House File 454 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 454 BY HENDERSON , THOMSON , and DETERMANN A BILL FOR An Act relating to administrators employed by school districts, 1 including requiring administrators to provide instruction to 2 students and modifying the responsibilities of the board of 3 educational examiners. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 454 Section 1. Section 272.2, subsection 14, Code 2023, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. The board may suspend the license of an 3 administrator upon the boards finding by a preponderance of 4 the evidence that the administrator violated section 279.77. 5 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 279.77 Administrators teaching 6 requirements. 7 1. Each school district containing two or more high schools, 8 three or more middle schools, or four or more elementary 9 schools shall do all of the following: 10 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the 11 school district as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, 12 or school district department head to teach at least one 13 one-semester class, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at 14 least once every three years. 15 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 16 district as a high school principal or middle school principal 17 to teach at least three one-semester classes, or the trimester 18 or quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 19 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 20 district as an elementary school principal to teach at least 21 two subject areas in an elementary school class for at least 22 one semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least 23 once every three years. 24 d. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 25 district as a high school or middle school assistant principal, 26 director of athletics, dean of students, or any similar 27 position to teach at least three one-semester classes, or the 28 trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two years. 29 e. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 30 district as an elementary school assistant principal, dean of 31 students, or any similar position to teach at least two subject 32 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester, 33 or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two 34 years. 35 -1- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 1/ 6
H.F. 454 2. Each school district containing one high school, at 1 least one but not more than two middle schools, or at least one 2 but not more than three elementary schools shall do all of the 3 following: 4 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 5 district as a superintendent or assistant superintendent to 6 teach at least one one-semester class, or the trimester or 7 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 8 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 9 district as an administrator in a high school or middle school, 10 and who are not described in paragraph a , c , d , or e , to 11 teach at least three one-semester classes, or the trimester or 12 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 13 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 14 district as an administrator in an elementary school, and who 15 are not described in paragraph a , b , d , or e , to teach 16 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 17 least one semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at 18 least once every three years. 19 d. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 20 district as a high school or middle school assistant principal, 21 director of athletics, dean of students, or any similar 22 position to teach at least two one-semester classes, or the 23 trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two years. 24 e. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 25 district as an elementary school assistant principal, dean of 26 students, or any similar position to teach at least two subject 27 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester, 28 or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two 29 years. 30 3. Each school district containing one middle school, one 31 elementary school, or no high schools shall do all of the 32 following: 33 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 34 district as a superintendent or assistant superintendent to 35 -2- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 2/ 6
H.F. 454 teach at least one one-semester class, or the trimester or 1 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 2 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 3 district as an administrator in a high school or middle school, 4 and who are not described in paragraph a or c , to teach at 5 least three one-semester classes, or the trimester or quarter 6 equivalent, at least once every three years. 7 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 8 district as an administrator in an elementary school, and who 9 are not described in paragraph a or b , to teach at least two 10 subject areas in an elementary school class for at least one 11 semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once 12 every three years. 13 4. If more than one of subsections 1, 2, and 3 apply 14 to a school district, the school district shall meet the 15 requirements of subsection 2 in order to comply with this 16 section. 17 5. The superintendent of each school district shall ensure 18 that administrators employed by the school district comply 19 with this section. The superintendent of each school district 20 shall report to the department of education on an annual basis 21 regarding the school districts compliance with this section. 22 6. If the board of directors of a school district finds 23 that an administrator employed by the school district failed 24 to comply with this section, the administrator shall be 25 subject to a hearing conducted by the board of educational 26 examiners pursuant to section 272.2, subsection 14, which may 27 result in disciplinary action, including the suspension of the 28 administrators license. 29 7. An administrator providing instruction pursuant to 30 this section shall hold a valid license issued by the board 31 of educational examiners with an endorsement for the type of 32 instruction provided by the administrator. 33 8. For purposes of this section, administrator means the 34 same as defined in section 272.1. 35 -3- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 3/ 6
H.F. 454 EXPLANATION 1 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 This bill relates to administrators employed by school 4 districts, including requiring administrators to provide 5 instruction to students and modifying the responsibilities of 6 the board of educational examiners (BOEE). 7 The bill provides that school districts containing two or 8 more high schools, three or more middle schools, or four or 9 more elementary schools shall require certain administrators 10 to provide instruction to students. The bill requires that 11 all administrators employed as superintendents, assistant 12 superintendents, or school district department heads teach at 13 least one one-semester class at least once every three years. 14 The bill also requires that all administrators employed as 15 high school principals or middle school principals teach at 16 least three one-semester classes at least once every three 17 years. Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 18 employed as elementary school principals teach at least two 19 subject areas in an elementary school class for at least one 20 semester at least once every three years. The bill also 21 requires that all administrators employed as high school or 22 middle school assistant principals, directors of athletics, 23 deans of students, or any similar positions teach at least 24 three one-semester classes at least once every two years. 25 Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 26 employed as elementary school assistant principals, deans of 27 students, or any similar positions teach at least two subject 28 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester 29 at least once every two years. 30 The bill provides that school districts containing one high 31 school, at least one but not more than two middle schools, 32 or at least one but not more than three elementary schools 33 shall require certain administrators to provide instruction 34 to students. The bill requires that all administrators 35 -4- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 4/ 6
H.F. 454 employed as superintendents or assistant superintendents teach 1 at least one one-semester class at least once every three 2 years. Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 3 employed as high school or middle school assistant principals, 4 directors of athletics, deans of students, or any similar 5 positions teach at least two one-semester classes at least 6 once every two years. The bill also requires that all 7 administrators employed as elementary school assistant 8 principals, deans of students, or any similar positions teach 9 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class 10 for at least one semester at least once every two years. 11 Additionally, the bill requires other administrators in a high 12 school or middle school to teach at least three one-semester 13 classes at least once every three years. The bill also 14 requires other administrators in an elementary school to teach 15 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 16 least one semester at least once every three years. The bill 17 applies these same requirements to each school district that 18 fits into two or more of the categories of school districts 19 described in the bill. 20 The bill provides that school districts containing one 21 middle school, one elementary school, or no high schools shall 22 require certain administrators to provide instruction to 23 students. The bill requires that all administrators employed 24 as superintendents or assistant superintendents teach at 25 least one one-semester class at least once every three years. 26 Additionally, the bill requires other administrators in a high 27 school or middle school to teach at least three one-semester 28 classes at least once every three years. The bill also 29 requires other administrators in an elementary school to teach 30 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 31 least one semester at least once every three years. 32 The bill provides that the superintendent of each school 33 district shall ensure that administrators employed by the 34 school district comply with the bills provisions. The bill 35 -5- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 5/ 6
H.F. 454 requires the superintendent to report to the department of 1 education on an annual basis regarding the school districts 2 compliance with the bills provisions. 3 The bill provides that if the board of directors of a school 4 district finds that an administrator failed to comply with the 5 bills provisions, the administrator shall be subject to a 6 hearing conducted by the BOEE that may result in disciplinary 7 action, including the suspension of the administrators 8 license. 9 The bill requires that an administrator providing 10 instruction pursuant to the bills provisions hold a valid 11 license issued by the BOEE with an endorsement for the type of 12 instruction provided by the administrator. 13 The bill defines administrator as a person who is licensed 14 to coordinate, supervise, or direct an educational program or 15 the activities of other practitioners. 16 -6- LSB 2119YH (3) 90 jda/jh 6/ 6