This bill consolidates and makes various changes to present law concerning exceptions to certain licensure requirements for educators. EMERGENCY TEACHING CREDENTIALS Present law establishes a process whereby the commissioner of education is authorized to issue a temporary permit to teach in a position that is unfilled because a public school is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and kind of school in which the vacancy exists. Present law also authorizes the commissioner to grant an individual pursuing clinical experience in an educator preparation program (EPP) who meets certain requirements a temporary permit to teach in a teaching position in which 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. This bill replaces such provisions with authorization for the commissioner, upon receipt of certification of an unfilled position, to issue the following emergency teaching credentials to teach in the unfilled position: (1) A temporary academic permit to an individual who does not hold an active Tennessee educator license but who has earned, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States department of education; (2) A temporary clinical permit to an individual who does not hold an active Tennessee educator license but who: (A) Is enrolled in a state-board-approved EPP; (B) Has completed all EPP coursework, except for the required clinical practice; (C) Has a letter of recommendation from the EPP in which the individual is enrolled; and (D) Has a conditional offer of employment, made by the director of schools or the director of the public charter school, as applicable, for the individual to fill a position for which the 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; or (3) A license endorsement exemption to an educator who holds a full, valid, and active Tennessee educator license. Emergency credentials described in (1) – (3) are valid only until June 30 following the date on which the credential was issued. A temporary clinical permit described in (2) is not renewable. Present law authorizes a local board of education or the governing body of a public charter school (an "LEA") to contract with a teacher holding a temporary permit, but not holding a valid license, but only for the period of time during which the LEA is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and kind of school. This bill instead authorizes an LEA to enter into a one-year contract with a teacher who holds a temporary academic permit, but who does not hold a valid Tennessee educator license. This bill limits the circumstances under which such a contract may be renewed to situations in which the LEA is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license for the type and kind of school in which the vacancy exists. Present law generally authorizes a teacher holding the teacher's second or third teaching permit to apply to the department of education for a limited license to continue teaching the course or subject area taught pursuant to the teacher's current temporary permit. This bill specifies that authorization to make such an application applies only to a teacher who holds the teacher's third temporary academic permit. This bill deletes the present law prohibition against issuing to a teacher who holds a temporary permit a limited license to teach a course for which an end-of-course examination is required. Present law requires EPPs to require clinical experiences, including field experiences and clinical practice, as defined by the state board of education. This bill provides that an individual who teaches under a temporary clinical permit satisfies such clinical experience requirements if: (1) The individual is assigned to, and receives guidance, evaluations, and instructions from, an educator for an amount of time that is at least equal to the amount of time required for candidates of the EPP in which the individual is enrolled to meet the EPP's clinical experience requirements; (2) The educator assigned to the individual evaluates the individual as having adequately met the same requirements that candidates of the EPP in which the individual is enrolled must meet to satisfy the clinical experience requirements; and (3) The individual teaches under a temporary clinical permit for an amount of time that is at least equal to the amount of time required for candidates of the EPP in which the individual is enrolled to complete the clinical experience requirements. PHYSICAL EDUCATION This bill deletes authorization for the commissioner to issue an endorsement exemption to a teacher, in accordance with state board rules, to teach a required, bi-weekly physical education class to elementary school students. Under this bill, all physical education classes must be taught by an educator who holds a credential and the state board of education's rules. OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATORS Present law establishes a process whereby the commissioner of education is authorized to issue a temporary permit to teach in a position that is unfilled because a public school is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid occupational license for the course of study in which the vacancy exists. After a director of schools or a director of a public charter school notifies the director's local board of education or the governing body of the director's public charter school, as applicable, that the LEA or public charter school is unable to secure a qualified occupational educator with a valid occupational teaching license for a course of study in which a vacancy exists, present law authorizes the director of schools or the director of the public charter school to certify the same to the commissioner. Upon the commissioner's receipt of the certification, the commissioner is authorized to grant a temporary permit to teach in the unfilled position to a person recommended by the director of schools or the director of the public charter school, who: (1) Does not hold a bachelor's degree or an active industry license or credential, including those issued by another state, for the area of endorsement, as defined by the department of education, but who has a minimum of five years of relevant work experience, completed within the last 10 years, or three years of relevant work experience, completed within the last five years, in the area of endorsement or equivalent educational attainment, as defined by the department of education; or (2) Is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces, who has a minimum of five years of relevant work experience (including military service, training, and experience) completed within the last 10 years, or three years of relevant work experience, completed within the last five years, in the area of endorsement or equivalent educational attainment, as defined by the department. To be eligible to receive a practitioner occupational teaching license under present law, a person must: (1) Have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience, completed within the last 10 years, or three years of relevant work experience, completed within the last five years, in the area of endorsement or equivalent educational attainment, as defined by the department of education; (2) Hold an active industry license or credential, including those issued by any state, for the area of endorsement, as defined by the department of education; (3) Meet the requirements established by rule by the state board of education; and (4) (A) Be enrolled in a state board-approved EPP program with a job-embedded clinical practice; (B) Have completed a state board-approved EPP; or (C) Provide proof of pairing with a highly effective mentor teacher and completion of coursework in classroom management, pedagogy, serving students with disabilities and English learners, and the teacher code of ethics, from a state board-approved EPP. Present law also requires that an educator who is issued a practitioner occupational teaching license must meet all requirements for license advancement and renewal established by state board of education rules. Also under present law, if a person holds an active industry license or credential relevant to a career and technical education course, as determined by the department, then the person may provide instruction to students in the career and technical education course; provided, that the instruction provided by the person is supervised at all times in the classroom by a licensed teacher who serves as the teacher of record for the course. This bill replaces the present law concerning a temporary license to teach in a subject for which an occupational license is required, the practitioner occupational teaching license, and technical instructors. This bill authorizes a limited occupational teaching license. To be eligible for a limited occupational teaching license, an individual must: (1) Have received a conditional offer of employment from the director of schools or director of the public charter school, as applicable; (2) (A) Have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience, completed within the last 10 years, or a minimum of three years of relevant work experience, completed within the last five years, in the area of endorsement or equivalent educational attainment; or (B) Hold an active industry license or credential for the area of endorsement, if an industry license or credential is available; (3) Agree in writing to complete, during the period for which the initial limited occupational teaching license is issued, training conducted by the LEA or public charter school in the subjects of classroom management, serving students with disabilities and English language learners, and the teacher code of ethics; and (4) Be assigned, and work with, a mentor teacher. A limited occupational teaching license may only be renewed if the holder of the license: (1) Earned a level of overall effectiveness score of "above expectations" or "significantly above expectations" according to the evaluation guidelines adopted by the state board of education for each of the first two school years immediately following licensure; (2) Has completed the training described in (3); and (3) Meets the requirements for renewal established in the state board of education's rules. To be eligible for a practitioner occupational teacher license under this bill, an individual must: (1) Be enrolled in a state-board-approved EPP with a job-embedded clinical practice; or (2) Have completed a state-board-approved EPP. POSTSECONDARY TEACHING EXPERIENCE Present law requires the department to issue a license to teach in grades nine through 9-12 to a person who has taught at an eligible postsecondary institution and who meets certain other qualifications listed in present law. The license must bear an endorsement to teach only in the subject area in which the person taught at the eligible postsecondary institution. Under this bill, the limitation on the endorsement will be required only for the initial license. After the initial license is issued, an additional endorsement may be added to the license pursuant to the state board of education's rules. ENDORSEMENT FOR COURSE REQUIRING END OF COURSE EXAMINATION Present law prohibits a teacher from teaching a course in which an end of course examination is required for students to satisfy graduation requirements if the teacher's license does not carry a subject specific endorsement for the subject area of the course, unless the teacher: (1) 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; or (2) The teacher possesses a temporary teaching permit. This bill specifies that (1) and (2) apply to licensed teachers and replaces (2) with possession a license endorsement exemption issued by the commissioner.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-5-106, 49-5-110, 49-5-112(a), 49-5-112, 49-5-114, 49-5-115, 49-6-1021(e), 49-6-1021, 49-6-6006