2025 State Board of Education District Teacher of the Year Cohort Announced

The State Board of Education is pleased to announce the 2025 State Board of Education District Teacher of the Year cohort. From this cohort of regional honorees, four will be selected as finalists for the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year honor later this month. Learn more about the Ohio Teacher of the Year program and these outstanding educators.

Criminal History Questions in Licensure Applications Updated

When applying for licensure, applicants answer five questions related to criminal history and prior professional license discipline. There are now different questions for first-time applicants and returning/renewal applicants. First-time applicants must still disclose all convictions, diversion programs, and professional license discipline no matter how long ago it occurred. Returning and renewal applicants are required to disclose any new criminal offenses or professional license discipline that has occurred since the last time they applied. The Professional Conduct FAQs and the CORE Applicant User Manual provide more detailed instructions for answering the application legal questions.

Alternative Resident Educator Licenses Transition to 2-Year

Due to recent legislation, the 4-Year Alternative Resident Educator license has been replaced with the new 2-Year Alternative Resident Educator (P-12) license. Educators working under an active 4-Year Alternative Resident Educator license are not required to obtain the new 2-Year Alternative Resident Educator license. Active 4-Year Alternative Resident Educator licenses are valid until their expiration date and may be used for participation in the Ohio Resident Educator Program.

Student Mental Health Training for Coaches

Athletic coaches are required to complete approved student mental health training for renewal of their pupil-activity permits. Any athletic coach who previously held a pupil-activity permit must complete this training before obtaining a new or renewal pupil-activity permit. The certificate of completion from the approved training provider must be submitted with the application for the pupil-activity permit.

Open Registration for Fall Resident Educator Program Coordinator Virtual Regional Network Meetings

Registration is now open for Resident Educator Program Coordinator Regional Network Meetings scheduled for three dates in September. The State Board of Education is hosting three (virtual) regional meetings to bring program coordinators together to engage with colleagues, share insights and strategies for program implementation and hear from the agency's Resident Educator Program staff. Participants can choose to attend one of the following meeting dates:

• September 17, Northern region, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
• September 19, Central region, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
• September 23, Southern region, 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Three dates were scheduled to allow for smaller numbers of participants per meeting. Educators who are unable to attend on the scheduled date for their region may register for a different date. The same content will be shared at all three meetings. Register here by September 11. Once registered you will receive a meeting access email about one week prior to the event date. Send questions to REProgram@sboe.ohio.gov

New Resident Educator Mentor Training Events Available Now

All new mentors must successfully complete the Mentor Academy training to become certified state mentors. Training events, scheduled by local Educational Service Centers (ESCs), are listed in STARS. Registration and fees are required and vary by location. Training is provided both in-person and virtually. Read the registration details in STARS for locations and dates and be sure to follow the directions for the virtual training registration. Virtual training includes two required components: synchronous and asynchronous. Dates for virtual synchronous sessions are listed in the registration information. Contact the ESC directly if you have questions. All mentor training must be completed by December 1.

Register for Virtual Resident Educator Program Coordinator Meetups

New program coordinators are often faced with responsibilities and requirements they are not sure how to complete. Deadlines and registration requirements are confusing, and it can be difficult to keep up with program changes. Join the Resident Educator Program team for monthly meetups to learn more about the role of the Program Coordinator (PC) and how to manage the workflow. This is also a great opportunity to interact with other PCs and learn from each other. While the focus is on new PCs, all PCs are invited to attend. The first meeting is August 20, 2024 (1:00-2:00 p.m.). Meetups are held on the third Tuesday of month (with one exception). There are no meetups scheduled in September or February due to the Regional PC Network meetings. For questions, please contact REProgram@sboe.ohio.gov.

Rapback Expansion Update: Driver and Non-Licensed Employee Enrollment Set to Begin

The State Board of Education has released an update to the CORE System to allow (1) school bus and van drivers and (2) individuals in non-licensed positions to enroll in Rapback as a school employee or contractor. The Rapback Service, which is hosted by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification, allows the State Board to provide notifications to employers about criminal arrests and convictions of the enrollees. For an individual to be entered into the Rapback system, they need to complete the following steps: (1) create an OHID Account; (2) setup a CORE profile and request an educator state ID; (3) submit a new background check, if needed; and (4) associate to an employer. The employer will then need to approve the association before a new enrollment will be attempted. The update to CORE allows authorized users to review enrollees and run reports to keep their district and school in compliance with the new law. More details on the enrollment process, including the timeline for completing enrollment, are available on our website.