Bill Summary for S 219 (2019-2020) (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Jun 20 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 219 (Public) Filed Monday, March 11, 2019
AN ACT TO MODIFY TEACHER LICENSURE REQUIREMENTS.
Intro. by McInnis, Tillman, Johnson.

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Bill summary

Conference report makes the following changes to the 4th edition.

Makes organizational changes, moving proposed GS 115C-270.20(a)(4a) set forth in Part I, establishing a limited license, to Part II of the act.

Part II.

Modifies proposed GS 115C-270.20(a)(4a) as follows. Expands the restrictions on who can request a limited license (LL) to now include local boards of education currently employing or seeking to employ the individual. Prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring individuals to demonstrate preparation through standardized testing for a limited license. Now provides two avenues to receiving an LL: (1) for IPL (initial professional license) licensees, the individual must meet the previously prescribed requirements, with the modification that the local board must include in its affidavit submitted to the State Board that the teacher is currently employed by that local board and (2) for out-of-state licensees, the individual must hold current teacher licensure in another state that is in good standing and have the local board submit an affidavit signed by the local board superintendent seeking to employ the teacher stating that that local board seeks to employ the teacher, the teacher has been employed as a licensed teacher in another state for at least three years, and that the teacher will be encouraged to pursue an IPL or CPL as appropriate.

Eliminates proposed GS 115C-270.20(a)(7), which established a transitional license (TL) for out-of-state teachers.

Modifies the proposed changes to GS 115C-270.25 to provide that an individual who does not include evidence of that teacher's effectiveness with the initial application for a continuing professional license (CPL) is only eligible for an IPL or LL (previously, limited eligibility to a transitional license, now eliminated by the conference report, for three years).

Makes conforming changes to proposed GS 93B-15.1, concerning requests for LLs for a military spouse currently licensed in another jurisdiction.

Part III.

Makes organizational changes to move proposed GS 115C-302.1(b3) in Part II, which sets forth payment provisions for teachers with a TL, to Part III. Modifies proposed subsection (b3) to instead provide for pay for newly employed teachers with experience credit (TLs are eliminated by the conference report). Now requires a local board to determine experience credit for a teacher in that teacher's first year of employment with the board for purposes of paying the teacher with State-allotted funds in accordance with the State salary schedule. Makes conforming changes to make the provisions applicable to newly employed teachers. Adds that the local board is responsible for the repayment of overpayment of State funds if it did not use due diligence to verify prior employment (existing provisions hold the local board and the teacher not responsible for repayment for overpayment if misapplication of experience credit was in good faith). Further adds that a teacher paid under the new provisions is not deemed demoted under Part 3, Article 22, if the State Board's determination of experience credit results in a reduction in salary in subsequent years of employment. 

Makes conforming organizational changes to the remainder of the act.