News Article - Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Contact:	Jacqueline Reis, 781-338-3115

Massachusetts Introduces Public Lookup Tool for Educator Licensure

MALDEN - The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education today announced the creation of a lookup tool on its website that allows the general public to find basic information about the licensure status of public school educators. "Massachusetts residents can check their doctor's or lawyer's licensure status online, and I am pleased that people can now do the same for their children's public school teachers and school administrators," said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester. "I am happy to make this information easier for the public to access." The Department frequently receives inquiries about individuals' licensure status. In creating the public lookup, ESE is both making that information easier for the public to find and joining the majority of states nationally that already offer such a tool. The Department's public lookup tool provides information about the current status of licenses that educators hold. All information on the site is a matter of public record, and ESE consulted with teachers' unions, principals' associations, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Massachusetts Association of School Personnel Administrators when developing the tool. The new public lookup is designed for basic inquiries. School leaders and hiring officials should continue to access broader information through a separate, existing system and use that system to inform hiring decisions. The public lookup tool can be accessed at Public Lookup for Educator Licensure. ###

Last Updated: November 23, 2016