Section 5-A165. CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER: TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

165.1 A Teacher in a Child Development Center shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age and shall either:

 

(a) Have earned, an associate’s or more advanced degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, with a major in early childhood education, early childhood development, child and family studies, or a closely related field;

 

(b) Have earned an associate’s or more advanced degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, with a major in a field other than early childhood education, early childhood development, or child and family studies, earned at least twenty-four (24) semester credit hours, or its recognized equivalent, from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation  in early childhood education, early childhood development,  child and family studies, or a closely related field, and have at least one (1) year of supervised occupational experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction;

 

(c) Have earned at least forty-eight (48) semester credit hours, or its recognized equivalent, from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, of which fifteen (15) semester hours, or its recognized equivalent, shall be in early childhood education, early childhood development, or child and family studies, and has at least at least two (2) years of supervised occupational experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia Child Development Center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction; provided that he or she earns an associate’s degree as described in (a) or (b) within four (4) years of the effective date of these regulations;

 

(d) Have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent and a current Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which specifies that the individual is qualified for the assigned age classification; provided that he or she earns an associate’s degree in compliance with (a) or (b) within four (4) years of the effective date of these regulations; or

 

(e) For a Montessori school teacher, have earned an associate’s degree from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and a Montessori certificate issued by the National Center for Montessori Education, American Montessori Society, or the Association Montessori International, or a program accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Commission for Teacher Education.

 

165.2 For the purpose of Subsection 165.1, a period of supervised occupational work experience shall include an average of no less than twenty (20) hours per week.  One (1) year of occupational experience is equal to one thousand (1,000) hours.  Multiple qualifying periods may be aggregated in order to achieve the required total.

 

165.3 For the purposes of this section, early childhood development and early childhood education shall include the courses listed in Subsection 164.5.

 

165.4 Any person who is employed as a qualified Teacher in a licensed Child Development Center in the District of Columbia on the effective date of these regulations, and who has continuously served as a Teacher for the past ten (10) years, may submit an application to OSSE for a waiver of the qualification requirements in Subsection 164.1, in accordance with the waiver process in Section 106 (Waiver). OSSE may deny a waiver for any reason consistent with Section 106.

 

165.5 The duties of a Teacher in a Child Development Center shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

 

(a) Assisting the Center Director in ensuring compliance with this chapter;

 

(b) Providing or overseeing the provision, adequate supervision, and appropriate care of all of the children in his or her class or group at all times;

 

(c) Planning and initiating appropriate daily activities, which promotes positive development and learning,, based on the strengths, interests, and needs of all of the children in his or her class or group;

 

(d) Assisting the Center Director in implementing the Facility's policies and procedures;

 

(e) Communicating  regularly with the parent(s) or guardian(s) of each child in his or her class or group about the development of their children;

 

(f) Participating in on-going in-service training and continuing education requirements, as required;

 

(g) Supervising subordinate staff;

 

(h) Assuming responsibility for the program of the Facility in the absence of the Center Director, if designated to do so as provided for in Subsection 164.9; and

 

(i) Performing other appropriate duties as requested by the Center Director.

 

165.6 A private, parochial, or independent school is exempt from complying with the requirements of this section, if the school:

 

(a) Is an elementary/secondary educational program, as defined in this chapter;

 

(b) Cares for infants and toddlers on the same premises as the instructional program offered to school-age children;

 

(c) Is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body or other body satisfying similar standards as approved by OSSE; and

 

(d) Does not offer subsidized child care.

 

 

authority

Sections 3(b)(6A), 3(b)(9), 3(b)(9A), 3(b)(11) of the State Education Office Establishment Act of 2000, effective October 21, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-176; D.C. Official Code §§ 38-2602(b)(6A), (b)(9), (b)(9A), and (b)(11)) (2012 Repl. & 2016 Supp.)); the Day Care Policy Act of 1979, effective September 19, 1979 (D.C. Law 3-16; D.C. Official Code §§ 4-401 et seq. (2012 Repl. & 2016 Supp.)) (“Day Care Act”); Mayor’s Order 2009-3, dated January 15, 2009; the Child Development Facilities Regulation Act of 1998, effective April 13, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-215; D.C. Official Code §§ 7-2031 et seq. (2012 Repl.)) (“Facilities Act”); Mayor’s Order 2009-130, dated July 16, 2009; Sections 503 and 504 of the Early Intervention Program Establishment Act of 2004, effective April 13, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-353; D.C. Official Code §§ 7-863.03 and 7-863.04 (2012 Repl.)); Mayor’s Order 2009-167, dated September 28, 2009; Titles I and II of the Child and Youth, Safety and Health Omnibus Amendment Act of 2004 (“CYSHA”), effective April 13, 2005 (D.C. Law 15-353; D.C. Official Code §§ 1-620.31 et seq. and §§ 4-1501.01 et seq. (2012 Repl. & 2016 Supp.)); and the Healthy Tots Act of 2014, effective February 26, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-155; D.C. Official Code §§ 38-281 et seq. (2016 Supp.)); and pursuant to the Social Security Act, approved February 22, 2012 (Pub.L. 112-96; 42 U.S.C. § 618(c)); the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (“CCDBG Act”), approved November 19, 2014 (Pub.L. 113-186; 42 U.S.C. §§ 9858 et seq.), and regulations promulgated thereunder at 45 C.F.R. Parts 98 and 99.

source

Final Rulemaking at 63 DCR 14640 (December 2, 2016).