SPONSOR: Haley
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS No. 2" by the Standing Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education by a vote of 14 to 4.
The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HB 2776.
This bill gives the State Board of Education the authority to issue a associate teacher certificate to any individual seeking to teach in elementary education grades one through six. The State Board of Education will grant a tier I associate teacher certificate to an individual who has completed a state-approved teacher preparation program consisting of at least 60 semester hours. Applicants must also complete a background check.
The teacher preparation program must include literacy and reading instruction coursework, be offered by an institution that is accredited in the same manner existing teacher preparation providers are accredited, and include a capstone project to assess the individual's proficiency in fundamentals of instruction.
The bill requires a holder of a tier I associate teacher certificate to work in public schools for two years as a teacher of record and participate in an annual 30 hour school professional development. The tier I certificate wil expire after four years.
The bill provides additional criteria for the granting of a tier II associate teacher certificate including participation in a mentor program, professional development, an acceptable score on a state-approved teacher evaluation system, and proficiency in reading by passing the state board of education-approved elementary reading exam, as specified.
The bill provides that tier I associate teacher certificate holders that have completed two years can receive a tier II associate teacher certificate valid for five years and a Career Professional Certificate (CPC) can be issued to a tier II associate teacher certificate holder after such teacher has completed three years of service as the teacher of record and 60 contact hours of professional development. Tier I and II certificate holders are not eligible for additional subject areas besides elementary grades 1-6 and may be on a separate salary schedule with a minimum of $35,000 base salary.
The bill allows up to 18 hours of professional development earned by tier I and II associate certificate holders to be applied as credit to a Bachelor of Arts or Science in Education degree for participating institutions of higher education.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will waive the teaching evaluation and observation requirements for teacher education programs for any tier I or II associate teacher certificate holder that has been employed for at least two years as the teacher of record. Beginning in the year 2036 the Department must also provide a biennial report to the Joint Committee on Education on the effectiveness of the associate teacher certification program.
The bill provides that mentors for tier I or II associate teacher certificate holder must meet specific standards and must be provided with additional compensation including additional time for mentor duties.
The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.
PPROPONENTS: Supporters say that there is a need for additional teachers as there are currently many unqualified individuals that are serving as the teacher of record due to shortages. This language would create an alternative route with additional quality training and educational pedagogy. This bill gives an opportunity at a much lower cost for many that may want to enter into education.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Haley; Matt Davis, Eldon School District; Tennille Banner, Green City R-1; Jerrod Wheeler, Knob Noster Public Schools; Brent Bates, State Fair Community College; and Missouri Community College Association.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that currently there are systems in place and opportunities for students that are interested in working in education while pursuing a degree. Working in school districts while getting an education is very beneficial for both the student and the institution. The shortage of teachers is not because there is a lack of pathways but rather a lack of respect and resources, adding a lower quality opportunity will diminish the quality of educators.
Testifying in person against the bill were Independent Colleges & Universities of Missouri; Barri Tinkler, Missouri State University; Council on Public Higher Education; Joshua Heimsoth; and Dr. Tim Wall.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: