HCSHB1998--ELEMENTARYANDSECONDARYEDUCATION
SPONSOR: Davidson
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof10to
6.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
1998.
Thisbillwillrequireschooldistrictswithover6,000students
thatreceivedmoneyunderthefederalAmericanRescuePlanActof
2021tosubmitareporttotheStateBoardofEducation(SBE)
beforeJuly1stofeachyearthatthedistrictreceivedmoney.The
billoutlinesdetailsfromthereportandrequiresittobemade
publiclyavailableontheDepartmentofElementaryandSecondary
Education's(DESE)website(Section160.067,RSMo).
Thisbillwillallowschooldistrictstoissueadistrictteaching
permittoanyindividualwhodoesnotcurrentlyholdanSBEissued
teachingcertificate. Thedistrictteachingpermitallowsthe
holdertoteachonlyintheissuingschooldistrictunlessanother
schooldistrictalsoissuespermitsandrecognizespermitsissued
inthismanneraspartoftheirpolicy.
Thebillrequiresdistrictstodevelopapolicylistingthe
qualifications anindividualshallmeettobeeligibleforthe
teachingpermit,whichinclude,ataminimum,abachelor'sdegree
andbackgroundcheck,aswellasotherrequirementsspecifiedin
thebill.Thenumberofteachersissuedateachingpermitmustnot
exceed15%ofthetotalnumberofteachersemployedinthe
district. Ifanindividualisissuedateachingpermitandteaches
forfouryears,theSBEmayissueateachingcertificateas
specifiedinthebillalternativelytoreceivingacertificatedue
tothepermitalone.
Anyindividualwhoobtainsateachingpermitasdescribedwithin
thebillshallbedeemedateacherforpurposesofdetermining
minimumsalary,tenure,andretirement(Section168.029).
Thisbillprovidesafouryearcertificateforindividualsthat
wanttosubstituteteach.Applicantsforcertificationmust
completeabackgroundcheckandalsohaveatleast36collegehours
orhavecompleteda20houronlinetraining,individualsmustalso
haveahighschooldiplomaorequivalence.
Analternativeroutetocertificationisprovidedforqualified
individualswithtechnicalorbusinessexpertiseorArmedForces experienceandasuperintendent sponsorship.
UntilJune30,2025thisbillallowsretiredteachersthathavea
substitutecertificationtosubstitutepart-timeandnothavethose
hoursandsalaryeffecttheirretirementallowance.
Substitutecertificateswillexpireiftheindividualfailsto
substituteteachforatleastfivedaysor40hoursinacalendar
year,andnoindividualunder20yearsoldmaysubstituteingrades
nine-12.
ThebillalsorequiresthattheDepartmentofElementaryand
SecondaryEducation(DESE)developandmaintainanonline
substitutetrainingprogramwith20hoursoftrainingrelatedto
subjectsappropriateforsubstituteteaching,andauthorizesschool
districtstodevelopdistrictspecificorientationslastingtwo
hours.
ThebillprovidessubstituteteachersbeginningJanuary1,2023
thatapplyforafingerprintbackgroundchecktheopportunityto
submittheresultstouptofivedifferentschooldistrictsfora
specifiedfee(Section168.036RSMo).
Thebilladdsawebbasedsurveytobedevelopedandmaintainedby
DESEthatwillcollectinformationfromsubstitutesattheendof
eachdayofteaching. Districtswillprovidelinkstosubstitute
teacherstoaccessthesurvey,whichwillcontainquestions
regardingthesupportandinteractionwithschoolstaff,student
healthandsafetyissues,amongotherrelevantquestions.
Thebillrequiresthatschooldistrictsandcharterschools
annuallyprovideDESEwithinformationrelatingtosubstitute
teachingasoutlined(Section168.037).
ThisbillissimilartoHCSHB2304(2022)andHCSHB439(2021).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillwillcreatean
alternativemethodforteachercertification, thatwillallow
districtstosetstandardsfortheteachersthattheydesperately
needtofillvacancies.
TestifyingforthebillwasRepresentative Davidson.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatlicensurefor
certificationisnotfundamentallyaschooldistrict'sjobandthat thereneedstobestatewidestandardsforeducators. Thebill
indicatesthatthelicensesissuedmightnotbetransferedbetween
districtssoconcernswereexpressedthatteachersmightlosetheir
jobs.Additionalconcernsincludedspecificprofessional
developmentinreadingandspecialneedseducation.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereMissouriNEA;MikeWood,Missouri
StateTeachersAssociation;andArnieC.Dienoff.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsayenrollmentin
traditionalteachereducationprogramshasdeclinedinthepastfew
yearsandthatthereisasignificantshortageofteachersin
elementary,special,andearlychildhoodeducation.
TestifyingonthebillwasAlanMoss,MostPolicyInitiative.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.