HB 254 Summary

• Establishes the Alaska Educator Standards Commission within the Department of Education and Early Development, replacing the Professional Teaching Practices Commission.

• Expands the commission from 9 to 11 members, adding a district human resources director and increasing classroom teacher representatives from five to four while reducing principals from two to one.

• Extends validity periods for preliminary teacher certificates, revocable teacher certificates, and provisional certificates from one to two or four years respectively, allowing teachers more time to meet certification requirements.

• Grants the commission authority to approve educator preparation programs and establish teacher certification and discipline standards, while requiring teachers to complete training in alcohol/drug awareness, sexual abuse prevention, teen dating violence prevention, and suicide awareness.

• Exempts military spouses from teacher certification fees (except criminal background check fees) and reduces subject-matter expert teacher experience requirement from five years to two years.