"Sunset" Provision for Conditional Appointments/Emergency Conditional Appointments

         Effective July 1, 2010, the provisions in law which permitted the conditional appointment and/or emergency conditional appointment of employees pending full clearance from the State Education Department (SED) terminated; and shall be rescinded as Board policy and procedure as of that date unless subsequent revisions to applicable law provide otherwise.

         The District shall not employ or utilize a prospective school employee, as defined below, unless such prospective school employee has been granted a "full" clearance for employment by SED. The School District shall require a prospective school employee who is not in the SED criminal history file to be fingerprinted for purposes of a criminal history record check by authorized personnel of the designated fingerprinting entity. For purposes of this provision of law, the term "criminal history record" shall mean a record of all convictions of crimes and any pending criminal charges maintained on an individual by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).The District shall, however, obtain the applicant's consent to the criminal history records search.

         The District shall utilize SED's Web-based application known as TEACH for instantaneous access to important information about certification and fingerprinting. Through TEACH, SED provides an individual with the ability to apply for fingerprint clearance for certification and/or employment and view the status of his/her fingerprint clearance request. Through TEACH, the School District is able, among other applications, to submit an online request for fingerprint clearance for a prospective employee, view the status of a fingerprint clearance request, and determine whether a subsequent arrest letter has been issued.

Access to TEACH

Information regarding fingerprinting of new hires, including relevant laws and regulations, frequently asked questions (FAQs), an up-to-date chart for "Who Must be Fingerprinted", and instructions on the fingerprinting process are found on www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra. To request access to TEACH, e-mail TEACHHELP@mail.nysed.gov.