High-performing charter schools are full of employees who are as committed to academic excellence as they are. But while charter schools have an academic responsibility to students and their families, they must also remain accountable to charter school authorizers for their operational success.
With respect to the growing K-12 teacher shortage, it has become more challenging for schools to find staff that are both qualified and motivated. But you still don’t want to come afoul of certification requirements by hiring under-qualified educators: Cutting corners can result in administrative and legal challenges that distract from your ability to run your school effectively.
Thankfully, we know an easier way. As a full-service staffing agency that specializes in hiring for K-12 schools, Teachers On Demand, INC can help you take the compliance variable out of the equation. Here’s how.
What compliance requirements must charter schools meet?
Ensuring the educators and administrators on your roster hold all proper credentials is a critical foundation to the function of your charter school — and it rests on a thorough staff review process.
When charter schools hire new staff, at minimum they may conduct a review of:
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teacher and administrator certification,
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compliance with federal law, state and federal criminal history record information, and
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unprofessional conduct disclosure information.
The criminal background check may also involve fingerprinting and lengthy waiting periods, depending on your jurisdiction and hiring timeline.
What certification requirements must charter school teachers meet?
Due to the teacher shortage, certification requirements for teachers are changing in some areas. Currently, one in 10 educational positions are now vacant or filled by someone uncertified, where regulations allow for adjunct programs or emergency certification programs to account for the teacher shortage. In 2022, around 163,000 teachers in the US were underqualified.
While this isn’t ideal, in some cases it’s necessary to ensure students have an educator to head their class.
At Teachers On Demand, INC, we start with the premise of finding you candidates that are both state-licensed and have a valid teaching certificate or permit for their subject areas. Non-staff roles, like school psychologists, require a certain level of education and a current license. Some job titles may also be required to keep administrator certification programs current or pursue continuing education requirements.
Because we specialize in education, we’ve spent years building a network of educators that meet all the necessary qualifications of your open roles. We work with educators to ensure they hold current certificates before they enter the doors of your school — and most often, before they show up to the interview.
How we help charter schools meet requirements
There are many benefits to partnering with a full-service staffing agency — from widening your hiring network to gaining access to flexible staffing solutions, like our substitute staffing platform that brings you reliable substitute educators on short notice.
The most fundamental benefit is you’ll plain-old save your HR department time, funds, and stress that prevent them from doing their best work.
Sourcing candidates for your open vacancies requires a lot of time and financial resources in the first place — and vetting each individual can be a lengthy process on top of that. We take this burden off your hands: We’ll ensure your new hires come pre-vetted for your state’s requirements without your HR team having to lift an additional finger. (It’s also important to us that we provide the right culture fit for your school on top of that.)
But, you might ask: Do you know what’s required in my state?
Of course, compliance and certification requirements will vary depending on the state your charter school operates in. Fortunately, Teachers On Demand, INC works with school partners and places teachers across the US and Canada.
Our team has decades of combined experience as educators and staffing professionals, which means we feel confident sourcing candidates that meet the compliance and certification requirements in your location.
Start ticking off those boxes today
Just ask the 200+ school partners in the US and Canada that rely on our staffing solutions to make their lives easier while providing a solid educational experience for their student body.