TAKE ACTION: Oppose bill placing more hurdles for elementary teachers
02/18/2017
The introduced version of HB 1383 would have required every elementary school teacher initially licensed after 2021 to secure specialization in a specific content area and would have eliminated the elementary generalist license. Testimony against the bill clarified that current course requirements call for attention to the following content areas: English, math, science, social studies, fine arts, health, physical education and reading.
Current licensure requirements call for all candidates to complete a content minor or concentration area. And along the way, all candidates must pass the Indiana CORE Assessment, which again covers reading/language arts, math, science, health and physical education and social studies and fine arts.
In the face of this opposition, Rep. Behning (R- Indianapolis), and chair of the House education committee, is offering an amendment to the bill that takes a small step back, but not enough to warrant support for the bill.
The amendment would direct Indiana’s state board of education to establish “one or more elementary school teacher content area licenses that must, at a minimum, include a content area license that includes math and science.” Clearly, this is just a first step in that larger agenda.