Except for teachers of English as a second language, teachers in Commonwealth charter schools, including special education teachers, are not required to be licensed. But any staff implementing specialized instruction included in an Individual Education Plan (IEP) must meet the qualifications for service delivery provider established by the Department pursuant to IDEA § 34 CFR 300.156(a)
"The SEA must establish and maintain qualifications to ensure that personnel necessary to carry out the purposes of this part are appropriately and adequately prepared and trained, including that those personnel have the content knowledge and skills to serve children with disabilities."
The appropriate qualifications for a Commonwealth charter school staff to independently deliver specialized instruction are:
Hold a valid (in or out-of-state) license or its equivalent as a special education teacher for the appropriate grades and severity level and/or
Have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in an approved special education program
Specialized instruction provided by personnel who do not meet the above qualifications must be delivered in consultation with a qualified individual who provides supervision and oversight of the delivery of the specialized instruction.
Last Updated: April 27, 2012
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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