On Sept. 15, 2012, Rule Chapter 114 (“Purpose, Standards and Procedures for the Review and Approval of Educational Personnel Preparation Programs”) underwent changes. Among the approved amendments included the addition of a course in special education law to administrative certificates already requiring federal and Maine civil rights and education law. Accordingly, Chapter 115, Part II, must now be opened to revise the corresponding certification rules.
The summer and early fall of 2012 saw the State Board of Education react to a directive from Public Law 635: LD 1858 “An Act to Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership” and established an alternative pathways stakeholders group to review possible changes to Maine’s certification regulations. The group made recommendations to the certification examination process for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. The content knowledge exam would be replaced by industry credentials or industry-related exams. The pedagogical skills and knowledge assessment would be replaced by a series of four pedagogical courses. Also recommended is the requirement of a CTE orientation program for new teachers within the first year of employment. Transition language is included to allow those continuously certified under conditional certificates to continue under current rules, but all new CTE teachers would fall under the new rules starting Sept. 1, 2015.
The proposed revised rule is available online.
A public hearing will be held on Thursday, Dec. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 500 of the Cross Office Building at 111 Sewall Street in Augusta.
Written comments may be submitted by Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. to the Department of Education via email to mark.cyr@maine.gov or via mail to:
Mark A. Cyr
Department of Education
Certification Office
23 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0023