Educator Discipline System and Mandatory Reporting

The contours of the educator discipline system are established in the Educator Discipline Act (Act) (24 P.S. §2070.1a et seq.). Under the Act, the Professional Standards and Practices Commission (Commission) has jurisdiction over all educators who hold public or private academic school certification (including administrators), all charter and cyber charter school staff members and contracted educational providers who would be required to hold certification if they served in a traditional public school. The term "educator" is used here to include all individuals who fall within the Commission's jurisdiction.

Professional discipline refers to action against an educator's professional certificate or employment eligibility as a result of a finding of misconduct by the Commission. The Act sets forth the types of actionable misconduct and also sets forth the types of discipline that can be imposed. Professional discipline should be distinguished from local discipline or employment action. Misconduct may result in specific action by the local employing educational agency and in state action against an educator’s certificate or employment eligibility as well. Imposition of either local or state action for misconduct is not contingent on one another.