HB 136 fixes a loophole in the teacher certification process. Currently, teachers who are waiting to receive certification, with all of their paperwork submitted and approved in Juneau must wait until they are cleared through a fingerprint check for final certification. During the process they may teach for up to three months. Unfortunately, three months is very rarely enough time for teachers to receive fingerprints. Often sending teachers out of the classroom on leave with-out pay is the only option available to a school district under statute when a teacher waits more than three months on fingerprints. The Department of Education has recently attempted to address this problem by issuing conditional certificates. Adding expense, a separate certification, and a new process is less efficient than this proposal. Extending the amount of time that a teacher can be in the classroom teaching while waiting on fingerprints from three months to five months eliminates the need for a separate conditional certification and solves the problem of placing teachers on leave with-out pay.

Last Updated: 04-05-03

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