Providing for a teacher recruitment and retention task force

This bill directs the director of the department of education to establish and convene a teacher recruitment and retention task force. The task force membership consists of six ex officio, nonvoting members: the director or the director’s designee, the executive director of the board of educational examiners or the executive director’s designee, and four members of the general assembly who are eligible for per diem and expenses. The voting members, who are appointed by the director, include three school administrators representing urban, rural, and suburban school districts; three practitioners employed in shortage or high-need areas by a school district, an area education agency, or an accredited nonpublic school; a department practitioner preparation consultant and a department teacher shortage or high-need schools specialist; four representatives of approved public and private practitioner preparation programs, not more than two of whom shall represent regents universities; a representative of the school administrators of Iowa; a representative of the largest statewide certified employee organization representing Iowa teachers; and a representative of an area education agency who specializes in remote learning. The bill directs the task force to consider proposals for expanding, improving, and retaining the supply of quality teachers to meet the increase in demand; to develop or identify proposals for increasing diversity; to review best practices in areas specified by the bill; to review trends in practitioner preparation enrollment and statewide teacher employment and measures to alleviate geographic and social isolation; to review the impact of concurrent enrollment on teacher employment; to study the adequacy of available resources; to review national trends and best practices in recruitment and retention, especially in shortage and high-need areas; and to identify and study any other barriers preventing individuals from entering or remaining in the teaching profession. The department of education shall provide staffing services for the task force. The task force shall submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the governor and the general assembly no later than November 15, 2021.