee of $60 and a renewal fee every five years of $30. To receive your certification, you must be an MSBO member; and the cost of membership is $129 per year.
7. How and when are classes offered?
Each year MSBO/MIEM provide a schedule for certification classes. Each class is offered at least once in a three-year period. Many classes are offered every year or every other year based on the need.
8. How do I check my certification status online?
View your MSBO or MIEM SB-CEU credits prior to January 1, 2010.
After that time, check the Secure Central Registry to print your unofficial transcript.
You can check the status of your certification online.
- Just login and click on the SB-CEU link in MSBO located under your name in the blue profile box.
- On the MIEM site, use your MIEM login and password, then click on the Certification link underneath your name.
9. Where do I register for classes?
Most classes are offered through MIEM with online registration. In order to take advantage of member rates, your district must be a member of MIEM. If you are registering for classes through MSBO, you must be a member of MSBO as an individual to take advantage of the member rate. Introduction to School Business and Group Solutions are offered only through MSBO. Several classes are offered at MSBO's Annual Conference each spring, with the Wrap-Up/Ethics session offered only at this event.
10. How do I know if I am a candidate for grandparenting?
You are a candidate if you have over five years of school experience and satisfy the prerequisites of the certification track you wish to be certified in. If you think you have experience or have taken classes that may be used toward a certification track, complete the grandpareting application and return it to MSBO. Determination is made on a case-by-case basis.
11. What do I have to do to get my certificate?
If you have completed all the class requirements, complete the final application and submit it with the necessary documents as outlined in the application.
12. What do I need to do to maintain my certification?
Continuing eduction requirements must be approved, job-related education and the following must be completed within a five-calendar-year period from the time you received your certification.
- CFO: 180 hours, 18 SB-CEUs or 6 semester hours from a college or university
- All other tracks: 90 hours, 9 SB-CEUs or 3 semester credit hours
- CFO and BOM certification holders: must attend 13 hours of Group Solutions during the 5-calendar-year renewal period or enroll and complete the MSBO Leadership Institute (The new MSBO Leadership Institute can be used in place of the Group Solutions requirement. It is a 1-year program, which you must be accepted into and attend all sessions to qualify.)
- Must maintain Active MSBO membership, as well as employment in a Michigan public school system.
13. How do I renew my certificate?
- Chief Financial Officer: You must accrue 167 hours of professional development and 13 hours of the Group Solutions Seminar within 5 years after being awarded your certificate.
- Business Office Manager: You must accrue 77 hours of professional development and 13 hours of the Group Solutions Seminar within 5 years after being awarded your certificate.
- All other tracks: You must accrue 90 hours of professional development within 5 years after being awarded your certificate.
- All tracks: Once you have attended the required professional development, complete the renewal application and submit it to MSBO with the documents required on the front page of the application.
