Bill would give Maine teachers lifetime certification after 20 years on the job
The state teachers' union supports the measure, but a group representing school boards opposes the legislation, saying it could erode teacher quality in Maine.
In The News Piece in The Patch
Photo by F-Jord from Pexels
March 22, 2021
New America's Education Policy Program was mentioned in an article in The Patch about a bill that would provide a lifetime teaching certificate to teachers with 20 years of experience and remove state requirements for documenting ongoing training.
Forty-four states have ongoing teacher certification requirements, while eight require teachers to document minimum classroom teaching experience and six consider administrator evaluation ratings during license renewals. That’s according to a 2018 report by New America presented by Educate Maine as part of its written opposition testimony. The business-led nonprofit advocates for preparing Maine public school students for college and work.
The New America report takes a dim view of eliminating ongoing certification requirements. “States that aren’t going to make sure the recertification process is professionally meaningful for teachers should scrap the license-renewal process altogether and offer lifetime licenses,” the report concludes.
Read the full article here.