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	THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Office of Professional Licensing & Teacher Certification Executive Director
Date:	July 2006
To:	Deans and Directors of Education Programs District Superintendents Superintendents Principals National Education Association of New York New York State Association of School Business Officials New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators New York State Council of School Superintendents New York State School Boards Association New York State United Teachers School Administrators Association of New York State State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching United Federation of Teachers Other Key Stakeholders
From:	Robert G. Bentley
Subject:	Expedited Service Procedures for School Districts

Each year at this time, the Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI) receives its largest volume of requests for the expedited processing of applications from school districts seeking to fill vacancies requiring certified personnel. This is also our busiest time of year for all applications. In order to provide school districts with as much support as possible, I wanted to reiterate the OTI procedures for expedited service.

Please screen such requests through the Regional Certification Officer in your local BOCES. While expedited service is primarily intended for new hires, we will also honor requests for expedited service for teachers holding a provisional certificate who have applied for and are eligible for their permanent certificate, or a supplementary certificate. We do not entertain expedited service requests for college recommended applications since these applications already receive priority handling in OTI and, under the TEACH Computer System, if all requirements are met, the certificate issues automatically. Also, in order for us to be timely in our response to all requests, we cannot expedite requests for part-time, per diem employment situations, adult education instructors or teaching assistants.
 

Expedited Service Procedures

When a district needs to fill a vacant teaching position with a candidate who has submitted an application for certification to OTI that has not yet been evaluated, the following procedures should be followed:

• The Superintendent will submit identifying information about the candidate to the Regional Certification Officer (RCO) of the local BOCES.
   
• The RCO will review the available information (exam scores, workshops, fingerprint clearance) and submit a standardized request for an expedited review of academic requirements by OTI.
   
• In instances where the candidate is filing his/her application directly with the BOCES Office, the RCO will evaluate the full application for all requirements. When that review indicates that the applicant has met all certification requirements, the RCO will recommend the candidate for an expedited review and forward this recommendation to the Office of Teaching Initiatives.
  
  OTI staff will expedite the review of certification applications upon a BOCES RCO request. We anticipate that OTI will be able to issue certificates based on such requests within three to five business days from receipt of an expedited service recommendation from the BOCES, assuming the OTI review does not reveal any unmet certification requirements.
  
  All requests for expedited certification service should be made through the BOCES Regional Certification Officer as outlined above. Superintendents have a contact number for critical issues, and we are asking you to maintain that number for the sole use of the Superintendent and his/her immediate staff to address critical issues for which the Superintendent needs assistance (i.e. questions about new regulations, or unique certification cases requiring special review). Applicants with questions should be directed to the OTI Web site or (518) 474-3901 rather than the Superintendent’s line. As we’re sure you can appreciate, to the extent that this phone number gets released directly to certificate applicants, the line becomes so busy that Superintendents are unable to get through to OTI to help advance issues they deem critical to meet the district’s needs.
  
  Please remember that non-expedited applications will, by necessity, be delayed as we handle requests for expedited service. Therefore, please limit such requests to individuals you are confident meet the requirements for certification and who you intend to hire in the 2006-07 school year.
  
  If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please consult with the Regional Certification Officer at your BOCES. For those school districts that are not associated with a BOCES Regional Office, we ask you to work with the BOCES Regional Office closest to your district if they are willing to assist you. If this is not possible, these districts should contact Mr. Bruce Robinson in the Office of Teaching Initiatives at wrobinso@mail.nysed.gov .
  
  We have separate arrangements with the New York City Department of Education to expedite such requests for schools in the School District of the City of New York. For Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, any such requests should be made in writing to Bruce Robinson at wrobinso@mail.nysed.gov .
  
  Thank you for your cooperation.
  
  
  cc: Johanna Duncan-Poitier
  Rebecca Cort
  Jean Stevens
  BOCES Regional Certification Officers
   

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