In 2019, the Texas state legislature enacted a bill affecting who is eligible to work in a public school. The registry was created to identify individuals who are not eligible for hire in Texas public schools based on misconduct or criminal history. You can read more about the bill here.
As required by law, Swing Education checks the names of all Swing Subs against the Texas Do Not Hire (DNH) registry. Individuals whose names are found on the registry will have their Swing Education accounts deactivated.
How do I stay compliant?
You will receive an email from Swing with a link to an online consent form. There, you’ll give us your written permission to check your name against the private Texas Education Agency (TEA) registry.
Is the consent form mandatory?
Yes; you must give written consent to Swing Education before we can check your name against the private TEA registry.
If you choose not to submit the consent form and your name appears on the public TEA registry, we will be unable to check your account against the private TEA registry to ensure the name on the public registry corresponds to you (as opposed to someone who has the same name as you). We will therefore be obligated by law to suspend your account even without confirming that the name in the public registry is yours.
How long does it take to complete the consent form?
Completing and electronically signing the consent form will take approximately 2 minutes.
When is the consent form due?
The consent form is due by 11:59 p.m. PT on July 15, 2020.
How long does it take to check my name?
For substitute teachers new to Swing Education, checking your name against the registry is part of the onboarding process and will be completed by the time you are prompted to sign the Code of Conduct, which is the last step before you can begin accepting requests.
For teachers already working with us, it will take up to approximately 20 days from the time you complete the consent form.
How will I know when my name has been checked against the registry?
The registry check is like any other teaching requirement. To see that it is up to date, log into your account. Go go your name in the upper right corner of the top navigation bar and click “Account Settings”. The Texas DNH requirement will be marked with an expiration date in the future.
Why do you need my social security number and date of birth?
While there is a public TEA registry, we are legally obligated to obtain your written consent to conduct a search against the private TEA registry, which is done using personal information such as birthdates and social security numbers.
Swing Education will first check the public registry. If your name appears on it, we will then check the private TEA registry with your personal information. This way, we can determine whether the name on the public registry actually corresponds to you, or to someone else who has the same name as you.
What if my name is on the private TEA registry?
By law, Swing Education must deactivate your account and you will no longer be eligible to work with us. You will be notified by email if this is the case.