Enact the Future Educators Support Act

As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 205

2025-2026

Representatives Brennan, Jones

Cosponsors: Representatives White,
E., Rader, Deeter, Piccolantonio, Williams, Sigrist, Daniels,
Pizzulli, Isaacsohn, Miller, J., Rogers, Synenberg, Thomas, D.,
Manning, Denson, Mohamed, Baker, McNally, Somani, Upchurch, Click,
Abrams, Robinson, Cockley, Hall, D.

To
enact sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 3345.83, and 6301.113 of
the Revised Code
to
enact the Future Educators Support Act regarding financial support
for student teachers, teaching as an in-demand job, and school
district staffing surveys.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
That
sections 3301.24, 3301.82, 3319.70, 3345.83, and 6301.113 of the
Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec.
3301.24.
(A)
The department of education and workforce shall develop and
administer an annual online staffing survey. The superintendent or
superintendent's designee of each local, exempted village, or city
school district shall complete the survey once per school year using
staffing numbers as of the first day of each school year.

(B)
The department shall require the following data be collected in each
staffing survey:

(1)
The number of each of the following positions that are vacant or
filled by an individual who is not fully licensed for the position:

(a)
Teachers, categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(b)
School psychologists;

(c)
Speech-language pathologists;

(d)
Occupational therapists;

(e)
School counselors;

(f)
School social workers;

(g)
School nurses;

(h)
Other positions, as determined by the department.

(2)
The number of teaching positions filled by long-term substitutes,
categorized by required license and endorsement area;

(3)
The number of teaching positions filled by retired teachers who have
renewed an expired license or returned to the classroom under a
permanent teaching certificate, categorized by required license and
endorsement area;

(4)
The number of positions filled by teachers who hold an alternative
license that allows the individual to be employed as a teacher while
progressing toward obtaining full licensure, categorized by required
license and endorsement area;

(5)
The number of positions specified in division (B)(1) of this section
that are held by employees that are new to the positions;

(6)
Any other relevant data, as determined by the department.

(C)
The department of education and workforce shall produce an annual
report summarizing the department's findings of each year's staffing
surveys. The department shall submit the report to the general
assembly and department of higher education for consideration in the
oversight and development of educator preparation programs.

(D)
The department of education and workforce shall publish the annual
report and a summary of each staffing survey on which the annual
report is based on its web site.

Sec.
3301.82.
(A)
The department of education and workforce may provide either of the
following to an individual enrolled in a teacher preparation program
during the period in which the individual is required to work in a
school building as a student teacher:

(1)
A cost-of-living stipend. A student teacher may receive the
cost-of-living stipend authorized under this section in addition to
receiving payment from a school district or school in accordance with
section 3319.70 of the Revised Code.

(2)
Test fee waivers or reimbursements based on financial need.

(B)
If the department chooses to implement this section, it shall
establish procedures to do so.

Sec.
3319.70.
(A)
As used in this section:

(1)
"Public school district" means all of the following:

(a)
A city, local, exempted village, or joint vocational school district;

(b)
An educational service center;

(c)
A community school established under Chapter 3314. of the Revised
Code;

(d)
A STEM school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code;

(e)
A college-preparatory boarding school established under Chapter 3328.
of the Revised Code.

(2)
"Student teacher" means an individual who teaches students
either independently or under supervision as part of a teacher
preparation program approved under section 3333.048 of the Revised
Code that the individual must complete as a requirement to receive an
educator license under this chapter.

(B)
A public school district may do either of the following:

(1)
Pay a student teacher in the district a wage rate that is not less
than the wage rate calculated in accordance with Ohio Constitution,
Article II, Section 34a and section 4111.02 of the Revised Code;

(2)
Offer a student teacher in the district health care benefits on the
same terms and conditions as health care benefits provided to
teachers in the district.

Sec.
3345.83.
A
state institution of higher education, as defined in section 3345.011
of the Revised Code, may waive all or part of an individual's tuition
for the academic period in which the individual enrolled in a teacher
preparation program is required to work as a student teacher in a
school building.

The
chancellor of higher education shall establish procedures for state
institutions that choose to implement this section.

Sec.
6301.113.
The
department of job and family services shall update the list of
in-demand jobs required under section 6301.11 of the Revised Code to
include teachers, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the
methodology developed under that section.

Section
2.
This
act shall be known as the Future Educators Support Act.