PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR

[Filed March 16, 2020, 3:42 p.m., effective March 16, 2020, 3:42 p.m.]

Effective Date of Rule: Immediately upon filing.

Purpose: This WAC amendment would extend the validity period of educator certificates expiring June 30, 2020, for one additional year to June 30, 2021.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New WAC 181-77A-118.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 28A.410 RCW.

Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.

Reasons for this Finding: Schools across the state have now closed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. With the closing of schools, continuing education options for educators have also been reduced or eliminated. Continuing education is often offered in group settings, and many of those events have been cancelled. It would be very challenging for educators to accrue enough continuing education hours between now and June in order to renew their certificates.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Date Adopted: March 15, 2020.

WAC 181-79A-118Expiration and lapse dates of certificates.

(1) Certificates scheduled to expire June 30, 2020, under WAC 181-79A-117, or scheduled to lapse June 30, 2020, under WAC 181-85-100, excluding residency certificates that are subject to reissuance, are scheduled to expire or lapse June 30, 2021.

(2) Certificates scheduled to expire June 30, 2020, under WAC 181-79A-117, or scheduled to lapse June 30, 2020, under WAC 181-85-100, may have already been renewed. For these renewed certificates, the expiration or lapse date will be calculated as if the certificate expiring June 30, 2020, had an expiration or lapse date of June 30, 2021.

(3) Applications for renewal of certificates scheduled to expire June 30, 2021, which were previously scheduled to expire June 30, 2020, may be submitted at any point prior to the June 30, 2021, expiration date.

(4) Limited certificates under WAC 181-79A-231, 181-77-014, and 181-77-081 expire as described in those sections.

(5) Permits under WAC 181-02-001, 181-79A-128, and 181-79A-224 expire as described in those sections. Permits for candidates eligible under those sections may be reissued once for one additional year.