Local officials could credential career and technical education experts for limited teaching roles

A division superintendent or comprehensive community college may issue a local subject matter expert credential to let an expert teach as a part-time or adjunct instructor. The credential covers career and technical education instruction in one course per semester for grades six through 12 at a public school or comprehensive community college, including dual-enrollment and concurrent-enrollment courses. The candidate must show expertise through an approved test and degree, a professional license or industry credential plus at least five years of full-time related work, or at least five years teaching related college courses. The candidate must complete two Department microcredentials covering the learning needs of special education students and classroom management and lesson planning. The credential may not be used to hire someone instead of a person who holds a valid teaching license. The candidate must pass a background check and have no pending disciplinary action or investigation. The credential lasts one year. After it expires, the division superintendent may extend it for one additional year if the individual receives satisfactory performance evaluations.

The employing school board or college must assign a mentor to supervise each credentialed instructor and pay the mentor a two-percent salary stipend. The rule applies to each person working under a one-year local subject matter expert credential at a public school. The mentor must work for a school board in a Standards of Quality-funded position. The stipend is subject to a state match through the Standards of Quality. The credential cannot transfer between school divisions unless the new division superintendent awards a new credential to a qualifying transfer. The credentialed instructor cannot receive continuing contract status and remains subject to probationary employment rules. The mentoring and probationary rules apply during the instructor's employment under the credential. Each school board must report its number of issued credentials to the Department every year.