The Office of Professional Licensure will be automatically renewing the teaching licenses of the teachers whose licenses will be expiring December 31, 2007.
Automatic renewal will be occurring only if the teacher:
1) Holds a standard teaching license that expires December 31, 2007.
2) Has successfully completed at least one background check through the Arkansas State Police and FBI. Teachers who have not yet completed a background check must do so and have the results in to the Office of Professional Licensure by September 1, 2007.
3) Was employed by a public school for the 2006-2007 school year. All queries regarding employment for the 2006-2007 school year will be made from the APSCN database.
4) Has completed the required sixty (60) hours of professional development for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years.
The Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN) has developed a professional development reporting tool that is located at the APSCN webpage: www.k12.ar.us. Click on the Statewide Information System(SIS) option and log in the professional development data for each teacher in the school/district.
Schools may begin entering the professional development documentation as early as May 1, 2007. All documentation of professional development must be completed by July 31, 2007. Please be sure that the professional development on each teacher has been documented for BOTH the 2005-2006 and the 2006-2007 school years.
Teachers whose licenses will not automatically be renewed are: a) teachers not employed by a public school and b) teachers employed in a public school and have not met all the requirements for the automatic renewal of the teaching license. The teachers must submit an application for renewal of teaching license to the Office of Professional Licensure. This application must include documentation of teaching experience and professional development.
School Districts may access a listing of all teachers whose licenses will be expiring December 31, 2007, through the Arkansas Department of Education Statewide Information FTP site at the web address of ftp://165.29.215.34. Questions regarding information provided at this site may be directed to Ms. Clara Toney in the Office of Professional Licensure. Ms. Toney may be reached by phone at 501-683-3127 or by e-mail at clara.toney@arkansas.gov.
Please address all other questions regarding the automatic renewal process to Ron Tolson, Coordinator, Professional Licensure at 501-683-3126 or by e-mail at ron.tolson@arkansas.gov.