To resign from the DeKalb County School District, you’ll complete the DeKalb County School District resignation form inside the district’s Employee Portal, route it to your principal or supervisor for acknowledgment, and let it flow to Human Resources for processing. The form itself is short. The timing around it is what matters — especially if you hold a Georgia teaching certificate, in which case June 1 is the date that protects you.
Where to Find the Form
The resignation form lives under the Forms section of the DCSD Employee Resources page, but the link only opens for people logged in with an active employee account. The district states that these forms “are only available to current DeKalb County School District employees” and that “a complete list of forms is available on the Employee Portal.”1DeKalb County School District. Employee Resources
If your portal access is already gone, or you cannot find the form, call Human Resources. The Verifications Department answers at 678-676-0067, and the main HR office is at the district’s administrative headquarters.2DeKalb County School District. Verifications
What the Form Asks For
The fields are straightforward: your full legal name, your current school or department, your job title, your reason for leaving, and an effective date. Reason categories typically include retirement, voluntary resignation, and termination. If you’re resigning voluntarily, you may be prompted to add a short explanation on the form or attach a brief resignation letter addressed to your principal or supervisor. Either approach works.
Pay close attention to the effective date. It is your final day of compensated work, and it controls when your pay stops, when your benefits eligibility ends, and — for certified staff — whether you’ve met the GaPSC’s protective window. Check it against your contract before you submit.
Timing for Certified Educators: The June 1 Rule
If you hold a Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) certificate, submit your resignation before June 1 whenever you can.
Here’s why. Under O.C.G.A. § 20-2-211, the school board must offer you a new contract for the next school year by May 15, or send you notice that it will not renew. If no non-renewal notice goes out by May 15, your employment automatically continues into the next year unless you decline it in writing by June 1.3Justia. Georgia Code 20-2-211 – Annual Contract; Disqualifying Acts; Job Descriptions
The GaPSC’s breach-of-contract guidelines back that date up with teeth: the commission “will not sanction a certificate if resignation is submitted prior to June 1.”4Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Breach of Contract Guidelines – August 2023 Resign by that date and your certificate is safe. Resign after it, without a release, and you can be investigated.
One useful distinction: a letter of intent is not a contract. The statute specifies that such documents “shall not constitute a contract and shall not be construed to require or otherwise legally bind the teacher.”3Justia. Georgia Code 20-2-211 – Annual Contract; Disqualifying Acts; Job Descriptions A signed annual contract is binding. A preliminary letter of intent is not.
Timing for Classified Staff
Paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other non-certified staff are not governed by the GaPSC rules above. The district’s stated expectation is 30 days’ notice, though the National Council on Teacher Quality has reported that in practice the district gives “no specific date” and leaves timing “at the employee’s discretion.”5National Council on Teacher Quality. DeKalb County School District, Georgia Giving a full 30 days when you can helps your supervisor cover the gap and keeps your record clean for future references.
Protecting Your Teaching Certificate After June 1
If you miss the June 1 window, your certificate is only safe if the superintendent formally releases you from your contract. The Georgia Association of Educators states it directly: “An educator must obtain the approval from the superintendent in order to be released from a contract. Should an educator leave the school system without obtaining a release, the Professional Standards Commission may suspend their certificate.”6Georgia Association of Educators. Georgia Educator Employment Contracts
The underlying rule is in the GaPSC Code of Ethics. Standard 9 treats breach of contract as unethical professional conduct, which it defines as occurring when “an educator fails to honor a signed contract for employment with a school/school system by resigning in a manner that does not meet the guidelines established by the GaPSC.”7Georgia Secretary of State. Chapter 505-6 Professional Practices After investigation and hearing, the commission can suspend, revoke, or deny your certificate.
If you cannot get a release and still need to leave after June 1, the GaPSC recognizes a short list of circumstances where it will not pursue sanctions:
- Spouse transfer: your spouse’s job transfer requires relocating an unreasonable commuting distance from your school.
- Documented illness: a medical condition affecting you or an immediate family member prevents you from performing your duties, with documentation.
- Promotion in education: you are moving to a position with greater responsibility, increased prestige, and a reasonable salary increase. The burden of proving the move qualifies falls on you. Shifting into a service role such as librarian, guidance counselor, or instructional coach counts even if the salary is lower.
- Liquidated damages: paying any liquidated damages specified in your contract is treated as a release.
- At-will contracts: educators working under an at-will arrangement will not be sanctioned for leaving to take another education position.
These criteria come from the GaPSC’s breach-of-contract guidelines, last updated August 2023.4Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Breach of Contract Guidelines – August 2023 If none of them fit and you resign after June 1 without a release, expect the district to file a complaint.
Submission, Approval, and Proof
Once you submit, the portal routes your form to your building principal or direct supervisor for acknowledgment, then on to Human Resources. For certified staff, the superintendent’s approval is the step that converts your resignation into an official release from your contract. A resignation can be accepted administratively and still leave your certificate exposed if that release is missing.
Save whatever confirmation email or receipt the portal generates when you submit. That timestamp is your evidence of when you resigned, which could matter later if there’s any question about whether you cleared the June 1 line.
Closing Out Your Employment
District Property
Coordinate with your principal or supervisor to return your building access card or keys, employee ID badge, and any assigned laptop or tablet before your last day. If you have personal files on a district device, ask your school’s technology coordinator about pulling them off before you hand the equipment back. Your network and email access will be revoked, so forward anything you still need to a personal account first.
Final Paycheck
Georgia has no state law setting a specific deadline for a final paycheck after resignation. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, your final wages are due on the next regularly scheduled pay date. If you’re on a 12-month pay schedule that spreads your salary across the calendar year, ask payroll whether your remaining balance comes in a lump sum or continues on the regular cycle after your effective date.
Health Insurance and COBRA
Your district health coverage ends based on your effective resignation date, usually at the end of the month your last day falls in. Confirm the exact cutoff with the benefits office. After coverage ends, you have 60 days to elect COBRA continuation. The U.S. Department of Labor explains that “you have 60 days to enroll in COBRA, starting from when your coverage ends or when your COBRA election notice is provided to you or mailed — whichever is later.”8U.S. Department of Labor. FAQs on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage for Workers COBRA keeps you on the same plan, but you pay the full premium (both the employee and employer shares) plus a 2% administrative fee. The jump from your old payroll contribution is significant, so budget for it.
Retirement and Leave
If you participate in the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia or another district plan, your vested benefits stay in the system. You can leave them in place, roll them into another qualified plan, or request a withdrawal, and each option carries different tax consequences. Call TRS or your plan administrator before your last day to walk through your choices. Unused sick leave is generally not cashed out at resignation in Georgia, though accumulated sick days may convert to service credit toward your pension depending on your plan’s rules.