Continuing Education Generally.
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) adopts rules and creates policies for the preparation and certification of educators.  The PESB's statutory duties include specifying the types and kinds of educator certificates to be issued and the conditions for certification.
 
Every five years, teachers and administrators must renew their certificate by meeting one of the following continuing education requirements:  (1) complete 100 clock hours or the equivalent in college credit; (2) complete four professional growth plans (PGPs); or (3) complete a combination of PGPs and clock hours.
 
The PESB approves clock hour providers, who are required to convene a committee to review and approve courses to be offered.  The PESB also approves certain courses that some certificated staff are required to complete.
 
Specific Continuing Education Requirements.
For administrators renewing a certificate on or after July 1, 2023, the continuing education must meet the following requirements:  10 percent must focus on equity-based school practices, 10 percent must focus on the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL), and 5 percent must focus on government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes.
 
For teachers renewing a certificate on or after July 1, 2023, 15 percent of continuing education must focus on equity-based school practices.  
 
Required continuing education for administrators and teachers related to equity-based school practice and the PSEL must be provided by one or more of the following entities, if they are an approved clock hour provider:  the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), school districts, Educational Service Districts, PESB-approved administrator or teacher preparation programs, the Association of Washington School Principals, or the Washington Education Association.
 
Required continuing education for administrators and teachers related to government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes must be provided by one or more subject matter experts approved by the Governor's Office on Indian Affairs in collaboration with the Tribal Leaders Congress on Education and the Office of Native Education in the OSPI.

Required continuing education related to equity-based school practices and to the National Professional Standards for Education Leaders (NPSEL) must be approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB), rather than provided by one of the listed entities.  The rules of the PESB must ensure the quality and effectiveness of providers of continuing education on these topics.  Except as described below, the rules must require providers to apply to the PESB for approval to offer continuing education on these topics. The rules may also require the providers to periodically apply for reapproval.

Approval of the PESB is not necessary for the following providers to offer continuing education related to equity-based school practices and to the NPSEL through June 30, 2028, or a date established by the PESB, whichever is later:  the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, school districts, Educational Service Districts, PESB-approved administrator and teacher preparation programs, and the Washington Education Association.  After this date, the listed providers must receive PESB approval to continue offering continuing education on these topics.

The PESB must maintain on its website a list of approved or otherwise permitted continuing education providers, courses, or both.
 
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the PESB must maintain on their websites a list of approved subject matter experts on government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes.

(In support) This bill is intended to correct an unintended consequence of legislation passed last year.  The legislation specified the number of hours that the administrators and teachers need to spend on mandatory continuing education.  Because the provisions were new, care was taken about who could provide the continuing education content.  However, private schools were not listed as an authorized provider, and this is a problem for private school administrators and teachers. 
 
Private schools want to be able to provide this content to their educators.  More teachers need to have access to this content.  Those who want to provide the content should be able to do so.
 
This bill clarifies that the Professional Educator Standard Board (PESB) must approve providers and programs the providers are offering for credit hours.  Under the bill, clock hour providers will not be able to be approved by July 2023 because the bill proposes a significant change to how clock hour providers are currently approved.  In general, there needs to be more regulation of clock hour providers. 
 
(Opposed) None.
 
(Other) The trainings educators engage in should be high-quality and meaningful.  Shifting from an approved provider list to an approved course list could have implementation challenges.  There could be educators that are unable to meet the requirements by the deadline in the bill.
 
Since the passage of the legislation in 2021 that requires teachers to renew their certificate with 15 percent equity-based practices, some clock hour providers have been working to develop continuing education.  This bill would require the development of a new process for approval of this content.  The PESB works as efficiently as possible, but it will take time for them to approve the courses.  Educators may be unable to renew their certificates if they cannot find approved courses in time.  The requirement in the bill could be extended so that the PESB process is up and running before the new continuing education requirement is effective.