Baker Passes Bill to Allow Three-Year Alternative Teaching Certificate
State Rep. Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon) on Tuesday passed a bill in the House that provides an alternative pathway for early childhood and elementary education teacher certification candidates.
House Bill 3434 allows candidates to enter the classroom on a one-year provisional certificate that is renewable for up to three years while they complete required coursework and participate in a strong mentorship program prior to taking certification exams.
The bill passed with a vote of 92-3.
“This will significantly lower the need for emergency teachers in elementary and early childhood education in our public schools,” Baker said. “It will allow those who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher who are seeking to work in our classrooms to gain the support they need to be successful in passing their certification tests.”
Baker said currently, those seeking this certification have to pass all three certification tests before they are given any coursework. HB 3434 would allow these candidates to complete the coursework first, to take part in mentorships, and to be provided with professional development and reading and math curriculums before they take their certification tests. This will lead to greater passage rates, she said.
These teaching candidates also would have yearly coursework requirements that ensure they are gaining the professional knowledge in reading and math instruction, classroom management and child development, knowledge and skills essential for impacting student growth/learning.
“The lawmakers with whom I serve look for value in education, and we are solution driven.” Baker said. “That is what this bill does. It provides a solution for these candidates and for our schools.”
Baker said House Bill 3434 was the result of negotiations between the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education, the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration and the Oklahoma Education Association. She said all of these groups supported the bill.
HB 3434 was co-authored in the House by State Reps. Sherrie Conley (R-Newcastle), Dean Davis (R-Broken Arrow), Brian Hill (R-Mustang) and Daniel Pae (R-Lawton).
The bill now heads to the state Senate where Sen. Brenda Stanley (R-Midwest City) is the Senate author.
Baker Passes Bill to Add Reading Specialists to OK Elementary Schools
State Rep. Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon) today passed a bill in the House that would require the State Department of Education (SDE) to employ a team of reading specialists to support Oklahoma public elementary schools in implementing the requirements of the Reading Sufficiency Act (RSA).
House Bill 3446 would fund the literary specialists and professional development for teachers through current RSA appropriations. The measure passed the House with a vote of 89-0.
“Reading is the foundational skill for all other learning,” Baker said. “Yet many of our teachers are not taught the fundamentals of teaching reading or the science of how students learn to read. Our State Department of Education previously employed reading specialists to help our early childhood and elementary school teachers. They proved enormously successful, and many of our elementary school students were caught up to grade-level reading. This is our overall goal.”
HB 3446 requires the SDE to retain no less than 10% of the funds appropriated for the RSA to employ a team of literary specialists to support districts in implementing the RSA requirements. The measure also requires school districts receiving more than $2,500 in funds appropriated for the RSA to spend no less than 10% of those funds on professional development for teachers teaching pre-K through fifth grade. The professional development shall include training in the science of how students learn to read.
HB 3446 is co-authored in the House by Majority Leader Mike Sanders (R-Kingfisher), and state Reps. Chelsey Branham (D-Oklahoma City), Chad Caldwell (R-Enid) and Brian Hill (R-Mustang).
The measure now moves to the State Senate where it is authored by Sen. Gary Stanislawski (R-Tulsa).