The State Board of Examiners is the teacher licensing agency in New Jersey in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:6-34 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 6A:9-1 et seq. It issues all certificates that are required for public school employment. Individuals must hold the appropriate New Jersey certification in order to be employed as teaching staff members in the public schools of this state. The State Board of Examiners renders decisions on various cases which include, but are not limited to, decisions to revoke or suspend a teacher’s certificate(s), appeals of decisions of the Office of Licensure and Credentials, and review of applications from individuals who have a criminal record. Details on various decisions are available here. State Board of Examiners meeting minutes are available here.
There are 14 members appointed to the State Board of Examiners:
The assistant commissioner serves as chair of the board, and the director of the Office of Licensure and Credentials serves as board secretary.
The State Board of Examiners’ functions include the following:
The Office of Licensure and Credentials works under the authority of the State Board of Examiners. Office staff reviews applications and credentials and issues certificates to candidates who meet the requirements.
The Commissioner of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, appoints board members to a two-year term of office. The terms are staggered to provide continuity. Vacancies are filled for the unexpired term only.
The board meets nine times a year between September and July. The public meetings begin at 10:30 a.m. The following is the schedule of meetings and their locations for the 2009-10 school year. Meetings are held at 200 River View Plaza, 1st Floor Conference Room unless otherwise noticed.
September 17, 2009
October 22, 2009
December 2, 2009
January 7, 2010
February 11, 2010
March 25, 2010
April 29, 2010
June 10, 2010
July 22, 2010
River View Plaza is located in Trenton, NJ. Directions to River View Plaza.
The board has two standing committees that meet prior to the formal public meeting. The committees discuss matters on their respective agendas and make recommendations to the full board for action. These committees are:
Candidates who cannot meet certain requirements for certification may request that the board consider the candidate’s alternate education and/or life experiences as the equivalent of the missing education or experience. The process is referred to as a credentials review. Candidates for a credentials review provide board members with documentation that they believe demonstrates that their education and/or experiences are the equivalent of the requirements they lack. Their packets are examined initially by the Credentials Review Committee, which makes a recommendation regarding the case to the full board in the public session. Candidates are invited to attend the State Board of Examiners meeting and may respond to questions from board members.
The Legal Committee reviews cases that involve a legal issue. Cases include, but are not limited to, decisions to revoke or suspend a teacher’s certificate(s), appeals of decisions of the Office of Licensure and Credentials, and review of applications from individuals who have a criminal record. The Legal Committee makes recommendations to the full board on all legal cases. Legal cases are usually decided only on written submissions. However, in instances in which material facts are in dispute, the Board transmits the matter to the Office of Administrative Law for a hearing in front of an Administrative Law judge. In addition, the board may hold hearings at its meetings.
There are 13 members currently appointed to the State Board of Examiners, with one vacancy for a college president. These members are:
As the assistant commissioner on the board, Dr. Doolan currently serves as the chair of the board. As the director of the Office of Licensure and Credentials, Dr. Robert Higgins currently serves as the secretary of the board.
