The North Carolina Senate has decided not to back changes to a bill that supporters believe would help address teacher shortages across the state. It leaves a lot of uncertainty for many teachers who must renew their licenses by the end of the month.
Senate Bill 219 had been approved in a House committee earlier this week, but it failed in the Senate on Thursday because lawmakers say too many modifications were made from the version they approved in May. Both sides now say they will look for a compromise.
The original bill called for several changes to teacher licensing requirements. That included more time for beginning teachers to pass exams. Districts would also have been able to issue a one-time temporary license for educators who still haven't passed the test.
“Many of these teachers have had excellent observations, their student growth scores are very strong," says Mark Jewell, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators. "And if this legislation wasn't passed, these teachers couldn't be employed again and we would lose a certified teacher being in that classroom.”
Jewell says Senate Bill 219 would have made it easier for out-of-state teachers to become licensed in North Carolina.
This comes after another measure to address teacher shortages was recently approved. In March, the state board of education voted to accept a new math test for elementary school teachers after learning that hundreds of them didn't pass that section.
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