A new school year is now underway, and there are some important certification related issues that local leaders, field representatives, and members need to be aware of. Recently, many questions have arisen from the field regarding the following topics:
Provisional Teacher Program
Teachers who have not yet obtained a standard certificate must be enrolled in the Provisional Teacher Program within 60 days of the date the candidate begins employment. The school district must do this; the candidate cannot enroll themselves. Please be aware, the NJDOE cannot backdate a Provisional certificate once the 60 days have passed. Provisional certificates correspond with the Certificate of Eligibility (CE) or Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) under which the candidate is being hired.
Important things to know about the Provisional Teacher Program (PTP) process:
- For a teacher to obtain a standard certificate, they must fulfill all requirements while working under an appropriate Provisional
- Provisionals are valid for up to two school years and expire on July 31st of the second year.
- If more time is needed, the school district can request a renewal which provides an additional 2 school years. After the maximum 4 Provisional years have expired, there is no ability to start over or obtain the standard license. A second renewal may be granted only in certain rare instances.
- Provisional certificates are specific to the school district. If a teacher changes districts before completing the Provisional process, the new district must secure a new Provisional certificate within the first 60 days of the candidate’s employment.
Once a candidate is employed, requirements to obtain a standard license are:
- Complete 30 documented weeks of official in-district mentoring according to the district’s plan.
- Attain two Effective or Highly Effective summative evaluations within three consecutive years of teaching.
- CE holders must complete a state approved Educator Preparation Program (EPP).
You can find the NJDOE website on Certification here and relevant regulations in the NJ Administrative Code can be found in N.J.A.C. 6A: 9A and 9B.
Job Assignments
Recently, concerns have been voiced regarding districts potentially assigning personnel, mostly teachers, outside of their appropriate certifications. Budget difficulties have prompted districts to eliminate positions and avoid hiring more staff. This may be a factor in making these assignments.
Special Education teachers and staff are frequently experiencing this situation. Teachers and educational services personnel may only be assigned according to the authorization for their endorsements. Authorizations for endorsements are found in regulation at N.J.A.C. 6A:9B.
If there are any questions regarding whether a member’s assignment is appropriate to their certification, please contact your local NJEA field office.
Early Literacy Specialist Endorsement
The state recently (2023) created a new endorsement focusing on certification for teachers to serve as reading specialists for grades Preschool through 3rd grade. This has been causing some confusion at the district level regarding whether a teacher is required to hold this new endorsement if the teacher already holds the previous Reading Specialist endorsement which is authorized for grades Preschool through 12th grade. The NJDOE has provided guidance that if someone holds the previous Reading Specialist endorsement, they are still authorized to serve as a reading specialist at the P-3 grade level. However, the district can prefer or require the employee to hold the Early Literacy endorsement for that level. If a district is telling a member that they must get the endorsement and is expecting them to pay for coursework, etc., please contact the local NJEA field office for assistance.
For questions regarding certification, please contact
Dayna Orlak, Associate Director, PDII at certification@njea.org