Dyslexia; require that educator preparation programs include course on teaching students with.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Roberson

HOUSE BILL NO. 1494

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT BEGINNING WITH THE 2027-2028 SCHOOL 1
YEAR, THE STANDARDS AND CRITERIA FOR EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS 2
IN THE STATE SET BY THE COMMISSION ON TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR 3
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE AND DEVELOPMENT MUST 4
INCLUDE NOT LESS THAN THREE CREDIT HOURS ON TEACHING STUDENTS WITH 5
DYSLEXIA WITHIN THE EXISTING CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENTS; TO AMEND 6
SECTION 37-3-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM TO THE 7
PRECEDING PROVISION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. (1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, 10
the standards and criteria for educator preparation programs in 11
the state set by the Commission on Teacher and Administrator 12
Education, Certification and Licensure and Development under 13
Section 37-3-2(5)(a) shall include not less than three (3) credit 14
hours on teaching students with dyslexia within the existing 15
credit hour requirements. The coursework shall include, but need 16
not be limited to, the following: 17
(a) An overview of the body of scientific work 18
regarding dyslexia, including the history, epidemiology, and 19
clinical presentation, including early clinical indicators of 20
dyslexia and common, persistent classroom presentations; 21
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(b) An overview of evidence-based instruction for 22
individuals with dyslexia including remediation of weaknesses, 23
fortification of strengths, and common accommodations to help 24
mediate between the two; and 25
(c) An introduction to the process of becoming a 26
dyslexia practitioner or dyslexia therapist as defined in Section 27
37-173-1. 28
(2) Each program shall designate at least one (1) faculty 29
member to teach the coursework who is a qualified instructor of 30
certified academic language therapists as defined in Section 31
37-173-1 or has been provided other specialized training in 32
instructing future teachers on how to teach students with 33
dyslexia. 34
SECTION 2. Section 37-3-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 35
amended as follows: 36
37-3-2. (1) There is established within the State 37
Department of Education the Commission on Teacher and 38
Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and 39
Development. It shall be the purpose and duty of the commission 40
to make recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding 41
standards for the certification and licensure and continuing 42
professional development of those who teach or perform tasks of an 43
educational nature in the public schools of Mississippi. 44
(2) (a) The commission shall be composed of fifteen (15) 45
qualified members. The membership of the commission shall be 46
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composed of the following members to be appointed, three (3) from 47
each of the four (4) congressional districts, as such districts 48
existed on January 1, 2011, in accordance with the population 49
calculations determined by the 2010 federal decennial census, 50
including: four (4) classroom teachers; three (3) school 51
administrators; one (1) representative of schools of education of 52
public institutions of higher learning located within the state to 53
be recommended by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of 54
Higher Learning; one (1) representative from the schools of 55
education of independent institutions of higher learning to be 56
recommended by the Board of the Mississippi Association of 57
Independent Colleges; one (1) representative from public community 58
and junior colleges located within the state to be recommended by 59
the Mississippi Community College Board; one (1) local school 60
board member; and four (4) laypersons. Three (3) members of the 61
commission, at the sole discretion of the State Board of 62
Education, shall be appointed from the state at large. 63
(b) All appointments shall be made by the State Board 64
of Education after consultation with the State Superintendent of 65
Public Education. The first appointments by the State Board of 66
Education shall be made as follows: five (5) members shall be 67
appointed for a term of one (1) year; five (5) members shall be 68
appointed for a term of two (2) years; and five (5) members shall 69
be appointed for a term of three (3) years. Thereafter, all 70
members shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years. 71
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(3) The State Board of Education when making appointments 72
shall designate a chairman. The commission shall meet at least 73
once every two (2) months or more often if needed. Members of the 74
commission shall be compensated at a rate of per diem as 75
authorized by Section 25-3-69 and be reimbursed for actual and 76
necessary expenses as authorized by Section 25-3-41. 77
(4) (a) An appropriate staff member of the State Department 78
of Education shall be designated and assigned by the State 79
Superintendent of Public Education to serve as executive secretary 80
and coordinator for the commission. No less than two (2) other 81
appropriate staff members of the State Department of Education 82
shall be designated and assigned by the State Superintendent of 83
Public Education to serve on the staff of the commission. 84
(b) An Office of Educator Misconduct Evaluations shall 85
be established within the State Department of Education to assist 86
the commission in responding to infractions and violations, and in 87
conducting hearings and enforcing the provisions of subsections 88
(11), (12), (13), (14) and (15) of this section, and violations of 89
the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics. 90
(5) It shall be the duty of the commission to: 91
(a) Set standards and criteria, subject to the approval 92
of the State Board of Education, for all educator preparation 93
programs in the state, which shall include any requirements 94
provided for by law; 95
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(b) Recommend to the State Board of Education each year 96
approval or disapproval of each educator preparation program in 97
the state, subject to a process and schedule determined by the 98
State Board of Education; 99
(c) Establish, subject to the approval of the State 100
Board of Education, standards for initial teacher certification 101
and licensure in all fields; 102
(d) Establish, subject to the approval of the State 103
Board of Education, standards for the renewal of teacher licenses 104
in all fields; 105
(e) Review and evaluate objective measures of teacher 106
performance, such as test scores, which may form part of the 107
licensure process, and to make recommendations for their use; 108
(f) Review all existing requirements for certification 109
and licensure; 110
(g) Consult with groups whose work may be affected by 111
the commission's decisions; 112
(h) Prepare reports from time to time on current 113
practices and issues in the general area of teacher education and 114
certification and licensure; 115
(i) Hold hearings concerning standards for teachers' 116
and administrators' education and certification and licensure with 117
approval of the State Board of Education; 118
(j) Hire expert consultants with approval of the State 119
Board of Education; 120
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(k) Set up ad hoc committees to advise on specific 121
areas; 122
(l) Perform such other functions as may fall within 123
their general charge and which may be delegated to them by the 124
State Board of Education; and 125
(m) Establish standards, subject to the approval of the 126
State Board of Education, for supplemental endorsements, provided 127
that the standards allow teachers as many options as possible to 128
receive a supplemental endorsement, including, but not limited to, 129
the option of taking additional coursework or earning at least the 130
minimum qualifying score or higher on the required licensure 131
subject assessment relevant to the endorsement area for which the 132
licensure is sought. The subject assessment option shall not 133
apply to certain subject areas, including, but not limited to, 134
Early/Primary Education PreK-3, Elementary Education, or Special 135
Education, except by special approval by the State Board of 136
Education. 137
(6) (a) Standard License - Approved Program Route. An 138
educator entering the school system of Mississippi for the first 139
time and meeting all requirements as established by the State 140
Board of Education shall be granted a standard five-year license. 141
Persons who possess two (2) years of classroom experience as an 142
assistant teacher or who have taught for one (1) year in an 143
accredited public or private school shall be allowed to fulfill 144
student teaching requirements under the supervision of a qualified 145
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participating teacher approved by an accredited college of 146
education. The local school district in which the assistant 147
teacher is employed shall compensate such assistant teachers at 148
the required salary level during the period of time such 149
individual is completing student teaching requirements. 150
Applicants for a standard license shall submit to the department: 151
(i) An application on a department form; 152
(ii) An official transcript of completion of a 153
teacher education program approved by the department or a 154
nationally accredited program, subject to the following: 155
Licensure to teach in Mississippi prekindergarten through 156
kindergarten classrooms shall require completion of a teacher 157
education program or a Bachelor of Science degree with child 158
development emphasis from a program accredited by the American 159
Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) or by the 160
National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or by 161
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 162
(NCATE). Licensure to teach in Mississippi kindergarten, for 163
those applicants who have completed a teacher education program, 164
and in Grade 1 through Grade 4 shall require the completion of an 165
interdisciplinary program of studies. Licenses for Grades 4 166
through 8 shall require the completion of an interdisciplinary 167
program of studies with two (2) or more areas of concentration. 168
Licensure to teach in Mississippi Grades 7 through 12 shall 169
require a major in an academic field other than education, or a 170
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combination of disciplines other than education. Students 171
preparing to teach a subject shall complete a major in the 172
respective subject discipline. All applicants for standard 173
licensure shall demonstrate that such person's college preparation 174
in those fields was in accordance with the standards set forth by 175
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 176
(NCATE) or the National Association of State Directors of Teacher 177
Education and Certification (NASDTEC) or, for those applicants who 178
have a Bachelor of Science degree with child development emphasis, 179
the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). 180
Effective July 1, 2016, for initial elementary education 181
licensure, a teacher candidate must earn a passing score on a 182
rigorous test of scientifically research-based reading instruction 183
and intervention and data-based decision-making principles as 184
approved by the State Board of Education; 185
(iii) A copy of test scores evidencing 186
satisfactory completion of nationally administered examinations of 187
achievement, such as the Educational Testing Service's teacher 188
testing examinations; 189
(iv) Any other document required by the State 190
Board of Education; and 191
(v) From and after July 1, 2020, no teacher 192
candidate shall be licensed to teach in Mississippi who did not 193
meet the following criteria for entrance into an approved teacher 194
education program: 195
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1. An ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT 196
equivalent); or 197
2. Achieve a qualifying passing score on the 198
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators examination as 199
established by the State Board of Education; or 200
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior 201
to admission to an approved teacher education program. 202
(b) (i) Standard License - Nontraditional Teaching 203
Route. From and after July 1, 2020, no teacher candidate shall be 204
licensed to teach in Mississippi under the alternate route who did 205
not meet the following criteria: 206
1. An ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT 207
equivalent); or 208
2. Achieve a qualifying passing score on the 209
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators examination as 210
established by the State Board of Education; or 211
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior 212
to admission to an approved teacher education program. 213
(ii) Beginning July 1, 2020, an individual who has 214
attained a passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for 215
Educators or an ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT equivalent) 216
or a minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior to admission to an 217
approved teacher education program and a passing score on the 218
Praxis Subject Assessment in the requested area of endorsement may 219
apply for admission to the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 220
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program to teach students in Grades 7 through 12 if the individual 221
meets the requirements of this paragraph (b). The State Board of 222
Education shall adopt rules requiring that teacher preparation 223
institutions which provide the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 224
program for the preparation of nontraditional teachers shall meet 225
the standards and comply with the provisions of this paragraph. 226
1. The Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 227
shall include an intensive eight-week, nine-semester-hour summer 228
program or a curriculum of study in which the student matriculates 229
in the fall or spring semester, which shall include, but not be 230
limited to, instruction in education, effective teaching 231
strategies, classroom management, state curriculum requirements, 232
planning and instruction, instructional methods and pedagogy, 233
using test results to improve instruction, and a one (1) semester 234
three-hour supervised internship to be completed while the teacher 235
is employed as a full-time teacher intern in a local school 236
district. The TMI shall be implemented on a pilot program basis, 237
with courses to be offered at up to four (4) locations in the 238
state, with one (1) TMI site to be located in each of the three 239
(3) Mississippi Supreme Court districts. 240
2. The school sponsoring the teacher intern 241
shall enter into a written agreement with the institution 242
providing the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) program, under 243
terms and conditions as agreed upon by the contracting parties, 244
providing that the school district shall provide teacher interns 245
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seeking a nontraditional provisional teaching license with a 246
one-year classroom teaching experience. The teacher intern shall 247
successfully complete the one (1) semester three-hour intensive 248
internship in the school district during the semester immediately 249
following successful completion of the TMI and prior to the end of 250
the one-year classroom teaching experience. 251
3. Upon completion of the nine-semester-hour 252
TMI or the fall or spring semester option, the individual shall 253
submit his transcript to the commission for provisional licensure 254
of the intern teacher, and the intern teacher shall be issued a 255
provisional teaching license by the commission, which will allow 256
the individual to legally serve as a teacher while the person 257
completes a nontraditional teacher preparation internship program. 258
4. During the semester of internship in the 259
school district, the teacher preparation institution shall monitor 260
the performance of the intern teacher. The school district that 261
employs the provisional teacher shall supervise the provisional 262
teacher during the teacher's intern year of employment under a 263
nontraditional provisional license, and shall, in consultation 264
with the teacher intern's mentor at the school district of 265
employment, submit to the commission a comprehensive evaluation of 266
the teacher's performance sixty (60) days prior to the expiration 267
of the nontraditional provisional license. If the comprehensive 268
evaluation establishes that the provisional teacher intern's 269
performance fails to meet the standards of the approved 270
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nontraditional teacher preparation internship program, the 271
individual shall not be approved for a standard license. 272
5. An individual issued a provisional 273
teaching license under this nontraditional route shall 274
successfully complete, at a minimum, a one-year beginning teacher 275
mentoring and induction program administered by the employing 276
school district with the assistance of the State Department of 277
Education. 278
6. Upon successful completion of the TMI and 279
the internship provisional license period, applicants for a 280
Standard License - Nontraditional Route shall submit to the 281
commission a transcript of successful completion of the twelve 282
(12) semester hours required in the internship program, and the 283
employing school district shall submit to the commission a 284
recommendation for standard licensure of the intern. If the 285
school district recommends licensure, the applicant shall be 286
issued a Standard License - Nontraditional Route which shall be 287
valid for a five-year period and be renewable. 288
7. At the discretion of the teacher 289
preparation institution, the individual shall be allowed to credit 290
the twelve (12) semester hours earned in the nontraditional 291
teacher internship program toward the graduate hours required for 292
a Master of Arts in Teacher (MAT) Degree. 293
8. The local school district in which the 294
nontraditional teacher intern or provisional licensee is employed 295
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shall compensate such teacher interns at Step 1 of the required 296
salary level during the period of time such individual is 297
completing teacher internship requirements and shall compensate 298
such Standard License - Nontraditional Route teachers at Step 3 of 299
the required salary level when they complete license requirements. 300
(iii) Implementation of the TMI program provided 301
for under this paragraph (b) shall be contingent upon the 302
availability of funds appropriated specifically for such purpose 303
by the Legislature. Such implementation of the TMI program may 304
not be deemed to prohibit the State Board of Education from 305
developing and implementing additional alternative route teacher 306
licensure programs, as deemed appropriate by the board. The 307
emergency certification program in effect prior to July 1, 2002, 308
shall remain in effect. 309
(iv) A Standard License - Approved Program Route 310
shall be issued for a five-year period, and may be renewed. 311
Recognizing teaching as a profession, a hiring preference shall be 312
granted to persons holding a Standard License - Approved Program 313
Route or Standard License - Nontraditional Teaching Route over 314
persons holding any other license. 315
(c) Special License - Expert Citizen. In order to 316
allow a school district to offer specialized or technical courses, 317
the State Department of Education, in accordance with rules and 318
regulations established by the State Board of Education, may grant 319
a five-year expert citizen-teacher license to local business or 320
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other professional personnel to teach in a public school or 321
nonpublic school accredited or approved by the state. Such person 322
shall be required to have a high school diploma, an 323
industry-recognized certification related to the subject area in 324
which they are teaching and a minimum of five (5) years of 325
relevant experience but shall not be required to hold an associate 326
or bachelor's degree, provided that he or she possesses the 327
minimum qualifications required for his or her profession, and may 328
begin teaching upon his employment by the local school board and 329
licensure by the Mississippi Department of Education. If a school 330
board hires a career technical education pathway instructor who 331
does not have an industry certification in his or her area of 332
expertise but does have the required experience, the school board 333
shall spread their decision on the minutes at their next meeting 334
and provide a detailed explanation for why they hired the 335
instructor. Such instructor shall present the minutes of the 336
school board to the State Department of Education when he or she 337
applies for an expert citizen license. The board shall adopt 338
rules and regulations to administer the expert citizen-teacher 339
license. A Special License - Expert Citizen may be renewed in 340
accordance with the established rules and regulations of the State 341
Department of Education. 342
(d) Special License - Nonrenewable. The State Board of 343
Education is authorized to establish rules and regulations to 344
allow those educators not meeting requirements in paragraph (a), 345
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(b) or (c) of this subsection (6) to be licensed for a period of 346
not more than three (3) years, except by special approval of the 347
State Board of Education. 348
(e) Nonlicensed Teaching Personnel. A nonlicensed 349
person may teach for a maximum of three (3) periods per teaching 350
day in a public school district or a nonpublic school 351
accredited/approved by the state. Such person shall submit to the 352
department a transcript or record of his education and experience 353
which substantiates his preparation for the subject to be taught 354
and shall meet other qualifications specified by the commission 355
and approved by the State Board of Education. In no case shall 356
any local school board hire nonlicensed personnel as authorized 357
under this paragraph in excess of five percent (5%) of the total 358
number of licensed personnel in any single school. 359
(f) Special License - Transitional Bilingual Education. 360
Beginning July 1, 2003, the commission shall grant special 361
licenses to teachers of transitional bilingual education who 362
possess such qualifications as are prescribed in this section. 363
Teachers of transitional bilingual education shall be compensated 364
by local school boards at not less than one (1) step on the 365
regular salary schedule applicable to permanent teachers licensed 366
under this section. The commission shall grant special licenses 367
to teachers of transitional bilingual education who present the 368
commission with satisfactory evidence that they (i) possess a 369
speaking and reading ability in a language, other than English, in 370
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which bilingual education is offered and communicative skills in 371
English; (ii) are in good health and sound moral character; (iii) 372
possess a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree in teacher 373
education from an accredited institution of higher education; (iv) 374
meet such requirements as to courses of study, semester hours 375
therein, experience and training as may be required by the 376
commission; and (v) are legally present in the United States and 377
possess legal authorization for employment. A teacher of 378
transitional bilingual education serving under a special license 379
shall be under an exemption from standard licensure if he achieves 380
the requisite qualifications therefor. Two (2) years of service 381
by a teacher of transitional bilingual education under such an 382
exemption shall be credited to the teacher in acquiring a Standard 383
Educator License. Nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to 384
prohibit a local school board from employing a teacher licensed in 385
an appropriate field as approved by the State Department of 386
Education to teach in a program in transitional bilingual 387
education. 388
(g) In the event any school district meets the highest 389
accreditation standards as defined by the State Board of Education 390
in the accountability system, the State Board of Education, in its 391
discretion, may exempt such school district from any restrictions 392
in paragraph (e) relating to the employment of nonlicensed 393
teaching personnel. 394
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(h) Highly Qualified Teachers. Beginning July 1, 2006, 395
any teacher from any state meeting the federal definition of 396
highly qualified, as described in the No Child Left Behind Act, 397
must be granted a standard five-year license by the State 398
Department of Education. 399
(7) Administrator License. The State Board of Education is 400
authorized to establish rules and regulations and to administer 401
the licensure process of the school administrators in the State of 402
Mississippi. There will be four (4) categories of administrator 403
licensure with exceptions only through special approval of the 404
State Board of Education. 405
(a) Administrator License - Nonpracticing. Those 406
educators holding administrative endorsement but having no 407
administrative experience or not serving in an administrative 408
position on January 15, 1997. 409
(b) Administrator License - Entry Level. Those 410
educators holding administrative endorsement and having met the 411
department's qualifications to be eligible for employment in a 412
Mississippi school district. Administrator License - Entry Level 413
shall be issued for a five-year period and shall be nonrenewable. 414
(c) Standard Administrator License - Career Level. An 415
administrator who has met all the requirements of the department 416
for standard administrator licensure. 417
(d) Administrator License - Nontraditional Route. The 418
board may establish a nontraditional route for licensing 419
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administrative personnel. Such nontraditional route for 420
administrative licensure shall be available for persons holding, 421
but not limited to, a master of business administration degree, a 422
master of public administration degree, a master of public 423
planning and policy degree or a doctor of jurisprudence degree 424
from an accredited college or university, with five (5) years of 425
administrative or supervisory experience. Successful completion 426
of the requirements of alternate route licensure for 427
administrators shall qualify the person for a standard 428
administrator license. 429
Individuals seeking school administrator licensure under 430
paragraph (b), (c) or (d) shall successfully complete a training 431
program and an assessment process prescribed by the State Board of 432
Education. All applicants for school administrator licensure 433
shall meet all requirements prescribed by the department under 434
paragraph (b), (c) or (d), and the cost of the assessment process 435
required shall be paid by the applicant. 436
(8) Reciprocity. The department shall grant a standard 437
five-year license to any individual who possesses a valid standard 438
license from another state, or another country or political 439
subdivision thereof, within a period of twenty-one (21) days from 440
the date of a completed application. The issuance of a license by 441
reciprocity to a military-trained applicant, military spouse or 442
person who establishes residence in this state shall be subject to 443
the provisions of Section 73-50-1 or 73-50-2, as applicable. 444
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(9) Renewal and Reinstatement of Licenses. The State Board 445
of Education is authorized to establish rules and regulations for 446
the renewal and reinstatement of educator and administrator 447
licenses. Effective May 15, 1997, the valid standard license held 448
by an educator shall be extended five (5) years beyond the 449
expiration date of the license in order to afford the educator 450
adequate time to fulfill new renewal requirements established 451
pursuant to this subsection. An educator completing a master of 452
education, educational specialist or doctor of education degree in 453
May 1997 for the purpose of upgrading the educator's license to a 454
higher class shall be given this extension of five (5) years plus 455
five (5) additional years for completion of a higher degree. For 456
all license types with a current valid expiration date of June 30, 457
2021, the State Department of Education shall grant a one-year 458
extension to June 30, 2022. Beginning July 1, 2022, and 459
thereafter, applicants for licensure renewal shall meet all 460
requirements in effect on the date that the complete application 461
is received by the State Department of Education. 462
(10) All controversies involving the issuance, revocation, 463
suspension or any change whatsoever in the licensure of an 464
educator required to hold a license shall be initially heard in a 465
hearing de novo, by the commission or by a subcommittee 466
established by the commission and composed of commission members, 467
or by a hearing officer retained and appointed by the commission, 468
for the purpose of holding hearings. Any complaint seeking the 469
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denial of issuance, revocation or suspension of a license shall be 470
by sworn affidavit filed with the Commission on Teacher and 471
Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and 472
Development. The decision thereon by the commission, its 473
subcommittee or hearing officer, shall be final, unless the 474
aggrieved party shall appeal to the State Board of Education, 475
within ten (10) days, of the decision of the commission, its 476
subcommittee or hearing officer. An appeal to the State Board of 477
Education shall be perfected upon filing a notice of the appeal 478
and by the prepayment of the costs of the preparation of the 479
record of proceedings by the commission, its subcommittee or 480
hearing officer. An appeal shall be on the record previously made 481
before the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer, unless 482
otherwise provided by rules and regulations adopted by the board. 483
The decision of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing 484
officer shall not be disturbed on appeal if supported by 485
substantial evidence, was not arbitrary or capricious, within the 486
authority of the commission, and did not violate some statutory or 487
constitutional right. The State Board of Education in its 488
authority may reverse, or remand with instructions, the decision 489
of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer. The 490
decision of the State Board of Education shall be final. 491
(11) (a) The State Board of Education, acting through the 492
commission, may deny an application for any teacher or 493
administrator license for one or more of the following: 494
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(i) Lack of qualifications which are prescribed by 495
law or regulations adopted by the State Board of Education; 496
(ii) The applicant has a physical, emotional or 497
mental disability that renders the applicant unfit to perform the 498
duties authorized by the license, as certified by a licensed 499
psychologist or psychiatrist; 500
(iii) The applicant is actively addicted to or 501
actively dependent on alcohol or other habit-forming drugs or is a 502
habitual user of narcotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, 503
hallucinogens or other drugs having similar effect, at the time of 504
application for a license; 505
(iv) Fraud or deceit committed by the applicant in 506
securing or attempting to secure such certification and license; 507
(v) Failing or refusing to furnish reasonable 508
evidence of identification; 509
(vi) The applicant has been convicted, has pled 510
guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony, as 511
defined by federal or state law. For purposes of this 512
subparagraph (vi) of this paragraph (a), a "guilty plea" includes 513
a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo contendere, or entry of 514
an order granting pretrial or judicial diversion; 515
(vii) The applicant or licensee is on probation or 516
post-release supervision for a felony or conviction, as defined by 517
federal or state law. However, this disqualification expires upon 518
the end of the probationary or post-release supervision period. 519
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(b) The State Board of Education, acting through the 520
commission, shall deny an application for any teacher or 521
administrator license, or immediately revoke the current teacher 522
or administrator license, for one or more of the following: 523
(i) If the applicant or licensee has been 524
convicted, has pled guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to 525
a sex offense as defined by federal or state law. For purposes of 526
this subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (b), a "guilty plea" 527
includes a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo contendere, or 528
entry of an order granting pretrial or judicial diversion; 529
(ii) The applicant or licensee is on probation or 530
post-release supervision for a sex offense conviction, as defined 531
by federal or state law; 532
(iii) The license holder has fondled a student as 533
described in Section 97-5-23, or had any type of sexual 534
involvement with a student as described in Section 97-3-95; or 535
(iv) The license holder has failed to report 536
sexual involvement of a school employee with a student as required 537
by Section 97-5-24. 538
(12) The State Board of Education, acting through the 539
commission, may revoke, suspend or refuse to renew any teacher or 540
administrator license for specified periods of time or may place 541
on probation, reprimand a licensee, or take other disciplinary 542
action with regard to any license issued under this chapter for 543
one or more of the following: 544
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(a) Breach of contract or abandonment of employment may 545
result in the suspension of the license for one (1) school year as 546
provided in Section 37-9-57; 547
(b) Obtaining a license by fraudulent means shall 548
result in immediate suspension and continued suspension for one 549
(1) year after correction is made; 550
(c) Suspension or revocation of a certificate or 551
license by another state shall result in immediate suspension or 552
revocation and shall continue until records in the prior state 553
have been cleared; 554
(d) The license holder has been convicted, has pled 555
guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony, as 556
defined by federal or state law. For purposes of this paragraph, 557
a "guilty plea" includes a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo 558
contendere, or entry of an order granting pretrial or judicial 559
diversion; 560
(e) The license holder knowingly and willfully 561
committing any of the acts affecting validity of mandatory uniform 562
test results as provided in Section 37-16-4(1); 563
(f) The license holder has engaged in unethical conduct 564
relating to an educator/student relationship as identified by the 565
State Board of Education in its rules; 566
(g) The license holder served as superintendent or 567
principal in a school district during the time preceding and/or 568
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that resulted in the Governor declaring a state of emergency and 569
the State Board of Education appointing a conservator; 570
(h) The license holder submitted a false certification 571
to the State Department of Education that a statewide test was 572
administered in strict accordance with the Requirements of the 573
Mississippi Statewide Assessment System; or 574
(i) The license holder has failed to comply with the 575
Procedures for Reporting Infractions as promulgated by the 576
commission and approved by the State Board of Education pursuant 577
to subsection (15) of this section. 578
For purposes of this subsection, probation shall be defined 579
as a length of time determined by the commission, its subcommittee 580
or hearing officer, and based on the severity of the offense in 581
which the license holder shall meet certain requirements as 582
prescribed by the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer. 583
Failure to complete the requirements in the time specified shall 584
result in immediate suspension of the license for one (1) year. 585
(13) (a) Dismissal or suspension of a licensed employee by 586
a local school board pursuant to Section 37-9-59 may result in the 587
suspension or revocation of a license for a length of time which 588
shall be determined by the commission and based upon the severity 589
of the offense. 590
(b) Any offense committed or attempted in any other 591
state shall result in the same penalty as if committed or 592
attempted in this state. 593
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(c) A person may voluntarily surrender a license. The 594
surrender of such license may result in the commission 595
recommending any of the above penalties without the necessity of a 596
hearing. However, any such license which has voluntarily been 597
surrendered by a licensed employee may only be reinstated by a 598
majority vote of all members of the commission present at the 599
meeting called for such purpose. 600
(14) (a) A person whose license has been suspended or 601
surrendered on any grounds except criminal grounds may petition 602
for reinstatement of the license after one (1) year from the date 603
of suspension or surrender, or after one-half (1/2) of the 604
suspended or surrendered time has lapsed, whichever is greater. A 605
person whose license has been suspended or revoked on any grounds 606
or violations under subsection (12) of this section may be 607
reinstated automatically or approved for a reinstatement hearing, 608
upon submission of a written request to the commission. A license 609
suspended, revoked or surrendered on criminal grounds may be 610
reinstated upon petition to the commission filed after expiration 611
of the sentence and parole or probationary period imposed upon 612
conviction. A revoked, suspended or surrendered license may be 613
reinstated upon satisfactory showing of evidence of 614
rehabilitation. The commission shall require all who petition for 615
reinstatement to furnish evidence satisfactory to the commission 616
of good character, good mental, emotional and physical health and 617
such other evidence as the commission may deem necessary to 618
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establish the petitioner's rehabilitation and fitness to perform 619
the duties authorized by the license. 620
(b) A person whose license expires while under 621
investigation by the Office of Educator Misconduct for an alleged 622
violation may not be reinstated without a hearing before the 623
commission if required based on the results of the investigation. 624
(15) Reporting procedures and hearing procedures for dealing 625
with infractions under this section shall be promulgated by the 626
commission, subject to the approval of the State Board of 627
Education. The revocation or suspension of a license shall be 628
effected at the time indicated on the notice of suspension or 629
revocation. The commission shall immediately notify the 630
superintendent of the school district or school board where the 631
teacher or administrator is employed of any disciplinary action 632
and also notify the teacher or administrator of such revocation or 633
suspension and shall maintain records of action taken. The State 634
Board of Education may reverse or remand with instructions any 635
decision of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer 636
regarding a petition for reinstatement of a license, and any such 637
decision of the State Board of Education shall be final. 638
(16) An appeal from the action of the State Board of 639
Education in denying an application, revoking or suspending a 640
license or otherwise disciplining any person under the provisions 641
of this section shall be filed in the Chancery Court of the First 642
Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, on the record 643
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made, including a verbatim transcript of the testimony at the 644
hearing. The appeal shall be filed within thirty (30) days after 645
notification of the action of the board is mailed or served and 646
the proceedings in chancery court shall be conducted as other 647
matters coming before the court. The appeal shall be perfected 648
upon filing notice of the appeal and by the prepayment of all 649
costs, including the cost of preparation of the record of the 650
proceedings by the State Board of Education, and the filing of a 651
bond in the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) conditioned that 652
if the action of the board be affirmed by the chancery court, the 653
applicant or license holder shall pay the costs of the appeal and 654
the action of the chancery court. 655
(17) All such programs, rules, regulations, standards and 656
criteria recommended or authorized by the commission shall become 657
effective upon approval by the State Board of Education as 658
designated by appropriate orders entered upon the minutes thereof. 659
(18) The granting of a license shall not be deemed a 660
property right nor a guarantee of employment in any public school 661
district. A license is a privilege indicating minimal eligibility 662
for teaching in the public school districts of Mississippi. This 663
section shall in no way alter or abridge the authority of local 664
school districts to require greater qualifications or standards of 665
performance as a prerequisite of initial or continued employment 666
in such districts. 667
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(19) In addition to the reasons specified in subsections 668
(12) and (13) of this section, the board shall be authorized to 669
suspend the license of any licensee for being out of compliance 670
with an order for support, as defined in Section 93-11-153. The 671
procedure for suspension of a license for being out of compliance 672
with an order for support, and the procedure for the reissuance or 673
reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, and the 674
payment of any fees for the reissuance or reinstatement of a 675
license suspended for that purpose, shall be governed by Section 676
93-11-157 or 93-11-163, as the case may be. Actions taken by the 677
board in suspending a license when required by Section 93-11-157 678
or 93-11-163 are not actions from which an appeal may be taken 679
under this section. Any appeal of a license suspension that is 680
required by Section 93-11-157 or 93-11-163 shall be taken in 681
accordance with the appeal procedure specified in Section 682
93-11-157 or 93-11-163, as the case may be, rather than the 683
procedure specified in this section. If there is any conflict 684
between any provision of Section 93-11-157 or 93-11-163 and any 685
provision of this chapter, the provisions of Section 93-11-157 or 686
93-11-163, as the case may be, shall control. 687
(20) The Department of Education shall grant and renew all 688
licenses and certifications of teachers and administrators within 689
twenty-one (21) days from the date of a completed application if 690
the applicant has otherwise met all established requirements for 691
the license or certification. 692
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ST: Dyslexia; require that educator preparation
programs include course on teaching students
with.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 693
and after July 1, 2026. 694