November 12, 2009, Introduced by Rep. Pavlov and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1531i.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1531i. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall
establish a process for a person to earn an interim teaching
certificate under this section that qualifies the person to teach
in the public schools and to earn a permanent teaching certificate
using the process under this section. The process shall meet all
applicable requirements for an alternative teaching certification
process under the no child left behind act of 2001, Public Law 107-
110.
(2) The process established under subsection (1) shall provide
that the superintendent of public instruction will grant an interim
teaching certificate to a person who meets all of the following:
(a) Is a participant in an alternative teaching program that
is approved by the superintendent of public instruction. To be
approved, a program provider shall demonstrate to the satisfaction
of the superintendent of public instruction that it meets all of
the following:
(i) Provides for its participants an intensive training program
in teaching that is the determined by the superintendent of public
instruction to constitute the equivalent of at least 12 college
credit hours and that includes training in at least all of the
following subject areas:
(A) Child development or child psychology.
(B) Family and community relationships.
(C) Diverse learners.
(D) Instructional strategies.
(E) A form of field-based experience in a classroom setting.
(ii) Accepts for participation only persons who meet the
requirements of subdivision (b).
(b) Holds a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited
college or university with a grade point average of at least 2.75
on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent on another scale, as determined by
the superintendent of public instruction.
(c) Passes applicable examinations as follows:
(i) For teaching at the secondary level under an interim
teaching certificate, passes both the basic skills examination and
the appropriate available subject area examination for each subject
area in which he or she applies to be certified. The superintendent
of public instruction may accept passage of an equivalent
examination approved by the superintendent of public instruction to
meet 1 or both of these requirements.
(ii) For teaching at the elementary level under an interim
teaching certificate, passes the basic skills examination and the
elementary certification examination, and passes the appropriate
available subject area examination for each subject area, if any,
in which he or she applies to be certified. The superintendent of
public instruction may accept passage of an equivalent examination
approved by the superintendent of public instruction to meet 1 or
more of these requirements.
(3) A person who possesses an interim teaching certificate
under this section may be employed to teach in a public school in
the same manner as a person holding a Michigan teaching certificate
issued under section 1531 if all of the following requirements are
met:
(a) While the person is teaching under an interim teaching
certificate, the school district or public school academy in which
the person is teaching provides intensive observation and coaching
in a manner and to the extent prescribed by the superintendent of
public instruction.
(b) The person is making satisfactory progress toward meeting
the requirements for being awarded a Michigan teaching certificate
under section 1531, as established by the superintendent of public
instruction under subsection (4).
(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop
standards for granting a person a Michigan teaching certificate
issued under section 1531 after the person has demonstrated
satisfactory teaching performance for 4 years under an interim
teaching certificate.
(5) The superintendent of public instruction shall promulgate
rules that he or she considers necessary to implement this section.
(6) As used in this section, "basic skills examination",
"elementary certification examination", and "subject area
examination" mean those terms as defined in section 1531.