H-0805.3  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1523

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Smith, Mielke, Zellinsky, Benson, Honeyford and Dunn

Read first time 01/29/97.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Requiring certificated educational employees to engage in at least ninety hours of classroom instruction every three years.

    AN ACT Relating to certificated educational employees; and reenacting and amending RCW 28A.410.010.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.410.010 and 1992 c 159 s 3 and 1992 c 60 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    The state board of education shall establish, publish, and enforce rules ((and regulations)) determining eligibility for and certification of personnel employed in the common schools of this state, including certification for emergency or temporary, substitute or provisional duty and under such certificates or permits as the board shall deem proper or as otherwise prescribed by law.  The rules shall require that the initial application for certification shall require a record check of the applicant through the Washington state patrol criminal identification system and through the federal bureau of investigation at the applicant's expense.  The record check shall include a fingerprint check using a complete Washington state criminal identification fingerprint card.  The superintendent of public instruction may waive the record check for any applicant who has had a record check within the two years before application.

In establishing rules for certification, the state board of education shall ensure that all persons who have been granted certification as authorized under this chapter and are employed or are under contract with the school district engage in a minimum of ninety continuous hours of classroom instruction every three years.  The board shall grant exemptions from this requirement to certificated personnel serving as librarians, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, and speech-language pathologists or audiologists.

    In establishing rules pertaining to the qualifications of instructors of American sign language the state board shall consult with the national association of the deaf, "sign instructors guidance network" (s.i.g.n.), and the Washington state association of the deaf for evaluation and certification of sign language instructors.

    The superintendent of public instruction shall act as the administrator of any such rules ((and regulations)) and have the power to issue any certificates or permits and revoke the same in accordance with board rules ((and regulations)).

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