HOUSE BILL No. 5963

 

April 25, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Elsenheimer, Taub, Hildenbrand, Vander Veen, Palmer, Emmons, Stahl, Booher, Walker, Garfield, Gosselin, Robertson, Baxter, Pastor, Newell and Schuitmaker and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled

 

"The revised school code,"

 

by amending section 1233b (MCL 380.1233b), as amended by 1995 PA 289.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1233b. (1) Except as provided in subsection (3), the

 

board of a local or intermediate school district or governing board

 

of a nonpublic school may engage a full-time or part-time

 

noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher to teach  a course in computer

 

science, a foreign language, mathematics, biology, chemistry,

 

engineering, physics, robotics, or in another subject area

 

determined by the state board to be appropriate to be included

 

under this section and so designated by the state board, or any

 

combination of these subject areas,  in grades 9 through 12 if he


 

or she meets the requirements of subsection (2).

 

     (2) Subject to subsection (3), a noncertificated, nonendorsed

 

teacher is qualified to teach pursuant to this section if he or she

 

meets  all  1 or both of the following minimum requirements:

 

     (a) Possesses an earned master's or doctorate degree from an

 

accredited postsecondary institution in a field of study related to

 

the subject that he or she is assigned to teach.

 

     (b)   (a)  Possesses an earned bachelor's degree from an

 

accredited postsecondary institution. and meets both of the

 

following:

 

     (i)  (b)  Has a major or a  graduate  degree in the field of  

 

specialization  study in which he or she will teach.

 

     (ii) Is annually and continually enrolled and completing credit

 

in an approved teacher preparation program leading to a teaching

 

certificate.

 

      (c) If the teacher desires to teach for more than 1 year, has

 

passed both a basic skills examination and a subject area

 

examination, if a subject area examination exists, in the field of

 

specialization in which he or she will teach.

 

     (d) Except in the case of persons engaged to teach a foreign

 

language, has, in the 5-year period immediately preceding the date

 

of hire, not less than 2 years of occupational experience in the

 

field of specialization in which he or she will teach.

 

     (3) The requirements listed in subsection (2) for a teacher

 

engaged to teach pursuant to this section shall be in addition to

 

any other requirements established by the board of a local or

 

intermediate school district or governing board of a nonpublic


 

school, as applicable.

 

      (4) Except as provided in subsection (5), the board of a

 

local or intermediate school district shall not engage a full-time

 

or part-time noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher to teach a course

 

described in subsection (1) if the district is able to engage a

 

certificated, endorsed teacher.

 

     (5) If the board of a local or intermediate school district is

 

able to engage a certificated, endorsed teacher to teach a course

 

described in subsection (1), the local or intermediate school board

 

may employ or continue to employ a noncertificated, nonendorsed

 

teacher to teach the course if both of the following conditions are

 

met:

 

     (a) The noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher is annually and

 

continually enrolled and completing credit in an approved teacher

 

preparation program leading to a provisional teaching certificate.

 

     (b) The noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher has a planned

 

program leading to teacher certification on file with the employing

 

school district or intermediate school district, his or her teacher

 

preparation institution, and the department of education.

 

     (4)   (6)  If the noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher

 

completes 3 years of successful classroom teaching, as determined

 

by regular observation and review by school district and teacher

 

preparation institution personnel, the department  of education  

 

and a teacher preparation institution shall utilize the teaching

 

experience of a noncertificated, nonendorsed teacher for the

 

purpose of waiving student teaching as a condition for receiving a  

 

continued employment authorization in the school district and a


 

provisional  teaching certificate.