Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1684
By Senator Broxson
1-01596-19 20191684__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to educator certification
3 requirements; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; revising the
4 period of validity of a temporary certificate;
5 revising the length of time within which educators who
6 are issued a temporary certificate must complete
7 certain requirements; amending s. 1012.55, F.S.;
8 conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
9 providing an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Subsection (7) of section 1012.56, Florida
14 Statutes, is amended to read:
15 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
16 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
17 (a) The Department of Education shall issue a professional
18 certificate for a period not to exceed 5 years to any applicant
19 who fulfills one of the following:
20 1. Meets all the requirements outlined in subsection (2).
21 2. For a professional certificate covering grades 6 through
22 12:
23 a. Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-(h).
24 b. Holds a master’s or higher degree in the area of
25 science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
26 c. Teaches a high school course in the subject of the
27 advanced degree.
28 d. Is rated highly effective as determined by the teacher’s
29 performance evaluation under s. 1012.34, based in part on
30 student performance as measured by a statewide, standardized
31 assessment or an Advanced Placement, Advanced International
32 Certificate of Education, or International Baccalaureate
33 examination.
34 e. Achieves a passing score on the Florida professional
35 education competency examination required by state board rule.
36 3. Meets the requirements of paragraphs (2)(a)-(h) and
37 completes a professional preparation and education competence
38 program approved by the department pursuant to paragraph (8)(c).
39 An applicant who completes the program and is rated highly
40 effective as determined by his or her performance evaluation
41 under s. 1012.34 is not required to take or achieve a passing
42 score on the professional education competency examination in
43 order to be awarded a professional certificate.
44 (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
45 any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
46 paragraphs (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content
47 requirements specified in state board rule or demonstrates
48 mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and
49 holds an accredited degree or a degree approved by the
50 Department of Education at the level required for the subject
51 area specialization in state board rule.
52 (c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
53 temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
54 certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s
55 degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
56 completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language
57 impairment.
58
59 Each temporary certificate is valid for 2 3 school fiscal years
60 and is nonrenewable. However, The requirement in paragraph
61 (2)(g) must be met within 2 calendar years 1 calendar year of
62 the date of employment under the temporary certificate.
63 Individuals who are employed under contract at the end of the 2
64 1 calendar year time period may continue to be employed through
65 the end of the school year in which they have been contracted. A
66 school district may shall not employ, or continue the employment
67 of, an individual in a position for which a temporary
68 certificate is required beyond this time period if the
69 individual has not met the requirement of paragraph (2)(g). At
70 least 1 year before an individual’s temporary certificate is set
71 to expire, the department shall electronically notify the
72 individual of the date on which his or her certificate will
73 expire and provide a list of each method by which the
74 qualifications for a professional certificate can be completed.
75 The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow the
76 department to extend the validity period of a temporary
77 certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
78 professional certificate, not including the requirement in
79 paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to the serious illness
80 or injury of the applicant, the military service of an
81 applicant’s spouse, or other extraordinary extenuating
82 circumstances. The rules must authorize the department to extend
83 the validity period of a temporary certificate for 1 year if the
84 certificateholder is rated effective or highly effective based
85 solely on a student learning growth formula approved by the
86 Commissioner of Education pursuant to s. 1012.34(8). The
87 department shall reissue the temporary certificate for 2
88 additional years upon approval by the Commissioner of Education.
89 A written request for reissuance of the certificate must shall
90 be submitted by the district school superintendent, the
91 governing authority of a university lab school, the governing
92 authority of a state-supported school, or the governing
93 authority of a private school.
94 Section 2. Paragraph (e) of subsection (1) of section
95 1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
96 1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
97 (1)
98 (e)1. The department shall issue a 2-year 3-year temporary
99 certificate in educational leadership under s. 1012.56(7) to an
100 individual who:
101 a. Earned a passing score on the Florida Educational
102 Leadership Examination.
103 b. Served as a commissioned or noncommissioned military
104 officer in the United States Armed Forces for at least 3 years.
105 c. Was honorably discharged or has retired from the United
106 States Armed Forces.
107 d. Is employed full time in a position for which an
108 educator certificate is required in a Florida public school,
109 state-supported school, or nonpublic school that has a Level II
110 program under s. 1012.562.
111 2. A Level II program under s. 1012.562 must accept an
112 applicant who holds a temporary certificate under subparagraph
113 1. The department shall issue a permanent certification as a
114 school principal to an individual who holds a temporary
115 certificate under subparagraph 1. and successfully completes the
116 Level II program.
117 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.