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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 17, 2016 12:13 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Kristin Hill and Rep. Pamela A. DeLissio |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Expediting and removing barriers to teacher certification |
| In the near future, we will introduce legislation that alleviates financial and logistical barriers for members of our military and their spouses to receive educator certification in Pennsylvania. The legislation also allows educators with inactive Pennsylvania certification who have maintained “active” certification in other states to return to Pennsylvania and have their certification be returned to active status. First, this legislation expedites the educator certification processing time at the PA Department of Education (PDE) for individuals who serve or have served in the United States Armed Forces and their spouses to ensure that certification is processed within two weeks. This legislation also limits the administrative fees payable to PDE to a $25 professional discipline fee and a $10 certification fee. According to the National Military Family Association, 42 states allow for expedited review of licenses for members of the military and their spouses. Second, this legislation allows educators who elect to have their PA certification placed on “inactive” status upon leaving the state to return to active status more quickly if they return. Upon returning to Pennsylvania and applying to be placed on active status, an educator who (i) holds a valid certificate in another state; (ii) provides evidence of compliance with the continuing professional education requirements of the other state; and (iii) was employed on the certificate in the other state within the year prior to the application may return immediately to active status. Such an educator will retain the same number of professional development credit hours and the same amount of time in which to complete the 180 professional development credit hour requirement as the educator had at the time of moving to inactive status. Please join us in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation, so we can further support military families and Pennsylvania certified educators who have gained invaluable experience teaching in other states when they return home. |
Introduced as HB2078