AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION, TEACHERS, PARAEDUCATORS AND MANDATED REPORTER REQUIREMENTS.

HB 5436 updates the requirements for obtaining an initial educator certificate in Connecticut by mandating that applicants complete specific preparation pathways approved by the State Board of Education. The bill also extends the validity of initial educator certificates issued on or after July 1, 2024, to ten years, up from the previous three-year term, and allows for limited extensions of up to three years for good cause. Additionally, it clarifies the conditions under which temporary ninety-day certificates can be issued to individuals who hold a bachelor's degree and have completed an approved alternate route to certification program. These changes directly affect current and prospective teachers, paraeducators, and other educators seeking certification to work in public schools.