Here's the skinny on how the school can evaluate this teacher candidate.

In the certification process, the applicant must submit many itmes to their file. One is "COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY VERIFICATION FORM PDE 338 C (HTML) or FORM PDE 338 C (PDF) Completion of Approved Education Program For Use by Applicants Prepared by PA Colleges/Universities."

How important is that form? See the fine print:

PRINCIPAL PURPOSE(S): To be used for registration and maintenance of records of all certificated persons as having met qualifications for teaching.
ROUTINE USES: Used by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for the (1) evaluation, registration, and maintenance of certification records, (2) identification and collection of criminal/disciplinary records for certified educators and candidates for certification, and (3) provision of certification data to authorized personnel and agencies.
DISCLOSURE: Mandatory. Withholding requested SSAN will result in denial of a candidate's application for certification.


In other words-- no form, no cert. This is parallel to requirement toward ordination in our denomination, BTW, as I indicated above might well be the case.


And what's on that form that supports the school's action?

This:

PART B: PREPARING COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY RECOMMENDATION
The endorsing signature of designated certification officer confirms that the candidate is known and regarded by the preparing institution as a person of good moral character and possesses those personal qualities and professional knowledge and skill which warrant issuance of the requested certificate.


Bingo. "... AND possesses those personal qualities...." Remember that for professionals, admittance to the profession is a privilege, not a right.

When you go to teacher school, you should know that this is going to be part of your reality as a teaching professional. Just like ordination-wannabe's-- Surprise!! You are going to be looked at and looked at, and you are going to find that your profession will have limitations placed upon you for the protection of the people who will be in your care, that apply to you in ways you may not like and that are not in place to safeguard fairness toward you, because it's not all about you but about your fitness to serve in the capacity to which you aspire, alongside others who have submitted themselves to those standards.

It's not just about the hard work you did to earn the academic degree-- it's also going to be about whether you belong in the profession.


The lawyers and judges who will now get involved in this lady's case have all had to meet similarly stringent requirements to be admitted to practice in their professions. This is simply the reality of professional life. MySpace doesn't really count towards a positive evaluation in professional life.


Don't like fine print? It's what can keep your kids safe from unfit teaching candidates, clergy, and doctors. It's what keeps you safe from incompetent counsel and counselors.


Human beans tend to like fine print when we are looking for a way to protect ourselves, but not so much when it's protecting others from us.

~Susan