Amended  IN  Senate  March 22, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill No. 1383

Introduced by Senator Fuller

February 16, 2018

An act to amend Section 44326 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing. An act to amend Section 44240 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1383, as amended, Fuller. Teacher credentialing: district interns. Teacher credentialing: Committee of Credentials: membership.
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 appoint a Committee of Credentials and requires each allegation of an act or omission by an applicant for, or holder of, a credential for which he or she may be subject to an adverse action to be presented to the committee. Existing law requires the committee to consist of 7 persons for terms fixed by the commission but not to exceed 2 years, as specified, including 3 members who are representatives of the public.
This bill would instead require the committee to consist of 9 persons for terms fixed by the commission but not to exceed 2 years, as specified, including 4 members who are representatives of the public and one member who is a full-time certified classroom teacher in any public school with not less than 5 years of classroom experience. The bill would authorize the commission to establish an alternate list of qualified individuals for the purpose of filling an unanticipated vacancy on the committee, as provided. The bill would also authorize the commission to establish a substitute list of qualified individuals who have at least 12 months of prior experience serving on the committee and to designate an individual on that substitute list as a short-term substitute in the temporary absence of a regular member.

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 district intern credentials authorizing persons employed by a school district that maintains kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, classes in bilingual education, or special education classes to provide classroom instruction to pupils in those grades and classes in accordance with specified requirements. Existing law requires that each district intern teach with the assistance and guidance of certificated employees selected through a competitive process adopted by the governing board of the school district after consultation with the exclusive teacher representative unit or by personnel employed by institutions of higher education to supervise student teachers.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision.

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

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 44240 of the Education Code is amended to read:

44240.
  The (a) The commission shall appoint a Committee of Credentials, consisting of seven nine persons for terms fixed by the commission but not to exceed two years. The committee shall include:

(a)

(1) One member who shall be a full-time certified classroom teacher in the public elementary schools with not less than five years’ years of classroom experience.

(b)

(2) One member who shall be a full-time certified classroom teacher in the public secondary schools with not less than five years’ years of classroom experience.
(3) One member who shall be a full-time certified classroom teacher in any public school with not less than five years of classroom experience.

(c)

(4) One member who shall be a certified administrative employee in the public schools.

(d)

(5) One member who shall be a member of the governing board of any a school district. No person who is or has been employed in A member of the governing board of a certificated position in school district whose tenure on the public schools within governing board ends while serving a term on the preceding five years committee may continue to serve the remainder of the term on the committee, but shall be appointed as a school board member. ineligible for reappointment to the committee pursuant to this paragraph.

(e)Three

(6) Four members who shall be representatives of the public. No person who is or has been currently employed in a certificated position in the public schools or who is or has been currently a member of any the governing board of a school district or a county board of education within the five years next preceding date of appointment shall be appointed as a public member.

The additional public members of the committee provided for in this section as amended during the 1977–78 Regular Session, shall be appointed by the commission as vacancies in the committee occur, consistent with the requirements of professional representation. Appointments

(b) (1) (A) The commission may establish an alternate list of individuals qualified pursuant to subdivision (a) for the purpose of filling an unanticipated vacancy on the Committee of Credentials.
(B) The commission may deem the position of a member of the committee vacant if the member is absent from any four regularly scheduled meetings in a calendar year.
(2) The commission may also establish a substitute list of individuals qualified pursuant to subdivision (a) who have at least 12 months of prior experience serving on the committee. The commission may designate an individual on the substitute list as a short-term substitute in the temporary absence of a regular member.
(c) Appointments to the Committee of Credentials shall reflect, to the extent feasible, the ethnic and cultural diversity of California public schools.

SECTION 1.Section 44326 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44326.

(a)Persons holding district intern credentials issued by the commission under Section 44325 to teach in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, or in grades 6 to 8, inclusive, in a departmentalized program, or in departmentalized bilingual classes, shall be authorized to teach in the subject area in which they have met the subject matter requirement.

(b)Persons holding district intern credentials issued by the commission under Section 44325 to teach in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in a self-contained program or in self-contained bilingual classes and who have met the subject matter requirement shall be authorized to teach in those grades or classes.

(c)Before being assigned to teach special education pupils, persons holding district intern credentials issued by the commission under Section 44325 to teach those pupils shall meet the requirements of subdivision (b).

(d)A district intern is required to teach with the assistance and guidance of certificated employees selected through a competitive process adopted by the governing board of the school district after consultation with the exclusive teacher representative unit or by personnel employed by institutions of higher education to supervise student teachers.

(e)A certificated employee who assists the district intern shall possess valid certification at the same level or of the same type of credential as the district interns they serve.