Students in any education course with field experience hours, field trips, or other work with K-12 students such as tutoring must have a valid FCSR on file with the TEC office.

The Family Care and Safety Registry (FCSR) is a mandated screening for individuals working with children, seniors, or the mentally or physically disabled. The registry, created by the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) under the passage of House Bill 490, requires every child care and elder care worker, hired on or after January 1, 2001, to register. The FCSR also provides toll-free service to individuals who wish to see information on a potential caregiver. There is, however, a fee for registration.

Please visit https://health.mo.gov/safety/fcsr/ to register and learn more. Funding is available to offset this cost; please contact the TEC Office after paying and keep your receipt!

Teacher education and certification students are required to earn their substitute teaching certification after completion of 60 credit hours.

Students can apply for substitute certification at https://dese.mo.gov/educator-quality/certification/substitute-teachers. Begin the process by viewing the substitute certification checklist on the site. There is a $50 application processing fee and another fee for fingerprinting; funding may be available to defray these costs. Applicants may have to travel to another town for fingerprinting as it is only available at a few locations. Students should send their fingerprints to the district in which they intend to student teach or where they are desiring to substitute teach.