In the near future, I plan to follow up on House Bill 1386 of 2017, legislation I authored that extensively revised the levels - by grade span and age - at which teachers are certified. This would more closely align with the current organization of schools and provide greater flexibility to schools for teacher placement. 

During the 2017-18 legislative session, we applied similar changes to special education specifically. This legislation would apply to all other grade categories.  
Specifically, my legislation would create the following certification levels for new teachers: 

• Early childhood: pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1 though 4 or ages 3 through 9. 

• Elementary: kindergarten, grades 1 through 6 or ages 4 through 11. 

• Middle: grades 6 through 9 or ages 11 through 15. 

• Secondary: grades 7 through 12 or ages 11 through 21. 

The language in this legislation will simply revert educational and instructional certification levels back to where they were before changes were made in 2013. The changes included elimination of the K-6 certification and have resulted in administrators having difficulties in hiring educators to teach certain grades and restrictions being placed on teachers who attempt to change grade levels within a building. The current grade spans that are in place now do not parallel the way many school districts align their grades by building.

At a time where teacher shortages are on the rise, we must be doing everything we can to help schools find teachers to fill these roles and give our children the best possible chance to succeed in school.

Certificates which have already been issued under current regulation would remain valid over the term of the certificate, however, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) would be required to provide pathways to allow current certificate holders with Elementary/Middle Certificates the opportunity to be certified in the new grade spans and ages created under this bill. These pathways would include - but would not be limited to - obtaining certain continuing education credits or achieving the satisfactory outcome of a PRAXIS assessment for the specific certification level. 
 
In order to give PDE enough time to plan for the changes to teacher certification levels, PDE would begin issuing the new instructional certificates on January 1, 2026.  

Testimony received by the Basic Education Funding Commission last year indicated a desire by both educators and administrators to effectuate this change.
 
Please join me in updating our teacher certification by cosponsoring this legislation.