SF 1670

1st Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/25/2025 09:21 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying teacher shortage reporting requirements; requiring
a report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 122A.06, subdivision 6;
122A.091, subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.06, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Shortage area.

"Shortage area" means:

(1) licensure fields and economic development regions reported by the Professional
Educator Licensing and Standards Board as experiencing a teacher shortage new text begin including the
number of assignments a school district is unable to fill with a licensed teacher by November
1 of every even-numbered year new text end ; and

(2) economic development regions where the aggregate percentage of Indigenous teachers
and teachers of color in the region is lower than the aggregate percentage of kindergarten
through grade 12 Indigenous students and students of color in that region. Only individuals
who close the gap between these percentages qualify as filling a shortage by this definition.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.091, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Supply and demand report.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards
Board must submit a report to the education committees of the legislature by November 1,
2025, and November 1 of each even-numbered year thereafter, on the supply and demand
of teachers. The report must be made available on the board's website. The report must
include data regarding:

(1) retirement patterns;

(2) teacher licensure;

(3) teacher diversity, including whether the state's teacher workforce reflects the diversity
of the state's student population;

(4) the teacher shortage, and the substitute teacher shortage, including patterns and
shortages in licensure field areas and the economic development regions of the state;

(5) survey data from school districts and teacher preparation programs; and

(6) whether districts are making progress in hiring teachers and substitute teachers in
the areas of shortage new text begin , including the number of teachers hired in the preceding two years,
the number of teachers hired holding a license at each tier level, the number of assignments
the school district was unable to fill with a licensed teacher, and permissions for license
fields without a board-approved preparation program by economic development regions new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin TEACHER SUPPLY AND DEMAND REPORT.
new text end

new text begin (a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must include in the report
required under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.091, subdivision 5, by February 1, 2026,
the number of teacher openings, by school district, for teachers with licenses in the following
fields:
new text end

new text begin (1) English as a second language;
new text end

new text begin (2) early childhood;
new text end

new text begin (3) special education;
new text end

new text begin (4) career and technical education;
new text end

new text begin (5) science, technology, engineering, arts, and math; and
new text end

new text begin (6) world languages.
new text end

new text begin (b) For each field listed in paragraph (a), the report must also include the number of
teachers hired, by school district, at each license tier level, and the number of teacher
assignments the school district was unable to fill with a licensed teacher.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end