Teacher Certification
Character and Fitness Requirements for
Teacher Certification Candidates
Requirements upon program admission that must remain valid throughout the program and during the certification process
The Washington State Administrative Code requires applicants for teacher certification to provide evidence of “good moral character and personal fitness” for serving in a certificated role. Teacher candidates provide evidence of character and fitness upon acceptance into a Western Washington University teacher education program through two separate but related processes:
- Character and Fitness Questionnaire. Answer questions regarding your professional fitness, criminal history and personal conduct. Reportable incidents must be fully disclosed and the requested documentation provided. If any information provided on the Character and Fitness Questionnaire changes prior to certification, notify the Certification Office immediately.
- Fingerprinting. Washington State Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation background check through a fingerprinting process takes 4-6 weeks to be processed and remains valid for two years. Reprinting is required if the results will expire before certification.
Character and Fitness Clearance
Incidents reported through these two processes are reviewed by the Western Washington University Certification Officer, and investigated by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Office of Professional Practices. No student may participate in a University-sponsored activity in the public schools until cleared by the Washington State Patrol record check, and if applicable, investigated and cleared by the OSPI Office of Professional Practices. Clearance by OSPI Office of Professional Practices is valid for one year. Clearance must be maintained until program completion and recommendation for teacher certification.
Other Evidence of Character and Fitness
Students must abide by the Woodring College of Education conduct policies acknowledged in the Student Conduct and Requirements Agreement submitted with the program application. Toward the end of a candidate’s program and prior to recommendation for certification, the Dean of Woodring College of Education is required by Washington Administrative Code to sign an affidavit affirming that faculty and staff “have no knowledge related to the applicant’s character and fitness that would adversely affect the applicant’s ability to serve in a certificated role.”
|
Teacher Education Outreach Program (TEOP) |
Bellingham Main Campus |
Western
Washington
University
Woodring
College
of
Education
Teacher
Certification
Office
516
High
Street
/
Miller Hall 250
Bellingham,
Washington
98225-9090
CertOffice@wwu.edu
Telephone:
(360)
650-4930
Facsimile:
(360)
650-6583
