Policy 6212.1 – Incidental Teaching

The Board will comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding incidental teaching. Any updates to applicable laws and regulations, whether temporary or permanent, will supersede any conflicting language in this policy. As a result, different incidental teaching rules may apply in certain years.

Generally, the Superintendent may assign a teacher to teach a subject not covered by that teacher’s certificate or license for a period not to exceed five classroom hours a week, when no certified or qualified teacher is available after extensive and documented recruitment efforts, and provided that approval of the District Superintendent is obtained.

Not later than 20 business days after this assignment, the Superintendent must submit for approval an application, in a form satisfactory to the District Superintendent, containing the following information:

  1. Evidence of extensive recruitment of a teacher certified in the appropriate area;
  2. The name and certification status of the teacher given the assignment;
  3. The subject which the teacher is being assigned to teach on an incidental basis and the total number of classes in the subject being taught on an incidental basis;
  4. The qualifications of the teacher to teach that subject on an incidental basis;
  5. The specific reasons why an incidental assignment is necessary;
  6. The anticipated duration of the incidental teaching assignment; and
  7. The number of applications, approved or pending, for authorization to make incidental teaching assignments in the same certification area for which the current authorization is being sought.

To be approved, the application must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the District Superintendent that an incidental teaching assignment is necessary, that the teacher assigned is the best qualified to teach the subject on an incidental basis, and that the requirements of Commissioner’s regulations have been met.

The District Superintendent will issue a determination within 20 business days of receipt of the District’s application.

If the application is disapproved, the Superintendent, within seven business days of receipt of the notice of disapproval, will terminate the incidental teaching assignment. If the application is approved, this approval will be deemed to have commenced on the date of the incidental teaching assignment and will terminate on the last day of the school year for which it is granted.

The Superintendent may renew an incidental teaching assignment, in accordance with the requirements of Commissioner’s regulations, for any subsequent school year.

To obtain a renewal, the Superintendent, as soon as possible after learning that the continued assignment of an incidental teacher is necessary, must submit an application which, in addition to including the information noted above for the initial approval of an incidental teaching assignment, must provide assurances by the Superintendent that:

  1. The teacher who previously taught the course on an incidental basis has been offered the opportunity to continue to teach the course or has not been offered an opportunity because the Superintendent has evidence that the course was not taught in an acceptable manner;
  2. The teacher assigned a course on an incidental basis has completed, or has agreed to complete, within the prescribed time period, at least three semester hours of credit or a satisfactory equivalent leading to certification in the subject area of the incidental assignment; and
  3. The teacher assigned to teach the course will be reimbursed by the District for the tuition cost of any portion of the three semester hours of credit or the equivalent required that is taken by the teacher at the request of the District, and satisfactory evidence that the teacher has been reimbursed in the event the teacher who is assigned has previously taught the course on an incidental basis, under a previous renewed approval.

8 NYCRR Section 80-5.3

Adopted: 4/25/01
Revised: 03/14/24