| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to education; modifying provisions for teachers licensed in another state |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 to teach in Minnesota; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 122A.185, |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 subdivision 1; 122A.40, subdivision 5; 122A.41, subdivision 2. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.185, subdivision 1, is amended to read: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 Subdivision 1.Tests.(a) The board must adopt rules requiring applicants for Tier 3 and |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8Tier 4 licenses to pass an examination or performance assessment of general pedagogical |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9knowledge and examinations or assessments of licensure field specific content. An applicant |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10is exempt from the examination requirements if the applicant: |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (1) completed a board-approved teacher preparation program; |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 (2) completed licensure via portfolio pursuant to section 122A.18, subdivision 10, and |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13the portfolio has been recommended; |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (3) obtained national board certification from the National Board for Professional |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15Teaching Standards; or |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 (4) completed a state-approved teacher preparation program in another state and passed |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17licensure examinations in that state, if applicable. The content examination requirement |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18does not apply if no relevant content exam exists. A candidate who successfully completed |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19a teacher preparation program and passed licensure examinations in another state is not |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20required to pass additional similar examinations in Minnesota. |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21 (b) All testing centers in the state must provide monthly opportunities for untimed content |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1.22and pedagogy examinations. These opportunities must be advertised on the test registration |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 24 | 24 | | REVISOR CR/LJ 25-0351202/07/25 |
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| 25 | 25 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 26 | 26 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 27 | 27 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 28 | 28 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 29 | 29 | | H. F. No. 585 |
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| 30 | 30 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 31 | 31 | | Authored by Quam02/13/2025 |
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| 32 | 32 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Policy 2.1website. The board must require the exam vendor to provide other equitable opportunities |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.2to pass exams, including: (1) waiving testing fees for test takers who qualify for federal |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.3grants; (2) providing free, multiple, full-length practice tests for each exam and free, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.4comprehensive study guides on the test registration website; (3) making content and pedagogy |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.5exams available in languages other than English for teachers seeking licensure to teach in |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.6language immersion programs; and (4) providing free, detailed exam results analysis by |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.7test objective to assist applicants who do not pass an exam in identifying areas for |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.8improvement. Any applicant who has not passed a required exam after two attempts must |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.9be allowed to retake the exam, including new versions of the exam, without being charged |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.10an additional fee. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.11 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.40, subdivision 5, is amended to read: |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.12 Subd. 5.Probationary period.(a) The first three consecutive years of a teacher's first |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.13teaching experience in Minnesota in a single district are deemed to be a probationary period |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.14of employment, and, the probationary period in each district in which the teacher is thereafter |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.15employed shall be one year. The school board must adopt a plan for written evaluation of |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.16teachers during the probationary period that is consistent with subdivision 8. Evaluation |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.17must occur at least three times periodically throughout each school year for a teacher |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.18performing services during that school year; the first evaluation must occur within the first |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.1990 days of teaching service. Days devoted to parent-teacher conferences, teachers' workshops, |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.20and other staff development opportunities and days on which a teacher is absent from school |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.21must not be included in determining the number of school days on which a teacher performs |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.22services. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b), during the probationary period any |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.23annual contract with any teacher may or may not be renewed as the school board shall see |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.24fit. However, the board must give any such teacher whose contract it declines to renew for |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.25the following school year written notice to that effect before July 1. If the teacher requests |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.26reasons for any nonrenewal of a teaching contract, the board must give the teacher its reason |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.27in writing, including a statement that appropriate supervision was furnished describing the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.28nature and the extent of such supervision furnished the teacher during the employment by |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.29the board, within ten days after receiving such request. The school board may, after a hearing |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2.30held upon due notice, discharge a teacher during the probationary period for cause, effective |
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| 62 | 62 | | 2.31immediately, under section 122A.44. |
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| 63 | 63 | | 2.32 (b) A board must discharge a probationary teacher, effective immediately, upon receipt |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2.33of notice under section 122A.20, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), that the teacher's license has |
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| 65 | 65 | | 2.34been revoked due to a conviction for child abuse or sexual abuse. |
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| 66 | 66 | | 2Sec. 2. |
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| 67 | 67 | | REVISOR CR/LJ 25-0351202/07/25 3.1 (c) A probationary teacher whose first three years of consecutive employment are |
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| 68 | 68 | | 3.2interrupted for active military service and who promptly resumes teaching consistent with |
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| 69 | 69 | | 3.3federal reemployment timelines for uniformed service personnel under United States Code, |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.4title 38, section 4312(e), is considered to have a consecutive teaching experience for purposes |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.5of paragraph (a). |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.6 (d) A probationary teacher whose first three years of consecutive employment are |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.7interrupted for maternity, paternity, or medical leave and who resumes teaching within 12 |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.8months of when the leave began is considered to have a consecutive teaching experience |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.9for purposes of paragraph (a) if the probationary teacher completes a combined total of |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3.10three years of teaching service immediately before and after the leave. |
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| 77 | 77 | | 3.11 (e) A probationary teacher must complete at least 90 days of teaching service each year |
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| 78 | 78 | | 3.12during the probationary period. Days devoted to parent-teacher conferences, teachers' |
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| 79 | 79 | | 3.13workshops, and other staff development opportunities and days on which a teacher is absent |
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| 80 | 80 | | 3.14from school do not count as days of teaching service under this paragraph. |
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| 81 | 81 | | 3.15 (f) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a teacher who has taught for three |
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| 82 | 82 | | 3.16consecutive years in a single school district or single charter school in Minnesota or another |
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| 83 | 83 | | 3.17state must serve a probationary period of no longer than one year in a Minnesota school |
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| 84 | 84 | | 3.18district. |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3.19 (g) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a teacher with three consecutive years of |
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| 86 | 86 | | 3.20teaching experience in another state who served a probationary period in another state must |
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| 87 | 87 | | 3.21serve a probationary period of no longer than one year in a Minnesota school district. |
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| 88 | 88 | | 3.22 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.41, subdivision 2, is amended to read: |
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| 89 | 89 | | 3.23 Subd. 2.Probationary period; discharge or demotion.(a) The first three consecutive |
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| 90 | 90 | | 3.24years of a teacher's first teaching experience in Minnesota in a single district are deemed to |
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| 91 | 91 | | 3.25be a probationary period of employment, and the probationary period in each district in |
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| 92 | 92 | | 3.26which the teacher is thereafter employed shall be one year. The school site management |
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| 93 | 93 | | 3.27team or the school board if there is no school site management team, shall adopt a plan for |
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| 94 | 94 | | 3.28a written evaluation of teachers during the probationary period according to subdivisions 3 |
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| 95 | 95 | | 3.29and 5. Evaluation by the peer review committee charged with evaluating probationary |
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| 96 | 96 | | 3.30teachers under subdivision 3 shall occur at least three times periodically throughout each |
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| 97 | 97 | | 3.31school year for a teacher performing services during that school year; the first evaluation |
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| 98 | 98 | | 3.32must occur within the first 90 days of teaching service. Days devoted to parent-teacher |
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| 99 | 99 | | 3.33conferences, teachers' workshops, and other staff development opportunities and days on |
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| 100 | 100 | | 3.34which a teacher is absent from school shall not be included in determining the number of |
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| 101 | 101 | | 3Sec. 3. |
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| 102 | 102 | | REVISOR CR/LJ 25-0351202/07/25 4.1school days on which a teacher performs services. The school board may, during such |
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| 103 | 103 | | 4.2probationary period, discharge or demote a teacher for any of the causes as specified in this |
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| 104 | 104 | | 4.3code. A written statement of the cause of such discharge or demotion shall be given to the |
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| 105 | 105 | | 4.4teacher by the school board at least 30 days before such removal or demotion shall become |
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| 106 | 106 | | 4.5effective, and the teacher so notified shall have no right of appeal therefrom. |
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| 107 | 107 | | 4.6 (b) A probationary teacher whose first three years of consecutive employment are |
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| 108 | 108 | | 4.7interrupted for active military service and who promptly resumes teaching consistent with |
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| 109 | 109 | | 4.8federal reemployment timelines for uniformed service personnel under United States Code, |
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| 110 | 110 | | 4.9title 38, section 4312(e), is considered to have a consecutive teaching experience for purposes |
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| 111 | 111 | | 4.10of paragraph (a). |
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| 112 | 112 | | 4.11 (c) A probationary teacher whose first three years of consecutive employment are |
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| 113 | 113 | | 4.12interrupted for maternity, paternity, or medical leave and who resumes teaching within 12 |
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| 114 | 114 | | 4.13months of when the leave began is considered to have a consecutive teaching experience |
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| 115 | 115 | | 4.14for purposes of paragraph (a) if the probationary teacher completes a combined total of |
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| 116 | 116 | | 4.15three years of teaching service immediately before and after the leave. |
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| 117 | 117 | | 4.16 (d) A probationary teacher must complete at least 90 days of teaching service each year |
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| 118 | 118 | | 4.17during the probationary period. Days devoted to parent-teacher conferences, teachers' |
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| 119 | 119 | | 4.18workshops, and other staff development opportunities and days on which a teacher is absent |
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| 120 | 120 | | 4.19from school do not count as days of teaching service under this paragraph. |
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| 121 | 121 | | 4.20 (e) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a teacher who has taught for three |
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| 122 | 122 | | 4.21consecutive years in a single school district or single charter school in Minnesota or another |
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| 123 | 123 | | 4.22state must serve a probationary period of no longer than one year in a Minnesota school |
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| 124 | 124 | | 4.23district. |
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| 125 | 125 | | 4.24 (f) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a teacher with three consecutive years of |
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| 126 | 126 | | 4.25teaching experience in another state who served a probationary period in another state must |
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| 127 | 127 | | 4.26serve a probationary period of no longer than one year in a Minnesota school district. |
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| 128 | 128 | | 4Sec. 3. |
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| 129 | 129 | | REVISOR CR/LJ 25-0351202/07/25 |
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