Relating to education, including requirements related to teacher intern license programs and licenses and authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners

This bill relates to education, including requirements related to teacher intern license programs and licenses and authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners (BOEE). The bill provides that if a higher education institution providing practitioner preparation offers a program that is designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license from the BOEE, the program shall require participants to satisfy certain specified requirements. Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules to provide for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and who do not meet other requirements for licensure. The bill provides that the rules shall require the BOEE to issue a teacher intern license to an applicant who has completed a program offered by a higher education institution providing practitioner preparation that is designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license. The bill requires the BOEE to allow a licensee who has attained a teacher intern license under such a program to apply for an initial teaching license if the school that employed the licensee during the program and the higher education institution recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply. Current law authorizes the BOEE to issue a regional exchange teaching license to an applicant who has completed a teacher preparation program outside of the state and who is applying for the applicant’s first Iowa teaching license if, among other requirements, the applicant is a resident of the state. The bill removes the requirement that such an applicant be a resident of this state if the applicant provides the BOEE with a copy of an offer of employment as a teacher from a school located in this state. The bill requires the BOEE to adopt rules that allow an individual seeking a career and technical secondary authorization to apply, and if eligible, be issued the secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of employment with a school.