Monday, April 30, 2007

Iowa Teacher Search

The Iowa Board of Education Examiners has online searchable records for information on teachers.

No online discipline records found.

Tennesee Teaching Licenses

You can find information about teaching credentials at the Teacher Certification Information site.

The Tennesee State Board of Education acts on Teacher Licensure Actions. They can be found in the board meeting minutes.

June 22, 2007 Minutes No teacher discipline actions.
Apr 20, 2007 Agenda Minutes Several teacher discipline actions.
Jan 26, 2007 Agenda Minutes Section V
Nov 3, 2006 Agenda Minutes Section V
Aug 31, 2006 Agenda Minutes Section V Revocations and Reinstatements pg. 9

Saturday, April 28, 2007

New York Teacher Credentials

You can check on the certification of a teacher in New York State. Here

New York State Department of Education is one of the few in the country where you can readily access a Code of Ethics. They are thoughtful and comprehensive. However, they include this caveat.
This Code shall not be used as a basis for discipline by any employer and shall not be used by the State Education Department as a basis for a proceeding under Part 83 of Commissioner's Regulations, nor shall it serve as a basis for decisions pertaining to certification or employment in New York State.
You can file a Moral Character Report if you know of an educator or administrator who has been convicted of a crime.

No online teacher discipline decisions. Records are available through the Freedom of Informaction Act.

Online search for teacher credentials here.

Minnesota Teacher Lookup

The Minnesota Department of Education maintains teacher license information here.

It gives very little information about the status of a teacher. Two teachers who have been sentenced are still shown with teaching licenses. One who was sentenced earlier shows no license, but that could be because it expired while he was in jail.

Colorado Educator License Search

You may search for license information for Colorado teachers at the Colorado Department of Education site.

Teacher search. [It is a slow database and can time out.]

Can find no online teacher discipline decisions except in Board Meetings where charge numbers are used.

California Teacher Credentials

You can check on the status and the credentials of a California teacher here.

The search will reveal whether the credential is current, revoked or suspended. There are no online teacher discipline records available to the public.

To be helpful, they have a complaint form you can print out and send. However, there is this.
Please be advised that the individual against whom the complaint is filed will receive a copy of the affidavit or witness form.

Indiana Teacher Inquiry

You can check on the status of a teacher's license in Indiana and current assignment here.

There are no online teacher discipline records available, although you can find disciplinary records for other professions at the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

Pennsylvania Teacher Discipline Decisions

The Pennsylvania Department of Education lists their Disciplinary Decisions online.

You can find them here.

New Jersey Teacher Disicpline Decisions

If you live in New Jersey, you can access State Board of Examiner decisions on teacher credentials.

New Jersey Department of Education News

Friday, April 27, 2007

Oregon

This is just so reassuring to parents.

Apr 26, 2007 - The Senate Education and General Government on Thursday approved a bill allowing schools to hire teachers who have been convicted of misdemeanor prostitution in the past.

"Senate Bill 724, if anything, is about forgiveness," Sen. Margaret Carter, D-Portland, told the committee. "This says to a young woman -- or man -- there will be a second chance."

Carter said she had heard from several teachers who either lost their license or couldn't get one because of a prostitution conviction when they were young.

GET A STUDENT LOAN LIKE THE REST OF US!!!

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Sad saga not so sad

"It's because of the low salary." Teachers are so poorly paid. That's a common refrain that appears almost daily in every newspaper in the country, along with classroom size. You can check out the teacher/pupil ration for your state in the National Report Card and decide for yourself.

To find salaries, however, you have to do a little research. Looking at Broward County Public Schools, it's apparent that salary is not a problem. Not if you look closely.