Federal Programs

Right to Know Professional Qualifications of Teachers and Paraprofessionals

Dear Parents,

In compliance with the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015, the Japer County Charter School System would like to inform you that you may request information about the professional qualifications of your student’s teacher(s) and paraprofessionals. The following information may be requested:

• Whether the student’s teacher—
  • has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
  • is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and
  • is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.

•  Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If you wish to request information concerning your child’s teacher’s qualification, please contact the principal of your child's school as identified below:

 

Title II, Part a guidance

Parent's Right To Request A Teacher's And A Paraprofessional's Qualifications:

By law, LEAs are required to notify parents of their ‘Right to Know’ the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers. In Georgia, within 30 calendar days from the start of school, LEAs are required to notify parents in all schools that they may request, and the LEA will provide the parents on request, information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers or paraprofessionals, including at a minimum, the following:

• Whether the student’s teacher—
  • has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
  • is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and
  • is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher.
• Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

 

LEAs should as best practice:

• Notify parents in multiple ways in order to ensure that all parents have the opportunity to receive the information. This may include, but is not limited to a LEA or school handbook, a letter mailed home, inclusion in a newsletter or brochure, posting on a website, and/or a school-wide email.
• Notify parents in a format that is accessible in language and format and ensures the notification, or document that contains the notification, includes the point of contact information by position, the school or LEA name, the day, month and year of notification.
• Maintain records that document the dissemination of the Right to Know notifications in multiple forms to the parents of all students.

Any individual, organization or agency may file a complaint with the Jasper County School System (JCSS) if that individual, organization or agency believes and alleges that the JCCS is violating a federal statute or regulation that applies to a program under the ESEA.  The complaint must allege a violation that occurred not more than one (1) year prior to the date that the complaint is received, unless a longer period is reasonable because the violation is considered ongoing.