Senate panel advances Cruz Crawford bill to streamline alternative teacher licensure and target Read by 3 services

Sen. Shelley Cruz Crawford, sponsor of Senate Bill 278, told the Senate Committee on Education that the bill would streamline alternative licensure pathways and create interim endorsements so educators can shift assignments more easily across classrooms and specialty units. "This would help streamline that licensing and simplify that," Cruz Crawford said during her presentation to the committee.

The bill, as presented in committee, would direct the Commission on Professional Standards in Education to consider and write regulations for additional streamlined alternative pathways to licensure and interim pathways to additional endorsements "for all counties without employment restrictions," Cruz Crawford said. She described the change as intended to reduce barriers when a school needs a teacher to move from a general education classroom to a specialized classroom, such as an autism unit.

Cruz Crawford also described cleanup language in the bill related to the state's "Read by 3" provisions. Under the amendment she presented, a pupil who scores above the level determined by the statewide assessment for pupils in the same grade would not be required to receive Read by 3 services. The sponsor said that change would focus limited Read by 3 resources on struggling readers and reduce teacher burnout.

Supporters who testified included Brad Keating, representing the Clark County School District, who said the district appreciated the sponsor's work on the amendments and "support[s] the bill as it is today." Susan Kima, executive director of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents, also voiced support. Brian Wallace, vice president of the Nevada State Education Association, offered a ditto of support. Dr. Brenda Pearson of the Clark County Education Association said the amendment "removes a requirement for a student to receive those services if they are reading at or above grade level" and that reallocating those services could free teachers to focus on students needing intervention.

The sponsor told the committee she had worked with the Nevada Department of Education and stakeholder groups while drafting the bill and that one portion of the amendment was intended to remove a fiscal note attached to the original draft. "This is cleanup language," Cruz Crawford said, referring to the Read by 3 adjustments.

In the committee's work session later the same day, members moved to amend and do pass SB 278. The motion was adopted by voice vote; the record shows the motion carried 7 to 0. A floor statement was assigned to Senator Cruz Crawford.

The bill's text as discussed removes an earlier section concerning administrative leadership academies, clarifies regulatory duties for licensure pathways, and narrows eligibility for Read by 3 services to pupils who do not already meet the statewide assessment benchmark. The sponsor and supporters said those changes are intended to concentrate intervention resources on struggling readers and reduce unnecessary training or duplicate licensing barriers for educators who need to shift roles within a school.

The committee hearing did not include discussion of an implementation date in the sponsor's presentation. The Nevada Department of Education was referenced during testimony as a collaborator on the licensing language and on the amendment that would eliminate the fiscal note.

SB 278 will next move to the Senate floor with the committee's amended language and the assigned floor statement.