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Utilization of Noncertified Personnel

Utilization of Noncertified Personnel

To support the Whole Child, a local district may employ noncertified personnel to assist teachers and provide supports to students. These employees include instructional personnel, clerical support personnel and paraprofessional personnel. The purpose of this document is to clarify conditions governing the assignment of noncertified personnel employed within specific educations programs.

The term “noncertified personnel” as used in this document, refers to teacher aides/assistants, paraprofessionals and other support personnel for whom a valid Michigan teaching certificate is not required by law, rule or policy.  These people are not delivering direct instruction and are not teaching students new content. 

This guidance does not apply to occupational and physical therapists, school nurses, or other licensed, certified, approved professional support personnel, or to personnel assigned to non-educational activities, such as athletic events, leisure time, or community service programs which are operated as extracurricular activities.

Legal Authority

Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) 380.1231 and 388.1763 requires that all local boards of a school district ensure that they hire and/or contract with qualified teachers who hold a valid Michigan teaching certificate.  These teachers are to be assigned the responsibility of providing instruction to students.  (This is subject to sections MCL 380.1233b and MCL 380.1233c.) 

School districts are prohibited from allowing noncertified personnel employed as teacher aides/assistants or instructional paraprofessionals to assume the responsibility of teachers in elementary or secondary schools within the state of Michigan, as indicated in the following quote from MCL 380.1233(1):

…the board of a school district or intermediate school board of an intermediate school district shall not permit a teacher who does not hold a valid teaching certificate to teach in a grade or department of the school.

Instructional support personnel may be employed and assigned to assist teachers or other approved professional personnel without certification or licensure as authorized in Michigan Administrative Code 390.1105.

For additional information on placement and assignment of teachers can be found in the Appropriate Placement of Educators guidance. 

Authorized Activities for Noncertified Personnel

School districts may employ noncertified personnel to assist and support:

  1. non-instructional activities, including:
    1. maintaining safety and monitoring in the lunchrooms, on the playground, or in other school settings;
    2. functioning as health care aides, library assistants, school resource officers, or other responsibilities of non-instructional support for the students; and
    3. supervising before and after school programs and non-instructional periods (e.g., study hall periods not counted as part of the required minimum number of hours of pupil instruction as required by section 101 of the State School Aid Act, MCL 388.1701.)
  2. instructional and related activities, including:
    1. assisting in the development of instructional and related materials, performance or clerical tasks;
    2. complementing instructional activities, such as assisting the teacher during the lesson by helping students who may need additional support with instruction;
    3. supplementing instruction by assisting the teacher with individuals or small groups of pupils on follow-up activities as specified; and
    4. reinforcing instruction by assisting the teacher in administering drill activities for individuals or small groups.
  3. expertise as guest presenters or instructors, under the following conditions:
    1. a majority of the content is taught by a certified teacher that holds an endorsement in the subject being taught.
      1. Example: If a course is taught daily over a 12-week period, that equates to approximately 60 hours of instruction time. The certified and properly endorsed teacher MUST teach more than 30 of those hours.
    2. complementing instructional activities, such as assisting the teacher during the lesson by helping students who may need additional support with instruction;
    3. supplementing instruction by assisting the teacher with individuals or small groups of pupils on follow-up activities as specified; and
    4. reinforcing instruction by assisting the teacher in administering drill activities for individuals or small groups.
      1. Example: Department of Natural Resources certification as a hunter education instructor

If a properly endorsed teacher is not available to support appropriate utilization of a non-certified personnel or guest instructor, obtain a permit for the guest instructor; OR place a permitted individual in the classroom with the guest.

All individuals employed or regularly and continuously working under contract are required to have a fingerprint background check using the Michigan School Employment index. These individuals must also have their assignment reported in the Registry of Educational Personnel (REP) for school safety reporting and updates.