School Employee Onboarding Checklist

HR confirms whether the hire is a certificated teacher, administrator, classified staff (paraprofessional, custodial, food service, clerical), or substitute. Position type drives credential, fingerprinting, and induction requirements downstream.

Submit Live Scan or state fingerprint card and confirm DOJ/FBI clearance plus sex-offender registry check before the first day with students. Five-year renewal cycles are common; flag the clearance expiration in the HRIS so it doesn't lapse mid-year.

Pull the credential directly from the state ed-board lookup (CTC, TEA, NYSED, etc.) — do not rely on the candidate's printout. Confirm authorization matches assignment area (subject + grade band + EL authorization) and that the credential is clear, not preliminary or expired.

Section 1 by end of first day; Section 2 within three business days of start. Use the current USCIS form — outdated I-9s are a frequent finding. Original documents must be examined in person unless the district uses an authorized E-Verify remote process.

Health, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, and the state pension system (CalSTRS, TRS, PERS) — pension enrollment is mandatory for certificated staff in most states and the 30-day window matters. Provide the new-hire benefits packet and confirm beneficiary designations.

Cover what counts as an education record, who has a legitimate educational interest, and the rules around directory information opt-outs. Hammer the shared-spreadsheet gotcha — student names plus grades in a link-shared Google Sheet is the most common breach pattern. Vector / SafeSchools FERPA module is the typical deliverable.

Every staff member is personally a mandatory reporter — emphasize that the obligation runs to the individual, not the principal. Telling administration is not a substitute for calling CPS. Capture the certificate; failure-to-report is criminal in every state.

Confirm which Title IX framework applies in your state right now (the 2020 and 2024 regulations have been litigated state-by-state). Training must cover recognizing prohibited conduct, mandatory reporting to the Title IX coordinator, and the no-retaliation rule.

Walk the room with the new hire — confirm furniture, projector, document camera, and emergency-go bag are present. Note any maintenance tickets needed before students arrive (HVAC, blinds, missing ceiling tiles).

Building key, classroom key, badge programmed for the staff entrance and any locked storage, and parking decal. Log issuance in the key inventory — recovery at separation is the audit point most schools botch.

Create the PowerSchool / Infinite Campus / Aeries account with the correct role and section access, plus Canvas / Schoology / Google Classroom rostering. Confirm the new hire shows on their assigned sections — missing rostering is the most common Day-1 complaint.

Match the new teacher with a same-grade or same-content mentor and document the induction coach assignment for state induction programs (e.g., CA Teacher Induction, NY Mentoring). Schedule the first weekly check-in before Day 5.

Principal confirms the evaluation cycle dates per the collective bargaining agreement — informal walkthrough in the first 30 days, formal observation by mid-cycle. Provide the rubric (Danielson, Marzano, or district-adopted) so the new hire knows what's being scored.