Each year I have to renew my substitute teacher credential to be allowed to work.
Each year I send the state of California $57 for which they send me an official numbered document containing the validation ID and expiration dates needed by the school districts to activate my status as a substitute teacher for the school year.
Each year I take the official document to the local district office and have them make a copy for their records. Only then will they reactivate my status as a substitute in good standing in the district for the current year.
With school starting in less than two weeks I had yet to hear from Sacramento about my credential document renewal for the 2009-2010 school year. Calling the school district I was informed that, due to budget cuts, the state was no longer mailing the credential copies but a copy can be printed from the online website.
Was that information on the application renewal form, verification of payment form or any other form of useful information? No! Maybe I’m expecting too much for my $57 fee to include the cost of a single sheet of paper, an envelope and a stamp?
Now that I knew what I needed to do to work this year, I logged on to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website to view my credential information.
Sure enough, there was a button to select a “Printer Friendly” copy of my credential suitable for obtaining employment in school.
Notice anything missing? The “Printer Friendly” version seems to be missing all the useful information the district wants to see on a substitute teaching credential!
Information like: issue date, expiration date, document number, official state seal of California and official signatures from the govern-ator and teaching commission executives.
The local school district was not gullible enough to accept this bogus “official credential document” that looks like it was made using a Kindergarten “Good Citizen” award generator program.
The district finally settled for a computer screen shot copy of the “Details of Selected Credential” page on the state website.
I think I deserve a partial refund of my $57 credential fee since I don’t even get a copy of the credential anymore.
2 comments:
I don't blame you for wanting a refund. It makes you wonder just what the $57 pays for. Salaries for those who process the credentials? Office space?
And congratulations on doing your part to save the state of California some money.
Have a great school year! I hope you get a lot of return on your $57!
Seems like the district office should have to look up each subs credential online if they won't take what the state is giving out.
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