Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions and Answers 

1. What is MOECS? 
2. How can I access MOECS? 
3. When did MOECS commence? 
4. How can I get a Login Name (User-ID) and Password to access MOECS? 
5. Why do I have to create the Michigan Education Information System (MEIS) account? 
6. I already have a MEIS account. Do I need to create a new MEIS account? 
7. I forgot my MEIS login name and password. What do I do?
8. Can more than one individual from our institution have access to MOECS? 
9. My institution already has one MEIS account, but the MOECS will be accessed by more than one individual in our organization. Can we use just the one MEIS account? 
10. Is MOECS training available? 
11. I am a substitute teacher. Must I create a MEIS account and self-register to obtain a substitute teacher permit?

Educator/Applicant Questions and Answers

1. When will my college/university be able to recommend me for certification?
2. Why do I have to register with the Michigan Education Information System (MEIS)?
3. When and where do I create a MEIS account?
4. What options do I have to make payments for my certification or permit?
5. I don't have a credit/debit card. What are my options?
6. I am currently certified by Michigan Department of Education and my certificate will be expiring on June 30. How do I renew my certificate?
7. I completed my teacher preparation program at a college/university outside the State of Michigan. How do I apply for a Michigan teaching certificate?  
8. This is my first year of teaching in Michigan.  I hold a valid teaching certificate from another state and have applied for a Michigan teaching certificate.  I was issued a Michigan Temporary Teacher Employment Authorization and need to pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification basic skills test and my content area test to be issued my Michigan Provisional Teaching certificate.  Do I need to self-register with MOECS and apply for the Michigan Provisional Teaching certificate again?
    

School District/Schools Questions and Answers

1. Does MOECS have a history of all permits and annual vocational authorizations that have been submitted by my district/school?
2. How will teachers who are applying for their professional education certificate verify the three years of teaching experience? 
3. Our district/school contracts with a private third party employment agency to supply our substitute teachers, and the employment agency applies for substitute permits on behalf of our district/school.  Are these private employment agencies able to apply for permits through MOECS?  
4. Our charter school contracts with a management company for our teachers, substitute teachers, and administrators.  Will the management company be able to apply for our charter school's permits/annual vocational authorizations through the MOECS?
5. Will a school district/school, substitute teacher employment agency, or charter school management company be able to make payment on behalf of the applicant?  

Teacher Preparation Institution Questions and Answers

1. Do Michigan colleges/universities have to register with MOECS?
2. What documentation is needed from the college/university users in order to access MOECS? 

 

General Questions and Answers  (Top) 

1. What is MOECS?

MOECS is the new Michigan Online Educator Certification System. This is a fully secured, role/function based web application developed and managed by the State of Michigan. This system is used by:

(i) The Teacher Preparation Institutions (TPIs) to submit certification/endorsement recommendations, renewal etc.
(ii) the districts/school to apply for and renew permits, annual vocational authorizations, and school nurse certificates.
(iii) the educators and teacher candidates to apply for certificates, renewals, duplicate certificates, pay certification fees using a credit card etc.
(iv) the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Office of Professional Preparation Services (OPPS) to review and process certificates, permits, and annual vocational authorizations. (Top) 

2. How can I access MOECS?

You can access MOECS by visiting: http://www.michigan.gov/moecs. Only Authorized users will be able to access this system and will need a MEIS user-id (Login name) and password to access the system. (Top) 

3. When did MOECS commence?

MOECS became fully operational in April 2011. (Top) 

4. How can I get a Login Name (User-ID) and Password to access MOECS?

You need to first create a Michigan Education Information System (MEIS) account by visiting https://cepi.state.mi.us/MEIS/Login.aspx

Once you have successfully created the MEIS account, you need to self-register with MOECS using your MEIS Login Name and Password.

5. Why do I have to create the Michigan Education Information System (MEIS) account?

MEIS is used as an authentication system and individuals who need access to the MOECS need to have a MEIS account. Therefore, you are required to apply for a MEIS account first. You will be using the same Login Name and Password that you created in MEIS to login in to MOECS. You will also be required to key in your MEIS account number during self-registration in MOECS. (Top) 

6. I already have a MEIS account. Do I need to create a new MEIS account?

No.  If you already have a MEIS account, you can use the same MEIS account number (and user ID and password) for MOECS.  However, you will still need to self-register if you are an applicant, or send in a MEIS security agreement form if you are a college/university user or school district user in order to receive authorization to access MOECS. (Top) 

7. I forgot my MEIS login name and password. What do I do?

Please visit https://cepi.state.mi.us/MEIS/Login.aspx and use the links "I forgot my Login Name" or "I forgot my Password". (Top) 

8. Can more than one individual from our institution have access to MOECS?

Yes.  Each will need their own MEIS account. (Top) 

9. My institution already has one MEIS account, but the MOECS will be accessed by more than one individual in our organization. Can we use just the one MEIS account?

No.  The MEIS account is tied to an individual and not an entity or organization.  Each individual who will access the MOECS must have his/her own MEIS account. (Top) 

10. Is MOECS training available?

Online tutorials and training videos/material are available for all users. (Top) 

11. I am a substitute teacher. Must I create a MEIS account and self-register to obtain a substitute teacher permit?

No.  Permits are issued only to local and intermediate school districts, public school academies, and nonpublic schools.  The district/school where you are substitute teaching is responsible for applying for the permit for you if you do not hold a valid Michigan teaching certificate.  If you are employed by a third party substitute teacher employment agency, it is the agency's responsibility to have the district/school apply for the substitute permit for you. (Top) 

 

Educator/Applicant Questions  (Top) 

 

1. When will my college/university be able to recommend me for certification?
   
   Your college/university will be able to approve and recommend your application for certification to the MDE at any time after you submit the application via MOECS. (Top)
    
2. Why do I have to register with the Michigan Education Information System (MEIS)?
   
   MEIS is used as an authentication system and you are required to apply for a MEIS account first to access MOECS. You will be using the same Login Name and Password that you created in MEIS to access MOECS. You will also be required to key in your MEIS account number during self-registration in MOECS. (Top)
    
3. When and where do I create a MEIS account?
   
   You can create a MEIS account any time.
   You can create your MEIS account by visiting https://cepi.state.mi.us/MEIS/Login.aspx (Top)
    
4. What options do I have to make payments for my certification or permit?
   
   You will only be able to make a payment using a credit or debit card. (Top)
    
5. I don't have a credit/debit card. What are my options?
   
   Beginning February 2011, MDE/OPPS does not accept any other mode of payment except credit or debit card. If you do not have a credit/debit card that has a logo of VISA or Master Card, we recommend you use a pre-paid card with the VISA or Master Card logo, which can be purchased at a number of retail establishments (i.e., gas stations, grocery stores etc.).(Top)
    
6. I am currently certified by Michigan Deptartment of Education and my certificate will be expiring on June 30. How do I renew my certificate?
   
   You renew your certificate by logging into MOECS, updating your personal information, and following the application steps. Before you can log on to MOECS, you will need to create a MEIS account and self-register. Please refer to the information provided above for instructions on how to create a MEIS account and self-register with MOECS. (Top)
    
7. I completed my teacher preparation program at a college/university outside the State of Michigan. How do I apply for a Michigan teaching certificate?  
   
   You will need to create a MEIS account and self-register before you can apply for certification.  (See instructions above for creating a MEIS account and self-registering.) (Top)
    
8. This is my first year of teaching in Michigan.  I hold a valid teaching certificate from another state and have applied for a Michigan teaching certificate.  I was issued a Michigan Temporary Teacher Employment Authorization and need to pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification basic skills test and my content area test to be issued my Michigan Provisional Teaching certificate.  Do I need to self-register with MOECS and apply for the Michigan Provisional Teaching certificate again?
   
   No.  If you already applied for a Michigan teaching certificate and you have been issued a Temporary Teacher Employment Authorization, your Provisional Teaching certificate will be issued once the MDE receives verification of passing test scores.  (Top)
    

School District/Schools Questions and Answers  (Top) 

 

1. Does MOECS have a history of all permits and annual vocational authorizations that have been submitted by my district/school?
   
   MOECS only shows permit/annual vocational authorization applications that were submitted by districts/schools and approved by MDE beginning with the 2010-11 school year.  Records of permits/annual vocational authorizations issued in previous school years will not be available in MOECS.  The only exception is credit track annual vocational authorizations.  Credit track annual vocational authorizations issued in previous school years will be available on MOECS. (Top)
    
2. How will teachers who are applying for their professional education certificate verify the three years of teaching experience? 
   
   An experience report form is available on the MOECS site in the "Forms" link.  However, if the teacher completed his/her additional coursework or master's degree through a Michigan college/university, the teacher should check with that college/university to determine if the experience report form on MOECS is the experience report form that the college/university is using to verify the three years of successful teaching experience.  (Some Michigan colleges/universities do not use the experience report form that is on MOECS and have their own process for verifying the three years of successful teaching experience.) (Top)
    
3. Our district/school contracts with a private third party employment agency to supply our substitute teachers, and the employment agency applies for substitute permits on behalf of our district/school.  Are these private employment agencies able to apply for permits through MOECS?  
   
   Third party employment agencies can only apply for substitute permits on behalf of a district/school if the Superintendent/Administrator of the district/school provides written verification to MDE that they are authorizing the person who works for the private employment agency to apply for substitute permits as a representative of that district/school.  The agency employee must have a MEIS account number and must submit a security agreement form, signed by the district/school superintendent/administrator.  In addition, the authorization letter from the district/school superintendent/administrator must be attached to the security agreement form.  (District/school users are able to obtain a copy of the MEIS security agreement form from the OPPS website.)  (Top)
    
4. Our charter school contracts with a management company for our teachers, substitute teachers, and administrators.  Will the management company be able to apply for our charter school's permits/annual vocational authorizations through the MOECS?
   
   Yes.  However, the individual that works for the management company who will apply for permits/annual vocational authorizations on behalf of your charter school must have a MEIS account and must submit the security agreement form to receive authorization to access MOECS.  (Top)
    
5. Will a school district/school, substitute teacher employment agency, or charter school management company be able to make payment on behalf of the applicant?  
   
   Yes.  Districts/schools, substitute teacher employment agencies that have authorization to access MOECS, and charter school management companies will be able to pay permit/annual vocational authorization fees through MOECS using a credit or debit card. (Top)
    

 

Teacher Preparation Institution Questions and Answers  (Top) 

1. Do Michigan colleges/universities have to register with MOECS?

College/university users have to create a MEIS account if they do not currently have a MEIS account.  In addition, college/university users need to send in a MEIS security agreement form to MDE to be given authorization to access MOECS. (Top)

2. What documentation is needed from the college/university users in order to access MOECS? 

College/university users are able to obtain a copy of the MEIS security agreement form from the OPPS website.  Each college/university user needs to fill out the MEIS security agreement form and list the functionalities that they will need.  (The security agreement form will include all college/university user functionalities that are available in MOECS.)  Upon receiving the signed security agreement form from the college/university user, MDE will give the user authorization to access MOECS.(Top)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

updated 07/12/2012