Extended Emergency Licenses: Oregon

Analysis of Oregon's policies

Oregon allows new teachers who have not met licensure requirements to teach under the Restricted Transitional Teaching License, which is valid for one year and may be renewed twice. Eligibility requirements include a bachelor's degree and a letter from the employing district describing a particular need for the applicant's teacher qualifications. Upon expiration of the certificate, applicants are expected to meet the requirements of an initial license.

New rules regarding the state's Emergency Teaching License, allow this license to be granted “at the discretion of the Executive Director, or the Director of Licensure, for any length of time deemed necessary to protect the district's programs or students."  This license can be renewed, “at the discretion of the Executive Director after considering all extenuating circumstances."

Citation

Oregon Administrative Rules 584-210-0100; 584-210-0130

Recommendations for Oregon

Ensure that all teachers pass required subject-matter licensing tests before they enter the classroom.
All students are entitled to teachers who know the subject matter they are teaching. Permitting individuals who have not yet passed state licensing tests to teach neglects the needs of students, instead extending personal consideration to adults who may not be able to meet minimal state standards. Oregon should ensure that all teachers pass licensing tests—an important minimum benchmark for entering the profession—before entering the classroom.

Limit exceptions to one year.
There might be limited and exceptional circumstances under which conditional or emergency licenses need to be granted. In these instances, it is reasonable for a state to give teachers up to one year to pass required licensing tests. Oregon's current policy puts students at risk by allowing teachers to teach on a Restricted License for up to two years without passing required licensing tests.

State response to our analysis

Oregon stated that the description of an entry alternative route license as a limitation under “exiting ineffective teachers” seems misplaced. Oregon noted that the district monitors effectiveness for persons holding Restricted Teaching Licenses, and the three years is to allow time to complete full teacher preparation. Furthermore, the state asserted, there is no data that correlates passage of the subject-matter test to effectiveness. According to the state, the commission has not relaxed its requirements for passage of the subject-matter tests (if they exist) for all newly nonprovisional licensed teachers.

Last word

The concern here, and the reason this goal is included in the area on “exiting ineffective teachers,” is that teachers who do not know their subject matter should not be able to stay in the classroom. While there is much that alternate route teachers are still learning while already the teacher of record, they should come to the classroom already knowing their content. Allowing any teacher, whether traditionally or alternatively certified, to teach for three years without verifying subject-matter knowledge puts students at risk.