1. OSPA-TSPC-ODE 4TH ANNUAL WORKSHOP TSPC FOR BEGINNERS
Vickie Chamberlain,
Executive Director
October 21, 2013

2. Introductions Licensure Staff Present Julie McCann
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3. About the Commission Commissioners appointed by Governor
Statutes guide licensure and fees
16 total employees (down from 26)
Issue over 20,000 licenses annually
Completed 227 investigations ; 249 in 2011
Reviewed 26 programs in 2012; (accreditation reviews)
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4. About the Commission 17 commissioners; Meet 4 times a year
8 teachers;
4 administrators;
2 higher education;
3 public members
Meet 4 times a year
Establish rules for licensure:
Issuance
Renewal
Revocation
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5. TSPC Primary Functions
The Commission:
Sets the standards and rules for public school educator licensure assignment;
Sets the standards and performs accreditation visits for Oregon educator licensure programs; and
Takes disciplinary action against an educator’s license.
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6. TSPC Primary Functions
Ensure public school education is delivered by qualified, competent, professional educators;
Ensure evidence of effective preparation to high standards by colleges and universities;
Ensure students are protected from educators who engage in misconduct.
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7. TSPC Mission
To establish, uphold and enforce professional standards of excellence and communicate those standards to the public and educators for the benefit of Oregon’s students
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8. TSPC Goals
Establish high standards for educator preparation excellence and regularly review approved programs for delivery of adopted licensure standards.
Provide leadership for professional licensure standards including standards for: cultural inclusion; educator dispositions; subject-matter competency.
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9. TSPC Goals (cont)
Provide timely high quality services to licensees, higher education, and the public.
Maintain and develop clear, concise and easy to understand administrative rules.
Establish high standards for educator professional conduct and regularly communicate those standards to the field.
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10. History: Oldest Educator Licensure Board in Nation
First created in 1965
Commissioners must be “practicing” to be eligible for appointment and confirmation
One of 13 similar Professional Educator Standards Boards in the nation
Over 120,000 educators in database with several hundred thousand more on microfilm;
Only three Executive Directors in life of agency
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LICENSURE PROCESS
Who Must Be Licensed
Teachers (anyone delivering direct instruction);
Administrators (supervise/evaluate other licensed staff or administers discipline to students)
School Counselors
School Psychologists
School Social Workers
Charter School teachers who do not hold a TSPC license
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12. Data Classification: 1 -- Published
LICENSURE PROCESS
Renewal notices sent 90 days in advance (electronically);
Receive application – fee – application materials;
Applications processed based on date received;
Reviewed for completeness (one incomplete letter sent);
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13. LICENSURE PROCESS
Issue license if all materials present and educators eligible
Electronic letter sent to educator
Electronic license issued (available for viewing on the web)
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14. LICENSURE FEATURES
License expires on date listed on license unless:
License is renewable (same license to same license)
Application (C-1) and fees received PRIOR to expiration date on the license
120 day grace period awarded
Check “description” for details on TSPC Licensure Guide:
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15. LICENSURE FEATURES Grace Period things to know
License is active (fully legal license by statute)
DOES NOT automatically attach to a license
If license expires, that time is not recoverable; grace period starts when application received
Illegal to work on an expired license
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16. LICENSURE FEATURES General licensure things to know
An educator cannot work without the fully issued license (even if they hold another state’s active license)
It is the educator’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete
It is the district’s responsibility to ensure that all licensed staff hold current and proper license
Most mistakes made in the administrator area (working without license; improperly assigned)
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17. Common Application Errors
Application is not signed or dated
Fee is not included
Character Questions
Not answered
Yes answers not explained
PEER form not received
PEER form not sealed
PEER form not dated or signed
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18. Most Frequent Problems
Educators not completing renewal requirements
Mandatory coursework not completed (or started)
Educators teach for months on expired licenses
Districts ask for licenses for which educators are not qualified
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19. Things that Slow Down Processing
Unnecessary expedited service requests
(slowed down licensure for six weeks this summer)
Incomplete applications (including failure to complete coursework
Staff illness; resignations (long training cycle)
Repeat /phone calls
Failure to read information sent by Commission with prior license accessible through the Web
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20. TSPC LICENSURE STAFFING
Currently have (to process 20,000 annual applications):
Three Public Service Representatives (was six)
One has been on staff for one week
In process of hiring two more
Allow 4-6 months of training
Three evaluators (was five)
Two current public service representatives promoted
One evaluator moving to executive administration
Will have total of four evaluators
One evaluator resigned in July
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21. TSPC LICENSURE STAFFING
Public Service Representative Duties
Cover agency main phone line
Cover walk-in traffic
Respond to
Send out renewals to district contacts monthly
Respond to district contacts
Assist with “front-end” intake
Opening Mail
Scanning
Covering data input and daily deposits if staff out ill
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22. TSPC LICENSURE STAFFING
Evaluator Duties
Review applications for completeness
Send out incomplete letters
Send out renewals to district contacts monthly
Respond to district contacts
Issue licenses
Cover front desk if necessary
Assist with when possible
Serve as reference for Public Service Representatives
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23. TSPC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
Legislature requires Commission to investigate ALL complaints filed with the agency
Commission action can include:
Dismiss the complaint
All materials in the investigation MUST be sealed and treated as confidential.
Following dismissal, the Commission must treat that issue as though it “didn’t happen”
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24. TSPC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
Commission action can include:
Charge the Educator:
Educator has a right to request an outside hearing to challenge the Commission’s charges:
If Commission charges upheld (or if educator agrees with the charges):
Informal Letter of Reproval
Reprimand
Suspension
Revocation
Probation
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25. TSPC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES
Commission reads each investigation report (over 200 a year)
Commission reviews each final order ( per year)
Average case load for investigators is about 75
Over $250,000 a year is spent on attorney fees and contested hearings. ($500,000 a biennial budget cycle)
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26. TSPC PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES STAFFING
Staff include: (Executive Director)
1 Director (assigns cases, clears fingerprints)
2 investigative assistants
3 investigators (one just resigned)
1 legal liaison
Must investigate ALL complaints filed with the agency, by statute
Includes wide range of issues
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27. Licensure Stats
Approximately 62,557 licensed educators in Oregon holding about 66,679 licenses, registrations or certificates
59,800 teachers
4,500 administrators
2,200 counselors and psychologists
90 school nurses
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28. TSPC Licenses Issued Annually
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29. Licensure Information
Licensed Teachers, Administrators Employed and Students Attending Oregon Public Schools
04-05
05-06
06-07
07-08
08-09*
(*ESD)
09-10
10-11
11-12
Teachers
w/ ESD
27,228
28,051
29,020
29,795
(30,027)
30,157
28,638
28,157
26,873
Administrators
2,215
2,332
2,227
2,268
2,137
2,035
1,995
Total
29,443
30,383
31,247
32,295
32,294
30,673
30,192
28,868
Students
552,339
559,254
562,828
566,067
564,064
561,696
561,328
560,946
Today we have 59,594 active licensed teachers. 26,873 (11-12 employed licensed educators)= 45% of total licensed teachers
Today we have 4,539 active licensed administrators. 1,995 = 44% of total licensed administrators
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30. History of Applications Received by TSPC
Application History
History of Applications Received by TSPC
24,879
23,488
24,794
26,408
27,756
25,691
22,631
22,722
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31. Data Classification: 1 -- Published
New cases = complaints received from school districts; patrons; internal referrals from background checks and other issues;
Pending Hearing = include number of educators that have been investigated, charged with misconduct by the commission, and have requested a hearing.
Resolved cases =
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32. Data Classification: 1 -- Published
We have reduced through terminations, layoffs and vacancies. In the GRB; we had 22 permanently funded positions and 3 approved limited duration positions.
Currently we have 17 working FTE in the office.
We have submitted a budget reduction package that removes one management position and two Office Specialist I positions.
We also took the permanent funding from another management position and used it to mostly fund the two limited duration investigators that have been part of TSPC’s budget since (past three budget cycles)
Due to the reduced number of applications and requests for licensure, the licensure staff has been able to reduce the backlog to three to four weeks processing time.
At one time we had six people answering phone calls and ; now we have two. So response time to phone calls and remains the agency’s biggest customer service challenge.
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33. Licensure Stats Winter 2013
Example of Daily Licensure Statistics Tracked (February 2013)
Applications Received:  73
New s in: 57
Responses:  21
Communications Pending: 753
Licenses Issued:  84
Oregon State Police Fingerprint Return Date:  02/13/2013 (24 hrs)
Open Accounts:  1597 (Applications waiting for processing)
Pending Accounts:  792 (Includes incomplete applications)
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34. Licensure Stats Winter 2013
Licensure Statistic Tracking (cont.) February 2013
Phone calls answered = 91
Walk-ins = 10
Number of Incomplete Notices sent = 10
Entering (mail) Wednesday 02/13/2013 (into data system)
Scanning Monday 02/11/2013 (documents received)
License processing date: 01/29/13 (3.5 weeks)
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35. Example of Daily Licensure Statistics Tracked (October 2013)
Licensure Stats Fall 2013
Example of Daily Licensure Statistics Tracked (October 2013)
Applications Received:  90
New s in: 117
Responses:  39
Communications Pending: 2213
Licenses Issued:  30
Oregon State Police Fingerprint Return Date:  10/17/2013 (24 hrs)
Open Accounts:  7819 (Applications waiting for processing)
Pending Accounts:  350 (Includes incomplete applications)
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36. Data Classification: 1 -- Published
Licensure Stats Fall 2013
Licensure Statistic Tracking (cont.) October 2013
Phone calls answered = 50
Walk-ins = 19
Number of Incomplete Notices sent = 3 
Entering (mail) Wednesday 10/16/2013 (into data system – same day)
Scanning Monday 10/13/2013 (documents received – 2 days)) 
License processing date: 07/02/13 (13 weeks)
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37. Data Classification: 1 -- Published
District Contacts
Maria Odle
Heidi Reinhardt
Linda Conrad
Amanda Hill
Stephanie Long
Tiffany Buttris
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