Situations arise that cause schools to suddenly close. Before the Coronavirus pandemic forced school closures, teachers were not trained for online instruction. The problem is 92% of educators in K-12 schools were not trained in digital instruction before the forced shutdowns. More research is needed to determine if participation in technology professional development prepares educators for ERE. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a connection exists between teacher participation in technology professional development offered by the district and teachers' preparedness to transition to online instruction in one upstate district of South Carolina, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The transformational leadership theory guided the study serving as the theoretical framework. A transformational leader is forward-thinking and able to inspire employees to adapt to change. The study consisted of 35 K-12 core subject teachers that taught in one school district in the upstate of South Carolina from 2018 to 2020. Participants completed the Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology survey administered through email. Finding from the study answered the question of whether a correlation existed between educator participation in technology professional development and preparedness for ERE. Results were analyzed using the Spearman test in Microsoft Excel. Results showed r[subscript s]=0.40 for a weak to moderate correlation. The p-value was 0.03, less than the alpha value of 0.05, showing statistical significance. School leaders are recommended to offer technology training specific to virtual instruction to prepare teachers for the implementation of ERE. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]