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SoE. Licensure

Towards the end of the semester, we'll have a visit from Teri Smith, the Licensure Officer for the School of Education.

Teri knows EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about licensure, DESE, and all things related.

Here is an overview of the information she will have to share:

  • Towards the end of the term, you will get an email from Teri. The email will include the form Office of Licensure and Certification: Intent to Apply for Educator Licensure. When you get the form, fill it out and send it to Teri. You may also bring it to class and I'll drop the forms on Teri's desk.
  • If you are graduating with your M.Ed. at the end of this term, say so on the form. Teri will post your license after degrees are conferred. This is useful because it saves you a lot of hassle when you apply for your professional license because they will already have your graduate degree on record.
  • If you received your bachelor's degree from anywhere other than Salem State, you need to send a copy of your official undergraduate transcript to DESE.
  • If you received your bachelor's degree from Salem State, Teri will be uploading official copies of your transcript.
    • If there is a hold on your record, Teri won't be able to access your transcript and process your endorsement. Please log into Navigator and check to make sure you have no holds. I'd suggest checking in late half-way through the term and again at the end of the term.
  • Your license sought is initial. Your content area/field is Moderate Disabilities. Your grades is either Pk-8 or 5-12.
  • YOU MUST GO ONTO ELAR AND APPLY FOR THE LICENSE AND PAY THE LICENSE FEE. If this is your first Massachusetts license, it will cost $100. If this is this is adding an additional license to an existing license it will cost $25.
    • If you don't apply for the license, there is nothing for Teri to endorse.
    • The form asks you to attach a receipt showing you paid for the license. If you applied a long time ago and don't have the receipt, just take a screen shot of your ELAR page showing the pending license and attach that instead.
  • Apply for any license at any time. If the DESE is about to change a requirement, you will be grandfathered into the regulations that were in effect at the time you applied. It's the date of the application of the license that holds the license requirements.
  • Once you have an initial license in anything, apply for any new licenses at the initial level.
  • When you apply for the license, the right path should be pre-selected. HOWEVER, if you choose the wrong one they will fix it.
  • You should apply for both Pk-8 and 5-12 moderate disabilities license if you are interested in having the full age range.
  • If you already are SEI endorsed, you don't need to do anything.
  • If you need SEI endorsement, you must also apply for that endorsement in ELAR.

 

There is a program completer survey. You will get a link to it in the email Teri sends out. We REALLY use that feedback to shape the program. 

 

Moving to professional license: complete a relevant graduate degree, teach under your initial license for a minimum of three years as a teacher of record, and apply for the professional license. 

Once you have your professional license, that's when PDPs matter. Any PDPs you have already collected do not count until you have your professional license are are teaching under it.

You move to professional license in the license you are teaching under. So if you have special education and general education initial licenses, but you are hired as a general education license, that's the one you move to professional level.

Your initial license is valid for 5 years of employment. These do not need to be consecutive employment.