Committee advances substitute creating tiered teacher‑certification pathway, adds mentor release‑time amendment
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Summary
The committee adopted a substitute for House Bill 2776 that establishes tiered (Tier 1/2/3) certification for pre‑K/elementary teachers, sets a minimum starting pay for pathway hires, links Tier 3 to PSRS retirement eligibility, and adopted an amendment allowing mentor compensation in release time; roll call was 12‑5‑1.
The House Education Committee voted to advance a substitute for House Bill 2776 that creates a tiered certification pathway intended to address teacher shortages in Missouri.
Sponsor remarks described a three‑tier system: Tier 1 (entry pathway) expires after four years unless the candidate progresses; Tier 2 requires additional service and evaluation and expires after three years; Tier 3 requires further professional development and confers a long‑term certificate. The sponsor said the substitute includes a minimum salary for participants in the new pathway (the transcript cites a $35,000 minimum in the sponsor’s remarks) and that Tier 3 participants become eligible to participate in the Public School Retirement System (PSRS).
Committee members questioned how consecutive years of service are counted, whether the pathway could be used for secondary grades (the sponsor said the substitute is limited to pre‑K and elementary), and how the program treats interruptions like family leave. The sponsor answered that Tier 1 requires two consecutive full years of classroom experience to move to Tier 2 and that districts will provide mentorship and observation for pathway participants.
The committee adopted an amendment (labeled 0.01h) inserting language that mentor duties “may include recess time” and allowing nonmonetary release time for mentors; the amendment was rolled into a new substitute and adopted. The final roll call on the house committee substitute for House Bill 2776 was announced as 12 Aye, 5 No, and 1 Present.
What’s next: The committee reported the substitute as do‑pass; if advanced to the House floor, members indicated opportunities remain to amend the program details and to address implementation questions such as payroll placement and retirement system coordination.
