SB500: Bill Text

SB500,,22 118.19 (10) (b) 1. Conduct a background investigation of each applicant for issuance or renewal of a license or permit, including a license or permit issued to a pupil services professional, and for a faculty member seeking to teach in a public high school without a license or permit.

SB500,9 Section 9. 118.191 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,24 118.191 (2) (a) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall grant an initial teaching license to teach a technical education subject to an individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at least 100 points on the point system under sub. (5), of which at least 25 points are from sub. (5) (a) 1. and at least 25 points are from sub. (5) (a) 2., and who agrees to complete during the term of the license a curriculum determined by the school board of the school district, by the governing body of the private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 in which the individual will teach.

SB500,10 Section 10. 118.191 (2) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,26 118.191 (2) (b) Notwithstanding s. 118.19 (7) to (9), the department shall grant an initial teaching license to teach a vocational education subject to an individual who is eligible for licensure under s. 118.19 (4) and (10), who scores at least 100 points on the point system under sub. (5m), of which at least 25 points are from sub. (5m) (a) 1. and at least 25 points are from sub. (5m) (a) 2., and who agrees to complete during the term of the license a curriculum determined by the school board of the school district, by the governing body of the private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 in which the individual will teach.

SB500,11 Section 11. 118.191 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,28 118.191 (2m) An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) authorizes an individual to teach only in the school district controlled by the school board, or in the private school controlled by the governing body, that determined the curriculum the individual agreed to complete in order to qualify for the initial teaching license.

SB500,12 Section 12. 118.191 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,30 118.191 (3) An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is valid for 3 years. An initial teaching license issued under sub. (2) is void if the license holder ceases to be employed as a teacher in the school district or private school in which the license holder is authorized to teach under sub. (2m).

SB500,13 Section 13. 118.191 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,32 118.191 (4) Upon the expiration of the 3-year term of an initial teaching license issued under sub. (2), the department shall issue to the license holder a professional teaching license to teach the technical education subject or vocational education subject if the individual successfully completed the curriculum that the individual agreed to under sub. (2), as determined by the school board of the school district, by the governing body of the private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, or by the governing body of the private school participating in the program under s. 115.7915 that established the curriculum. The department shall indicate on a professional teaching license issued under this subsection that the license was obtained under the experience-based licensure program under this section.

SB500,14 Section 14. 118.192 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,34 118.192 (4) A school board or private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 that employs a person who holds a professional teaching permit shall ensure that no regularly licensed teacher is removed from his or her position as a result of the employment of persons holding permits.

SB500,15 Section 15. 118.60 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,36 118.60 (2) (a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c. and d., all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor’s degree or a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor’s degree, including a masters master’s or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education. This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2025.

SB500,16 Section 16. 118.60 (2) (a) 6. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,38 118.60 (2) (a) 6. b. All of the private school’s administrators have at least a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education or a teaching license or administrator’s license issued by the department. This subd. 6. b. does not apply after June 30, 2025.

SB500,17 Section 17. 118.60 (2) (a) 6m. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,40 118.60 (2) (a) 6m. a. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the department.

SB500,,41 b. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the private school’s administrators have an administrator’s license issued by the department.

SB500,,42 c. Any teacher or administrator employed by the private school on July 1, 2025, who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2025, and who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. on July 1, 2025, applies to the department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subd. 6m. c., including the form of the application and the process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. No waiver granted under this subd. 6m. c. is valid after July 1, 2030.

SB500,18 Section 18. 118.60 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,44 118.60 (2) (c) 3. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., a teacher employed by a private school participating in the program under this section who teaches only courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department.

SB500,19 Section 19. 118.60 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,46 118.60 (2) (c) 4. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., an administrator of a private school participating in the program under this section that prepares and trains pupils attending the school in rabbinical studies is not required to hold an administrator’s license issued by the department.

SB500,20 Section 20. 119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,48 119.23 (2) (a) 6. a. Except as provided in subd. 6. c., all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license issued by the department or a bachelor’s degree or a degree or educational credential higher than a bachelor’s degree, including a masters master’s or doctorate, from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education. This subd. 6. a. does not apply after June 30, 2025.

SB500,21 Section 21. 119.23 (2) (a) 6. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB500,,50 119.23 (2) (a) 6. b. All of the private school’s administrators have at least a bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited institution of higher education or a teaching license or administrator’s license issued by the department. This subd. 6. b. does not apply after June 30, 2025.

SB500,22 Section 22. 119.23 (2) (a) 6m. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,52 119.23 (2) (a) 6m. a. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the private school’s teachers have a teaching license or permit issued by the department.

SB500,,53 b. Except as provided in subd. 6m. c., beginning on July 1, 2025, all of the private school’s administrators have an administrator’s license issued by the department.

SB500,,54 c. Any teacher or administrator employed by the private school on July 1, 2025, who has been teaching or employed as an administrator for at least the 5 consecutive years immediately preceding July 1, 2025, and who does not satisfy the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. on July 1, 2025, applies to the department on a form prepared by the department for a temporary, nonrenewable waiver from the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. The department shall promulgate rules to implement this subd. 6m. c., including the form of the application and the process by which the waiver application will be reviewed. The application form shall require the applicant to submit a plan for satisfying the requirements under subd. 6m. a. or b. No waiver granted under this subd. 6m. c. is valid after July 1, 2030.

SB500,23 Section 23. 119.23 (2) (c) 3. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,56 119.23 (2) (c) 3. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., a teacher employed by a private school participating in the program under this section who teaches only courses in rabbinical studies is not required to hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department.

SB500,24 Section 24. 119.23 (2) (c) 4. of the statutes is created to read:

SB500,,58 119.23 (2) (c) 4. Notwithstanding par. (a) 6m., an administrator of a private school participating in the program under this section that prepares and trains pupils attending the school in rabbinical studies is not required to hold an administrator’s license issued by the department.

SB500,25 Section 25. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:

SB500,,60 (1) Teacher licensure in certain private schools. The treatment of s. 118.19 (1), (1b), (1c) (b) (intro.), and (3) (b) takes effect on July 1, 2025.

SB500,,61 (end)