Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 38, September 20, 2024
Subject to the provisions of this Section, an individual may
receive short-term approval for assignment in a position in which that
individual does not hold necessary qualifications. Nothing in this Section is
intended to modify existing endorsement requirements pursuant to Section
25.100.
a) Applicability
1) The short-term approvals described in this
Section shall be available for application until June 30, 2026 with respect to:
A) individuals who hold a PEL endorsed in a
teaching area but lack full qualifications in a content area; or
B) individuals who do not hold a PEL but
possess adequate content knowledge for the area to be taught.
2) The short-term approval shall
be available in situations in which the employing entity's need for short-term
authorization has arisen due to the unforeseen departure of a teacher who was
fully qualified for the assignment in question.
3) The short-term authorization described in
this Section shall not be available with respect to:
A) special education teaching positions;
or
B) driver's education
positions.
b)
Application Procedures for Individuals Who Hold a Professional Educator License
1) A licensed teacher seeking short-term
approval under this Section shall file an application in the ELIS.
2) The application for short-term approval
shall be approved by the State Superintendent if the applicant provides proof
of completion of nine semester hours of college coursework in the content area
of assignment or provides proof of passing the content-area test for the
assignment.
c)
Application Procedures for Individuals Who Do Not Hold a Professional Educator
License
1) An individual seeking short-term
approval under this Section shall file an application in ELIS.
2) The application for short-term approval
shall be approved by the State Superintendent if the applicant meets the
following requirements:
A) provides proof of
holding at least a bachelor's degree in the content area sought, or a
bachelor's degree in any area and 32 semester hours of content-specific
coursework in the area to be taught;
B) provides an assurance, signed by the
hiring district, of the mentoring, instructional coaching, and supervision the
individual will receive pursuant to subsection (c)(3).
C) provides evidence of passing the required
content test pursuant to Section
25.720; and
D) provides the assurances specified under
subsection (d).
3)
District Mentoring and Instructional Coaching Plan
School districts employing individuals on a short-term
approval earned under the provisions set forth in subsection (c)(2) must
provide evidence of mentoring and instructional coaching that will be provided
to the applicant.
A) The applicant
must receive instructional coaching and mentoring from an individual who holds
a PEL endorsed in a teaching field.
B) Instructional coaching must occur on an
ongoing basis. Coaches must schedule at least one meeting per week with the
applicant and document those meetings with the hiring district.
C) Districts must provide evidence of meeting
the requirements of this subsection (c)(3) by filing annual reports with their
ROE on a format specified by the State Board. ROEs shall upload reports to each
educator's ELIS account.
D)
Districts must provide a signed statement of assurance that the supervision the
individual will receive will be from an individual in the school of assignment
who holds a PEL endorsed for general administration, principal, or
superintendent.
4)
Acquisition of the Professional Educator License
Individuals who work as teachers on the short-term approval
shall receive the PEL in the content area of the short-term approval if the
following requirements are met:
A) The
individual shall file an application for the PEL in ELIS prior to the approval
expiring; and
B) The individual
shall provide evidence of completing the requirements of Section
25.25.
d) Filing of Information by School Districts
The employing entity hiring an individual under this Section
shall file the following with the regional superintendent in a format designed
by the State Superintendent:
1) a
description of the vacant position, including the subject area and the grade
level;
2) a description of the
entity's inability to fill the position with a fully qualified
individual;
3) a statement of
assurance that the employing entity has not honorably discharged anyone in the
past year who was fully qualified for the position;
4) a statement of assurance that the district
will provide the teacher to be employed with mentoring and high-quality
professional development each year in the subject area to be taught and, if the
teacher is employed by virtue of meeting the requirements of subsection (c), a
description of the supervision, mentoring, and instructional coaching that
individual will receive; and
5)
verification of enrollment or intent to enroll in coursework required as part
of a State-approved educator preparation program, signed by the
applicant.
e) Validity
1) Short-term approvals issued pursuant to
this Section shall expire on June 30 immediately following the third full
fiscal year after the approval was issued and shall not be renewed.
2) Prior to expiration of the approval,
individuals must apply for and receive the applicable endorsement or the PEL to
continue teaching in the assigned area.
f) Each regional superintendent overseeing
the entity that employs an individual for a position under subsection (c) shall
upload the information specified in subsections (c)(3) and (d)(1) through (5)
on a form supplied by the State Superintendent, into the ELIS account of the
applicant prior to the State Superintendent issuing the application.
