Licensure
By statute, the State Board of Education is charged with establishing standards for the licensing and permitting of teachers and other educators.
The State Board of Education also has authority over the issuance, denial, reprimand, suspension, and revocation of preK-12 teacher and administrator licenses and permits. The State Board does not, however, have authority to make employment decisions. Employment decisions are left up to the local school district or public charter school.
For questions about general license/permit requirements, adding an endorsement, or renewals, please refer to resources with the Office of Educator Licensing & Preparation here.
What needs to be reported?
Directors of Schools or their designees are required to report to the State Board of Education any licensed educators who have been suspended, terminated, or resigned following allegations of misconduct which if substantiated would warrant consideration for license reprimand, suspension, or revocation under the rule. Reports to the Board must be made within thirty days.
What happens when a district doesn’t report a case that should have been reported?
Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-5-417(c)(4) states, “The state board may issue a public reprimand if director fails to make a report as required by this part or by the state board. The state board shall send a copy of the reprimand to the director and a copy to the local board of education, charter school governing body, or nonpublic school governing body as applicable.” Additionally, directors of schools who maintain an active Tennessee educator license may be subject to license discipline for failure to report under State Board rules.
What expectations does the state have and how important is it districts follow the rules in place?
By holding our state’s educators to the highest standards, we can ensure the safety of our children and preserve the professional integrity of the teaching profession. Our children come to classrooms to learn not to be preyed on or mistreated by their authority figures. When we hold our excellent educators to the highest professional standards, our students can focus on what should be their priority: learning.