Creating High School Educator Flexibility Act

SB 489 Text

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION

FISCAL NOTE

Introduced
Senate Bill 489
By Senator Rucker
[Introduced January 19, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §18-2L-1, §18-2L-2, and §18-2L-3, relating to course-specific teaching; providing a short title; providing definitions; and establishing course-specific teaching permits.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2L. High School Educator FlexIbility Act of 2026.

§18-2L-1. Short title.

This article shall be known as "The High School Educator Flexibility Act."
§18-2L-2. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article:
(1) "Approved professional learning" means a professional learning experience facilitated by an approved provider that satisfies all the following conditions:
(A) The professional learning consists of no fewer than 30 clock hours of course-specific content and pedagogy instruction offered in one training or in sequenced modules completed within a single year;
(B) Professional learning sessions are anchored to the provider’s course framework;
(C) Professional learning sessions are facilitated by an individual the provider has formally vetted and then endorsed after completing the provider’s own faculty-development program and maintaining currency with the latest framework version; and
(D) At the conclusion of professional learning, participants receive a dated certificate verifying the course title, hours earned, and the approved provider’s name; districts shall accept that certificate as proof of compliance, verifying the course title, hours earned, and the approved provider's name.
(2) "Approved provider" means a U.S.-based, non-profit educational organization that publishes the curriculum framework for each high-quality course and requires each school offering the course to secure course authorization.
(3) “Eligible educator” means a currently certified educator, including:
(A) Teachers certified through alternative pathways;
(B) Individuals holding a state-issued conditional teaching license who possess a bachelor’s or associate degree relevant to the high-quality course; or
(C) Individuals who hold valid professional educator certificates but do not possess an endorsement for a specific subject area.
(4) "High-quality course" means a high school course that:
(A) Is designed and maintained in partnership with:
(i) Accredited postsecondary institutions;
(ii) Postsecondary institutions that are actively pursuing accreditation and have been verified for quality by the state board of education/state department of education; or
(iii) Industry representatives.
§18-2L-3 Establishment of course-specific teaching permit.

(a) The Board of Education or West Virginia Commission for Professional Teaching Standards shall establish a course-specific teaching permit for eligible educators that:
(1) Authorizes eligible educators to teach a high-quality course outside their formally endorsed certification area;
(2) Is permanently issued to the educator upon completion of approved professional learning directly linked to the specific high-quality course content; and
(3) Once earned by an educator, enables them to immediately begin classroom instruction.
(b) Public school districts shall have the authority and flexibility to assign educators holding course-specific teaching permits to classrooms requiring such specialized instructional capacity.
(c) The Board of Education shall maintain, and update on an annual basis, a list of:
(1) Approved high-quality courses eligible for staffing through course-specific teaching permits;
(2) Approved providers who facilitate approved professional learning experiences; and
(3) Approved professional learning experiences.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a course-specific teaching permit system allowing certified educators to teach high-quality academic or career-technical courses outside their formal endorsement areas once they complete approved professional learning tied to that course.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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