New Requirements for Teacher Licensure Renewal
In June 2018, the Colorado State Board of Education passed new regulations that will impact the teacher licensure renewal process. Specifically, Colorado teachers with endorsements in elementary, math, science, social studies, and English language arts will be required to demonstrate completion of training or professional development activities equivalent to 45 clock/contact hours or three semester hours in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education within their next five-renewal period. The requirement is intended to help better support students in Colorado who are English language learners.
For charter schools that are not required to hire licensed teachers, the new regulations will have a limited impact. But for teachers—charter or otherwise—who have a license with the above-mentioned endorsements and plan to renew it, the new CLD Education requirement will apply.
The new regulations do allow for a waiver from the CLD Education requirement if either a district superintendent or the principal of a charter school authorized by the Charter School Institute makes a formal request to the Colorado Department of Education. In either case, the district or CSI school must have an average ELL population of two percent or less over the past three years.
Even if a school or district has a waiver, there may be a disincentive for teachers with endorsements in elementary, math, science, social studies, and English language arts to put off obtaining the CLD Education credits. For example, the regulations require the credits to be completed in the teacher’s next five-year renewal period. If the school or district has a waiver, the teacher must submit the superintendent or principal’s waiver request with their renewal application. The application will be reviewed based upon the average ELL population over the past three years. Accordingly, teachers who decide not to obtain the required CLD credits could find themselves in a difficult position should the district or school exceed the two-percent threshold in the final year of their renewal period. Similarly, if a teacher moves to a school or district without a waiver in the final year of their renewal period, they will need to quickly obtain the required CLD credits in order to have their license renewed.
Should you have questions about these new requirements, please contact us at Miller Farmer Law.