CASS New Members’ Academy Presentation Teacher and Leadership Excellence Sector September 25, 2018
Presentation Focus Teacher Certification Role of a System Leader in Teacher Certification Reporting Teacher Discipline Matters Verifying Teaching Authority Certificated Staff Employment Submissions Revised & New Professional Practice Standards & Leadership Certification
Teacher Certification The Office of the Registrar at Alberta Education certificates teachers. Alberta legislation requires the following individuals employed by a school authority to hold a teaching certificate: Teachers (School Act, section 92) Principals (School leaders) (School Act sections 93) Superintendents (System leaders) ( Superintendent of Schools Regulation )
Teacher Certification Labour Mobility for Teachers Canadian Free Trade Agreement ( previously the Agreement on Internal Trade) The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA ) allows teachers who hold a valid certificate in another Canadian jurisdiction to obtain an Interim Professional Certificate in Alberta . CFTA is only applicable to individuals who hold a current valid teaching certificate in another Canadian jurisdiction. It does not apply to anyone who holds a certificate that has been suspended, cancelled or expired.
Role of a System Leader in Teacher Certification Superintendents in Alberta have been appointed to act as officers under the Certification of Teachers Regulation . This means they have the authority to recommend to the Registrar whether or not a teacher should be: Re-issued an Interim Professional Certificate, or Issued a Permanent Professional Certificate. Assistant or Deputy Superintendents may be appointed by the Registrar to act as an Officer under the Certification of Teachers Regulation to recommend an individual for teacher certification in Alberta.
Teacher Discipline Matters Suspension from Employment School Act - Section 105 Report: A board may suspend a teacher from the performance of the teacher’s duties when a board has reasonable grounds for believing that a teacher has been guilty of gross misconduct, neglecting the teacher’s duty or refusing or neglecting to obey a lawful order of the board. Boards often delegate this authority to the Superintendent. All teacher suspensions must be reported to the Minister of Education under section 105 of the School Act.
Teacher Discipline Matters Duty to Report School Act Section 109.1(1) Report: Report in writing to the Registrar the suspension, termination, resignation or retirement from employment of a teacher if the suspension, termination, resignation or retirement results from conduct that brings into question the suitability of the teacher to hold a teaching certificate.
Teacher Discipline Matters Duty to Report School Act Section 109.1(2) & 109.1(3) Reports: In addition to the report being made to the Registrar, the School Act requires a complaint of alleged unprofessional conduct to be filed with the: • Executive Secretary of the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) in accordance with the Teaching Profession Act (TPA) for active members of the ATA – Section 109.1(2). or • The Registrar at Alberta Education in accordance with the Practice Review of Teachers Regulation for teachers not subject to the TPA – section 109.1(3).
Teacher Discipline Matters Practice Review of Teachers Regulation The professional conduct of any Alberta certificated teacher who is not subject to the Teaching Profession Act is governed by the Practice Review of Teachers Regulation (Regulation) . This includes but is not limited to teachers employed in: -Private schools -Charter schools -First Nations band-operated schools -Superintendents & Deputy Superintendents -All Alberta certificated teachers who do not hold active membership in the Alberta Teachers’ Association
Verification of Teaching Authority • Legislation requires school authorities to employ as teachers only those individuals who hold an Alberta teaching certificate. • The Teaching Authority Validation System provides a secure, quick and convenient way to verify that each new teacher employed or contracted by a board holds a form of valid authority to teach in an Alberta accredited school.
Certificated Staff Employment Submission School authorities send the Alberta Teacher Registry a secure, electronic submission of all certificated staff employed by the school authority Staff employments submissions are made twice a year – September and April School authorities are asked to update the status of certificated staff in TWINS if and when a change in employment status occurs throughout the year as a courtesy
Regulatory Qualifications for a Superintendent of Schools The Superintendent of Schools Regulation requires all Superintendents to hold the following Qualifications: • a Bachelor of Education degree or equivalent from a university in Alberta or from a university of equivalent standard, • a Master’s degree from a university in Alberta or from a university of equivalent standard, • An Alberta teaching certificate or one of equivalent standard from another province or territory, and • Three years of experience in a school system in Alberta or in a school system of equivalent standard.
Revised and New Professional Practice Standards – September 1, 2019
Pathways to Leadership & Superintendent Leadership Certification
Pathway #1: Grandparenting of Leadership Certificates • All principals and superintendents with a Permanent Professional Certificate (PPC), active in their designation in the 2018/19 school year, will be able to apply for and receive leadership certification. • “ Grandparenting ” will recognize leaders’ currency of experience in the role and will not require them to take additional coursework leading to certification. • A superintendent of schools (section 113-115 of School Act) is eligible to receive both a ‘ grandparented ’ leadership certificate and superintendent leadership certificate. • Acting principals and superintendents during the 2018/19 school year are eligible for ‘ grandparented ’ certificates if they are acting for at least half of the school year.
Pathway #2: In-service Program Leading to Certification Leaders working in the following leadership roles in a school authority during the 2018/19 school year will be eligible for in-service programming leading to certification: – Assistant, associate and vice-principals – Deputy superintendents – School jurisdiction leaders (central office staff members, other than the superintendent or deputy superintendent, required by their leadership position to hold an Alberta teaching certificate)
In-service Program Leading to Certification • One in-service will be designed to align with the LQS and will lead to leadership certification. • One in-service will be designed to align with the SLQS and will lead to superintendent leadership certification. • Assistant, associate and vice-principals will be eligible to take the LQS in-service leading to leadership certification. • School jurisdiction leaders and deputy superintendents will be eligible to take both the LQS in-service leading to leadership certification and the SLQS in-service leading to superintendent leadership certification. • In-service programming is expected to be offered during the 2019 calendar year, from Spring 2019.
Pathway #3: Leadership Certification for New & Aspiring Alberta Educational Leaders after Sept. 2019 • In order to receive leadership certification, new and aspiring leaders are required to complete a formalized leadership development program designed to enhance leadership practice across the competency areas identified in the new professional practice standards. • Leadership development programs will be offered by several post- secondary institutions accredited by Alberta Education for this purpose.
Leadership Certification for New & Aspiring Alberta Educational Leaders after Sept. 2019 • All principals and superintendents new to their roles, including those from out of province, will be required to complete leadership certification within a reasonable period of time. • Any Alberta certificated teacher will be eligible to participate in one or more of the leadership learning programs for leadership and/or superintendent leadership certification.
Leadership Certification for New & Aspiring Alberta Educational Leaders after Sept. 2019 Upon successful completion of the Leadership Development Program: • the Ministry will receive a recommendation from the approved program provider(s) • once other requirements for certification are met, leadership certification will be indicated by a “designation” on the teacher’s Permanent Professional Certificate.
Timeline • During the 2018/19 School year: * School Authorities should ensure the accuracy of their employment submissions. * Individuals should update their personal information in Teacher Self-Service on TWINS. • Eligible individuals can complete an application for ‘ grandparenting ’ in spring 2019, ahead of the September 1, 2019 coming into force date of the certification requirement.
Recommend
More recommend
