Pennsylvania Act 1931-126 — TEACHERS, CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION

Act text

TEACHERS, CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION
                  Act of May 29, 1931, P.L. 210, No. 126              Cl. 24
                                  AN ACT

     To regulate the certification and the registration of persons
        qualified to teach in accredited elementary and secondary
        schools in this State; imposing certain duties upon the
        Department of Public Instruction and the State Board of
        Education; defining violations; providing penalties, and for
        appeal to the court of common pleas of Dauphin County.
        (Title amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)

        Section 1.  Be it enacted, &c., That the Department of Public
     Instruction shall provide for the registration of persons
     qualified to teach in elementary and secondary schools of this
     Commonwealth which are accredited by the Department of Public
     Instruction as conforming to the official standards promulgated
     by the State Board of Education.
        (1 amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        Section 2.  The Department of Public Instruction shall have
     the power, and its duty shall be--
        (a)  To provide for and to regulate the certificates and the
     registration of persons qualified to teach in such schools;
        (b)  To certify as qualified to practice the art of teaching
     in such schools any applicant eighteen (18) years of age, of
     good moral character, not addicted to the use of intoxicating
     liquor or narcotic drugs, and who has graduated from a college,
     university or institution of learning approved as herein
     provided, and who has completed such professional preparation
     for teaching as may be prescribed by the State Board of
     Education, and to register such person upon such proof as the
     State Board of Education may require that such applicant possess
     such qualifications; ((b) amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689,
     No.367)
        (c)  To make permanent such certificate and/or registration
     upon evidence of such teaching experience and such additional
     preparation as the State Board of Education may by rule require
     in such schools; ((c) amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (d)  To provide for and regulate limited and permanent
     registration of such certificates to teach, or certificates of
     registration to teach, as may be approved by the council;
        (e)  To accept and endorse or approve for registration
     certificates to teach, or certificates of registration to teach,
     issued by other states, countries, and bodies, upon the payment
     of such fee for registration in this Commonwealth as may be
     fixed: Provided, That the standards of such other state or
     country as adopted by such body are approved by the State Board
     of Education as equal to the standards of this Commonwealth.
     ((e) amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (f)  To keep a record, and it shall be the duty of the
     department so to do, of every certificate issued, modified,
     suspended, revoked or reinstated, and registration thereof made
     by or with the department, and to prescribe the form of such
     record.
        (g)  To investigate and to determine the acceptability of
     colleges, universities and institutions of learning of this
     Commonwealth, and of other states and countries, issuing
     credentials, diplomas or degrees to persons who may desire to be
     registered to teach in such schools of this Commonwealth. To
     approve such colleges, universities and institutions of learning
     as are deemed by it to be acceptable, to revoke its approval of
     such as shall fail to maintain the required standards, and to
     compile and publish, annually, a registry of such approved
     colleges, universities and institutions of learning; ((g) added
     Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (h)  To prescribe the professional title or other designation
     which a registrant may use in connection with his or her name in
     the practice of the art of teaching, to regulate the use thereof
     and prohibit its use by non-registrants and to prosecute persons
     who illegally use such title or designation; ((h) added Aug. 13,
     1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (i)  ((i) repealed Dec. 14, 1989, P.L.612, No.71)
        (j)  ((j) repealed Dec. 14, 1989, P.L.612, No.71)
        Section 3.  The State Board of Education shall have the
     power, and its duty shall be--(Par. amended Aug. 13, 1963,
     P.L.689, No.367)
        (a)  To adopt and promulgate rules and regulations not
     inconsistent herewith for the execution and administration of
     this act;
        (b)  To establish and promulgate standards of preliminary and
     professional education and training for teachers in such
     schools;
        (c)  ((c) repealed Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (d)  ((d) repealed Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (e)  ((e) repealed Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (f)  ((f) repealed Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        (g)  To submit annually to the Department of Public
     Instruction an estimate of the financial requirements of the
     board for administrative expenses. ((g) amended Aug. 13, 1963,
     P.L.689, No.367)
        Section 4.  Before any certificate to teach and/or
     registration of a certificate under this act is suspended or
     revoked by the department, except as otherwise herein provided,
     the holder thereof shall be furnished with a written copy of the
     complaint made against him or her and have an opportunity to be
     heard personally and by counsel. At least ten (10) days' written
     notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given such
     registrant, by registered mail addressed to his or her post
     office address as shown on the registration docket or other
     record.
        (4 amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367; repealed in part
     Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53)
        Section 5.  The records of the State Board of Education and
     of the Department of Public Instruction, authorized and
     maintained under this act, shall be public and open to
     inspection during business hours. Copies thereof, duly certified
     by the superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be received
     in evidence in all courts and elsewhere.
        (5 amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        Section 6.  All fees required to be collected under the
     provisions of this act shall be received by the Department of
     Public Instruction and by it paid, through the Department of
     Revenue, into the State Treasury for the use of the
     Commonwealth.
        Section 7.  Any person now holding a provisional
     professional, a permanent State certificate, a State normal
     school certificate, a State normal school diploma, a provisional
     college certificate, a permanent college certificate, a
     temporary or permanent certificate for teachers of
     kindergartens, drawing, vocal music, mechanical drawing,
     physical training, and other special branches, issued by the
     Superintendent of Public Instruction of this Commonwealth, a
     special temporary certificate, a special permanent certificate,
     a standard temporary certificate, a standard permanent
     certificate, issued by the Department of Public Instruction as
     provided by law, shall hereafter continue to possess the same
     rights and privileges with respect to the practice of the art of
     teaching as heretofore, and may register such certificate under
     the provisions of this act within two years from the date of the
     approval of this act, subject, however, to the right of the
     department to suspend or revoke such registration for causes set
     forth in this act, and subject to the right of said department
     to require such person to register limited certificates annually
     as in this act provided.
        (7 amended Aug. 13, 1963, P.L.689, No.367)
        Section 8.  It is unlawful for any person within this
     Commonwealth to assume or use the professional title or other
     designation which any registrant may use in connection with his
     or her name in the practice of the art of teaching, which may be
     prescribed in accordance with this act, unless he or she has a
     legal and valid certificate of registration issued under this
     act, or to forge any such certificate of registration, or alter
     any certificate of registration so issued.
        Any person violating any of the provisions of this section
     shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
     shall, for a first offense, be sentenced to pay a fine not
     exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00), or to suffer
     imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months, or both, at the
     discretion of the court; and, upon conviction of a second or
     subsequent offense, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less
     than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more than one thousand
     dollars ($1,000.00), and to suffer imprisonment for a term of
     not less than six (6) months or more than one (1) year.