MN SF2861

Authorizes the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to issue a lifetime qualified short-call or long-call substitute teaching license to retired teachers with Tier 3 or 4 licenses, out-of-state licensed teachers receiving retirement annuities, or teachers with three years of experience in accredited nonpublic schools.

Requires the board to issue short-call substitute teaching licenses to applicants who submit a joint application with a school district or charter school and meet one of three criteria: holding at least an associate's degree, enrollment in a state-approved teacher preparatory program, or one year of employment as education support personnel or paraprofessional.

Permits school districts and charter schools to employ short-call substitute teachers without standard licensing requirements if they meet professional standards or have one year of prior employment with the district as support personnel, effective for the 2021-2022, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 school years only.

Requires school districts and charter schools employing substitute teachers under these provisions to report all such employees to the board and confirm completion of criminal background checks, professional requirement verification, and assessment of content area knowledge and skills.

Effective dates: July 1, 2022 for permanent licensing provisions; day following final enactment for temporary substitute teacher employment permission which expires June 30, 2024.