School curriculum; require teaching of certain high school subjects in "C", "D" and "F" rated districts.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 211

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM IN SCHOOL 1
DISTRICTS ASSIGNED AN ACCOUNTABILITY RATING OF "C", "D" OR "F" TO 2
INCLUDE COURSES IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND 3
HOME ECONOMICS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT 4
CURRICULUM STANDARDS AND TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER AGENCIES IN 5
DEVELOPING COURSE MATERIALS SO THAT THOSE COURSES ARE UNIFORM IN 6
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE; TO REQUIRE STUDENTS TAKING SUCH 7
COURSES TO BE AWARDED ELECTIVE CREDITS THAT MAY BE COUNTED TOWARD 8
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; TO AMEND SECTION 37-13-151, MISSISSIPPI 9
CODE OF 1972, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; TO AMEND 10
SECTION 37-3-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE 11
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO GRANT A SPECIAL EXPERT CITIZEN-TEACHER 12
LICENSE TO PERSONS TEACHING SUCH COURSES; AND FOR RELATED 13
PURPOSES. 14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 15
SECTION 1. (1) In addition to the curriculum otherwise 16
required by law or the State Board of Education to be taught in 17
the public schools of this state, in each school district that is 18
assigned a "C", "D" or "F" rating under the state accountability 19
system, the district shall require the following courses to be 20
taught in the high schools in that district: 21
(a) Vocational education; 22
(b) Agriculture; 23
(c) Forestry; and 24
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(d) Home economics, as required under Section 25
37-13-151. 26
(2) The State Board of Education shall establish curriculum 27
standards for the courses required under subsection (1) of this 28
section. In order to achieve uniformity in the courses in school 29
districts across the state, the State Department of Education 30
shall collaborate with appropriate state and federal governmental 31
agencies and the state institutions of higher learning to develop 32
materials and programs of study to be utilized by all school 33
districts required under subsection (1) to offer those courses. 34
(3) Courses required to be taught under subsection (1) of 35
this section must be considered elective courses for which 36
academic credit may be earned toward fulfillment of a student's 37
graduation requirements. 38
SECTION 2. Section 37-13-151, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 39
amended as follows: 40
37-13-151. * * * Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, 41
all local school districts assigned an accountability rating of 42
"C", "D" or "F" shall provide programs of education in home 43
economics, in Grade 10, 11 or 12 * * *. These programs shall 44
contain instruction to prepare students to understand children's 45
physical, mental, emotional and social growth and development as 46
well as to assume responsibility for their care and guidance, with 47
emphasis on nutrition, emotional health and physical health. All 48
such programs * * * must utilize the materials and programs of 49
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study adopted by the State Department of Education for home 50
economics courses pursuant to Section 1 of House Bill No. , 51
2025 Regular Session. 52
SECTION 3. Section 37-3-2, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 53
amended as follows: 54
37-3-2. (1) There is established within the State 55
Department of Education the Commission on Teacher and 56
Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and 57
Development. It shall be the purpose and duty of the commission 58
to make recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding 59
standards for the certification and licensure and continuing 60
professional development of those who teach or perform tasks of an 61
educational nature in the public schools of Mississippi. 62
(2) (a) The commission shall be composed of fifteen (15) 63
qualified members. The membership of the commission shall be 64
composed of the following members to be appointed, three (3) from 65
each of the four (4) congressional districts, as such districts 66
existed on January 1, 2011, in accordance with the population 67
calculations determined by the 2010 federal decennial census, 68
including: four (4) classroom teachers; three (3) school 69
administrators; one (1) representative of schools of education of 70
public institutions of higher learning located within the state to 71
be recommended by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of 72
Higher Learning; one (1) representative from the schools of 73
education of independent institutions of higher learning to be 74
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recommended by the Board of the Mississippi Association of 75
Independent Colleges; one (1) representative from public community 76
and junior colleges located within the state to be recommended by 77
the Mississippi Community College Board; one (1) local school 78
board member; and four (4) laypersons. Three (3) members of the 79
commission, at the sole discretion of the State Board of 80
Education, shall be appointed from the state at large. 81
(b) All appointments shall be made by the State Board 82
of Education after consultation with the State Superintendent of 83
Public Education. The first appointments by the State Board of 84
Education shall be made as follows: five (5) members shall be 85
appointed for a term of one (1) year; five (5) members shall be 86
appointed for a term of two (2) years; and five (5) members shall 87
be appointed for a term of three (3) years. Thereafter, all 88
members shall be appointed for a term of four (4) years. 89
(3) The State Board of Education when making appointments 90
shall designate a chairman. The commission shall meet at least 91
once every two (2) months or more often if needed. Members of the 92
commission shall be compensated at a rate of per diem as 93
authorized by Section 25-3-69 and be reimbursed for actual and 94
necessary expenses as authorized by Section 25-3-41. 95
(4) (a) An appropriate staff member of the State Department 96
of Education shall be designated and assigned by the State 97
Superintendent of Public Education to serve as executive secretary 98
and coordinator for the commission. No less than two (2) other 99
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appropriate staff members of the State Department of Education 100
shall be designated and assigned by the State Superintendent of 101
Public Education to serve on the staff of the commission. 102
(b) An Office of Educator Misconduct Evaluations shall 103
be established within the State Department of Education to assist 104
the commission in responding to infractions and violations, and in 105
conducting hearings and enforcing the provisions of subsections 106
(11), (12), (13), (14) and (15) of this section, and violations of 107
the Mississippi Educator Code of Ethics. 108
(5) It shall be the duty of the commission to: 109
(a) Set standards and criteria, subject to the approval 110
of the State Board of Education, for all educator preparation 111
programs in the state; 112
(b) Recommend to the State Board of Education each year 113
approval or disapproval of each educator preparation program in 114
the state, subject to a process and schedule determined by the 115
State Board of Education; 116
(c) Establish, subject to the approval of the State 117
Board of Education, standards for initial teacher certification 118
and licensure in all fields; 119
(d) Establish, subject to the approval of the State 120
Board of Education, standards for the renewal of teacher licenses 121
in all fields; 122
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(e) Review and evaluate objective measures of teacher 123
performance, such as test scores, which may form part of the 124
licensure process, and to make recommendations for their use; 125
(f) Review all existing requirements for certification 126
and licensure; 127
(g) Consult with groups whose work may be affected by 128
the commission's decisions; 129
(h) Prepare reports from time to time on current 130
practices and issues in the general area of teacher education and 131
certification and licensure; 132
(i) Hold hearings concerning standards for teachers' 133
and administrators' education and certification and licensure with 134
approval of the State Board of Education; 135
(j) Hire expert consultants with approval of the State 136
Board of Education; 137
(k) Set up ad hoc committees to advise on specific 138
areas; 139
(l) Perform such other functions as may fall within 140
their general charge and which may be delegated to them by the 141
State Board of Education; and 142
(m) Establish standards, subject to the approval of the 143
State Board of Education, for supplemental endorsements, provided 144
that the standards allow teachers as many options as possible to 145
receive a supplemental endorsement, including, but not limited to, 146
the option of taking additional coursework or earning at least the 147
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minimum qualifying score or higher on the required licensure 148
subject assessment relevant to the endorsement area for which the 149
licensure is sought. The subject assessment option shall not 150
apply to certain subject areas, including, but not limited to, 151
Early/Primary Education PreK-3, Elementary Education, or Special 152
Education, except by special approval by the State Board of 153
Education. 154
(6) (a) Standard License - Approved Program Route. An 155
educator entering the school system of Mississippi for the first 156
time and meeting all requirements as established by the State 157
Board of Education shall be granted a standard five-year license. 158
Persons who possess two (2) years of classroom experience as an 159
assistant teacher or who have taught for one (1) year in an 160
accredited public or private school shall be allowed to fulfill 161
student teaching requirements under the supervision of a qualified 162
participating teacher approved by an accredited college of 163
education. The local school district in which the assistant 164
teacher is employed shall compensate such assistant teachers at 165
the required salary level during the period of time such 166
individual is completing student teaching requirements. 167
Applicants for a standard license shall submit to the department: 168
(i) An application on a department form; 169
(ii) An official transcript of completion of a 170
teacher education program approved by the department or a 171
nationally accredited program, subject to the following: 172
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Licensure to teach in Mississippi prekindergarten through 173
kindergarten classrooms shall require completion of a teacher 174
education program or a Bachelor of Science degree with child 175
development emphasis from a program accredited by the American 176
Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) or by the 177
National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or by 178
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 179
(NCATE). Licensure to teach in Mississippi kindergarten, for 180
those applicants who have completed a teacher education program, 181
and in Grade 1 through Grade 4 shall require the completion of an 182
interdisciplinary program of studies. Licenses for Grades 4 183
through 8 shall require the completion of an interdisciplinary 184
program of studies with two (2) or more areas of concentration. 185
Licensure to teach in Mississippi Grades 7 through 12 shall 186
require a major in an academic field other than education, or a 187
combination of disciplines other than education. Students 188
preparing to teach a subject shall complete a major in the 189
respective subject discipline. All applicants for standard 190
licensure shall demonstrate that such person's college preparation 191
in those fields was in accordance with the standards set forth by 192
the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 193
(NCATE) or the National Association of State Directors of Teacher 194
Education and Certification (NASDTEC) or, for those applicants who 195
have a Bachelor of Science degree with child development emphasis, 196
the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). 197
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Effective July 1, 2016, for initial elementary education 198
licensure, a teacher candidate must earn a passing score on a 199
rigorous test of scientifically research-based reading instruction 200
and intervention and data-based decision-making principles as 201
approved by the State Board of Education; 202
(iii) A copy of test scores evidencing 203
satisfactory completion of nationally administered examinations of 204
achievement, such as the Educational Testing Service's teacher 205
testing examinations; 206
(iv) Any other document required by the State 207
Board of Education; and 208
(v) From and after July 1, 2020, no teacher 209
candidate shall be licensed to teach in Mississippi who did not 210
meet the following criteria for entrance into an approved teacher 211
education program: 212
1. An ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT 213
equivalent); or 214
2. Achieve a qualifying passing score on the 215
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators examination as 216
established by the State Board of Education; or 217
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior 218
to admission to an approved teacher education program. 219
(b) (i) Standard License - Nontraditional Teaching 220
Route. From and after July 1, 2020, no teacher candidate shall be 221
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licensed to teach in Mississippi under the alternate route who did 222
not meet the following criteria: 223
1. An ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT 224
equivalent); or 225
2. Achieve a qualifying passing score on the 226
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators examination as 227
established by the State Board of Education; or 228
3. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior 229
to admission to an approved teacher education program. 230
(ii) Beginning July 1, 2020, an individual who has 231
attained a passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for 232
Educators or an ACT Score of twenty-one (21) (or SAT equivalent) 233
or a minimum GPA of 3.0 on coursework prior to admission to an 234
approved teacher education program and a passing score on the 235
Praxis Subject Assessment in the requested area of endorsement may 236
apply for admission to the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 237
program to teach students in Grades 7 through 12 if the individual 238
meets the requirements of this paragraph (b). The State Board of 239
Education shall adopt rules requiring that teacher preparation 240
institutions which provide the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 241
program for the preparation of nontraditional teachers shall meet 242
the standards and comply with the provisions of this paragraph. 243
1. The Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) 244
shall include an intensive eight-week, nine-semester-hour summer 245
program or a curriculum of study in which the student matriculates 246
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in the fall or spring semester, which shall include, but not be 247
limited to, instruction in education, effective teaching 248
strategies, classroom management, state curriculum requirements, 249
planning and instruction, instructional methods and pedagogy, 250
using test results to improve instruction, and a one (1) semester 251
three-hour supervised internship to be completed while the teacher 252
is employed as a full-time teacher intern in a local school 253
district. The TMI shall be implemented on a pilot program basis, 254
with courses to be offered at up to four (4) locations in the 255
state, with one (1) TMI site to be located in each of the three 256
(3) Mississippi Supreme Court districts. 257
2. The school sponsoring the teacher intern 258
shall enter into a written agreement with the institution 259
providing the Teach Mississippi Institute (TMI) program, under 260
terms and conditions as agreed upon by the contracting parties, 261
providing that the school district shall provide teacher interns 262
seeking a nontraditional provisional teaching license with a 263
one-year classroom teaching experience. The teacher intern shall 264
successfully complete the one (1) semester three-hour intensive 265
internship in the school district during the semester immediately 266
following successful completion of the TMI and prior to the end of 267
the one-year classroom teaching experience. 268
3. Upon completion of the nine-semester-hour 269
TMI or the fall or spring semester option, the individual shall 270
submit his transcript to the commission for provisional licensure 271
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of the intern teacher, and the intern teacher shall be issued a 272
provisional teaching license by the commission, which will allow 273
the individual to legally serve as a teacher while the person 274
completes a nontraditional teacher preparation internship program. 275
4. During the semester of internship in the 276
school district, the teacher preparation institution shall monitor 277
the performance of the intern teacher. The school district that 278
employs the provisional teacher shall supervise the provisional 279
teacher during the teacher's intern year of employment under a 280
nontraditional provisional license, and shall, in consultation 281
with the teacher intern's mentor at the school district of 282
employment, submit to the commission a comprehensive evaluation of 283
the teacher's performance sixty (60) days prior to the expiration 284
of the nontraditional provisional license. If the comprehensive 285
evaluation establishes that the provisional teacher intern's 286
performance fails to meet the standards of the approved 287
nontraditional teacher preparation internship program, the 288
individual shall not be approved for a standard license. 289
5. An individual issued a provisional 290
teaching license under this nontraditional route shall 291
successfully complete, at a minimum, a one-year beginning teacher 292
mentoring and induction program administered by the employing 293
school district with the assistance of the State Department of 294
Education. 295
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6. Upon successful completion of the TMI and 296
the internship provisional license period, applicants for a 297
Standard License - Nontraditional Route shall submit to the 298
commission a transcript of successful completion of the twelve 299
(12) semester hours required in the internship program, and the 300
employing school district shall submit to the commission a 301
recommendation for standard licensure of the intern. If the 302
school district recommends licensure, the applicant shall be 303
issued a Standard License - Nontraditional Route which shall be 304
valid for a five-year period and be renewable. 305
7. At the discretion of the teacher 306
preparation institution, the individual shall be allowed to credit 307
the twelve (12) semester hours earned in the nontraditional 308
teacher internship program toward the graduate hours required for 309
a Master of Arts in Teacher (MAT) Degree. 310
8. The local school district in which the 311
nontraditional teacher intern or provisional licensee is employed 312
shall compensate such teacher interns at Step 1 of the required 313
salary level during the period of time such individual is 314
completing teacher internship requirements and shall compensate 315
such Standard License - Nontraditional Route teachers at Step 3 of 316
the required salary level when they complete license requirements. 317
(iii) Implementation of the TMI program provided 318
for under this paragraph (b) shall be contingent upon the 319
availability of funds appropriated specifically for such purpose 320
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by the Legislature. Such implementation of the TMI program may 321
not be deemed to prohibit the State Board of Education from 322
developing and implementing additional alternative route teacher 323
licensure programs, as deemed appropriate by the board. The 324
emergency certification program in effect prior to July 1, 2002, 325
shall remain in effect. 326
(iv) A Standard License - Approved Program Route 327
shall be issued for a five-year period, and may be renewed. 328
Recognizing teaching as a profession, a hiring preference shall be 329
granted to persons holding a Standard License - Approved Program 330
Route or Standard License - Nontraditional Teaching Route over 331
persons holding any other license. 332
(c) Special License - Expert Citizen. In order to 333
allow a school district to offer specialized or technical courses, 334
including high school courses in vocational education, 335
agriculture, forestry and home economics which are required to be 336
taught in certain school districts under Section 1 of House Bill 337
No. ____, 2026 Regular Session, the State Department of Education, 338
in accordance with rules and regulations established by the State 339
Board of Education, may grant a five-year expert citizen-teacher 340
license to local qualified persons, including business or other 341
professional personnel to teach in a public school or nonpublic 342
school accredited or approved by the state. Such person shall be 343
required to have a high school diploma, an industry-recognized 344
certification related to the subject area in which they are 345
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teaching and a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience 346
but shall not be required to hold an associate or bachelor's 347
degree, provided that he or she possesses the minimum 348
qualifications required for his or her profession, and may begin 349
teaching upon his employment by the local school board and 350
licensure by the Mississippi Department of Education. If a school 351
board hires a career technical education pathway instructor who 352
does not have an industry certification in his or her area of 353
expertise but does have the required experience, the school board 354
shall spread their decision on the minutes at their next meeting 355
and provide a detailed explanation for why they hired the 356
instructor. Such instructor shall present the minutes of the 357
school board to the State Department of Education when he or she 358
applies for an expert citizen license. The board shall adopt 359
rules and regulations to administer the expert citizen-teacher 360
license. A Special License - Expert Citizen may be renewed in 361
accordance with the established rules and regulations of the State 362
Department of Education. 363
(d) Special License - Nonrenewable. The State Board of 364
Education is authorized to establish rules and regulations to 365
allow those educators not meeting requirements in paragraph (a), 366
(b) or (c) of this subsection (6) to be licensed for a period of 367
not more than three (3) years, except by special approval of the 368
State Board of Education. 369
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(e) Nonlicensed Teaching Personnel. A nonlicensed 370
person may teach for a maximum of three (3) periods per teaching 371
day in a public school district or a nonpublic school 372
accredited/approved by the state. Such person shall submit to the 373
department a transcript or record of his education and experience 374
which substantiates his preparation for the subject to be taught 375
and shall meet other qualifications specified by the commission 376
and approved by the State Board of Education. In no case shall 377
any local school board hire nonlicensed personnel as authorized 378
under this paragraph in excess of five percent (5%) of the total 379
number of licensed personnel in any single school. 380
(f) Special License - Transitional Bilingual Education. 381
Beginning July 1, 2003, the commission shall grant special 382
licenses to teachers of transitional bilingual education who 383
possess such qualifications as are prescribed in this section. 384
Teachers of transitional bilingual education shall be compensated 385
by local school boards at not less than one (1) step on the 386
regular salary schedule applicable to permanent teachers licensed 387
under this section. The commission shall grant special licenses 388
to teachers of transitional bilingual education who present the 389
commission with satisfactory evidence that they (i) possess a 390
speaking and reading ability in a language, other than English, in 391
which bilingual education is offered and communicative skills in 392
English; (ii) are in good health and sound moral character; (iii) 393
possess a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree in teacher 394
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education from an accredited institution of higher education; (iv) 395
meet such requirements as to courses of study, semester hours 396
therein, experience and training as may be required by the 397
commission; and (v) are legally present in the United States and 398
possess legal authorization for employment. A teacher of 399
transitional bilingual education serving under a special license 400
shall be under an exemption from standard licensure if he achieves 401
the requisite qualifications therefor. Two (2) years of service 402
by a teacher of transitional bilingual education under such an 403
exemption shall be credited to the teacher in acquiring a Standard 404
Educator License. Nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to 405
prohibit a local school board from employing a teacher licensed in 406
an appropriate field as approved by the State Department of 407
Education to teach in a program in transitional bilingual 408
education. 409
(g) In the event any school district meets the highest 410
accreditation standards as defined by the State Board of Education 411
in the accountability system, the State Board of Education, in its 412
discretion, may exempt such school district from any restrictions 413
in paragraph (e) relating to the employment of nonlicensed 414
teaching personnel. 415
(h) Highly Qualified Teachers. Beginning July 1, 2006, 416
any teacher from any state meeting the federal definition of 417
highly qualified, as described in the No Child Left Behind Act, 418
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must be granted a standard five-year license by the State 419
Department of Education. 420
(7) Administrator License. The State Board of Education is 421
authorized to establish rules and regulations and to administer 422
the licensure process of the school administrators in the State of 423
Mississippi. There will be four (4) categories of administrator 424
licensure with exceptions only through special approval of the 425
State Board of Education. 426
(a) Administrator License - Nonpracticing. Those 427
educators holding administrative endorsement but having no 428
administrative experience or not serving in an administrative 429
position on January 15, 1997. 430
(b) Administrator License - Entry Level. Those 431
educators holding administrative endorsement and having met the 432
department's qualifications to be eligible for employment in a 433
Mississippi school district. Administrator License - Entry Level 434
shall be issued for a five-year period and shall be nonrenewable. 435
(c) Standard Administrator License - Career Level. An 436
administrator who has met all the requirements of the department 437
for standard administrator licensure. 438
(d) Administrator License - Nontraditional Route. The 439
board may establish a nontraditional route for licensing 440
administrative personnel. Such nontraditional route for 441
administrative licensure shall be available for persons holding, 442
but not limited to, a master of business administration degree, a 443
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master of public administration degree, a master of public 444
planning and policy degree or a doctor of jurisprudence degree 445
from an accredited college or university, with five (5) years of 446
administrative or supervisory experience. Successful completion 447
of the requirements of alternate route licensure for 448
administrators shall qualify the person for a standard 449
administrator license. 450
Individuals seeking school administrator licensure under 451
paragraph (b), (c) or (d) shall successfully complete a training 452
program and an assessment process prescribed by the State Board of 453
Education. All applicants for school administrator licensure 454
shall meet all requirements prescribed by the department under 455
paragraph (b), (c) or (d), and the cost of the assessment process 456
required shall be paid by the applicant. 457
(8) Reciprocity. The department shall grant a standard 458
five-year license to any individual who possesses a valid standard 459
license from another state, or another country or political 460
subdivision thereof, within a period of twenty-one (21) days from 461
the date of a completed application. The issuance of a license by 462
reciprocity to a military-trained applicant, military spouse or 463
person who establishes residence in this state shall be subject to 464
the provisions of Section 73-50-1 or 73-50-2, as applicable. 465
(9) Renewal and Reinstatement of Licenses. The State Board 466
of Education is authorized to establish rules and regulations for 467
the renewal and reinstatement of educator and administrator 468
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licenses. Effective May 15, 1997, the valid standard license held 469
by an educator shall be extended five (5) years beyond the 470
expiration date of the license in order to afford the educator 471
adequate time to fulfill new renewal requirements established 472
pursuant to this subsection. An educator completing a master of 473
education, educational specialist or doctor of education degree in 474
May 1997 for the purpose of upgrading the educator's license to a 475
higher class shall be given this extension of five (5) years plus 476
five (5) additional years for completion of a higher degree. For 477
all license types with a current valid expiration date of June 30, 478
2021, the State Department of Education shall grant a one-year 479
extension to June 30, 2022. Beginning July 1, 2022, and 480
thereafter, applicants for licensure renewal shall meet all 481
requirements in effect on the date that the complete application 482
is received by the State Department of Education. 483
(10) All controversies involving the issuance, revocation, 484
suspension or any change whatsoever in the licensure of an 485
educator required to hold a license shall be initially heard in a 486
hearing de novo, by the commission or by a subcommittee 487
established by the commission and composed of commission members, 488
or by a hearing officer retained and appointed by the commission, 489
for the purpose of holding hearings. Any complaint seeking the 490
denial of issuance, revocation or suspension of a license shall be 491
by sworn affidavit filed with the Commission on Teacher and 492
Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and 493
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Development. The decision thereon by the commission, its 494
subcommittee or hearing officer, shall be final, unless the 495
aggrieved party shall appeal to the State Board of Education, 496
within ten (10) days, of the decision of the commission, its 497
subcommittee or hearing officer. An appeal to the State Board of 498
Education shall be perfected upon filing a notice of the appeal 499
and by the prepayment of the costs of the preparation of the 500
record of proceedings by the commission, its subcommittee or 501
hearing officer. An appeal shall be on the record previously made 502
before the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer, unless 503
otherwise provided by rules and regulations adopted by the board. 504
The decision of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing 505
officer shall not be disturbed on appeal if supported by 506
substantial evidence, was not arbitrary or capricious, within the 507
authority of the commission, and did not violate some statutory or 508
constitutional right. The State Board of Education in its 509
authority may reverse, or remand with instructions, the decision 510
of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer. The 511
decision of the State Board of Education shall be final. 512
(11) (a) The State Board of Education, acting through the 513
commission, may deny an application for any teacher or 514
administrator license for one or more of the following: 515
(i) Lack of qualifications which are prescribed by 516
law or regulations adopted by the State Board of Education; 517
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(ii) The applicant has a physical, emotional or 518
mental disability that renders the applicant unfit to perform the 519
duties authorized by the license, as certified by a licensed 520
psychologist or psychiatrist; 521
(iii) The applicant is actively addicted to or 522
actively dependent on alcohol or other habit-forming drugs or is a 523
habitual user of narcotics, barbiturates, amphetamines, 524
hallucinogens or other drugs having similar effect, at the time of 525
application for a license; 526
(iv) Fraud or deceit committed by the applicant in 527
securing or attempting to secure such certification and license; 528
(v) Failing or refusing to furnish reasonable 529
evidence of identification; 530
(vi) The applicant has been convicted, has pled 531
guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony, as 532
defined by federal or state law. For purposes of this 533
subparagraph (vi) of this paragraph (a), a "guilty plea" includes 534
a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo contendere, or entry of 535
an order granting pretrial or judicial diversion; 536
(vii) The applicant or licensee is on probation or 537
post-release supervision for a felony or conviction, as defined by 538
federal or state law. However, this disqualification expires upon 539
the end of the probationary or post-release supervision period. 540
(b) The State Board of Education, acting through the 541
commission, shall deny an application for any teacher or 542
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administrator license, or immediately revoke the current teacher 543
or administrator license, for one or more of the following: 544
(i) If the applicant or licensee has been 545
convicted, has pled guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to 546
a sex offense as defined by federal or state law. For purposes of 547
this subparagraph (i) of this paragraph (b), a "guilty plea" 548
includes a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo contendere, or 549
entry of an order granting pretrial or judicial diversion; 550
(ii) The applicant or licensee is on probation or 551
post-release supervision for a sex offense conviction, as defined 552
by federal or state law; 553
(iii) The license holder has fondled a student as 554
described in Section 97-5-23, or had any type of sexual 555
involvement with a student as described in Section 97-3-95; or 556
(iv) The license holder has failed to report 557
sexual involvement of a school employee with a student as required 558
by Section 97-5-24. 559
(12) The State Board of Education, acting through the 560
commission, may revoke, suspend or refuse to renew any teacher or 561
administrator license for specified periods of time or may place 562
on probation, reprimand a licensee, or take other disciplinary 563
action with regard to any license issued under this chapter for 564
one or more of the following: 565
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(a) Breach of contract or abandonment of employment may 566
result in the suspension of the license for one (1) school year as 567
provided in Section 37-9-57; 568
(b) Obtaining a license by fraudulent means shall 569
result in immediate suspension and continued suspension for one 570
(1) year after correction is made; 571
(c) Suspension or revocation of a certificate or 572
license by another state shall result in immediate suspension or 573
revocation and shall continue until records in the prior state 574
have been cleared; 575
(d) The license holder has been convicted, has pled 576
guilty or entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony, as 577
defined by federal or state law. For purposes of this paragraph, 578
a "guilty plea" includes a plea of guilty, entry of a plea of nolo 579
contendere, or entry of an order granting pretrial or judicial 580
diversion; 581
(e) The license holder knowingly and willfully 582
committing any of the acts affecting validity of mandatory uniform 583
test results as provided in Section 37-16-4(1); 584
(f) The license holder has engaged in unethical conduct 585
relating to an educator/student relationship as identified by the 586
State Board of Education in its rules; 587
(g) The license holder served as superintendent or 588
principal in a school district during the time preceding and/or 589
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that resulted in the Governor declaring a state of emergency and 590
the State Board of Education appointing a conservator; 591
(h) The license holder submitted a false certification 592
to the State Department of Education that a statewide test was 593
administered in strict accordance with the Requirements of the 594
Mississippi Statewide Assessment System; or 595
(i) The license holder has failed to comply with the 596
Procedures for Reporting Infractions as promulgated by the 597
commission and approved by the State Board of Education pursuant 598
to subsection (15) of this section. 599
For purposes of this subsection, probation shall be defined 600
as a length of time determined by the commission, its subcommittee 601
or hearing officer, and based on the severity of the offense in 602
which the license holder shall meet certain requirements as 603
prescribed by the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer. 604
Failure to complete the requirements in the time specified shall 605
result in immediate suspension of the license for one (1) year. 606
(13) (a) Dismissal or suspension of a licensed employee by 607
a local school board pursuant to Section 37-9-59 may result in the 608
suspension or revocation of a license for a length of time which 609
shall be determined by the commission and based upon the severity 610
of the offense. 611
(b) Any offense committed or attempted in any other 612
state shall result in the same penalty as if committed or 613
attempted in this state. 614
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(c) A person may voluntarily surrender a license. The 615
surrender of such license may result in the commission 616
recommending any of the above penalties without the necessity of a 617
hearing. However, any such license which has voluntarily been 618
surrendered by a licensed employee may only be reinstated by a 619
majority vote of all members of the commission present at the 620
meeting called for such purpose. 621
(14) (a) A person whose license has been suspended or 622
surrendered on any grounds except criminal grounds may petition 623
for reinstatement of the license after one (1) year from the date 624
of suspension or surrender, or after one-half (1/2) of the 625
suspended or surrendered time has lapsed, whichever is greater. A 626
person whose license has been suspended or revoked on any grounds 627
or violations under subsection (12) of this section may be 628
reinstated automatically or approved for a reinstatement hearing, 629
upon submission of a written request to the commission. A license 630
suspended, revoked or surrendered on criminal grounds may be 631
reinstated upon petition to the commission filed after expiration 632
of the sentence and parole or probationary period imposed upon 633
conviction. A revoked, suspended or surrendered license may be 634
reinstated upon satisfactory showing of evidence of 635
rehabilitation. The commission shall require all who petition for 636
reinstatement to furnish evidence satisfactory to the commission 637
of good character, good mental, emotional and physical health and 638
such other evidence as the commission may deem necessary to 639
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establish the petitioner's rehabilitation and fitness to perform 640
the duties authorized by the license. 641
(b) A person whose license expires while under 642
investigation by the Office of Educator Misconduct for an alleged 643
violation may not be reinstated without a hearing before the 644
commission if required based on the results of the investigation. 645
(15) Reporting procedures and hearing procedures for dealing 646
with infractions under this section shall be promulgated by the 647
commission, subject to the approval of the State Board of 648
Education. The revocation or suspension of a license shall be 649
effected at the time indicated on the notice of suspension or 650
revocation. The commission shall immediately notify the 651
superintendent of the school district or school board where the 652
teacher or administrator is employed of any disciplinary action 653
and also notify the teacher or administrator of such revocation or 654
suspension and shall maintain records of action taken. The State 655
Board of Education may reverse or remand with instructions any 656
decision of the commission, its subcommittee or hearing officer 657
regarding a petition for reinstatement of a license, and any such 658
decision of the State Board of Education shall be final. 659
(16) An appeal from the action of the State Board of 660
Education in denying an application, revoking or suspending a 661
license or otherwise disciplining any person under the provisions 662
of this section shall be filed in the Chancery Court of the First 663
Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, on the record 664
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made, including a verbatim transcript of the testimony at the 665
hearing. The appeal shall be filed within thirty (30) days after 666
notification of the action of the board is mailed or served and 667
the proceedings in chancery court shall be conducted as other 668
matters coming before the court. The appeal shall be perfected 669
upon filing notice of the appeal and by the prepayment of all 670
costs, including the cost of preparation of the record of the 671
proceedings by the State Board of Education, and the filing of a 672
bond in the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) conditioned that 673
if the action of the board be affirmed by the chancery court, the 674
applicant or license holder shall pay the costs of the appeal and 675
the action of the chancery court. 676
(17) All such programs, rules, regulations, standards and 677
criteria recommended or authorized by the commission shall become 678
effective upon approval by the State Board of Education as 679
designated by appropriate orders entered upon the minutes thereof. 680
(18) The granting of a license shall not be deemed a 681
property right nor a guarantee of employment in any public school 682
district. A license is a privilege indicating minimal eligibility 683
for teaching in the public school districts of Mississippi. This 684
section shall in no way alter or abridge the authority of local 685
school districts to require greater qualifications or standards of 686
performance as a prerequisite of initial or continued employment 687
in such districts. 688
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(19) In addition to the reasons specified in subsections 689
(12) and (13) of this section, the board shall be authorized to 690
suspend the license of any licensee for being out of compliance 691
with an order for support, as defined in Section 93-11-153. The 692
procedure for suspension of a license for being out of compliance 693
with an order for support, and the procedure for the reissuance or 694
reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, and the 695
payment of any fees for the reissuance or reinstatement of a 696
license suspended for that purpose, shall be governed by Section 697
93-11-157 or 93-11-163, as the case may be. Actions taken by the 698
board in suspending a license when required by Section 93-11-157 699
or 93-11-163 are not actions from which an appeal may be taken 700
under this section. Any appeal of a license suspension that is 701
required by Section 93-11-157 or 93-11-163 shall be taken in 702
accordance with the appeal procedure specified in Section 703
93-11-157 or 93-11-163, as the case may be, rather than the 704
procedure specified in this section. If there is any conflict 705
between any provision of Section 93-11-157 or 93-11-163 and any 706
provision of this chapter, the provisions of Section 93-11-157 or 707
93-11-163, as the case may be, shall control. 708
(20) The Department of Education shall grant and renew all 709
licenses and certifications of teachers and administrators within 710
twenty-one (21) days from the date of a completed application if 711
the applicant has otherwise met all established requirements for 712
the license or certification. 713
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ST: School curriculum; require teaching of
certain high school subjects in "C", "D" and "F"
rated districts.
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 714
and after July 1, 2026. 715