LICENSE RENEWAL

Helping teachers, administrators, and related service

professionals through the re-licensure process.

January 2016

MN Association of Charter Schools Re-licensure Committee

Presentation Overview

About the MACS Relicensure Committee

Cost of Re-licensure

Relicensure Requirements

Specific Relicensure Committee Policies

Submission Process Overview

Overview of Submission Forms

Role of the Relicensure School Representative

Tips for Relicensure School Representatives, Teachers, and Administrators

Relicensure Resources

Upcoming Meeting Dates & Deadlines

Q&A

About MACS Re-licensure Committee

What is the purpose of the committee?

The MACS Relicensure Committee is one of a number of continuing

education committees in Minnesota. Most traditional school districts

have their own committees, but since charter schools are much smaller,

MACS provides a committee to meet charter school educator license

renewal needs. Over 200 licenses reviewed in 2014-2015!

MACS Re-licensure Committee reviews teacher, administrator, and

related service professionals’ professional development materials to

ensure they meet the state requirements for a standard 5-year license

renewal. The Committee then enters the approval of these materials into

the MN Department of Education (MDE) data base, allowing MDE to

issue the renewed license.

About MACS Relicensure Committee (continued)

Who is on the MACS Relicensure Committee?

The Relicensure Committee is made up of 7 members. This includes:

* 5 licensed teachers from MACS member schools;

* 1 licensed administrator from a MACS member school; and

* 1 community member.

All committee members are volunteers – working to help their fellow teachers,

administrators, and related service professionals through the relicensure process, review

submitted materials, and recommend policy.

Current members (right click and open hyperlink here):

Helen Fisk – Licensed Administrator @ Global Academy

Jennifer Minea – Licensed Teacher @ Achieve Language Academy

Jenelle Moehn – Liscensed Teacher @ PACT Charter School

Maria Musachio – Licensed Teacher @ Arcadia Charter School (Vice-Chair)

Gretchen Polkinghorne – Licensed Teacher @ Community of Peace Academy (Chair)

Megan Reissy – Licensed Teacher @ St. Paul City School (Secretary)

Bryon Schwab – Community Member

Re-licensure Review

Fee for 2015-2016

The re-licensure application processing fee for 2015-2016 is:

$50.00 - for individuals employed by a MACS member school or authorizer;

$75.00 - for individuals employed by non-member charter schools or authorizers;

and

$100.00 - Late Submission Fee - for applications received after the annual (final)

May deadline for submissions, wishing to have documentation reviewed prior to

the first meeting of the committee for the next school year. The late fee is in

addition to the basic fee.

Changes in 2015-2016

Effective August 1, 2015

Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.18, Subdivision 4

(n) Re-licensure applicants who have been employed as a teacher during the renewal period

of their expiring license, as a condition of re-licensure, must present to their local continuing

education and re-licensure committee or other local re-licensure committee evidence of work

that demonstrates professional reflection and growth in best teaching practices, including

among other things, practices in meeting the varied needs of English learners, from young

children to adults under section 124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a. The applicant must include a

reflective statement of professional accomplishment and the applicant's own assessment of

professional growth showing evidence of:

(1) support for student learning;

(2) use of best practices techniques and their applications to student learning;

(3) collaborative work with colleagues that includes examples of collegiality such as attested-

to committee work, collaborative staff development programs, and professional learning

community work; or

(4) continual professional development that may include (i) job-embedded or other ongoing

formal professional learning or (ii) for teachers employed for only part of the renewal period of

their expiring license, other similar

Administrator Relicensure Requirements

Individuals renewing administrator licenses need:

125 total continuing education units (CEUs) earned over the previous

five-year licensure cycle (from the date of review by the committee)

All CEUs, except for college credit, must be pre-approved by the

Board of School Administrators (see sample certificate)

“Regular” CEUs from workshops, conferences, or in-service

activities can not count toward administrator license renewal

If a conference does not provide pre-approved hours, administrators

need to request them.

If an individual has both an administrator license and a teaching license,

the teacher relicensure requirements also apply.

Administrator Relicensure Requirements

Sample Pre-approved School Administrators Certificate

Teacher Relicensure Requirements

As per Minnesota Rule 8710.7200, the following items are required for relicensure approval by MACS’

Relicensure Committee for teachers and related service professionals:

125 Total CEUs earned over the previous five-year licensure cycle, which would include:

*30 CEUs in each area of licensure (including endorsements and specialty areas)

Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing must have 60 of the 125 hours in ASL or Deaf Culture.

Committee requirement: *5-8 grade license must receive at least 16 CEUs in their content area

and 6-12 grade license must receive at least 30 in their content area.

1 CEU in each of the state-required areas of Reading Preparation, Positive Behavioral Intervention

Strategies, Graduation Standards (Accommodation, Modification, and Adaptation of Curriculum,

Materials, and Instruction), and Technology

Technology includes “activities that integrate technology effectively with student learning to

increase engagement and student achievement” (1 hour)

2 CEUs in the state-required area of Key Warning Signs of Early-Onset Mental Illness in Children &

Adolescents. (Requirements broaden for subsequent renewal(s) after initial renewal including Key

Warning signs…)

CEUs in more than one category.

CEUs are accepted in the 5 year licensure period starting from the date of license renewal.

Teacher Relicensure Requirements (continued)

Reflective Statement

This applies to all individuals who were employed as a teacher during

any part of the five year period immediately preceding the license renewal. Requires

“Evidence of work that demonstrates professional reflection and growth in best teaching

practices. The applicant must include a reflective statement of professional

accomplishment

and the applicant's own assessment of professional growth…” MACS Relicensure

Committee

requirement for reflective statements (see visual)

NEW 2015-16 – Reflective Statement includes evidence of growth in best practices of

meeting the needs of English learners.

Teacher Relicensure Requirements (continued)

Ref

lect

ive

Sta

tem

ent

Gu

idel

ines

MACS Relicensure Committee

We grant a maximum of 7 CEU hours per workshop day

We grant a maximum of 50 hours for school board service in a 5 year period

We grant a maximum of 30 hours for student teaching supervision

We grant a maximum of 30 hours for relevant volunteer work

We grant a maximum of 30 hours for curriculum development

We grant a maximum of 7 hours for projects

We grant a maximum of 30 hours for non-paid articles and professional

publications.

We grant 1 CEU hour per actual hour for presentations, and 1 hour of

preparation time for each hour of presentation time (up to a maximum of 12

hours of preparation time)

MACS Relicensure Committee (continued)

School administrators (who have not taught during any part of the five year

period preceding the renewal application), psychologists, nurses, social

workers, and school counselors do not need to fulfill the reading

requirement.

Classroom teachers (who have not taught for any portion of the five year

renewal period), school administrators (who have not taught any portion of

the five year renewal period), school social workers, school psychologists,

counselors, speech language pathologists, and school nurses do not need to

complete the Reflective Statement.

We DO accept unofficial copies of transcripts

The minimum number of hours granted for CEUs is one hour. You may combine

similar trainings of less than one hour together as long as the total time claimed is

at least one hour (e.g., four half-hour long ESL trainings may be combined for two

hours on one CEU form with corresponding dates noted).

For college credit, each semester credit is worth 24 hours (e.g., 3 credit class = 72

hours). Each quarter credit is worth 16 hours (e.g., 3 credit class = 48 hours).

We grant a maximum of 30 hours for pre-approved travel experiences.

Professional development activities involving travel must be pre-approved by our committee.

One week of pre-approved travel or work experiences for purposes of improving instructional

capabilities equals 10 clock hours.

This 30 hour limit may be waived when the local committee determines that the pre-approved

travel or work experience is critical to the teacher’s advanced or current skills for the teacher’s

assignment: for example, travel to experience language or cultural immersion by a teacher of

world languages.

MACS Relicensure Committee (continued)

Submission Process

Files are reviewed only on designated meeting dates. Files must be submitted by designated deadlines and be completed properly in order to be reviewed.

Once approved, MACS enters clock hours electronically with MDE.

Applicants will receive an email follow-up notice regarding file status (approved/not approved).

If approved, the email notice will contain instructions for completing MDE’s online application for license renewal. (Applicants should notcomplete MDE’s application until they have received confirmation notice from MACS.)

If not approved, the email notice will clarify any missing elements.

Submission Process (continued)

Please note that packets (re-licensure

materials) must be faxed to

651.789.3093

or submitted electronically to

adan@mncharterschools.org.

Overview of Submission Forms:

“What do I ?”

MACS’ submission forms (see forms shown later)

Copy of license

CEU documentation (see sample certificate)

Payment

The re-licensure application processing fee for 2015-16 is:

$50.00 - for individuals employed by a MACS member school or authorizer;

$75.00 - for individuals employed by non-member charter schools or authorizers;

and

$100.00 - Late Submission Fee - for applications received after the annual (final)

May deadline for submissions, wishing to have the documentation reviewed prior to

the first meeting of the committee for the next school year (the late fee is in addition

to the basic fee).

Overview of Submission Forms:

What do I ? (continued)

CEU documentation (see sample certificate)

Other MACS’ Submission Forms

Overview of Submission Forms:

What do I ? (continued)

Overview of Submission Forms:

What do I ? (continued)

Other MACS’ Submission Forms

Role of Relicensure School Representative

Each school should have a Relicensure Representative – a licensed teacher who serves as the point-person for license renewal questions and resources. The role of the representative includes:

Have the correct, current submission forms on hand for teachers.

Meet with teachers up for renewal to explain the process and overall requirements.

Remind teachers of upcoming committee deadlines.

Collect questions from your teachers and ask the Relicensure Committee, rather than having them contact us individually.

Review submission packets for accuracy if time allows.

Provide ideas and share resources with teachers looking for professional development activities.

for Relicensure School Representatives

Make a habit of notifying school staff a year ahead of time when their licenses are expiring. (Don’t forget about related service professionals!) Check with HR for license expiration dates.

Pay special attention to new teachers who are going through the renewal process for the first time. (Great mentoring moment – make sure they get it right the first time!)

Learn who to contact at MDE if you have international teachers or out-of-state teachers looking for licensure help.

Again, have copies of the MACS Relicensure Committee submission forms on hand.

Know the dates of the MACS Relicensure Committee meetings & submission deadlines and remind renewing teachers frequently.

Help your teachers organize their files correctly and neatly, and verify that they have all the forms filled out (and requirements met).

for (individual) Teachers & Administrators

Keep a file of all certificates. Don’t assume that someone else is keeping them

for you.

Administrators – make sure CEUs are pre-approved by the Board of School

Administrators.

Make sure the checklist on the Relicensure Submission Cover Sheet is

complete.

Submit to the Relicensure Committee EARLY in case there are concerns – don’t

procrastinate!

If in doubt about something, visit the License Renewal section of the MACS

website or talk to your Relicensure School Representative. If you still have

questions, contact the MACS office.

Relicensure Resources

MN Association of Charter Schools

License Renewal section under “Innovation, Quality & Accountability”

Website: www.mncharterschools.org

Phone: (651) 789-3090

MN Department of Education

Educator Licensing division

Website: http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/Teacher_Support/

EducatorLicensing/index.html

Phone: (651) 582-8691

Upcoming Meeting Dates

& Submission Deadlines

Meeting Date: Thursday, February 25, 2016

(Submission Deadline: Friday, February 19, 2016)

Meeting Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2016

(Submission Deadline: Friday, March 18, 2016)

Meeting Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2016

(Submission Deadline: Friday, April 22, 2016)

Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2016

(FINAL Submission Deadline: Friday, April 29, 2016)

Q & A

Relax – the process for relicensure is not too complicated. You handle much more in the course of one day with your students.

Remember – be proactive, stay organized and don’t procrastinate!

We appreciate your participation in this MACS webinar and your help with the re-licensure process. This is a great service to your staff!