ITEMS OF INTEREST
The 2017 Omnibus Education bill created a new state agency called the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) consolidating the current duties and responsibilities of the Board of Teaching (BOT) and the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) Educator Licensing Division. Beginning January 1, 2018, the 11 member board and their staff will oversee teacher licensing, teacher preparation, and teacher ethics in Minnesota. The legislation also redesigned teacher licensure in Minnesota.
Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) Transition Highlights and Timeline
The law created PELSB to oversee and implement teacher licensing laws for the state of Minnesota. Beginning January 1, 2018, the current responsibilities carried out by MDE, Educator Licensing Division and the Board of Teaching will be consolidated into PELSB. PELSB will be responsible for (1) developing the teacher’s code of ethics; (2) adopting rules to license public school teachers; (3) adopting rules for and approving teacher preparation programs; (4) issuing or denying license applications; (5) suspending, revoking, or denying a license based on qualifying grounds; and (6) verification of district and charter school licensure compliance.
On January 1, 2018, all staff currently employed by the MDE’s Educator Licensing Division and their job responsibilities and all staff currently employed by BOT and their job responsibilities will become employees of PELSB.
What are the Changes for Customers?
- The PELSB office and monthly PELSB board meetings will continue to be at MDE.
- PELSB customers and visitors will go directly to the PELSB door where they will be buzzed in.
- Beginning January 1, 2018, all licensing information, including educator lookup, will be transferred to a new website http://mn.gov/pelsb.
- Beginning January 1, 2018, the current phone numbers for educator licensing will be disconnected. The new PELSB phone number is 651-539-4200.
Tier Licensure System Transition Highlights and Timeline
As a way to help transition current teachers into the new tiered system, on January 2018, all standard five year license expiration dates are extended by one year. Beginning July 2018, all new teacher licensing applications will follow the new tiered system and a new online licensing system will be launched. Beginning January 2019, all teacher licenses with an expiration of June 30, 2019, will begin renewing under the new tiered system.
Tiered Licensing System
- Tier 1 – Individuals and school districts or charter schools may apply for a Tier 1 license. The license is a one year license specific to a district or charter school and specific to a content area. School may request up to three renewals, and more if “good cause” is proven, or if in a “shortage area” or for CTE licensure fields.
- Tier 2 – Individuals and school districts or charter schools may apply for a Tier 2 license. The license is a two year license specific to a district or charter school and specific to content area. The license can be renewed up to three times or more based on PELSB adopted rules.
- Tier 3 – Individuals can apply for a Tier 3 license which is a three year license specific to a content area. Tier 3 licenses can be renewed an unlimited number of times as long as the individual meets licensure renewal requirements.
- Tier 4 – Individuals can apply for a Tier 4 license which is a five year license, specific to a content area. Tier 4 licenses can be renewed an unlimited number of times as long as the individual meets licensure renewal requirements.
Online System Availability
The online licensing system will be unavailable from 5 p.m. on December 27, 2017, until 8 a.m. on January, 4, 2018, for system updates.
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Minnesota Department of Education has a new security role designed to allow designated staff in the district or school access to specific secure reports. These reports are related to the business function of the district. They are currently available to other staff via their security access but this new role allows the Identified Official with Authority (IOwA) to provide broader access in the district. The eligible reports include concurrent enrollment aid, online learning student aid, resident students attending elsewhere, English learners (EL) generating state EL aid, inter-district desegregation transportation, and PSEO participants.
To gain access, the district’s IOwA first needs to pre-authorize staff for this new role. Then the pre-authorized staff should select any of the eligible reports posted in the data center’s secure reports website under either finance secure reports or MARSS secure reports to request access.
Please contact Jean Krile or mde.funding@state.mn.us with any questions.
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