Teacher Qualifications Mandate: Waiver Process

ACYF Administration on Children, Youth and Families	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families
	1. Log No. ACYF-IM-HS-96-22	2. Issuance Date: 10/29/96
	3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau
	4. Key Word: CDA Waiver

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM

TO: Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: Teacher Qualifications Mandate: Waiver Process

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Information Memorandum is to outline the process for requesting waivers, for newly hired teachers, from the statutory mandate concerning Head Start teacher qualifications.

BACKGROUND: The 1994 Head Start Reauthorization Act requires that Head Start classroom teachers must have met certain qualifications by September 30, 1996. It also allows a waiver from the requirements for teachers who are newly hired after September 30, 1996.

In the Head Start Act, paragraph (1) of Section 648A.(a) concerns staff qualifications and development. Paragraph (1) explains that not later than September 30, 1996, each Head Start classroom teacher in a center-based program must have:

(A) a Child Development Associate (CDA);

(B) a State-awarded certificate for preschool teachers;

(D) a degree in a field related to early childhood education with experience in teaching preschool children and a State-awarded certificate to teach in a preschool program.

(These requirements were fully discussed in an Information Memorandum that we sent to you earlier this year, IM-HS-96-10.)

Paragraph (2) of Section 648A.(a) states that, on request, a 180 day waiver of the requirements of paragraph (1) may be granted for a person who:

(A) is first employed after September 30, 1996, by a Head Start agency as a teacher for a Head Start classroom;

(B) is enrolled in a program that grants any credential, certificate, or degree specified in subparagraph (A), (B), (C) or (D) of paragraph (1); and

(C) will receive such credential under the terms of such program not later than 180 days after beginning employment as a teacher with such agency.

Paragraph (3) of this Section explains that a person may only receive one such waiver.

INFORMATION:

In order to receive waivers, grantees and delegate agencies are to use the following process:

Programs should make every effort to hire teachers who meet the qualifications contained in paragraph (1), above. However, if these efforts are not successful and the most viable applicant does not meet any of the teacher qualification requirements contained in paragraph (1), a waiver to the requirements is necessary.

Any person hired as a teacher on or after October 1, 1996 who does not meet the teacher qualifications specified in paragraph (1), must meet each of the criteria (A-C) listed in paragraph (2) in order to be eligible for a waiver. (As explained above, teachers, who were hired prior to October 1, 1996, must meet the teacher qualifications and are, therefore, not eligible for a waiver.)

Waiver requests should be sent to your ACF Regional Office, or American Indian Program Branch or Migrant Program Branch when appropriate. These offices, on behalf of the Secretary, shall award waivers to programs for eligible individuals.

In order to receive waivers, programs must submit the names of any teachers who have been hired since October 1, 1996, who qualify for and need waivers, and the date they were hired. As waivers are requested in the future for subsequent hiring, the names and dates must also be submitted.

Grantees are responsible for maintaining documentation of qualifications for each person working as a Head Start teacher. Documentation that a teacher meets the qualification requirements or an approved waiver is to be retained in the personnel file of each teacher. This documentation and the waivers will be reviewed by each onsite monitoring team as part of the examination of personnel records.

/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau