Bill Text: CA AB757 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 757 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Teacher credentialing: out-of-state prepared teachers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB757 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB757-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 13, 2023

Amended IN Assembly March 02, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 757

Introduced by Assembly Member Cervantes

February 13, 2023

An act to amend Section ~~44343.5~~ 44274.2 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 757, as amended, Cervantes. Teacher credentialing: ~~spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces: expedited application process.~~ out-of-state prepared teachers.

(1) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to issue a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to an out-of-state applicant who satisfies specified requirements and, as part of one of those requirements, authorizes the commission to require an applicant to meet California subject matter requirements before issuing a clear credential if the subject area listed on the out-of-state credential does not correspond to a California subject area, as specified. Existing law requires the commission to issue a clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to an applicant who satisfies specified requirements, including, among other things, providing 2 satisfactory performance evaluations for verification of 2 or more years of teaching experience.
This bill would eliminate the provision that authorizes the commission to require an out-of-state preliminary teaching credential applicant to meet California subject matter requirements before issuing a clear credential and would require the commission to instead issue a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared teacher in general education and issue a preliminary education specialist credential in mild to moderate support needs to an out-of-state prepared teacher in special education, as provided. The bill would eliminate the provision that requires an out-of-state clear teaching credential applicant to provide 2 satisfactory performance evaluations and would instead authorize those out-of-state applicants to provide an experience verification letter, as specified, or a copy of a signed teaching contract to meet the requirement of verifying 2 or more years of teaching experience.
(2) Existing law requires an out-of-state applicant who is issued a preliminary or clear teaching credential pursuant to the above-described provisions to meet the basic skills proficiency requirement within one year of the date the credential is issued or the credential becomes invalid.
The bill would eliminate the requirement that an out-of-state applicant meet the basic skills proficiency requirement within one year of the date the credential is issued.
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to grant or deny a completed application for a credential within 7 days of the date that the commission received the application if the applicant supplies the commission with evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders and holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States.
~~This bill would require the commission to post information regarding the latter requirement on its internet website.~~

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 44274.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:

44274.2.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, the commission shall issue a five-year preliminary multiple subject teaching credential authorizing instruction in a self-contained classroom, a five-year preliminary single subject teaching credential authorizing instruction in departmentalized classes, or a five-year preliminary education specialist credential authorizing instruction of special education pupils to an out-of-state prepared teacher who meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Possesses a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.

(2) Has completed a teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited institution of higher education or a state-approved teacher preparation program offered by a local educational agency.

(3) Meets the subject matter knowledge requirements for the credential. If the subject area listed on the out-of-state credential does not correspond to a California subject area, as specified in Sections 44257 and 44282, the commission ~~may require the applicant to meet California subject matter requirements before issuing a clear credential.~~ shall do the following, as applicable:

(A) For an out-of-state prepared teacher in general education, issue a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential. Applicants that are issued a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential pursuant to this subparagraph may obtain a preliminary single subject teaching credential through existing regulatory provisions that allow for adding an additional general education teaching credential.
(B) For an out-of-state prepared teacher in special education, issue a preliminary education specialist credential in mild to moderate support needs.

(4) Has earned a valid corresponding elementary, secondary, or special education teaching credential based upon the out-of-state teacher preparation program. For the education specialist credential, the commission shall determine the area of concentration based on the special education program completed out of state, or shall allow the candidate to demonstrate the area of concentration based on two years of experience in California, while the candidate holds the preliminary credential.

(5) Has successfully completed a criminal background check conducted under Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341 for credentialing purposes.

(b)The holder of a credential issued pursuant to this section shall meet the state basic skills proficiency requirement set forth in Section 44252 within one year of the date the credential is issued or the credential shall become invalid.
~~(c)~~

(b) The commission shall issue a clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to an applicant who satisfies ~~the~~ all of the following requirements:

(1) Meets the requirements of subdivision ~~(a), provides~~ (a).

(2) Provides verification of two or more years of teaching ~~experience, including, but not necessarily limited to, two satisfactory performance evaluations, and documents, in a manner prescribed by the commission, that the applicant has met the~~ experience. An applicant may verify their experience by including copies of signed teaching contracts or including an experience verification letter from the human resources office of the county of prior employment, the human resources office of the school district of prior employment, or an administrator of the schoolsite of prior employment.

(3) Meets the state requirements for teaching English learners, including, but not necessarily limited to, the requirements in Section 44253.3 or 44259.5.

~~(d)~~

(c) For applicants who do not meet the experience requirement described in paragraph (2) of subdivision ~~(c),~~ (b), the commission shall issue a clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential upon verification of the following requirements:

(1) The commission has issued to the applicant a preliminary five-year teaching credential pursuant to subdivision (a). However, an out-of-state prepared applicant in both special education and general education, who has earned a clear California education specialist credential, shall be granted a clear multiple subject or clear single subject teaching credential without first holding a preliminary multiple subject or single subject teaching credential, unless the commission determines that the applicant does not meet the other requirements of this subdivision.

(2) The applicant has completed a beginning teacher induction program pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 44259.

(3) The applicant has met the requirements for teaching English learners, including, but not necessarily limited to, the requirements in Section 44253.3 or 44259.5.

SECTION 1.Section 44343.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44343.5.
(a)(1)The commission shall grant or deny a completed application for a credential within seven days of the date that the commission received the application if the applicant does both of the following:
(A)Supplies the commission with evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.
~~(B)Holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States.~~
~~(2)The commission shall post on its internet website information regarding the requirement described in paragraph (1).~~
~~(b)The seven-day processing time set forth in this section shall not apply to an application subject to a fitness review by the commission pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44240).~~