Committee stalls teacher computer‑science endorsement bill after debate on statutory pathways

House Bill 297, which would expand pathways and licensure types eligible for a K‑12 computer‑science endorsement and appropriate $250,000 for related professional development, did not receive committee approval at this hearing. Committee members raised concerns about embedding multiple endorsement pathways in statute rather than leaving them to administrative rule and asked PED to advise on how to proceed.

Representative Gonzales and witnesses from the Computer Science Alliance and the Computer Science Teachers Association described the bill as a way to broaden access to the existing endorsement (established in 2021) and to remove a sunset on two pathways. Paige Prescott, representing the Computer Science Alliance, told the committee that nearly 130 educators have earned the endorsement and that expanding the pathways would allow special education and early‑education teachers and others to add the endorsement.

Witnesses from Microsoft, the American Federation of Teachers, and other organizations supported the bill; PED testified about technical concerns with the sunsets and alignment across endorsements. Several senators cautioned that placing detailed pathway lists into statute may be unduly restrictive because administrative rules are more agile when professional standards change rapidly. One senator proposed an amendment to remove the statutory list of pathways and keep pathway determination in PED rule while preserving expanded access for nonsecondary teachers.

A vote on a motion to report the bill with a do‑pass recommendation failed. The sponsor agreed to consult with PED and return with clarified language; the committee chair asked the sponsor to return to committee with revisions.