CT HB07149

Commissioner of Education shall negotiate professional certification reciprocity agreements with Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, and New Jersey, with progress reports due by January 1, 2020 and annually thereafter.

Connecticut Housing Finance Authority shall develop a mortgage assistance program for certified teachers employed in priority or transitional school districts, subject shortage areas, technical education schools, educational reform district graduates, and historically black college or Hispanic-serving institution graduates, effective July 1, 2019.

Retired teachers may be reemployed for up to one additional school year in subject shortage areas, priority school districts, or if they graduated from educational reform districts or historically black colleges/Hispanic-serving institutions, effective July 1, 2019.

State Board of Education shall issue initial educator certificates to applicants with bachelor's or advanced degrees from regionally accredited institutions and approved educator preparation programs, with exemption for graduates of historically black colleges or Hispanic-serving institutions from subject area major requirements, effective July 1, 2019.

Out-of-state teachers with equivalent certificates may be certified in Connecticut without competency exams if they have three years of teaching experience or a master's degree in their subject area, effective July 1, 2019.