The certification of teachers and other personnel in the public schools of New Jersey is a protective measure for the children, the community, and the staff members themselves. No teaching staff member shall be appointed, except by a recorded roll call majority vote of the full membership of the board of education. All personnel hired shall have proper certification as required by the State Board of Education. The chief school administrator will take appropriate steps to avoid the employment of teachers with revoked or suspended certificates. Where the chief school administrator receives formal notice from a state entity that an employee’s certificate, as required by the employee’s employment title is no longer valid, the employee’s employment shall cease, notwithstanding the fact that the term of employment may not have expired. No teaching staff member shall be entitled to any salary unless he is the holder of an appropriate certificate. No teaching staff member, contracted by private agencies that provide educational services by means of public funds, shall provide educational services to district students unless he or she is the holder of a valid certificate.

Validity of certification must be verified with the county office.

The chief school administrator must receive valid evidence of proper and effective certification or qualifications to pursue the alternative route to certification before presenting a candidate to the board.

The chief school administrator shall ensure that each applicant hired to teach in the school district shall have passed a satisfactory examination in physiology and hygiene; and substance abuse issues which includes material on the physiological, psychological, sociological and legal aspects of drug and alcohol abuse, methods of educating students on the negative effects of substance abuse, and intervention strategies for dealing with students engaged in substance abuse.

Reporting of Arrests, Charges and Indictments

All certificated staff members who are charged, arrested or indicted for a crime or offense must submit a report the arrest or indictment to the chief school administrator within fourteen days. This reporting requirement pertains to both in-state and out-of-state offenses and crimes and shall include the date of the arrest or indictment and the charges lodged. The certificated staff member shall also report the disposition of any charge within seven days of its disposition.

Failure to comply with these reporting requirements may be deemed “just cause” to revoke or suspend the certificate(s) of any certificate holder pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.3.

The chief school administrator will make these requirements known to all new employees and to all employees on an annual basis.

District Reporting Requirements

Pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.3, the chief school administrator shall notify the New Jersey Board of Examiners when:

A. Tenured teaching staff members who are accused of criminal offenses or unbecoming conduct resign or retire from their positions;
B. Nontenured teaching staff members who are accused of criminal offenses or unbecoming conduct, resign, retire or are removed from their positions;
C. A certificate holder fails to maintain any license, certificate or authorization that is mandated in order for the holder to serve in a position; or
D. He or she becomes aware that a certificate holder has been convicted of a crime while in the district’s employ;

E. The chief school administrator has received a report from the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) substantiating allegations of abuse or neglect or establishing “concerns” regarding a certificated teaching staff member.

In the event the New Jersey State Board of Examiners issues an order to show cause based on the information that the school district provided about the certificate holder, it shall be the responsibility of the school district to cooperate with the Board of Examiners in any proceeding arising from the order to show cause.

Mentoring Novice Provisional Teachers

In order to enhance student achievement of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards the district shall develop a mentoring program for nontenured teachers, including novice provisional teachers who hold a certificate of eligibility (CE) or certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (CEAS). The mentoring program shall provide an induction to the teaching profession and to the school district community through differentiated supports based on the teachers’ individual needs and to help them become effective professionals.

For the purposes of this policy:

“Novice teacher” means any full-time or part-time teacher who has not completed one year of full-time teaching under a valid State teaching certificate.

“Provisional teacher” means a holder of a provisional two-year certificate issued to candidates who have met requirements for initial employment as part of a State-approved school district training program or residency leading to standard certification.

“Novice provisional teacher” means a certificate holder (CEAS or CE) who is also a novice teacher who has not completed one year of full-time teaching.

The goal of the district mentoring program shall be to enhance teacher knowledge of and strategies related to:

A. Facilitating student growth and achievement in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards;

B. Identifying exemplary teaching skills and educational practices necessary to acquire and maintain excellence in teaching; and

C. Assisting first-year teachers in performing their duties and adjusting to the challenges of teaching.

First Teaching Year’s Supports

A. During a nontenured teacher’s first year of employment, the district shall provide an induction program that shall include introduction to and training on:

1. Board policies and procedures;
2. The school district curricula;
3. Board policies and procedures on student assessment; and
4. The district’s evaluation rubric, including assessing student learning through student growth objectives

B. The district shall provide individualized supports and activities aligned with the Professional Standards for Teachers (N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3.3), the standards for professional learning (N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3), and the school district’s Commissioner-approved teaching practice instrument. The individualized supports and activities shall be guided by the following:

1. The nontenured teacher’s degree of preparation;
2. The nontenured teacher’s individual professional development plan (see board policy 4131/4131.1 Staff Development). The professional development plan shall be developed within 30 instructional days of the beginning of the teaching assignment;
3. Areas of focus within the district mentoring plan;
4. The goals of the school and district plans for professional development; and

C. One-to-one mentoring for novice provisional teachers that includes:

1. The assignment of an individual mentor at the beginning of the contracted teaching assignment;
2. Observation and feedback from the mentor, confidential guidance and support, and the opportunity for the novice provisional teacher to observe effective teaching practices;
3. In-person contact time between the mentor teacher and the novice provisional teacher;
4. Meetings with the mentor at least once per week for the first four weeks of the teaching assignment.

All contact time between the mentor teacher and the novice provisional teacher shall be recorded in a log, developed as part of the district mentoring plan, submitted to the chief school administrator or designee, and maintained within the school district.

Mentor Selection

The chief school administrator shall oversee the mentor selection process and ensure the individual mentor of a novice provisional teacher meets the following minimum requirements:

A. Holds an instructional certificate and, when possible, is certified in the subject area in which the novice provisional teacher is working;

B. Has at least three years of experience and has taught full-time for at least two years within the last five years;

C. Does not serve as the mentee’s direct supervisor nor conduct evaluations of teachers;

D. Demonstrates a record of success in the classroom

District Mentoring Plan

The chief school administrator or designee shall develop a district mentoring plan as part of the school district’s professional development plan (PDP). The district mentoring plan shall include logistics for its implementation and describe the school district’s responsibilities:

A. The chief school administrator shall submit the district mentoring plan to the board for review of its fiscal impact;

B. The chief school administrator or designee shall share the district mentoring plan with each school improvement panel, which shall oversee the school-level implementation of the district mentoring plan and shall communicate the plan to all nontenured teachers and their mentors;

C. The chief school administrator or designee shall review the plan annually and revise it, as necessary, based on feedback from mentor logs, each school improvement panel, and data on teacher and student performance.

Special Education

All personnel serving students with disabilities shall be appropriately certified and licensed, where a license is required. Each member of the child study team shall perform only those functions that are within the scope of their professional license (where applicable) and certification issued by the New Jersey Department of Education. Where related services are provided by non-certified personnel because there is no certification required, such services shall be provided under the supervision of certified district board of education personnel.

NJSBA Review/Update: October 2008, October 2017
Adopted: February 18, 2009
Revised: October 2012
Readopted: October 17, 2012
Revised: July, 2013
Readopted: April 30, 2014
Revised/Readopted: May 17, 2017
Reviewed:

Key Words

Certificates, Certification

Legal References: N.J.S.A. 18A:6 38 Powers and duties of the board; issuance and revocation of certificate; rules and regulations
N.J.S.A. 18A:6 39 Issuance of certificates to non-citizens
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-76.1 Deadlines for notification to students of requirements of provisional certificate and induction program; submission of induction program plan to school districts and Department of Education; coordination of mentor training program
N.J.S.A. 18A:6-127 Researched-based mentoring program
N.J.S.A. 18A:26 1, 2, 8.1, 9 Citizenship of teachers, etc.
N.J.S.A. 18A:26-2.1 et al. Supervisory certificate required for appointment as director of athletics
N.J.S.A. 18A:27-1 Appointment of teaching staff members
N.J.S.A. 18A:27 2 Employment without certificate prohibited
N.J.S.A. 18A:29 1 Uncertified teacher denied salary
N.J.S.A. 18A:40A 4 Preservice training of future teachers; teaching certificate requirements
N.J.A.C. 6A:9-1.1 et seq. Professional Standards
See particularly:
N.J.A.C. 6A:9 3.3 Professional Standards for Teachers
N.J.A.C. 6A:9A-5.5 Completion of CE educator preparation program
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-1.1 et seq. Certificate Holders
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.3 School district and candidate reporting responsibility
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.1 Certificate required
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.2 Types of certificates or credentials
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.4 Certification responsibilities of the district board of education
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.6 Fees
N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-5.9 Examination in physiology, hygiene, and substance abuse issues requirement
N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-5.1 et seq. District mentoring program
N.J.A.C. 6A:20-2.8 Staffing for adult education
N.J.A.C. 6A:30-1.1et seq. Evaluation of the Performance of School Districts
N.J.A.C. 6A:32-4.1(d) Employment of teaching staff

Old Bridge Education Association v. Old Bridge Township Bd. of Ed., 1986 S.L.D. 1917
Possible
Cross References: *2131 Chief school administrator
4010 Goals and objectives
*4111 Recruitment, selection and hiring
6130 Organizational plan
*6141 Curriculum design/development
*6142.1 Family life education
*6156 Instructional planning/scheduling
*6163.1 Media center/library
*6164.2 Guidance services
*6171.4 Special education
*6200 Adult/community education

*Indicates policy is included in the Critical Policy Reference Manual.