SB 1159 and Teacher Certification Requirements

Posted Date: 07/19/2022

CERTIFICATION   Update on SB 1159 (amending A.R.S. § 15-553)   Some recent news stories related to Senate Bill (SB) 1159 provide inaccurate information about the requirement that teachers hold bachelor’s degrees. Two examples are provided below: Arizona Family headline dated July 8, 2022: “Educators no longer need a college degree to begin teaching in Arizona public schools.” Retrieved from https://www.azfamily.com/2022/07/09/educators-no-longer-need-college-degree-begin-teaching-arizona-public-schools/. Arizona Fox 10 Phoenix headline dated July 10, 2022: “Arizona educators can now teach at public schools before earning college degree.” Retrieved from https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-educators-can-now-teach-at-public-schools-before-earning-college-degree. SB 1159 does not remove the bachelor’s degree requirement for teaching certificates established in A.R.S. § 15-501(A) or provide additional exceptions to the bachelor’s degree requirement established in A.R.S. § 15-501(F).* Instead, SB 1159 amends A.R.S. § 15-553, which relates to alternative teacher training programs administered by school districts and charter schools; these programs are approved by the State Board of Education as “classroom-based preparation programs.”    Under the current state statute, an individual must have a bachelor’s degree to enroll in a classroom-based preparation program. SB 1159 amends the state statute to allow a school district or charter school to enroll a candidate who does not have a bachelor’s degree into their classroom-based preparation program if the candidate is enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university. However, SB 1159 also requires that: The candidate “is not a contracted or permanent full-time teacher or the teacher of record for any classroom of students.” The candidate “does not regularly instruct students without the presence of a full-time teacher, certificated teacher, instructional coach, or instructional mentor unless the candidate possesses other means of certification, including an emergency substitute certificate, substitute certificate, or emergency teacher certificate.” Please see page 9, lines 20-41 on the PDF version of SB 1159, which may be retrieved from the Arizona State Legislature’s website here: https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2R/laws/0337.pdf.   *The exceptions under A.R.S. 15-501.01(F) include: 1. A teacher who is otherwise exempt by law from obtaining a baccalaureate degree and who provides instruction in STEM or career and technical education pursuant to section 15-782.01; and 2. A person who obtains any of the following: (a) A Native American language certificate. (b) A student teaching intern certificate. (c) A junior reserve officer training corps certificate. (d) An athletic coaching certificate. (e) An emergency substitute certificate.   CONNECT WITH US   The Arizona Department of Education advances equity and excellence for all students by serving school leaders, educators, and staff, collaborating with communities, and leading with data-driven best practices. LEARN MORE ›