Teacher credentialing: temporary certificates.

(1) Existing law authorizes a county board of education or city and county board of education to issue temporary certificates to certified employees whose credentials are being processed by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Under existing law, a county board of education or city and county board of education, before issuing a temporary certificate, or a school district, before issuing a temporary certificate of clearance, is required to obtain a criminal record summary about the applicant from the Department of Justice. This bill instead would authorize a county board of education or city and county board of education to issue temporary certificates to certified employees, including individuals certified in another state, whose credentials are being processed by the commission. The bill would require a county board of education or city and county board of education, before issuing a temporary certificate, or a school district, before issuing a temporary certificate of clearance, to instead obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission. (2) Existing law authorizes certain school districts, at their discretion, to provide for the registration of a valid certification or other document authorizing the holder to serve in a position requiring certification qualifications as an employee of the school district. This bill would prohibit a school district from exercising that authority until the school district has obtained a certificate of clearance from the commission. (3) Existing law authorizes a local educational agency to contract with a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to provide the appropriate special educational facilities, special education, or designated instruction and services required by a pupil with exceptional needs if no appropriate public education program is available. This bill would authorize a county board of education or city and county board of education to issue temporary certificates to certified employees of nonpublic, nonsectarian schools, including individuals certified in another state, whose credentials are being processed by the commission, as provided. The bill would require a county board of education or city and county board of education, before issuing a temporary certificate, to obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission. The bill would provide that the conditions under which a temporary certificate issued pursuant to these provisions may or shall be revoked, issued, or denied, as applicable, are to be the same for nonpublic, nonsectarian schools as for schools operated by local educational agencies. The bill would require the commission to honor requests to expedite teacher credentialing processing from the State Department of Education on behalf of an applicant employed or seeking employment at a nonpublic, nonsectarian school to the same degree the commission honors requests to expedite the processing of applications for teacher credentialing received from other employing agencies. The bill would require the State Department of Education to recognize all teacher permits, credentials, and certificates issued by the commission or a county board of education or city and county board of education authorized by this bill. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2024, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2025.