Bill Text: NJ A986 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Simplifies the certification process for out-of-State teachers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Regulated Professions Committee [A986 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A986-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman KEVIN J. ROONEY
District 40 (Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Simplifies the certification process for out-of-State teachers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning teacher certification and supplementing chapter 26 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. An individual holding an out-of-State license or certificate to teach who has completed a teacher preparation program approved by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Teacher Education Accreditation Council, or any other national professional education accreditation body recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation approved by the State Board of Education, shall be eligible for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing in instructional fields without additional requirements.
b. An individual holding an out-of-State license or certificate to teach who has completed that state's non-traditional or alternate route teacher preparation program shall be eligible for a certificate of eligibility in instructional fields without additional requirements.
c. An individual holding the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards certification who also holds a corresponding out-of-State license or certificate to teach shall be eligible for the standard certificate in the National Board for Professional Teacher Standards certification field without additional requirements.
d. An individual holding the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate designation who also holds a corresponding out-of-State license or certificate to teach shall be eligible for the standard certificate in the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate designated field without additional requirements.
e. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections a. and b. of this section to the contrary, the State Board of Examiners may issue a standard certificate to an individual holding an out-of-State license or certificate to teach who meets such requirements as shall be established by the State Board of Education, in addition to the standard certificates that it may issue pursuant to subsections c. and d. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill will allow an individual with an out-of-State license to teach who has completed a teacher preparation program approved by a recognized national professional education accreditation body to be eligible for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (CEAS) in instructional fields in New Jersey, without additional requirements. A comparable provision is included for an individual who has an out-of-State license and has completed that particular State's non-traditional or alternate route teacher preparation program. This provision will allow that individual to become eligible for the certificate of eligibility (CE) without any additional requirements. The CEAS or CE will permit the individual to obtain employment in a school district, receive a provisional license, and after the requisite period of time, receive their standard certificate.
The bill also provides that an individual with an out-of-State license to teach who also holds National Board for Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS) certification will be eligible for the standard certificate in the NBPTS certification field without additional requirements. Similarly, an individual who holds the Meritorious New Teacher Candidate (MNTC) designation and an out-of-State license will be eligible for the standard certificate in the MNTC designated field, also without additional requirements. The provision of a standard certificate in these two instances is currently provided for in the State Board of Education regulations at N.J.A.C.6A:9-8.8 (e) and (f). The provision of a standard certificate under these circumstances recognizes and rewards exceptionally well-prepared teachers.
The bill also provides flexibility to the State Board of Examiners to award standard certificates, in addition to those awarded to out-of-State teachers with the NBPTS certification or the MNTC designation, to other out-of-State teachers under certain conditions that will be established by the State Board of Education.
Many school districts in the State have had difficulty filling teacher vacancies, especially in certain critical subject areas. This bill will help to ease this problem and streamline the complex rules and requirements that have hindered districts in hiring qualified out-of-State teachers.
