S-3908               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6476

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senators Craswell, McDonald, Metcalf, Rasmussen, Lee, Bluechel, Bailey, Benitz, Cantu, Thorsness, Johnson, Amondson, Patterson, Hayner, Smith, Saling, Sellar and West

Read first time 1/15/90 and referred to Committee on  Education.

AN ACT Relating to alternatives to teacher certification; and adding new sections to Title 28A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to Title 28A RCW to read as follows:

          School districts may employ persons who are not certificated teachers to teach in public schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to Title 28A RCW to read as follows:

          (1) To qualify to teach without a certificate, a person shall:

          (a) Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have five years' work experience after obtaining the degree; and

          (b) Comply with the background check through the Washington state patrol criminal investigation system required under RCW 28A.70.005.

          (2) The school district may develop procedures, including testing, for the hiring of uncertificated teachers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to Title 28A RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Persons teaching without certification shall be supervised by a certificated mentor teacher for their initial probation period.

          (2) Persons teaching without certification shall be on probation for the first two years of teaching.

          (3) After successfully completing the probationary period, persons teaching without certification shall have the rights and benefits of a certificated teacher, and shall take continuing education courses in accordance with chapter 28A.71 RCW.