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Paperwork and Action Item Overview: PhiladelphiaWelcome again to the Greater Philadelphia corps!What follows is an outline of the items you will need to complete to become eligible to teach in Pennsylvania. Please read this document and the enclosed materials carefully. There are many tricky ins and outs to this process, and errors along the way can jeopardize your ability to be placed on the standard timeline, as well as potentially cost you additional time and money down the road.In addition, please look over this document soon in order to get a sense of generally what will be required. Many of the items below require steps that can be somewhat time-consuming and cannot be completed overnight. These include: Scheduling doctor’s appointmentsScheduling fingerprint appointments and being fingerprintedWriting essaysUnless otherwise noted, all action steps must be completed by no later than January 16, 2015 and all paperwork must be received in the Greater Philadelphia office by that date. You should make a copy of all forms and materials for your records before mailing the originals to us. Please mail your completed packet to: Your NameCorps Member OperationsTeach For America – Greater Philadelphia100 W. Oxford Street, Suite E-3000Philadelphia, PA 19122You may also choose to drop off your paperwork in person at the same address. The paperwork and action item checklist enclosed in this folder will provide you with a complete list of what actions need to be completed and what items need to be sent. Feel free to send any questions to GreaterPhillyInfo@. Thank you!Alex Leader-SmithRebecca RossiDirector, Matriculation and OnboardingAssociate, Community and School PartnershipsTeach For America Greater PhiladelphiaTeach For America Greater PhiladelphiaImportant note: If you are or will be certified to teach in Pennsylvania or another state by summer 2015, please contact us immediately at GreaterPhillyInfo@ as your steps will be different than those outlined below.TIMS—Teacher Information Management System Purpose: TIMS is the state of Pennsylvania’s online teacher certification system. Once you are hired by your placement school, you will complete your official application for certification on their website. What It Involves: Once you’ve obtained a placement, completing the online application and paying a $125 fee via credit card. Once you’ve completed the application, submit it along your payment (if applicable) to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Instructions in Detail:You will be unable to complete your application until you are placed. For this reason, you do not need to complete your application prior to January 10. Once you have been hired, we will send you detailed instructions on how to complete this process. Application for Teaching in PA Public SchoolsPurpose: The School District of Philadelphia and some Philadelphia charter schools require new teachers to submit this information.What it Involves: Filling out a long form contained in this folder. Writing a short essay.Instructions in Detail:Note: while a paper copy of this application is contained in this folder, an electronic version can be found at the address below if you would prefer to type your responses, then print out your completed form. on particular questions:Page 1: “Position(s) Desired” is Classroom TeacherPage 1: for “the grade, subjects, and/or positions for which you are applying” you should only fill in your first preference. Select the appropriate one of the following, given your assignment:Biology, Chemistry, Elementary, Middle Years English, Secondary English, General Science, Middle Years Math, Secondary Math, Physics, Middle Years Science, Middle Years Social Studies, Secondary Social Studies, Spanish, Elementary Special Education, Middle Years English Special Education, Secondary English Special Education, Secondary Math Special Education, or Secondary Science Special EducationPage 1: for the table labeled Certification, your Area of Certification is the same as your first preference. Special Education corps members should put both special education and secondary math, secondary science, middle years English, secondary English, or elementary as applicable. The issuing state is PA. The date issued column should be left blank.Page 1: date available for employment is August 1, 2015Page 1: for the question, “are you interested in being placed on our substitute list?”, answer “no”Page 2: for the experience section, you can include both education and non-education related experience, starting with your most recent experience and moving backward. This can include both jobs and internships. Page 3: for the sections labeled student or practice teaching and student teaching references, leave these sections blank unless you have engaged in official student or practice teaching outside of the Teach For America programPage 3: for references, include as your first reference Alex Leader-Smith. Position is Director, Matriculation and Onboarding and address is Teach For America 100 W. Oxford Street, Suite E-3000 Philadelphia, PA 19122. Phone number is 215-592-9260 x46129. Your remaining references can be any personal or professional references that you choose.Page 5: you may ignore the sections entitled Act 34 Clearance, Act 114 and Act 151 Clearance. These sections refer to the clearances you are already applying for as described elsewhere in this Overview.School Personnel Health RecordPurpose: The School District of Philadelphia and m Philadelphia charter schools require new teachers to submit this information.What it Involves: Getting a TB test. Having your doctor fill out and sign a form contained in this folder.Instructions in Detail: Have your physician complete, sign, and date the form found in this folder. Make sure your physician completes all sections on both the front and back (except the box labeled DO NOT COMPLETE) and signs in two places: both in the box on the front page verifying your TB Test results and at the bottom of the back page. Make sure you sign on the ‘signature of employee’ line on the bottom of the back page.Please note that both the TB test and the physical exam referenced on this form must have been administered since September 10, 2014 for them to be considered valid. In addition, the date of your TB test must be no more than three months before the date when your physician signs this form. Child Abuse Clearance Request + Release of Information Form + $10 Money OrderPurpose: The state of Pennsylvania requires all teachers to receive this clearance in order to be eligible to teach.What It Involves: Filling out the Child Abuse Clearance Request form and the Consent/Release of Information Authorization Form contained in this folder. Purchasing a money order. Sending both forms and the money order to the state of PA and sending a photocopy of both forms to the Greater Philadelphia office.Instructions in Detail:Complete the enclosed Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance form (section I only)For purpose of clearance, select “School Employee”If you do not have room to list all your household members in the space provided, attach an additional page with that informationComplete the Consent/Release of Information Authorization FormPrint your name in the two spots labeled “Applicant’s Name”Sign and date the formMake two photocopies of each form. Keep one set for your records and submit one set to the Greater Philadelphia officePurchase a $10 money order and make it payable to “Department of Public Welfare”Mail your completed clearance request form, Consent/Release of Information Authorization Form, and $10 money order to:Childline and Abuse RegistryDepartment of Public WelfareP.O. Box 8170Harrisburg, PA 17105Mail one set of the photocopies to the Greater Philadelphia office along with your other materials.The Greater Philadelphia office will automatically receive your Child Abuse Clearance 3-6 weeks after you submit your application to the state.Note: if you already are in possession of a valid Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance dated September 10, 2014 or later, you may submit that directly to the Teach For America office in lieu of requesting a new clearance.PA Criminal Record CheckPurpose: The state of Pennsylvania requires all teachers to receive this clearance in order to be eligible to teach.What It Involves: Filling out an online form. Paying a $10 fee via credit card. Printing out the results.Instructions in Detail:You can complete your Pennsylvania criminal record check online. You will need a credit card and a printer to complete this. The cost of this check is $10.Steps to follow:Go to Record Check in the top toolbar, click New Record Check.Read the Terms & Conditions. Click Accept. Complete the Personal Information section. For Reason for Request choose “School District”. Click Next. Verify your information and click plete the Record Check Request section for yourself. Click Enter this Request.Scroll to the bottom of your screen to confirm it now says View Queued Record Check Requests (1).Click Finished.Click Submit to enter your credit card information. After verifying your credit card information, Click Submit. On the following screen, click your name, which will be a blue link. This will open another window in which will be a certificate with a seal on it. Print a copy of this certificate to mail to us with your other materials. You should also keep a copy for yourself. If you are having difficulty with the criminal record check website, you may want to try reopening it in Internet Explorer. In the past, corps members using other browsers have experienced occasional difficulty with the page.Note: if you already are in possession of a valid Pennsylvania criminal record check dated September 10, 2014 or later, you may submit that directly to the Teach For America office in lieu of requesting a new clearance.Cogent Fingerprinting Clearance + FBI Identification RecordPurpose: The state of Pennsylvania requires all teachers to receive the Cogent fingerprinting clearance in order to be eligible to teach. We also require all participants who work with children or other vulnerable populations to obtain an FBI criminal background check.Note that the Cogent fingerprinting clearance and the FBI identification record are different clearances that serve different purposes. However, since both require you to be fingerprinted, we’ve combined the steps for the two below. What It Involves: Registering online with Cogent and paying a $28.75 fee. Filling out a short information form for the FBI. Getting fingerprinted by a local law enforcement agency. Sending the information form, fingerprints, and an $18 payment to the FBI. Sending a copy of your Cogent registration receipt and fingerprints to Cogent. Sending a copy of the information form and your Cogent registration receipt to the Greater Philadelphia office.Instructions in Detail:In order to register with Cogent Fingerprinting Systems, go to . The cost of registering is $28.75.Steps to follow for online registration with Cogent:Click on Register Online, and agree to the Disclaimer.Fill-out the Application Registration. Click next. Print a copy of your registration confirmation to mail to us with your other materials, and a second copy to mail to Cogent along with your fingerprints.Finish your registration by completing the payment information.Steps to follow for online registration with the FBI:Fill out the FBI Identification Record Applicant Information Form enclosed in this folder.The e-mail address, phone number, and applicant home address you list should be your own.The Mail Results to Address should be: 100 W. Oxford Street, Suite E-3000 Philadelphia, PA. 19122.You should request the results be sent c/o your nameThe reason for the request is, “Employment”Make a copy of the FBI Identification Record Applicant Information Form to include in your paperwork packet. Alternatively, an electronic version of this document can be found at the address below if you would prefer to type your responses, then print out your completed form: an $18 money order or certified checkGetting fingerprinted and applying for these background checks:Locate a nearby fingerprinting site and call to arrange a fingerprinting appointment. One easy way to do this is to call your local police station or sheriff’s office and explain you need be fingerprinted for an FBI background check that is a requirement employment. Go to your fingerprint appointment. If you get ink rolled fingerprints: Bring the two enclosed fingerprint forms with you when you go to be fingerprinted and make sure they take your prints on both. If you get electronic fingerprints: You only need to be fingerprinted once, however for the FBI Identification Record, please ask them to print a second copy of your fingerprints onto a fingerprint form. A requirement, in order to obtain an FBI Identification Record, requires you to physically mail your fingerprint form to the FBI, while Cogent accepts electronic fingerprint forms.(Note: if your fingerprinting site has their own fingerprinting forms, using those forms is also acceptable).Mail a copy of your Cogent registration receipt and one fingerprint card to Cogent.3M CogentAttn: Fingerprint Card Scan PDE5025 Bradenton Ave., Suite ADublin, OH 43017Mail your information form, second fingerprint card, and payment to:????????FBI CJIS Division – Record Request1000 Custer Hollow RoadClarksburg, West Virginia 26306Test RegistrationPurpose: Requirement for all teachers to become certified in the state of Pennsylvania.What It Involves: Going online and registering for your Praxis and/or PECT exam(s). Paying $115-$330 via credit card, depending on your subject and grade assignment. Forwarding confirmation of your registration to the Greater Philadelphia office. Instructions in Detail:You must complete your registration by November 26, 2014. Please see the Testing Overview available in the online Applicant Center for further instructions.University of Pennsylvania Online ApplicationPurpose: Required for enrollment into your classes at Penn.What It Involves: Deciding whether you want to pursue a master’s degree at Penn or not. Creating an account to fill out an online application. Filling out the online application, including writing a short essay.Instructions in Detail:Before completing this application, you will need to have decided if you wish to pursue the Certification Only option or the Master’s Degree option at Penn. For more information on making this decision, please refer to the Certification Coursework in Pennsylvania overview document contained in this packet, as well as the Penn GSE/TFA website located at you’ve made your decision, you will want to go to the Penn application website at and select the “Create Account” option. In creating your account:Degree you’re interested in pursuing is “Master’s”. (Please select this even if you are planning to pursue the Certification Only option. You will have the opportunity to indicate this later.)Primary program of interest is “Teach For America”Penn asks that you use an e-mail address that you will have permanent access to. Once you are admitted to Penn, all correspondence regarding your course enrollment and financial aid package will be sent to this e-mail address, so using a permanent e-mail address is vital. Do not use a college or university e-mail address. Once you have created your account, you may log in and fill out your application. Your application has several sections which you can navigate between using the menu bar on the left. Notes on particular application sections:Program Information:Degree is “M.S. Ed” if you wish to pursue the Master’s option at Penn. It is “Certification Only” otherwiseSelect your appropriate program: “Teach For America Elementary Ed”, “Teach For America Middle Years Ed”, “Teach For America Secondary Ed”, “Teach For America Special Ed Elementary, “Teach For America Special Ed Middle Years”, “Teach For America Special Ed Secondary”. Term is Fall 2015Enrollment status is Full-Time Standardized Tests:You do not need to submit any of the listed standardized test scores to the University of Pennsylvania, even if you have taken these exams. As of 2010, Teach For America corps members are exempt from all Penn standardized test requirements.Statement of Purpose:You must upload a statement of purpose. This can be similar to the personal statement you submitted when applying to Teach For America, except tweaked slightly to answer the question posed by Penn.Recommendations:Your first two recommenders are the individuals who wrote recommendations for your Teach For America application. Your third recommender is Alex Leader-Smith, Director of Matriculation and Onboarding at Teach For America. His relationship to you is program liaison. His phone number is 215-592-9260 x46129.You should list all recommenders as offline recommenders. You do not need to request that any of these individuals send recommendations to Penn, as the Greater Philadelphia office will forward all required recommendations to Penn directly. In the case of your first two recommenders, these will be the same recommendations that you submitted along with your Teach For America application.ResumeYou must upload a resume. This can be the same resume you submitted when applying for Teach For America. Downloadable Forms:You do not need to complete these forms.TranscriptsPurpose: Required for enrollment into your classes at the University of Pennsylvania, which are necessary in order for you to become certified to teach in PA. May also be required by your placement school.What It Involves: Sending copies of all your transcripts to Penn right away. Once you’ve graduated (or immediately, if you’ve already graduated), sending additional sealed, degree-conferring transcripts to Penn, to the Greater Philadelphia office, and to yourself.Instructions in Detail:If you do NOT yet have your undergraduate degree:Send official copies of all your undergraduate transcripts to the University of Pennsylvania by January 16, 2015. This will grant you provisional admission into the Penn GSE program.Once you’ve graduated, have one degree-conferring transcript sent to Penn, one degree-conferring transcript sent to the Greater Philadelphia office, and one sent to yourself. This will grant you full admission into the Penn GSE program. Keep the degree-conferring transcript sent to yourself in a safe place in case your placement school requires it.If you have received your undergraduate degree:Send official copies of all your undergraduate transcripts and graduate transcripts to the University of Pennsylvania by January 16, 2015. This will grant you full admission into the Penn GSE program.Send an official copy of your degree-conferring undergraduate transcript to the Teach For America Greater Philadelphia office by January 16, 2015Request one official copy of your degree-conferring undergraduate transcript that you can hold onto yourself in case your placement school requires it.Points of clarification:If you previously took undergraduate or graduate courses at any institution(s) other than your current school, please request that each of them send a transcript to Penn as well. Penn will not admit you into their program until they receive official, sealed transcripts from ALL schools at which you received academic credit that has been applied to your undergraduate degree. This includes universities where you may have studied abroad. Our Teach For America office only requires a single transcript from you: your degree-conferring undergraduate transcript.Transcripts going to Penn should be mailed to: Office of Admissions and Financial AidGraduate School of EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania3700 Walnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104-6216Transcripts going to Teach For America should be mailed to: Your NameCorps Member OperationsTeach For America100 W. Oxford Street, Suite E-3000Philadelphia, PA 19122Additional RequirementsThe requirements laid out above represent a compilation of the requirements of the state of Pennsylvania, AmeriCorps, our partner schools and school districts, and the University of Pennsylvania as of October 2014. These requirements may change at any time at those institutions’ discretion. Should this occur, or should new requirements arise prior to the time that you enter the classroom, the Greater Philadelphia team will alert you to these changes via e-mail so you can take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that you are able to begin teaching on time in Fall 2015. ................
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