If you already processed your fingerprint records, follow these steps to get a verification letter
COVID-19 Notice
Spring 2021 fingerprint verification deadlines:
Students in Childhood, Special Ed programs in Childhood and Secondary Education, as well as Music, Physical Education, and all Middle and Secondary education subjects (CBSE and SEED): If you will be in student teaching classes (not fieldwork/observation classes) in the spring of 2021, you will need a fingerprint verification letter from the Certification Officer by Jan. 15, 2021.
Students in Early Childhood and Art Education programs (ECAE), students can register for one course while they work on fingerprinting.
Students in School Psychology, Counseling and Educational Leadership (SPCL), please confirm the fingerprint clearance deadline with Jennifer Millan JMillan@brooklyn.cuny.edu
If you already have fingerprint records on file, and if they were processed with the New York (NY) State or NY City Department of Education, you will need a verification letter from Certification Officer Helen Spencer for your records and so you can sign up for School of Education classes. You can receive the letter only after you request to have your fingerprint data added to the Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) database that is specifically for Brooklyn College. The college does not have access to records in the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) for employees and students who have records with other colleges such as BMCC. The NYCDOE is contractually not allowed to share fingerprint results with third parties. The PETS application is the only source for eligibility information. Your data needs to be added to the Brooklyn College "roster" so the records ban be verified.
How to get your verification letter:
If you already processed your fingerprint records with the New York (NY) State or NY City Department of Education, first find out what kind of records are on file. To do that, check your NY State TEACH account, and go to the account information and check what is listed under "fingerprints". If you don't have a NY State TEACH account, please create an account. After that, select the relevant instructions in the list below.
If you had a fingerprint/security clearance letter from Brooklyn College previously and can't find it, you can fill out this form to get a new letter https://tinyurl.com/SOEreconfirm
If you will not be doing fieldwork, observation, student teaching, or other college-related work in NYCDOE schools, you will need to process your security clearance with MorphoTrust/IdentoGo.
Check if there are fingerprint records recorded in TEACH or not and then follow the instructions below to get your fingerprint verification. Go to Account Information, Fingerprinting, and click "go."
If you see "Teach does not have your fingerprint information," go to section E below if your records were processed by the NYCDOE previously.
If you see "Your DCJS and FBI Records Have Been Received," go to section F below.
If you see "We have received your fingerprint information from NYC," go to section G below.
If you had a fingerprint/security clearance letter from Brooklyn College previously and can't find it, you can fill out this form to get a new letter https://tinyurl.com/SOEreconfirm
Your TEACH account will only indicate if your records were received, not if your records are currently "cleared." That information is maintained by PETS or OSPRA and will be checked by Brooklyn College after you follow the instructions in paragraphs E–G below.
If you had your clearance processed already by any agency other than the NYCDOE or New York State Department of Education (e.g., the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) or Department of Health), and you will be enrolling in education courses and working in NYCDOE schools while you are a college student (fieldwork or any other college-related work), you will need DOE security clearance. Refer to If You Need to Have Your Records Processed for the First Time (Including a Scan of your Fingerprints at the DOE Office).
See section B and C above.
Check your TEACH account. If you know that you processed your fingerprint records with the NYC DOE and you see a note in the fingerprint section that states "Teach does not have your fingerprint information," you should not have to pay to have your records processed again, as long as they can be verified. You will need to send a request to have your records added to the “roster” that Brooklyn College can check. The college does not have access to records for employees or students from other colleges. The college only has access to records for Brooklyn College students after you follow the steps below:
Send an e-mail to PETS@schools.nyc.gov. In your e-mail, you will need to include all of the following:
A scanned image of signed social security card
College ID with recent validation or Enrollment Verification Letter. You can get a digital ID through the BC Navigator app. New students should send an e-mail to the Enrollment Services Center esc@brooklyn.cuny.edu with a passport style photo, name as it appears in CUNYfirst, EMPLID, and indicate if you are an in an undergraduate or graduate program. The information will be uploaded to the ID system and the picture will be displayed in the digital ID. You also have the option to fill out the form for an Enrollment Verification Letter and send that letter to PETS instead of sending a digital ID.
A validated government issued ID (driver’s license/state ID/NYC ID and/or U.S. passport).
Proof of residence: a recent utility, cable, phone bill and/or lease, received under your name (or your family's name)
Phone number, home address, date of birth
If you have questions about documents required, please write to PETS@schools.nyc.gov.
In your e-mail to PETS@schools.nyc.gov, ask for your data to be entered into the PETS “roster” for Brooklyn College. Let them know that you are going to be a student teacher or you will be doing fieldwork through Brooklyn College (or indicate any other reason you are registering).
Wait about two days, then check all of your e-mail folders for a "nomination" e-mail from PETS that will state, "Congratulations! This e-mail confirms that an organization ... has nominated you for a position..." You are not necessarily being hired yet, you are receiving the same letter that new employees receive. Be sure to complete the Applicant Gateway forms online if you are instructed to do that. You will have about ten days to complete the instructions. After that, you may need to request another "nomination" e-mail.
After your records are processed, you will get confirmation from the certification officer by e-mail.
To release your records to New York State Education Department, print, sign, and send this form OSPRA 104 form (pdf) by e-mail to the address at the bottom of the form.
If the information in section two of the OSPRA 104 form does not apply to you, you can leave it blank.
Allow about one month for your records to be processed, and then check your TEACH account to be sure your fingerprint records were received. Look for a line that states, "We have received your fingerprint information from NYC". If you see this note, then your records have been received and you do not need to follow up. Your current clearance status will not be posted there.
GoPass: If your fingerprint records were processed by GOPass, you should not need to pay for processing again for NYC. The PETS office can search for your records after they check your ID, and they will add the data to the college database. You will need to confirm with HR Connect staff if those records can be used for your NY State certification or not. You can write to HRConnect@schools.nyc.gov to ask if they can release your NYC records to the state using an OSPRA 104 form (pdf).
Check your TEACH account. If there is a note in the fingerprint section that states that your DCJS and FBI records have been received, you should not have to have your records processed again, as long as they can be verified. Fingerprint records marked "received" on TEACH do not alone satisfy the NYC DOE's security clearance requirements. Records on TEACH will only indicate if they were received or not, not your current security clearance status.
You will need to send a request to have your records added to the “roster” that Brooklyn College can check. The college does not have access to records for employees or students from other colleges. The college only has access to records for Brooklyn College students after you follow the steps below:
In your e-mail, you will need to include all of the following:
A scanned image of signed social security card,
College ID with recent validation or Enrollment Verification Letter. You can get a digital ID through the BC Navigator app. New students should send an e-mail to the Enrollment Services Center esc@brooklyn.cuny.edu with a passport style photo, name as it appears in CUNYfirst, EMPLID, and indicate if you are an in an undergraduate or graduate program. The information will be uploaded to the ID system and the picture will be displayed in the digital ID. You also have the option to fill out the form for an Enrollment Verification Letter and send that letter to PETS instead of sending a digital ID.
A validated government issued ID (driver’s license/state ID/NYC ID and/or U.S. passport).
Proof of residence: a recent utility, cable, phone bill and/or lease, received under your name (or your family's name)
Phone number, complete home address, date of birth
If you have questions about the documents required, you can write to PETS@schools.nyc.gov.
In your e-mail to PETS@schools.nyc.gov, ask for your data to be entered into the PETS “roster” for Brooklyn College.
Let them know that you are going to be a student teacher or you will be doing fieldwork through Brooklyn College (or indicate any other reason you are registering).
Wait about two days, then check all of your e-mail folders for a "nomination" e-mail from PETS that will state, "Congratulations! This e-mail confirms that an organization ... has nominated you for a position..." You are not necessarily being hired yet, you are receiving the same letter that new employees receive. Be sure to complete the Applicant Gateway forms (if requested) and the steps below within about ten days of the date of the "nomination" e-mail. If you do not complete the steps about ten days, you will need to write to PETS@schools.nyc.gov and ask for another "nomination" e-mail.
Until June 30, 2021, the following instructions are in effect:
Send it by e-mail to the address at the bottom of the form.
You may get instructions that state that "All individuals who complete the OSPRA 103 form will still be required to be fingerprinted." This this rule does not apply to student teachers. If additional information or identification is required, HR Connect will let you know.
Your records will be released to the NYC Department of Education Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) office and the college will check those records.
You will get a confirmation letter from the certification officer by e-mail when the process is complete.
Check your TEACH account. If there is a note in the fingerprint section that states "We have received your fingerprint information from NYC," you should not have to pay to have your records processed again, as long as they can be verified. You will need to send a request to have your records added to the “roster” that Brooklyn College can check. The college does not have access to records for employees or students from other colleges. The college only has access to records for Brooklyn College students after you follow the steps below:
In your e-mail, you will need to include all of the following:
A scanned image of signed social security card,
College ID with recent validation or Enrollment Verification Letter. You can get a digital ID through the BC Navigator app. New students should send an e-mail to the Enrollment Services Center esc@brooklyn.cuny.edu with a passport style photo, name as it appears in CUNYfirst, EMPLID, and indicate if you are an in an undergraduate or graduate program. The information will be uploaded to the ID system and the picture will be displayed in the digital ID. You also have the option to fill out the form for an Enrollment Verification Letter and send that letter to PETS instead of sending a digital ID.
A validated government issued ID (Driver’s License/State ID/NYC ID and/or US Passport).
Proof of residence: a recent utility, cable, phone bill and/or lease, received under your name (or your family's name)
Phone number,
Complete home address,
Date of birth
If you have questions about documents required, please write to PETS@schools.nyc.gov.
In your e-mail to PETS@schools.nyc.gov, ask for your data to be entered into the PETS “roster” for Brooklyn College. Let them know that you are going to be a student teacher or you will be doing fieldwork through Brooklyn College (or indicate any other reason you are registering).
Wait about two days, then check all of your e-mail folders for a "nomination" e-mail from PETS that will state, "Congratulations! This e-mail confirms that an organization ... has nominated you for a position..." You are not necessarily being hired yet, you are receiving the same letter that new employees receive. Be sure to complete the Applicant Gateway forms online if you are instructed to do that. You will have about ten days from the date of the letter to complete the steps. After that, you may need to request a new "nomination" e-mail.
After your records are processed, you will get confirmation from the Certification Officer by e-mail.
GoPass: If your fingerprint records were processed by GOPass, you should not need to pay for processing again for NYC. The PETS office can search for your records after they check your ID, and they will add the data to the college database. You will need to confirm with HR Connect staff if those records can be used for your NY State certification or not. You can write to HRConnect@schools.nyc.gov to ask if they can release your NYC records to the state using an OSPRA 104 form (pdf).
If you do not have an official Social Security number, you must e-mail the Office of Personnel Investigations (OPI) OPIInfo@schools.nyc.gov to make an appointment. Indicate to the OPI representative that you are an international student teacher without a Social Security number. You will be directed to the correct person. You must have an appointment, and you must bring in the following four items:
Passport
Student visa
Proof of enrollment in an education program (a letter from your college program office will suffice: Early Childhood/Art Education, Childhood, Bilingual and Special Education, Secondary Education, or School Psychology/Counseling/Educational Leadership)
After you receive your Social Security number, you will need to bring your Social Security card to the OPI, 65 Court Street, Room 200, Brooklyn, New York. Indicate that you are an international student teacher who was previously fingerprinted without a Social Security number. Ask to be added to the Brooklyn College PETS roster so that your fingerprint records can be on file with Brooklyn College.
If you use a number obtained from any source other than the Social Security Administration (including numbers generated by CUNY and/or Brooklyn College) to be added to the NYCDOE PETS fingerprint roster, you will lose your security clearance and will be required to be fingerprinted a second time at your expense.
If you do not receive a Social Security number (either for employment purposes only or otherwise) before you complete your requirements for New York State certification, you may need to process your fingerprint clearance again with IndentoGo.
If Follow-Up Is Required With the NYCDOE
If there are any changes in your fingerprint clearance status, and you are not cleared to work in NYCDOE schools, you will be notified and then it will be your responsibility to stop working in NYCDOE schools and complete the steps needed before returning to work.
