Bill transfers educator grants and some licensure duties from PELSB to Minnesota Department of Education; staff protections added

Senate File 1462, discussed Feb. 27 in the State and Local Government Committee, would transfer administration of two grant programs and related responsibilities from the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), and would secure employment protections for staff who transfer with those grants.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Clare Kunish, described the measure as largely operational: it moves the Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color grant and the Teacher Mentorship and Retention grants to MDE, allows the commissioner to retain up to 5% of an appropriation for monitoring and administration, and transfers responsibility for the statewide paraprofessional credential to MDE while leaving administration of the alternative teacher pathway with PELSB. The bill also lists appropriations and operational funding items.

Dr. Elena Bailey, executive director of PELSB, told the committee PELSB is a small agency (28 staff) serving about 110,000 licensed teachers and accrediting 38 teacher preparation providers; she said the agency’s recent grant administration workload has outpaced its capacity and that the transfers are intended to align grant management with MDE capacity. The bill includes specific appropriations and operational items described in committee testimony: a FY26‑27 operating appropriation figure and line items for program support, alternative‑pathway staffing, a heritage‑language teacher licensure pathway, and an online licensure‑via‑portfolio platform.

Education Evolving’s Alex Votrella testified in support, describing the licensure‑via‑portfolio platform as a modernization that helps heritage‑language educators and noting initial cohort outcomes: the first cohort accepted 47 educators representing nine languages from 18 districts, and about 40% of that cohort attained full licensure in the first year.

The committee considered an A3 amendment that clarifies protections for staff who transfer with programs from PELSB to MDE so the employees retain position lane, salary and benefits; the committee adopted the amendment as amended. The committee then recommended SF 1462, as amended, be passed and re‑referred to Education Finance.

What the bill covers and key numbers cited in testimony

- Transfers to MDE: Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color grant; Teacher Mentorship and Retention grants; staff who oversee those grants are also transferred. - PELSB retains administration of alternative teacher pathways; the statewide paraprofessional credential is moved to MDE. - Appropriation items discussed in committee testimony included a FY26‑27 operating appropriation (cited as $7,900,000), $400,000 for additional support positions, $600,000 for a heritage‑language licensure pathway, and $700,000 for an online licensure‑via‑portfolio platform (figures as cited in testimony).

Committee action

- A3 amendment (staff transfer protections) adopted as amended following a technical oral amendment to replace permissive language with mandatory language about the transfer; A3 adopted. - Committee recommendation: SF 1462 as amended recommended to pass and re‑refer to Education Finance.

Context

PELSB staff described agency workload, program successes (including early results from the heritage‑language licensure pathway), and operational reasons for moving large grants to MDE. Testimony emphasized that the transfers are intended to match grant management with administrative capacity and to secure employee protections during the transfer.

Next steps

The committee recommended passage and re‑referral to Education Finance for fiscal consideration.