Panel debates Chapter 115 rewrite: emergency certificates, three‑year limit and a portfolio pathway

A wide-ranging review of LD 2175 and related Chapter 115 rules dominated the committee’s afternoon session as lawmakers examined how the state will handle emergency teacher certifications and a proposed portfolio pathway.

Tom Keller, vice chair of the State Board of Education, and Michael Perry, director of higher education and educator support services at DOE, described the practical safeguards around emergency certification. In reply to lawmakers' safety and preparation concerns, Keller said the goal is that "if there's a person on emergency certification, he or she will eventually become a fully certified teacher and that... there are mechanisms for for him or her to to reach that point." Perry added that applicants are not simply issued temporary credentials without guidance: candidates who apply "receive a letter from the department that has a bulleted list of everywhere they would need to... the different courses and requirements they would need to fulfill to qualify for professional teaching certification." He said mentoring and local support committees are commonly part of the process.

Members pushed on time limits, instruction and practical supports. Committee members repeatedly asked how long someone can remain on an emergency certificate; Perry confirmed emergency credentials are issued for one year and may be renewed up to three times, after which candidates must progress to a conditional credential or professional certification. Lawmakers asked for clearer statutory language tying emergency certificates to specific coursework or portfolio milestones; several said they would prefer those supports be explicit in statute rather than left to local committees.

Portfolio pathway: supporters said the proposed portfolio process would formalize many current local practices and give career changers and conditionally certified teachers a structured path to full certification, including specified methods course equivalencies and supervised mentoring. Members asked that portfolio requirements be explicit about the methods and exceptionality coursework considered necessary for classroom safety and competence.

Next steps: committee members requested clearer statutory language about which emergency-certificate candidates must enter a portfolio pathway, how local mentoring is standardized, and which renewal‑hour activities will be accepted. No formal committee vote was taken on LD 2175 during the session; members signaled a need for more drafting and targeted testimony from the state CDS director and certification experts.