Establishing a new license to be issued by the board of educational examiners

This bill establishes a new license to be issued by the board of educational examiners. The bill requires the board of educational examiners to grant a temporary initial teaching license to an applicant who holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and successfully completes an alternative teacher certification program. The bill describes what an alternative teacher certification program must include. The bill establishes requirements for alternative teacher certification programs, including that the program must operate in at least five states and must have been in operation for at least years. The bill provides that an individual who successfully completes an alternative teacher certification program and who is granted a temporary initial teaching license is authorized to teach the subjects and grade levels that the individual successfully completed during the program. The bill requires the board to treat an individual who successfully completes an alternative teacher certification program and who is granted a temporary initial teaching license in the same manner as an individual who completes a traditional teacher preparation program and who receives an initial teaching license, including during the process of converting the temporary initial teaching license to a standard teaching license.