California lets trained substitutes qualify for emergency classroom permits

The Commission on Teacher Credentialing must accept training and mentoring as an alternative to work-history verification for an emergency career substitute teaching permit. This applies to applicants for an emergency career substitute teaching permit who use the training alternative. The training and mentor qualifications depend on whether they will serve in general or special education. The local educational agency must verify at least five hours of professional development, orientation training, and an assigned mentor. Special education training and orientation must focus on special education. General education orientation must cover the listed teaching and safety topics. The mentor must meet the credential and teaching-record requirements for the classroom, with a limited alternative for special education mentors when a qualified education specialist is unavailable. An agency may use existing training and documented mentorship hours to meet these requirements.

Local educational agencies must follow specified steps before assigning covered permit holders and report assignment information each year. These requirements apply when a school district, county office of education, or charter school assigns a substitute who qualified through the training alternative. For a statutory-leave position, the agency must employ all available and suitable substitutes who hold statutory-leave teaching permits. For a vacant position, or when those leave permits cannot be used, the agency must make reasonable recruitment efforts under the cited law. The agency must notify parents or guardians within 10 schooldays after placement. Its public report must protect personally identifiable information. Schools must notify parents or guardians within 10 schooldays after placement. At each school year's end, they must report specified assignments at a public meeting and report covered permit-holder assignments to the commission annually.

At the first renewal of a permit issued through the training alternative, the permit holder must verify 30 hours of professional development. This applies only to a permit holder whose permit was issued through the training alternative in general or special education. The professional development must include the listed teaching and safety topics. A local educational agency may use existing training and documented mentorship hours to satisfy the renewal requirement. The requirement applies at the permit holder's first renewal.

A covered permit issued or renewed through the training alternative must be valid for 12 months. This applies to permits issued or renewed through the training alternative. Each covered permit is valid for 12 months.

A permit holder who qualified through the training alternative may serve up to 70 cumulative days in a single classroom. This applies to permit holders whose permits were issued through the training alternative, including those serving in special education classrooms. The 70-day limit is cumulative for each single classroom.