A bill aimed at addressing the Commonwealth’s teaching shortage advanced out of the House Education Committee on Tuesday.
Rep. James Tipton (R-Taylorsville) said he hopes House Bill 319 provides some relief to public schools that are facing a teacher shortage.
“As you know, we’ve heard testimony that there are between 1,500 and 2,000 current teacher certified job openings at any one time,” Tipton said. “We’ve also been told that many school districts have had job openings that have been posted for the entire year that have not been filled. This would simply be another tool that principals and superintendents could utilize on a short-term basis.”
One major provision of HB 319 would cement Kentucky’s place in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, if it is created. The compact would support military spouses who are certified to teach in other states by streamlining the pathway to become certified here and vice versa.
HB 319 would also allow someone with at least a bachelor’s degree and at least four years of experience in their field to teach that subject under the supervision of a certified teacher. This section of the bill would expire in 2026, Tipton said. The bill would also allow classified personnel such as a teacher’s aide to cover a class in a certified teacher’s absence.
Additionally, HB 319 would create an online statewide job posting system for school job openings if funds are available, revise requirements for the state’s teacher scholarship program, expand the GoTeachKY ambassador program if funds are available, and require exit surveys for school personnel leaving employment.
Tipton said he does not think HB 319 is going to completely solve Kentucky’s teacher shortage problem.
“I do believe that House Bill 319 is a good first step to take some positive actions that will remove some of the burden, remove some of the regulation, remove some of the red tape, and make it easier and more conducive for individuals considering going into the teaching profession and to keep them in the teaching profession,” he added.
Rep. Josie Raymond (D-Louisville) asked Tipton about the timeline for the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. He said the program is being initiated by the Department of Defense, and Kentucky is the 11th state to propose legislation this year to join the compact. The program needs at least 10 states for it to be functional, he added.
Rep. Killian Timoney (R-Nicholasville) said HB 319 addresses a lot of needs, but he does have concerns about pay for a non-certified person in a certified teaching role.
“One of the concerns I have is when we have classified staff covering classes for people who are paid at a certified rate,” he said. “… There are going to be some questions that we’re going to need to talk budgetary (wise) next year.”
The House Education Committee approved HB 319 by an 18-0 vote with two passes. It will now go before the full House for consideration.
Information came from a release by the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
