Present law prohibits the commissioner of education from granting a person, on behalf of the state board, a temporary permit to teach (i) biweekly physical education classes required by LEAs for each elementary school student; (ii) a special education course; or (iii) a course for which an end-of-course examination is required. Applying to temporary teaching permits issued for the 2024-2025 school year and for each school year thereafter, this bill removes the prohibition regarding end-of-course examinations, providing, instead, that the commissioner of education may not grant a person, on behalf of the state board, a temporary permit to teach biweekly physical education classes required by LEAs for each elementary school student, nor grant a temporary permit to teach special education course.
UNFILLED TEACHING POSITIONS
Under present law, the commission may grant a temporary permit to teach an unfilled position to a person recommended by the director of schools, or director of the public charter school, if an LEA or public charter school is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and kind of school in which a vacancy exists, and the director of schools, or director of the public charter school, certifies the same to the commissioner. When determining whether to issue a temporary teaching permit to allow a person to teach a course for which an end-of-course examination is required, this bill requires the commissioner to consider the following information:
(1) The availability of other faculty or staff who are qualified to teach the course for which an end-of-course examination is required;
(2) The timing of the vacancy in relation to the LEA's or public charter school's school calendar, such as whether the vacancy occurs during the LEA's or public charter school's school calendar or in between academic years; and
(3) In cases where a vacancy for a course requiring an end-of-course examination occurs outside of the LEA's or public charter school's school calendar, the commissioner shall also consider an LEA's or public charter school's efforts to advertise the vacancy.
TEACHERS FOR END-OF-COURSE EXAMINATION CLASSES
Under present law, a teacher may not teach a course in which an end of course examination is required for students to satisfy graduation requirements established by the state board of education if the teacher's license does not carry a subject specific endorsement for the subject area of the course, unless the teacher demonstrates sufficient content knowledge in the course material by taking and passing, at the teacher's own expense, a standardized or criterion-referenced test for the content area. This bill adds that a teacher may also teach a course in which an end-of-course examination is required for students to satisfy graduation requirements established by the state board of education if the teacher possesses a valid temporary teaching permit.
ON APRIL 4, 2024, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2674, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:
(1) Requires an individual who is issued a temporary teaching permit to teach a course for which an end-of-course examination is required to be assigned a mentor teacher by the director of schools or the director of the public charter school; and
(2) Requires the department of education to report to the education committee of the senate and the education committees of the house of representatives the number of temporary teaching permits that were requested and granted for individuals to teach courses for which an end-of-course examination is required for the 2024-2025 school year, the 2025-2026 school year, and the 2026-2027 school year, respectively, by July 1, 2027.
AMENDMENT #2 removes the provision that amended the existing law that prohibits the commissioner of education from granting a person, on behalf of the state board, a temporary permit to teach in certain subjects to, instead, only remove the prohibition of the commissioner granting a person, on behalf of the state board, a temporary permit to teach a course for which an end-of-course examination is required.
ON APRIL 16, 2024, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2674 FOR HOUSE BILL 2285, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2674, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 makes the same changes as Senate Amendments #1 and #2.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-5-106(b), 49-5-106, 49-5-106(a), 49-6-6006
Amended with SA0772, SA0886 -- 04/04/2024: 49-5-106(b), 49-5-106, 49-5-106(a), 49-6-6006
Amended with SA0772, SA0886, HA1001 -- 04/17/2024: 49-5-106(b), 49-5-106, 49-5-106(a), 49-6-6006