Basic Educational Data System (BEDS)
These documents provide guidance for administrators and teachers as they complete the Institutional Master File (IMF) and Personnel Master File (PMF) as part of the annual BEDS survey.
Teacher Certification Resources
The Charter Center’s resources are compiled from NYSED and our experience assisting teachers to navigate the certification process. Schools participating in our Teacher Certification Program will also find additional resources through the HR community of practice.
Please note: The Charter Center’s resource guide “Applicants from Other States Seeking NYS Classroom Teaching Certificates” reflects recent updates in exams and exam requirements for eligible interstate candidates.
For additional detailed information for both teachers and school administrators with out-of-state credentials, visit the NYSED’s TEACH website
Fingerprinting
The Charter Center’s fingerprinting service ended in 2017. We are pleased to have been able to provide the sector with this important program for nearly a decade.
All appointments for fingerprinting now go through the NYSED-approved vendor, Identogo.
NYSED provides guidance on new procedures for fingerprinting here.
Human Resources & Hiring: Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Thinking strategically about the entire hiring process – from initial recruiting to onboarding and providing first-year support – remains a critical issue for school talent teams. The Charter Center hosted a roundtable on Teacher Recruitment and Retention for schools to share what is working.
Staff Handbook
Clear expectations promote strong performances. A comprehensive staff handbook is the best way to ensure all employees understand the professional standards and culture of the school.
Several extensive handbooks are attached, each with particular strengths. SBuffalo’s CS Handbook has thorough sections on social media and computer use and mentions confidentiality of student records. Hebrew CS Center includes well-developed sections on media relations, social media and conflicts of interest, while Excelsior CS is thorough on employment rules and expectations.
New Rules for Overtime Wages
New U.S. Department of Labor rules on overtime wages are effective as of December 1, 2016. The Charter Center hosted a webinar that examines these changes, notably that the threshold salary for an employee that meets one of the exemption categories has risen to $47,476 annually. We recommend that all schools familiarize themselves with the new rules and understand what changes, if any, need to be made at their school.
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 Be In The Know: New DOL Rules on Overtime [Webinar Audio] |
Recruiting and Hiring Effective Teachers
These resources focus entirely on the hiring of instructional staff. Topics covered include teacher certification, recruitment strategies, establishing competency criteria, and developing indicators.
Choosing Health Insurance: Basics of Group Health Insurance
This resource will help charter schools decide what type of health insurance to offer their employees. It provides the basic options for healthcare plans, cafeteria plans and funding options.
Employee Benefits
These resources will help charter schools decide what employee benefits to offer, and ease the process of setting up benefit plans.
Employee Benefits Charter Start Up Training is a presentation created by insurance provider Austin & Company specifically for charter schools. Topics covered include plan administration, contribution strategies, medical and dental coverage, and more.
Employee Benefits Basics including a Sample Employee Benefits Package Options & a Benefits Checklist outlines all the steps and paperwork necessary for a new charter school to get started with employee benefits.
Benefits Terminology explains commonly-used terms.
Hiring Quality Business Staff
These resources, designed to assist in the interview and hiring process for business staff, provides an extensive list of sample questions, evaluation templates, job description samples and more.