Senate committee adopts amendment to split Ohio preK–8 teaching license into separate grade bands

During a hearing of the Senate Education Committee, members adopted an amendment to substitute Senate Bill 144 that would replace the existing preK–8 generalist license with separate license bands for preK–5 and grades 4–8 and add several related requirements.

The amendment, identified as Amendment 1360910 and accepted without objection, requires the State Board of Education to specify whether an educator’s license authorizes teaching in preK–5, grades 4–8 or grades 7–12. It also requires the State Board to issue at least one preK–5 license option that authorizes either general education instruction or both general and special education instruction, and to issue at least one grades 4–8 license that authorizes general education instruction. The amendment permits a district or community school to employ only individuals with at least one year of experience as a…