Professional Requirements

S.B.R. 91-31-42 allows a school accredited through the Quality Performance Accreditation System to request a licensure waiver to assign an individual to teach in a subject or at a grade level not authorized by the teacher's Kansas teaching certificate/license. The intent of a licensure waiver is to allow a school district to utilize the expertise of teaching staff to meet the educational needs of students. Waivers may be granted for one academic year and are subject to approval by the State Board of Education. If an individual has a deficiency plan to achieve licensure in the field in which the waiver is requested and is making the required progress on that plan, one-year renewals of the waiver may be requested by the school district for two succeeding school years.

-- from Regulations and Standards for Kansas Educators

To request a waiver from ESU, you must be a licensed teacher in Kansas and have been hired to teach in a Kansas school in the subject area for which you are seeking the waiver. Certain criteria must be met for ESU to provide a plan of study to your district or coop for waiver purposes:

• Admission to the university has been completed
• Admission to the program has been completed

For information about what is required for Admission, please contact the department where the program is located.

Working with your advisor is the first step after your admission is complete. Your advisor needs your input to draft your plan of study for your long-term course planning, and if seeking a degree, your preference in taking courses each semester. It is important to contact your advisor first since it is from this plan of study comes the next step toward your waiver.

A plan of study signed by the ESU Licensure Officer is required to be on file in the district or coop office. You may be required to verify your current enrollment for the fall or spring semester when your employer applies for the waiver with KSDE. Once a plan of study is initially sent to your hiring employer (mailing address, e-mail address, and/or fax number provided by you), no updated plan is sent by the ESU Licensure Officer. If you change employment to a new district or coop, you will need a new signed plan of study provided to them by the ESU Licensure Officer. ESU students requesting a waiver: please provide the name of your school administrator who handles the waivers for your district/coop, the mailing address for this person, and the e-mail address and fax number to your advisor. Your advisor will pass this information on to ESU's Licensure Officer along with your plan of study. If you have questions concerning the waiver process, please contact Andra Baldwin (620-341-5412, abaldwin@emporia.edu).

When you are eligible for a provisional license, you no longer qualify for the waiver. If you have questions about whether you qualify for a provisional license, please go to provisional licensing. This should be done as soon as you are qualified to apply for a provisional license.