Fingerprinting Blitz

Texas law requires certified educational employees to be fingerprinted and their information entered into a State database. All Fort Worth ISD employees who are certified by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)/Texas Education Agency (TEA) and have not complied will be subject to this requirement. 

Beginning in early September, the fingerprinting vendor, L1, will send six mobile fingerprinting units to the FWISD.  Using a District supplied list of certified employees TEA will determine who must submit to fingerprinting. The District estimates that more than 8,000 employees could be eligible for this program. The mobile units will be scheduled for each District campus so as to minimize classroom disruptions. 

A certified employee includes ANY employee of the District who holds an active or inactive certificate or an active permit issued by SBEC regardless of the role in which they currently serve. 

Certified employees who were employed full time during the 2006-2007 school year will have their fingerprint fees paid for by the State. Certified employees not meeting this criterion must pay $52.20. A complete explanation of payment options is being distributed to each employee.  

The FWISD has conducted fingerprinting and background checks on all employees for over ten years. The District will continue to perform such security measures on all non-certified employees.

1. Cost. Certified employees who were employed full time during the 2006-2007 school year will have their fingerprint fees paid for by the State. Certified employees not meeting this criterion must pay $52.20. Certified employees pay $42.25 via credit card on the State Board for Educator Certification Web site (SBEC Online) when they obtain their personal fingerprinting number called a “FastPass” number. Then, at the time of the scheduled appointment, certified employees pay $9.95 via check or money order (payable to “L1”) to the fingerprinting technician. 
2. Name. It is important to make sure that your first and last name on your certification match the name on your current driver’s license or state issued ID card. If it does not match, you may request a name change from the SBEC home page. This change must occur prior to their accessing your personal fingerprinting number called a “FastPass” number. To update your name in the SBEC Online System, and have the change reflected on the ‘Official Record of Educator Certificates’ online, you must submit a written request via e-mail.  You may e-mail your request from the SBEC Web site, www.sbec.state.tx.us. From the home page select ‘E-mail SBEC” then select the name change option which reads “If your name has changed and you wish the name change to be reflected on your Official Record of Educator Certificate, Click Here”. Please provide your date of birth, previous name, and new name in your e-mail. There is no charge to request a name change, but if you wish to receive a duplicate of your certificate reflecting the name change, an online application and $47.00 is required.
3. Account. If you do not have an account currently set up with SBEC Online, it is advisable that you set one up prior to receiving your notification email. While this is not a requirement, the process of accessing the FastPass will be much easier if the account is already set up.
   
   

   Instructions on establishing an account with SBEC Online:

   1. Click on the following link: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/SBECOnline/default.asp
   2. Look for EDUCATOR LOG IN on the right side of the page.
   • If you already have a username and password because you have previously logged in to SBEC Online, and your information is up to date (i.e. current e-mail) then there is no need for you to set up another account. Log off.
   • If you already have a username and password but cannot remember it (or, if you are not sure if you have a username or password), click on ‘Forgot username and/or password’ and fill in the requested information. Click ‘Continue.’  If the system displays a username and password, write it down and keep it for future reference and click continue, view & update your educator profile.  If you receive a message indicating ‘User data not found’, this means you have never set up an account and you must click on ‘Home’ in the upper right hand corner of the screen to return to the home page to set up an account by following the directions in the next bullet.
   • If you do not have a username and password or ‘User data not found’ was displayed you will need to click on ‘New User.’  Fill out the information asked of you and select ‘Previously certified’ then search.  Your educator profile will come up.  You will need to fill out all the information and at the bottom select continue.  The next page is where you will create a ‘username and password.’  Please note that your username/password must be at least 8 characters long.  Once you have set up your username and password, you continue and then ‘Log out.’
     
     
4. There is an 80-day timeframe to get the fingerprinting process completed. The 80-day clock begins on the date that your information is uploaded and you then have 80 calendar days to have your fingerprints taken and for TEA to receive results of this fingerprinting. If you do not complete the criminal history process within the 80-day designation, your certificate(s) will be marked with an inactive status until the process is complete.  An inactive status means that you CANNOT work in any role that requires certification. You will be advised of your INACTIVE status via e-mail. To avoid possible negative consequences to your employment, it is strongly recommends that you comply with the fingerprinting requirements during the 80 day timeframe.
5. If you are already on file. If your information is uploaded and your fingerprints are currently on file, you will be advised of that in an email through SBEC and you are not required to submit prints again.
6. Process. If you need to be fingerprinted, an e-mail will also be sent to you from a source called ‘Itsbatch’ and will have ‘AutoEmail: SB9 Fingerprinting Information (Individual). . .’ in the subject line.  The e-mail will advise you of the steps required to log on to SBEC Online to receive your “FastPass” information.
7. Before your appointment. The FastPass must be accessed at least 24 hours in advance of the your scheduled fingerprinting appointment and will be e-mailed to you once you have logged on to SBEC Online and followed the steps indicated in your notification e-mail.
8. You must log on to SBEC Online and access your own FastPass. When accessed, your FastPass displays your name and an identification number called an SB number that is unique to you. Anyone who uses a FastPass number that belongs to someone else will have to be re-printed, resulting in the inconvenience of having to schedule an appointment at a regular L1 Enrollment Services location.

Please remember, IF you are impacted by the preceding information, you will receive official notification and directions for complying with the fingerprinting requirement from the State.