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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | November 2, 2020 10:29 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Carolyn T. Comitta |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Student - Teacher Flexibility |
| I will introduce legislation that will ensure student teacher requirements remain flexible for the 2020-2021 school year. The pandemic upended the student teacher experience for many of our future educators and it threatens do so again. This is unfortunate and has the potential to exacerbate the existing teacher shortage crisis. Requirements around student teaching competencies state that no more than 50 percent of student teaching can occur in an online setting. Act 13 of 2020 provided the Secretary with the authority to waive the twelve-week student teacher requirement under 22 Pa. Code § 354.25(f) for the 2019-20 academic year. It is very likely that we need to extend flexibility on student teacher programs for the 2020-21 school year. Regulations around student teacher programs did not contemplate a pandemic and pause on in-person instruction in the current school year. My legislation will simply extend the flexibility provided under Act 13 and allow approved teacher preparation programs to modify their student teaching experiences in a way that maintains quality standards and aligns with the Department's recommendations. I encourage you to co-sponsor this legislation. Thank you. |
Introduced as HB2962