Part-time or adjunct instructor in public schools; locally awarded subject matter expert credential.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how many times an individual can renew their special teaching credential or if there are limits on the number of courses they can teach beyond one per semester.

Part-time Teachers in Public Schools; Expert Credentials

This bill allows school districts and community colleges to issue special teaching credentials for up to one year to individuals with expertise in specific subject areas of career and technical education, enabling them to teach one course per semester.

What This Bill Does

• Allows division superintendents or comprehensive community colleges to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert credential for up to one year to individuals who demonstrate expertise in career and technical education subjects.
• Requires these experts to undergo background checks before being allowed to teach.
• Mandates that each school board assigns an experienced teacher as a mentor to supervise the expert teachers.
• Permits division superintendents to renew the special teaching credential for an additional year if the individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations.

Who It Names or Affects

• Part-time or adjunct instructors in public schools and comprehensive community colleges
• School boards and division superintendents

Terms To Know

Subject Matter Expert Credential

A special teaching credential given to individuals who have expertise in specific subject areas of career and technical education.

Mentor

An experienced teacher assigned by a school board to supervise and support part-time or adjunct instructors with the subject matter expert credential.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how many times an individual can renew their special teaching credential.
• It is unclear if there are any limits on the number of courses a person with this credential can teach beyond one per semester.

Official Summary Text

Part-time or adjunct instructors in public schools; locally awarded subject matter expert credentials; career and technical education subjects or courses.
Establishes, enumerates criteria for, and permits a division superintendent or a comprehensive community college to issue a locally awarded subject matter expert teaching credential, valid for a period of one year, to any individual who demonstrates expertise in content or subject matter area relating to career and technical education in order for such individual to provide instruction or coursework in one career and technical education course per semester in grades six through 12 at any public school in the Commonwealth or comprehensive community college in the Commonwealth, including dual enrollment or concurrent enrollment courses. The bill delineates the criteria for issuance of such locally awarded subject matter expert credential. The bill also contains several provisions relating to the employment of individuals under a locally awarded subject matter expert credential, including (i) permitting any school division or institution of higher education to hire any such individual as a part-time or adjunct instructor to teach a career and technical education subject or course; (ii) requiring any such individual to be subject to a background clearance check and the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements required as a condition of employment of any applicant who is offered or accepts employment at a school division pursuant to applicable law; (iii) requiring each employing school board to assign an individual employed by such school board as a mentor to supervise any individual issued a locally awarded subject matter expert credential; and (iv) permitting any division superintendent to renew an individual's locally awarded subject matter expert credential for a period not to exceed one additional year, provided that such individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations. Finally, the bill requires each school board to annually report to the Department of Education the number of locally awarded subject matter expert credentials issued pursuant to the provisions of the bill.

Current Bill Text

HB 1023

SUBCOMMITTEE

1. Line 530, introduced, after
courses

insert

and advanced, externally validated courses aligned to career and technical education programs or pathways