House File 2072 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2072 BY HENDERSON , DETERMANN , CARLSON , HAYES , GERHOLD , CISNEROS , COLLINS , VONDRAN , and THOMSON A BILL FOR An Act relating to administrators employed by school districts, 1 including requiring administrators to provide instruction to 2 students and modifying the responsibilities of the board of 3 educational examiners. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 2072 Section 1. Section 256.146, subsection 13, Code 2024, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. The board may suspend the license of an 3 administrator upon the board’s finding by a preponderance of 4 the evidence that the administrator violated section 279.84. 5 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 279.84 Administrators —— teaching 6 requirements. 7 1. Each school district containing two or more high schools, 8 three or more middle schools, or four or more elementary 9 schools shall do all of the following: 10 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the 11 school district as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, 12 or school district department head to teach at least one 13 one-semester class, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at 14 least once every three years. 15 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 16 district as a high school principal or middle school principal 17 to teach at least three one-semester classes, or the trimester 18 or quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 19 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 20 district as an elementary school principal to teach at least 21 two subject areas in an elementary school class for at least 22 one semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least 23 once every three years. 24 d. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 25 district as a high school or middle school assistant principal, 26 director of athletics, dean of students, or any similar 27 position to teach at least three one-semester classes, or the 28 trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two years. 29 e. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 30 district as an elementary school assistant principal, dean of 31 students, or any similar position to teach at least two subject 32 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester, 33 or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two 34 years. 35 -1- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 6

H.F. 2072 2. Each school district containing one high school, at 1 least one but not more than two middle schools, or at least one 2 but not more than three elementary schools shall do all of the 3 following: 4 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 5 district as a superintendent or assistant superintendent to 6 teach at least one one-semester class, or the trimester or 7 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 8 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 9 district as an administrator in a high school or middle school, 10 and who are not described in paragraph “a” , “c” , “d” , or “e” , to 11 teach at least three one-semester classes, or the trimester or 12 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 13 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 14 district as an administrator in an elementary school, and who 15 are not described in paragraph “a” , “b” , “d” , or “e” , to teach 16 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 17 least one semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at 18 least once every three years. 19 d. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 20 district as a high school or middle school assistant principal, 21 director of athletics, dean of students, or any similar 22 position to teach at least two one-semester classes, or the 23 trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two years. 24 e. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 25 district as an elementary school assistant principal, dean of 26 students, or any similar position to teach at least two subject 27 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester, 28 or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once every two 29 years. 30 3. Each school district containing one middle school, one 31 elementary school, or no high schools shall do all of the 32 following: 33 a. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 34 district as a superintendent or assistant superintendent to 35 -2- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 6

H.F. 2072 teach at least one one-semester class, or the trimester or 1 quarter equivalent, at least once every three years. 2 b. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 3 district as an administrator in a high school or middle school, 4 and who are not described in paragraph “a” or “c” , to teach at 5 least three one-semester classes, or the trimester or quarter 6 equivalent, at least once every three years. 7 c. Require all administrators who are employed by the school 8 district as an administrator in an elementary school, and who 9 are not described in paragraph “a” or “b” , to teach at least two 10 subject areas in an elementary school class for at least one 11 semester, or the trimester or quarter equivalent, at least once 12 every three years. 13 4. If more than one of subsections 1, 2, and 3 apply 14 to a school district, the school district shall meet the 15 requirements of subsection 2 in order to comply with this 16 section. 17 5. The superintendent of each school district shall ensure 18 that administrators employed by the school district comply 19 with this section. The superintendent of each school district 20 shall report to the department of education on an annual basis 21 regarding the school district’s compliance with this section. 22 6. If the board of directors of a school district finds 23 that an administrator employed by the school district failed to 24 comply with this section, the administrator shall be subject 25 to a hearing conducted by the board of educational examiners 26 pursuant to section 256.146, subsection 13, which may result 27 in disciplinary action, including the suspension of the 28 administrator’s license. 29 7. An administrator providing instruction pursuant to 30 this section shall hold a valid license issued by the board 31 of educational examiners with an endorsement for the type of 32 instruction provided by the administrator. 33 8. A school district that employs an administrator 34 who is jointly employed by another school district as an 35 -3- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 6

H.F. 2072 administrator under section 280.15 shall be in compliance 1 with the requirements of this section if the school district 2 ensures that the administrator complies with the applicable 3 requirements of this section for at least one of the school 4 districts that employ the administrator. 5 9. For purposes of this section, “administrator” means the 6 same as defined in section 256.145. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill relates to administrators employed by school 11 districts, including requiring administrators to provide 12 instruction to students and modifying the responsibilities of 13 the board of educational examiners (BOEE). 14 The bill provides that school districts containing two or 15 more high schools, three or more middle schools, or four or 16 more elementary schools shall require certain administrators 17 to provide instruction to students. The bill requires that 18 all administrators employed as superintendents, assistant 19 superintendents, or school district department heads teach at 20 least one one-semester class at least once every three years. 21 The bill also requires that all administrators employed as 22 high school principals or middle school principals teach at 23 least three one-semester classes at least once every three 24 years. Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 25 employed as elementary school principals teach at least two 26 subject areas in an elementary school class for at least one 27 semester at least once every three years. The bill also 28 requires that all administrators employed as high school or 29 middle school assistant principals, directors of athletics, 30 deans of students, or any similar positions teach at least 31 three one-semester classes at least once every two years. 32 Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 33 employed as elementary school assistant principals, deans of 34 students, or any similar positions teach at least two subject 35 -4- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 6

H.F. 2072 areas in an elementary school class for at least one semester 1 at least once every two years. 2 The bill provides that school districts containing one high 3 school, at least one but not more than two middle schools, 4 or at least one but not more than three elementary schools 5 shall require certain administrators to provide instruction 6 to students. The bill requires that all administrators 7 employed as superintendents or assistant superintendents teach 8 at least one one-semester class at least once every three 9 years. Additionally, the bill requires that all administrators 10 employed as high school or middle school assistant principals, 11 directors of athletics, deans of students, or any similar 12 positions teach at least two one-semester classes at least 13 once every two years. The bill also requires that all 14 administrators employed as elementary school assistant 15 principals, deans of students, or any similar positions teach 16 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class 17 for at least one semester at least once every two years. 18 Additionally, the bill requires other administrators in a high 19 school or middle school to teach at least three one-semester 20 classes at least once every three years. The bill also 21 requires other administrators in an elementary school to teach 22 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 23 least one semester at least once every three years. The bill 24 applies these same requirements to each school district that 25 fits into two or more of the categories of school districts 26 described in the bill. 27 The bill provides that school districts containing one 28 middle school, one elementary school, or no high schools shall 29 require certain administrators to provide instruction to 30 students. The bill requires that all administrators employed 31 as superintendents or assistant superintendents teach at 32 least one one-semester class at least once every three years. 33 Additionally, the bill requires other administrators in a high 34 school or middle school to teach at least three one-semester 35 -5- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 6

H.F. 2072 classes at least once every three years. The bill also 1 requires other administrators in an elementary school to teach 2 at least two subject areas in an elementary school class for at 3 least one semester at least once every three years. 4 The bill provides that the superintendent of each school 5 district shall ensure that administrators employed by the 6 school district comply with the bill’s provisions. The bill 7 requires the superintendent to report to the department of 8 education on an annual basis regarding the school district’s 9 compliance with the bill’s provisions. 10 The bill provides that if the board of directors of a school 11 district finds that an administrator failed to comply with the 12 bill’s provisions, the administrator shall be subject to a 13 hearing conducted by the BOEE that may result in disciplinary 14 action, including the suspension of the administrator’s 15 license. 16 The bill requires that an administrator providing 17 instruction pursuant to the bill’s provisions hold a valid 18 license issued by the BOEE with an endorsement for the type of 19 instruction provided by the administrator. 20 The bill provides that jointly employed administrators are 21 only required to comply with the bill’s provisions for one of 22 the school districts that employ the administrator. 23 The bill defines “administrator” as a person who is licensed 24 to coordinate, supervise, or direct an educational program or 25 the activities of other practitioners. 26 -6- LSB 5305YH (2) 90 jda/jh 6/ 6