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The words "Credential File"
and "Letters of Recommendation" are used interchangeably and are typically
a part of your application materials to
school districts. A Credential File is merely
your letters of recommendation with the
addition of an official cover page which
contains an official seal of the university
where you received your degree. View and
print a Credential Cover below.
What
comprises a self-managed Credential File?
A Credential File
is a set of documents maintained by Education
majors. They are often required as part
of your application materials to school
districts. You keep an original copy of
the credential file, then make copies to
send to school districts. The pages that
comprise a Credential File are stapled separately
from your other application materials, and
mailed to the school district with your
other application materials - remember,
do not fold.
Example
Completed Credential File
A Credential File contains
2 items:
- Credential
Cover
(Required):
Credential
Cover (Fill-in then print)
[ 
92k]
Credential
Cover (Print-only) [
78k]
A credential cover validates for school
districts that you have successfully completed
a program in the College of Education
at UWRF. School districts will verify
this information.
Print Your
Credential Cover
a) Select one of the two above Credential
Cover links. Get Acrobat
Reader if you cannot view document.
b) Type your name in the provided field.
Type your areas of certification in the
provided area, hitting the "Enter"
key after each certification. If you have
not yet received your certifications,
then type the words "Will be certified
in:" on the first blank line.
c) Print document. Keep one printed copy
for your records.
- 2-8 Letters
of Recommendation (Required):
Field experience and other recommendations.
You are responsible for
collecting letters of reference/recommendation
for your Self Credential File. These letters
should be typed on organization letterhead. Learn
how to obtain letters of recommendation.
New Teachers: IT
IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU HAVE A LETTER OF
RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR SUPERVISING TEACHER
AND YOUR UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR IN YOUR
SELF CREDENTIAL FILE to be considered
for a teaching position.
Legislation
for Letters of Recommendation: According
to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act of 1974, you have a right to read
your letters of recommendation. This legislation
protects the reference writer, and the
candidate who is receiving a letter of
recommendation.
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I'm
an experienced teacher, should I use my
old letters of reference?
You can stop using your student teaching
references if you wish, but you should
have at least one reference from every
teaching position you have held since
graduation or there will be a question
in the minds of future readers about whether
or not there was a problem at the school
were you have no reference. Always keep
the best/strongest reference. Put your
most current references on top and the
older ones at the bottom. Administrators
will read as many as they feel necessary
to get a feel for what kind of teacher
you are. If they get a good feel from
reading your newest 3, they might not
bother reading any older ones. If you
have fewer than 8 and you have a really
strong student teaching reference, by
all means, continue to include it in your
credential file, but have it at the bottom
of your pile of references since it would
be the oldest.
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My
Online Account at Career Services
Do I need to complete an online
account at UWRF Career Services?
No, but completing your online account
allows us to refer you to positions when
school districts request referrals of
job seeking candidates that we have in
our database.
Jobs & Job Agent: From
within your account you will gain access
to over a hundred vacant teaching positions
in Wisconsin and Minnesota gathered daily
from various statewide resources. You
can set-up a "Job Agent" in
your account so that you may receive an
automatic email notice when jobs you are
seeking arrive in the system.
Resume Critique: As
a one-time service, Career Services will
automatically critique your resume when
you complete your online account and mail
suggestions to you explaining how you
may improve it.
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I
don't intend to teach right away...why complete
a Credential File?
Uncovering old information regarding
your student teaching experience, related
coursework, references, etc... is difficult
to uncover later in life, unless you have
created a good Self Credentialing File.
Also, it is helpful to gather this information
soon after graduation so that individuals
who write recommendation letters for you
may best remember your accomplishments.
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Having
UWRF send your Self Credential File to employers
Some school districts will
not accept Credential Files directly from
applicants and require that credential
files be mailed directly from the university
where you graduated. In such rare instances,
UWRF Career Services will mail your Credential
File for you to school districts for a
fee of $10.00 per copy.
To obtain this service,
you must provide Career Services with:
- A copy(ies) of your Self Credential
File.
- Mailing address(es) of the school(s)
to which you are applying.
- A check for $10.00/ea Credential File
mailed by our office.
Visit or contact Career
Services to obtain this service.
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Where
is my Credential File that I had set-up
at Career Services years ago?
Prior to 2001, Education Major candidates
set-up credential files which were filed
and maintained confidentially in Career
Services. When the candidate wished to
apply to a school district, they would
contact Career Services and request that
their Credential File be mailed to that
school district.
In keeping with current trends, UWRF
Career Service no longer provides this
Credential maintenance and mailing service
to Education Majors, as most school districts
now accept credential files which are
mailed directly from the candidate, and
do not require that those Credential Files
are mailed directly from the university
where the candidate graduated.
After posting 3 public notices, and after
sending mailings and emails, UWRF Career
Services has destroyed most old paper
references or Credential Files that it
had on file which had not been requested
from their owners.
If you established a credential file
after 1990, you may still have a Credential
File or references remaining in Career
Services. If you established a Credential
File prior to 1990 but used it in the
late 90's or 2000's, you may still have
a file in Career Services. Please call
to verify if Career Services still has
yours (715) 425-3572.
If Career Services still has your credential
file, please request it by viewing the
below "Change in Credential Policy," then
printing and completing the "Official
Request Form".
- Change
in Credential Policy (Please Print)
- Official
Request Form (Please Print)
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Credential "Template Pages - A Thing of the Past
Hiring school administrators
who receive educator resumes are looking
for specific information from applicants.
A Resume
Handout for ED Majors will provide
you with an insiders perspective on what
those administrators are seeking on your
resume.
Credential
Template Pages: Career Services
for years has highly recommended that educators
complete a two-page "Credential Template"
to include with their Credential File to
ensure that their information is provided
to hiring administrators in a format and
with content which best assists them in
making hiring decisions, and captures the
full breadth of the applicant's qualifications.
This template was provided on a diskette,
and included a "Date Page" and
"Record of Courses" page. All
of that information can, instead, be placed
on a resume by following the instructions
in the above resume handout.
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