Board forms fast-turnaround subcommittee to design licensure pathways for federal workers and other career-changers

The State Board of Education and Maryland Department of Education agreed to convene a small subcommittee to consider expedited licensure and alternative pathways for federal workers and other professionals seeking teaching careers.

Kelly, an MSDE licensure official, said the governor's office had charged MSDE with outreach to federal workers who may be changing careers and that MSDE had already created a landing page on the Teach Maryland site. Kelly asked for a small subcommittee of three to four board members to do "fast work" to evaluate licensure pathways for applicants with terminal degrees or substantial occupational experience but without pedagogical preparation.

Board members volunteered during the meeting. Doctor Shockley, Sharon, Chris (an educator who runs an alternative-track program), Doctor Taylor, Joyce Spain, Leslie Stanton and Doctor Woodward offered to participate. Kelly said she would send a Doodle poll and seek to hold initial meetings the week of March 17, with a focus on producing near-term recommendations.

Board members discussed existing adjunct licensure and an "in-district" pathway; MSDE staff noted that the current adjunct license is part time and that only three such licenses had been issued since the authorization (the staff said that license was passed in 2017). Participants said the subcommittee should examine whether the adjunct pathway could be expanded and whether the state could cover clearinghouse membership or other costs to ease transitions.

MSDE will coordinate scheduling; the subcommittee will report back to the full board with proposed pathway designs and suggested regulatory or statutory changes as needed.