ACSI Inspire Indicator 12.2 requires that all K–12 school administrators and teachers must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a college that is an accredited or recognized institution. This form is used to request a waiver of this requirement for individual teachers with unique circumstances.Please Note: - Schools must have a policy in place to hire appropriately degreed teachers. - Waivers are not available for the head of school or any K-12 principals. - Waivers must not make up more than ten percent (10% FTE) of the faculty. - Please give as much detail as possible. Incomplete forms will not be processed.
The ACSI accredited school must complete a separate form for each non-degreed teacher, full- or part- time. This request for waiver will require the school select the requested waiver type (Permanent or Temporary, depending on the situation) and to complete the appropriate section pertaining to your situation:
A waiver only applies for the position listed. If the teacher changes positions, a new request for waiver must be submitted.
In order for the waiver to be approved, ONE of the following plans must be in place:
A Permanent Waiver may be granted if the faculty member has appropriate experience, in-field qualifications or credentials, but is unable or highly unlikely to complete the needed training to qualify for certification as a teacher within a reasonable period of time. (An example: a professional photographer who teaches one or two classes and only has an Associate of Arts degree.)
A teacher with a Permanent Waiver must be involved in an appropriate professional development plan completed below.A teacher will also need to have completed the CPoE by the end of his/her 3rd year of employment.
A Temporary Waiver may be granted if the faculty member is able to complete the appropriate qualifications for the certification necessary for the position they are filling within a reasonable period of time.
(An example: a teacher was hired to fill a position on an emergency basis, the school wants to retain him or her, yet he or she does not have a bachelor’s degree. The school would request a waiver for one to two years while the teacher completes the bachelor’s degree.)
A teacher with a Temporary Waiver must be involved in an action plan, valid for up to 3 years, that will result in the completion of a bachelor's degree. At the end of the 3 years, the Temporary waiver will expire as the teacher will either have completed a bachelor’s degree (which will enable the teacher to apply for certification), OR the teacher will need to re-apply for a waiver if extenuating circumstances prevented completion of the degree.A teacher will also need to have completed the CPoE by the end of those 3 years.
Please complete the appropriate section on the following page, and attach the teacher’s weekly schedule, indicating all subjects and grade levels taught.
All faculty must complete the Christian Philosophy of Education by the end of their third year of employment.
Permanent Faculty Waiver Professional Growth Plan
Additional documents can be attached if needed. Please also include the teacher's weekly schedule, including all subjects and grade levels taught.
Include ALL professional development the faculty member plans to complete in order to stay current in their field. This should also include Christian Philosophy of Education (CPoE) and biblical integration.Briefly describe the ongoing requirements that the school expects this faculty member to complete in terms of coursework, CEUs, in-house professional development, Bible studies, etc.
Temporary Faculty Waiver Action Plan/Progress Report
Include ALL professional development the faculty member plans to complete in order to meet certification requirement. This should also include Christian Philosophy of Education (CPoE) and biblical integration.Briefly describe the ongoing requirements that the school expects this faculty member to complete in terms of coursework, CEUs, in-house professional development, Bible studies, etc. for at least two years.
ACSI’s Expectations of the School for Waivered Individuals:
· The school will include all non-degree individuals in the Waiver section of the Certification spreadsheet.
· The school will make certain that the Christian Philosophy of Education is complete within three years of the individual’s hire date.
· The school is responsible for the ongoing training, review, and monitoring of professional growth of waivered individuals for as long as they are employed as a teacher at the school. This includes monitoring progress on the “Permanent Waiver's Growth Plan Details” or "Temporary Waiver's 3 Year Action Plan" as outlined in this request. ACSI will not monitor this individual—this is the school’s ongoing responsibility.
· For PE teachers and athletic directors, the school will make certain that continuous compliance with all athletic related state requirements are met, including first aid, CPR, AED, etc.
· The school understands that this waiver only applies for the position listed. If the teacher changes positions, the school will submit a new waiver request.
· The school will keep all waiver documents in the individual’s personnel file.
Non-Degreed Individual’s Acknowledgement:
I acknowledge by signing below that the information provided above and attached is an accurate representation of my teaching responsibilities. I also commit to completing the plan that has been outlined in this form as a condition of employment at the school.
Supervisor’s Acknowledgement:
I acknowledge that the information provided on this request is an accurate representation of this individual’s qualifications and teaching responsibilities. I also commit to monitoring this individual as has been outlined on the plan included with this form and “ACSI’s Expectations of the School for Waivered Individuals” sections of this request.