Minn. R. agency 188, ch. 8710, CONTINUING EDUCATION AND LICENSE RENEWAL, pt. 8710.7300 - LOCAL COMMITTEES FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND RELICENSURE

Subpart 1. Membership.

A local committee is established in each Minnesota public school district with membership as follows:

A. Five persons licensed by the Board of Teaching who hold at least a baccalaureate degree, to be elected by the licensed teaching faculty. Nominations may be by building, grade level, or other appropriate categories, provided that all eligible persons have a fair and equitable chance for nomination. Proportionate representation is encouraged.

B. One licensed person who holds an administrator's license, representing the elementary and secondary administration, to be elected by the licensed practicing administrators employed by the district.

C. One resident of the district who is not an employee of the district, to be designated by the local school board. School board members are not considered to be employees of the district.

Subp. 2. Notice of election; election.

All members of an appropriate voting group shall be notified of the date of the election at least five days prior to the election. The election shall be held at a convenient time and place and shall be by secret ballot.

Members of the local committee shall be elected in May of each year for terms to begin no later than the following September 1. The term of office of members of the local committee shall be two years.

Subp. 3. Continuing education committee.

In districts where either teachers or administrators with the specified qualifications are not available for service on the local committee, the superintendent will report the situation to the Board of Teaching who shall make special provisions for establishing a continuing education committee.

Subp. 4. Organizational meeting.

The local committee shall hold its organizational meeting no later than September of each year. At the organizational meeting the local committee shall elect a chair and secretary whose duties shall be established by the local committee.

Subp. 5. School district assistance.

Release time or a per diem stipend may be provided by the local school district to each local committee member to attend local committee meetings.

Clerical assistance and supplies as requested by the local committee may be provided by the local school district in sufficient amount to enable the local committee to comply with the record keeping and reporting required.

Subp. 6. Quorum; calling meetings.

A quorum shall be more than 50 percent of the total voting membership of the committee. A majority vote of those voting members present shall be sufficient to take action. Meetings may be called by the chair of the committee or by written request of three or more of the members. Notice of meetings shall be provided to each member of the committee at least five days prior to the date of the meeting, and shall be posted or otherwise advertised in such a manner as to provide reasonable notice to those teachers subject to the actions of the committee.

Subp. 7. Duties.

The duties of the local committee are as follows:

A. Set procedures for its own operation:

(1) establish written guidelines which include time, place, and procedures for local committee meetings; and procedures for local committee operations, including a procedure for emergency approval during periods when the committee is not regularly meeting;

(2) make the guidelines available to persons interested in or affected by decisions of the local committee, together with a list of the current local committee membership; and

(3) hold a hearing annually to allow the teachers in the district to review proposed or revised guidelines established by the local committee.

A working draft of local guidelines and proposed revisions shall be made available prior to the local hearing.

The local committee shall schedule the hearing at a time and place which is convenient for those interested in or affected by the guidelines to be able to attend.

Adequate and proper notice shall be given to all such persons within the district.

All local committee members should be present at the hearing.

The hearing shall continue until all persons who wish to speak have had an opportunity to do so.

Although input received at the hearing is not binding, the local committee is encouraged to modify its guidelines, insofar as modifications are consistent with chapters 8700 and 8710, if the information received during the hearing indicates that changes are necessary or desirable.

B. Provide recommendations to the Board of Teaching for the renewal of teaching licenses:

(1) Make recommendations regarding the issuance of the first continuing license by verifying one year of successful teaching experience for individuals on an entrance license. Successful teaching shall be determined by satisfying one or more of the following three criteria: a teacher receives an offer of a contract for the ensuing year; a teacher gains tenure or acquires a continuing contract; or supportive evidence is presented from supervisory personnel, professional colleagues, and/or administrators.

This experience shall be verified by the local committee chair or designee, whose name shall be on file with the Board of Teaching.

(2) Act, within a reasonable time, upon requests for recommendation for renewal of the continuing license by determining whether the applicant has met the requirements for renewal in part 8710.7100.

(3) Endorse the application for first issuance or renewal of the continuing license of each qualified applicant. The applicant shall assume the responsibility for forwarding the endorsed application to the Department of Education.

(4) Provide supporting evidence to the Board of Teaching when a decision of the local committee is appealed.

C. Forward to the Board of Teaching the following information according to the due dates in this rule:

(1) Prior to November 1 of each year, verification of the current membership of the local committee.

(2) Prior to receiving approval from the Board of Teaching to operate as a local committee, a copy of the published local committee guidelines. At the time that substantial changes are made in local guidelines, a revised copy of these guidelines shall be forwarded to the Board of Teaching.

(3) During February of each year, any recommendations for modifications of state continuing licensure renewal requirements, based upon an evaluation of procedures and criteria or granting clock hours.

D. Provide those services and reports that may be required from time to time by the Board of Teaching.

E. Provide recommendations to appropriate personnel concerning the in-service needs of the district.

Subp. 8. Transfer of clock hours.

If a licensed person under the jurisdiction of one local committee moves to the jurisdiction of a different local committee during a renewal period, clock hours already earned and granted during that renewal period are transferred to the new local committee. Clock hours shall be accepted by that committee.

Subp. 9. Grantor of clock hours.

Clock hours shall be granted by the committee of the district where the applicant was employed at the time that the experience was completed.

Persons who have not been or are not currently employed by a school will be granted clock hours in either of the following ways:

A. by the local committee of the district where the applicant was last employed; or

B. by the local committee of the district where the applicant currently resides, if accepted by the local committee.

Subp. 10. Renewal for persons not continually employed in Minnesota.

Persons who have never been employed on a continuing basis by a school district in Minnesota shall affiliate with the local committee in the district in which they reside.

Subp. 11. Renewal for out-of-state residents.

A person residing out of Minnesota who wishes to maintain continuing Minnesota licensure may make application for renewal to the Board of Teaching according to parts 8710.7100 and 8710.7300.

Subp. 12. Rule information.

The board of teaching shall provide each local committee with current Board of Teaching rules which pertain to licensure.

Subp. 13. Option for formation of joint local committees.

Two or more districts situated in close proximity to each other shall have the option of joining together to establish a joint local committee.

A plan for two or more districts to formulate a joint local committee shall be drawn up by a committee consisting of two teachers, one administrator, and one school board member or a designee, from each participating district, and be ratified by at least 70 percent of the licensed personnel employed by each participating district. The plan shall provide for fair representation of all licensed personnel.

The ratified plan shall be submitted by the superintendent of the district employing the largest number of licensed personnel to the Board of Teaching.

The joint local committee shall be treated as any local committee and shall comply with parts 8700.0900 to 8700.2000 and 8710.7300 to 8710.7700.

Subp. 14. Local committees in school district consortia and Department of Education.

A. Licensed personnel employed by a Minnesota public school district consortium that is authorized by Minnesota statutes or a consortium of charter schools may establish a local committee for the same purpose as local committees established by public school districts. The Department of Education may establish a local committee to serve licensed teachers who work for state government.

B. When possible, the committees authorized in item A shall be established according to subpart 1. The committees shall function in the same manner as provided for committees of public school districts and in a way that provides fair representation for all licensed personnel and objective evaluation of requests for renewal of licenses. Duties of the committee and criteria for granting clock hours shall be identical to those for committees of public school districts.

Notes

Minn. R. agency 188, ch. 8710, CONTINUING EDUCATION AND LICENSE RENEWAL, pt. 8710.7300

12 SR 412; 14 SR 165; 7 SR 1279; L 1998 c 397 art 11 s 3; 25 SR 588; L 2003 c 130 s 12

Statutory Authority: MS s 122A.09; 122A.18; 125.05; 125.185