REVISE TEACHER CERTIFICATION AND MENTORSHIP PRACTICES
House Bill 4716
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Nofs
Committee: Education
Complete to 5-28-03
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4716 AS INTRODUCED 5-21-03
House Bill 4716 would amend the Revised School Code to require the Department of Education to appoint a 13-member committee of school board members and principals in order to recommend revisions to the teacher certification rules and mentorship practices currently specified under the code.
Under the bill, the department would be required to appoint a committee that consisted of seven principals and six school board members. The Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House would each appoint three principals and two school board members, and the governor would appoint one principal and two school board members.
Not later than one year after the bill took effect, the committee would be required to review the teacher certification rules and recommend revisions to the superintendent of public instruction. Further, within that year the committee members would be required to review the mentorship practices taking place under the code, and make recommendations to the state superintendent about possible legislation or rules that would improve those mentorship practices. The bill requires that not later than one year after receiving the recommendations, the state superintendent revise the rules in accord with the committee's recommendations.
Currently under the law, for the first three years of employment in classroom teaching, a teacher is assigned to at least one master teacher (or college professor or a retired master teacher) who acts as a mentor. During that three-year period, the teacher also receives intensive professional development induction into teaching, based upon a professional development plan, and consisting of at least 15 days over the three-year period.
Further, current law specifies that the superintendent of public instruction is responsible for determining the requirements for, and for issuing, all licenses and certificates for teachers (including preprimary teachers), the requirements for an endorsement of teachers as qualified counselors, and the requirements for an endorsement for teaching a foreign language in an elementary grade. Under the law, the superintendent can only issue a certificate to a person who has passed the appropriate exams for a secondary teaching certificate or for an elementary level teaching certificate. [For a secondary certificate, a teacher must pass both the basic skills exam, and the appropriate subject area exam in which he or she applies to be certified. For an
elementary certificate, a teacher must pass the basis skills exam; if available, the elementary certificate exam; and, also the appropriate subject area exams for each subject area, if any, in which he or she applies to be certified.]
MCL 380.1526 and 380.1531
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.