1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for an alternative 
  1.3             license for teachers who received training in other 
  1.4             states; amending Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, 
  1.5             section 122A.23. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.8   122A.23, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [EQUIVALENCY.] When a license to teach is 
  1.10  authorized to be issued to any holder of a diploma or a degree 
  1.11  of a Minnesota state university, or of the University of 
  1.12  Minnesota, or of a liberal arts university, or a technical 
  1.13  training institution, such license may also, in the discretion 
  1.14  of the board of teaching or the commissioner of children, 
  1.15  families, and learning, whichever has jurisdiction, be issued to 
  1.16  any holder of a diploma or a degree of a teacher training 
  1.17  institution of equivalent rank and standing of any other state.  
  1.18  The diploma or degree must be granted by virtue of the 
  1.19  completion of a course in teacher preparation essentially 
  1.20  equivalent in content to that required by such Minnesota state 
  1.21  university or the University of Minnesota or a liberal arts 
  1.22  university in Minnesota or a technical training institution as 
  1.23  preliminary to the granting of a diploma or a degree of the same 
  1.24  rank and class. 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [ALTERNATIVE.] Notwithstanding any law or rule to 
  2.1   the contrary, the board of teaching shall issue an alternative 
  2.2   one-year license to teach in Minnesota if the applicant: 
  2.3      (1) is a holder of a diploma or a degree from an 
  2.4   institution of higher education in another state of comparable 
  2.5   rank and standing to a Minnesota state university, the 
  2.6   University of Minnesota, a liberal arts college or university, 
  2.7   or a technical training institute provided the diploma or degree 
  2.8   was granted by virtue of the completion of a course in teacher 
  2.9   preparation; 
  2.10     (2) has successfully completed an examination of skills in 
  2.11  reading, writing, and mathematics approved by the board of 
  2.12  teaching under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, clause (b); 
  2.13     (3) has undergone a background check under section 122A.18, 
  2.14  subdivision 8, and, based on the results of the background 
  2.15  check, is found eligible to be a licensed teacher by the board 
  2.16  of teaching; and 
  2.17     (4) is able to document successful and significant 
  2.18  experience as a professional teacher of school-age children and 
  2.19  to provide personal references. 
  2.20     A school district that hires a teacher with an alternative 
  2.21  one-year license under this subdivision shall name a mentorship 
  2.22  team for the teacher.  The team shall prepare an evaluation of 
  2.23  the teacher for the board of teaching that shall include a 
  2.24  recommendation of whether or not the teacher should receive a 
  2.25  continuing license.  If the recommendation is favorable, the 
  2.26  board of teaching shall issue a continuing license to the 
  2.27  teacher.  If the recommendation is unfavorable, the board of 
  2.28  teaching may, at its discretion, renew the alternative one-year 
  2.29  license under this subdivision or decline to further consider 
  2.30  the applicant for a license under this subdivision.