Missouri S.B. 296 (multiple provisions)

Missouri S.B. 296 (multiple provisions)

Specifies that all valid teaching certificates issued prior to September 1988 are exempt from the professional development requirement that follows. Narrows types of teacher licences available to an initial professional certificate and a career continuous professional certificate. Specifies that the state board must require holders of the four year initial professional certificate to: (a) Participate in a mentoring program approved and provided by the district for a minimum of two years; (b) Complete thirty contact hours of professional development, which may include hours spent in class in an appropriate college curriculum; and (c) Participate in a beginning teacher assistance program. Changes requirements for receipt of the career continuous professional certificate to: four years of teaching under the initial professional certificate and upon verification of the completion of the requirements articulated in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection. (b) The career continuous professional certificate shall be continuous based upon verification of actual employment in an educational position as provided for in state board guidelines and completion of fifteen contact hours of professional development per year which may include hours spent in class in an appropriate college curriculum. Should the possessor of a valid career continuous professional certificate fail, in any given year, to meet the fifteen-hour professional development requirement, the possessor may, within two years, make up the missing hours. In order to make up for missing hours, the possessor shall first complete the fifteen-hour requirement for the current year and then may count hours in excess of the current year requirement as make-up hours. Should the possessor fail to make up the missing hours within two years, the certificate shall become inactive. In order to reactivate the certificate, the possessor shall complete twenty-four contact hours of professional development which may include hours spent in the classroom in an appropriate college curriculum within the six months prior to or after reactivating his or her certificate. The requirements of this paragraph shall be monitored and verified by the local school district which employs the holder of the career continuous professional certificate.
(c) A holder of a career continuous professional certificate shall be exempt from the professional development contact hour requirements of paragraph (b) of this subdivision if such teacher has a local professional development plan in place within such teacher's school district and meets two of the three following criteria:
a. Has ten years of teaching experience as defined by the state board of education;
b. Possesses a master's degree; or
c. Obtains a rigorous national certification as approved by the state board of education.

Allows a teacher who has not been employed in an educational position for three years or more to reactivate his or her last level of certification by completing twenty-four contact hours of professional development which may include hours spent in the classroom in an appropriate college curriculum within the six months prior to or after reactivating his or her certificate.

Requires the state board to, upon an appropriate background check, issue a professional certificate classification in the areas most closely aligned with an applicant's current areas of certification, commensurate with the years of teaching experience of the applicant, to any person who is hired to teach in a public school in this state and who possesses a valid teaching certificate from another state, provided that the certificate holder shall annually complete the state board's requirements for such level of certification.

Adds that pleading guilty or being found guilty of enticement of a child or attempting to entice a child are offenses that will cause a teaching license to be revoked. Adds that when a teaching certificate holder pleads guilty or is found guilty of any offense that would authorize the state board of education to seek discipline against that holder's certificate of license to teach, the local board of education or the department of elementary and secondary education shall immediately provide written notice to the state board of education and the attorney general regarding the plea of guilty or finding of guilty.

http://www.senate.state.mo.us/03info/billtext/tat/sb296.htm

Source:
www.senate.state.mo.us

Status: Signed into law Status Date: 06/01/2003

Missouri S.B. 296 (multiple provisions)

Specifies that all valid teaching certificates issued prior to September 1988 are exempt from the professional development requirement that follows. Narrows types of teacher licences available to an initial professional certificate and a career continuous professional certificate. Specifies that the state board must require holders of the four year initial professional certificate to: (a) Participate in a mentoring program approved and provided by the district for a minimum of two years; (b) Complete thirty contact hours of professional development, which may include hours spent in class in an appropriate college curriculum; and (c) Participate in a beginning teacher assistance program. Changes requirements for receipt of the career continuous professional certificate to: four years of teaching under the initial professional certificate and upon verification of the completion of the requirements articulated in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subdivision (1) of this subsection. (b) The career continuous professional certificate shall be continuous based upon verification of actual employment in an educational position as provided for in state board guidelines and completion of fifteen contact hours of professional development per year which may include hours spent in class in an appropriate college curriculum. Should the possessor of a valid career continuous professional certificate fail, in any given year, to meet the fifteen-hour professional development requirement, the possessor may, within two years, make up the missing hours. In order to make up for missing hours, the possessor shall first complete the fifteen-hour requirement for the current year and then may count hours in excess of the current year requirement as make-up hours. Should the possessor fail to make up the missing hours within two years, the certificate shall become inactive. In order to reactivate the certificate, the possessor shall complete twenty-four contact hours of professional development which may include hours spent in the classroom in an appropriate college curriculum within the six months prior to or after reactivating his or her certificate. The requirements of this paragraph shall be monitored and verified by the local school district which employs the holder of the career continuous professional certificate. (c) A holder of a career continuous professional certificate shall be exempt from the professional development contact hour requirements of paragraph (b) of this subdivision if such teacher has a local professional development plan in place within such teacher's school district and meets two of the three following criteria: a. Has ten years of teaching experience as defined by the state board of education; b. Possesses a master's degree; or c. Obtains a rigorous national certification as approved by the state board of education. Allows a teacher who has not been employed in an educational position for three years or more to reactivate his or her last level of certification by completing twenty-four contact hours of professional development which may include hours spent in the classroom in an appropriate college curriculum within the six months prior to or after reactivating his or her certificate. Requires the state board to, upon an appropriate background check, issue a professional certificate classification in the areas most closely aligned with an applicant's current areas of certification, commensurate with the years of teaching experience of the applicant, to any person who is hired to teach in a public school in this state and who possesses a valid teaching certificate from another state, provided that the certificate holder shall annually complete the state board's requirements for such level of certification. Adds that pleading guilty or being found guilty of enticement of a child or attempting to entice a child are offenses that will cause a teaching license to be revoked. Adds that when a teaching certificate holder pleads guilty or is found guilty of any offense that would authorize the state board of education to seek discipline against that holder's certificate of license to teach, the local board of education or the department of elementary and secondary education shall immediately provide written notice to the state board of education and the attorney general regarding the plea of guilty or finding of guilty. http://www.senate.state.mo.us/03info/billtext/tat/sb296.htm
Source: www.senate.state.mo.us
Status: Signed into law	Status Date: 06/01/2003