During a special called meeting on March 24, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved emergency exemptions related to Spring 2020 clinical and field experiences. The purpose of these exemptions is to hold harmless Spring 2020 student teachers and move them forward to successful completion of educator preparation programs, certification, and employment.
The policy also addresses flexibility for clinical experiences leading to initial or add-on certification in service and leadership fields and for field experiences (prior to student teaching) that cannot be completed in school settings at this time.
On Friday, March 20, 2020, Superintendent Spearman requested and received approval for an emergency regulation (Regulation 43-40 COVID-19 Waiver and Suspension of Provisions) that allows her to waive or suspend provisions of regulations in Chapter 43 that may be impacted or affected by the COVID-19 State of Emergency in South Carolina.
The Certification and Educator Preparation teams in the Office of Educator Services continue to work on additional emergency provisions that may be necessary to support educators and certification applicants. Please know that we will communicate as we determine and implement additional measures to address the impact of COVID-19 closures, including Praxis testing centers and fingerprinting offices.
The Office of Educator Services has created a Certification Updates webpage where we will post information for applicants and educators. The quick link to that page is https://ed.sc.gov/certificationupdates. Our staff members are now working remotely; yet, we remain available to assist applicants and educators. Although call center and walk-in services are suspended at this time, individuals may communicate with us through email at certification@ed.sc.gov or altcertification@ed.sc.gov.
COVID-19: Provisional Educator Certificate for 2020–21
Educators at the S.C. Department of Education have developed remote learning resources that can be used by teachers across all grade levels.
The links and resources included were both developed internally and vetted from outside sources for use by school districts as instructional resources. Resources will continue to be added as they are developed and vetted.
SCRemoteLearning.com
The PersonalizeSC Community, created in partnership with KnowledgeWorks, is an online tool that enables easy access via a mobile app, web browser or email. Through the PersonalizeSC Community, educators can find and upload learning resources, connect with other educators and engage in online discussions.
We know that not all students have access to computers or Wi-Fi at home and want to work with you to deliver low-tech and no-tech options to ensure every child has access to meaningful learning and social-emotional support during school closures.
Visit tinyurl.com/JoinPersonalizeSC to register.
Makin’ It Personal: A #PersonalizeSC Podcast on Remote Learning
