State board's proposed Chapter 115 rules, portfolio certification draw broad support and concern
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Summary
The State Board's proposed Chapter 115 credentialing revisions and a new portfolio pathway drew support from superintendents, CTE and school-management groups as a workforce tool, while disability advocates and some committee members warned against broadening special-education grade spans without safeguards.
Representative Kelly Murphy presented LD 2175 on behalf of the State Board of Education to begin legislative review of proposed revisions to Chapter 115, the rules governing educator credentialing. The State Board requested that the emergency preamble be stripped to allow time for software updates and implementation.
Paulette Bono, chair of the State Board, and Tom Keller, vice chair of the Certification and Higher Education Committee, described an extensive public process that produced a package of revisions: clarified language, new alternative pathways including a portfolio pathway for experienced candidates and career changers, additions of endorsements such as a proposed math specialist and athletic-administration certification, and adjustments intended to ease barriers while maintaining quality. Keller said public outreach included regional sessions and a public hearing that drew 58 speakers.
District leaders, superintendents and associations uniformly praised the portfolio option as a supervised, mentored route that would allow high-quality career changers and experienced teachers to fill shortages without requiring full traditional coursework. Superintendent Jonathan Moody urged the committee not to let "perfect be the enemy of better," arguing the portfolio pathway is research-aligned, locally administered with state oversight, and includes mentorship and conditional certification.
Supporters from CTE, MSMA, MACD and higher-education partners described the portfolio model as allowing tailored, job-embedded professional development that keeps dollars within Maine and reduces reliance on out-of-state online coursework.
Disability advocates cautioned against changing the grade-span structure for special-education endorsements. Nancy Cronin (Maine Developmental Disabilities Council) told the panel that "developmentally, a 3 year old and 17 year old are profoundly different," and warned that broadening a "pre-k through 12" special-education credential risks diluting developmental specificity and could disproportionately impact students with disabilities. Alan Koba Lewis, representing the university'based disability center, invoked federal IDEA requirements and urged that any change must not produce disparate impact for students with disabilities.
Committee members asked for clarifications and data in advance of the work session: how many candidates are expected to use portfolio pathways, what oversight the State Board will apply in approving local plans, whether regional agreements will ensure portability, how rubric and mentoring quality will be monitored, and whether special-education grade-span changes preserve appropriate qualifications for different developmental stages.
The State Board and supporters offered to provide additional materials, sample regional plans, participation counts from public outreach, and model rubric language for the committee's work session.
