1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for a teacher 
  1.3             licensure variance for experimental learning programs; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 125.185, 
  1.5             subdivision 10. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 125.185, 
  1.8   subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 10.  [VARIANCES.] (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 9 
  1.10  and section 14.05, subdivision 4, the board of teaching may 
  1.11  grant a variance to its rules upon application by a school 
  1.12  district for purposes of implementing experimental programs in 
  1.13  learning or management. 
  1.14     (b) A variance shall be granted to permit a teacher to 
  1.15  teach in subjects or fields for which the teacher is not 
  1.16  specifically licensed if a school district has designed an 
  1.17  experimental learning program with the following components: 
  1.18     (1) participating students are nonspecial education 
  1.19  students who are not making sufficient progress in the mastery 
  1.20  of communications and mathematics, or other basic and essential 
  1.21  academic subjects; 
  1.22     (2) participating teachers are licensed to teach by the 
  1.23  board in at least one licensure field and are considered capable 
  1.24  by the district of providing instruction at the level necessary 
  1.25  to meet the multidisciplinary needs of participating students; 
  2.1   and 
  2.2      (3) participating students and teachers are assigned to 
  2.3   each other for a majority of the school day in a manner that 
  2.4   provides a consistent and focused learning environment.