Transcript Personnel Administrators of North Carolina

Lessons in Licensure
Personnel Administrators of North Carolina
Fall Conference
October 6, 2013
Asheville, NC
Introductions
 Katie Bowie, Licensure Specialist, Iredell-Statesville Schools
 Barbara Hege, Licensure Specialist, Davidson County Schools
 Karoline Fisher, Director Catawba Regional Alternative
Licensing Center (RALC)
 NCDPI Licensure Section
 Susan Ruiz, Section Chief
 Nadine Ejire, Assistant Section Chief
 Christy Lane, Specialist
Knowledge of the Basics
Scenario 1
A teacher applied and accepted a 4th grade position in the LEA. It is
late September and you still do not have a copy of the teaching
license. When you check LicSal, there is no pending request for the
employee.You speak with the teacher and they assure you that they
graduated … even offering to share pictures with you! Through
investigation, you learn from the licensure specialist at the university
that the teacher could not get an official transcript due to unpaid
fines.
 Unpaid fine = no transcript
 No transcript = No application will be sent to NCDPI
 No licensure application = No license
Now the principal must send letters to the parents of the students in
the class because they are not only being taught by a teacher who is
NOT high qualified, but she is, in fact, not even licensed yet.
How would you approach this situation?
Scenario 1
Remember …
 When interviewing new in-state graduates, request that the applicant
bring a copy of the transcript
 If official transcript is unavailable, ask for temporary, unofficial copy
 Ask applicant to have the university supervisor or the university’s
licensure specialist email LEA (licensure specialist or hiring agent)
documentation indicating completion of licensure requirements and
that a recommendation for licensure will be made to NCDPI
 Check LicSal earlier to see whether the licensure request is pending,
and, if not, have the teacher call the university to inquire about the
reasons for the delay.
 You may need to contact the university if the teacher is not prompt in
obtaining necessary documentation.
Scenario 2
An out-of-state teacher recommended for hire provides you a copy of
the license and indicates they will get Form E (Verification of K-12
Educator Experience).You later find out that that state refuses to
complete the Form E and will only provide online verification.
How would you support the teacher in submitting Form E?
Remember …
• Complete Form E and submit with attached correspondence from the
former employer
• Correspondence indicate only online verifications are completed
• Correspondence verifies the employment history in various positions
• If the individual worked a long time as a substitute teacher, submit Form
NE to verify non-teaching experience along with a job description and the
number of hours worked
Scenario 3
A teacher meets with you regarding submission of masters pay
paperwork for an online program.You determine masters degree was
not completed through a teacher education program that leads to
licensure.
How would you advise the teacher?
 Ensure teachers are notified that the degree has to be relevant and in
the area in which they are serving
 Assist the teacher with getting the institution to complete Form V
for verification
 Secure a copy of the official transcript with a clear degree award date
 Complete Form G for graduate pay approval
 Ensure submission prior to 4/1/2014
Scenario 4
 Mr. B was hired to teach math from corporate America with 10
years retail experience as a customer service estimator and in the
budget furniture department. The job description provided
reflected significant functions requiring math skills, but they also
included many general customer service skills. The request was
denied by NCDPI with a response that experience related more to
business than math.
What best practices would you utilize to support a teacher
through this process?
Scenario 4
 Provide advice prior to submission
 Defining relevant experience – pay close attention to the job
description
 Everybody does math and language arts, but that does not make it relevant
 Some people do not do job descriptions anymore
 Must have the documentation
 People promise things that are not so – verify everything
 Pre-Screening – before placement is made
 RALC website – includes relevant (created by NCDPI)
 Reference for compliance and alignment
Challenges
 Awareness of all types of teachers
 In-state graduates
 Out-of-state graduates/transfers
 Lateral Entry Teachers
 CTE Provisional Teachers
 Everyone is unique based on their criteria
 Assumptions are the enemy
 Be specific in what you are asking
 Communication
 Documentation
 Ability to translate policy/process into practice
 Form V example – requires license AND Form V; however, the
NCDPI website says “OR”
Best Practices
 Communication
 Customer service should always be our focus
 Draft questions prior to contacting NCDPI
 Remember your answer is only as good as the information you give
 Documentation
 Copies of everything
 Create email/written trails
 HQT plan upon hire
 Ask the right people – Induction - direct to licensure specialist
(including RALC)
Career and Technical Education
Scenario 5
 The LEA has had difficulty recruiting business teachers. Mr. B
(from the previous scenario) has also indicated having a interest in
teaching business so he can coach at the local high school that
currently has an opening.
How could you support Mr. B to become licensed in business
education?
Did You Know?
 Can now add CTE area to
existing clear teaching
license based on an
associate’s degree, two
years of related work
experience in the last 5
years, 24 hours of related
course work or passing the
Praxis in the subject area
 Effective July 1
 SBE change
Challenges
 Policy/Procedural Changes
 Ensure you are working with the most recent policy/procedure
 Awareness of Uniqueness of Key Areas
 Challenges in calculating work experience
 i.e. Nurses - Two jobs during the same time period (no overlapping time)
 Differences across areas
 Health Sciences – no longer held in escrow
 Drafting still held in escrow
Health Sciences vs. Drafting
Best Practices
 Policy
 Don’t try to remember what it takes, just know where to find it
 Alphabetically, not numerically listed
 Print-checklist for each candidate
 Networking
 Contact Resources
 Accountants
 Use of Tax Documents
Legislative/Procedural Changes
Scenario 4
A former teacher retired in 2007 with a renewal cycle end date of
June 30, 2008 and enough credits to maintain renew the current
license.
What policy interpretations should be considered to renew for
cycle ending June 30, 2013 should the teacher wish to maintain
the license?
Remember …
 Policy changes for required credits
 Changes in interpretation for one-time retiree renewal policy
Challenges
 Licensure renewal – retirees
 Dissolution of ability to reserve cycle
 Not a change in the legislation, but a change in the interpretation
 Changes to renewal credit requirements
 Interpretation
 8 total
 3 in literacy
 Per policy, for this year only, go by the old
 National Board – entire cycle
 7.5 vs. 8 for the same
 Praxis testing changes
 Not updated on NCDPI website
 Masters Pay
 Is there still a need to track and submit after the effective date of the
policy change given anticipated challenges
Best Practices
Know how to sharpen your saw by
accessing the best resources
available to you!
Sharpening the Saw
SBE Policy Walkthrough
 Website Address: sbepolicy.dpi.state.nc.us
 Search by keyword or topic
 Search by Table of Contents
 Administrative Procedures
 What’s New
 Contact Information
SBE Policy Walkthrough
State Resources
 Licensure Manual
 Does not include all updates
 LicSal
 What’s New
 Includes only one update since 2012
 Still provides a good timeline of events
 Calendar of Events
 Has not been updated
 Still provides a good timeline of events
 Licensure Road Show and Webinar
 Importance of engagement and interaction
 Unsure of what these will look like for the future with reduced
resources
Regional Resources
 Licensure Specialists Contacts List
 RALC Contacts
 Regional PANC Meetings
 Participation of licensure contacts
 Process to cycle info across the department
 RALC Documents
 Revised Licensure Guide
 Strikethrough version assists with tracking changes
 Routes to Teaching Licensure
LEA Resources
 Request Guides
 Tracking Spreadsheets
 Process – Integration of HQ Plan in hiring process