Any person assigned to teach an approved secondary career and technical education program must hold a valid Pennsylvania teaching certificate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). An Emergency Permit is only issued in special circumstances, such as when no properly certified teachers are available or for a short-term vacancy of an existing position.  Emergency Permits are valid for one school (academic) year. For example, a certificate issued in November or May will expire on July 31 of the same school or academic year. The candidate's school entity initiates the application for the Career & Technical Education Emergency Permit.

Procedure

To be eligible for an emergency permit, the candidate must show proof of wage-earning experience for at least 4 years (8,000 hours) in the related trade area, must possess a high school diploma or higher, and if applicable, industry licensure. Once a candidate has been hired for a CTE teaching position, the employing school requests an emergency permit be issued by PDE. The permit is valid from the first day of the month of issuance until July 31st. 

The mechanism for requesting an Emergency Permit is PDE's Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). The candidate's school entity initiates the process for the Career & Technical Education Emergency Permit. Detailed information about the application process and requirements for the issuance of emergency permits are found online under the PDE Certification and Staffing Policy Guidelines Number 25 (CSPG 25): Career & Technical Education Emergency Permits [pdf].