The following was taken from Commissioner Ken Wagner’s weekly teacher memo on updated teacher cert regulations for the upcoming school year
- Increasing hands-on experience for teacher candidates from 12 weeks of student teaching to a one-year residency or equivalent experience over the course of the program. (December 31, 2022)
- Starting with certificates that expire in August 2020, phasing in a requirement for ongoing professional learning for certified educators. (August 2020). Teachers seeking professional or advanced certificates will be required, once fully phased in, to complete the equivalent of 20 professional learning units annually. Professional learning communities – teachers helping teachers – are an allowable activity to fulfill this requirement. Teachers seeking initial certificates will be required to complete, once fully phased in, the equivalent of 30 professional learning units annually. The higher number of PLUs for beginning teachers will support efforts to increase the kinds of induction, mentoring, and coaching activities that we know are impactful as teachers enter the profession.
- Awarding full reciprocity to certified teachers from Massachusetts and Connecticut in most certificate areas.
- Establishing endorsement areas on teacher certifications, or demonstrated areas of competence short of a full certification, with initial endorsements established in reading/dyslexia and English language learners. (Effective Date TBD)
- Aligning teacher degree requirements in Career and Technical Education (CTE) with industry expectations, supplemented with additional teacher preparation program coursework.
- To be consistent with the certification requirements of all school-based clinicians, requiring a nursing degree for certification as a Registered School Nurse, with supplemental school-based practice competencies to be acquired during the period of the initial certification.