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Lawmakers Hear Support and Concerns Over Bill to Create OPR Licensure for Early Childhood Educators
Summary
Witnesses told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee that S.206 could professionalize early childhood work and help recruit staff, while others warned a parallel Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) license — particularly the proposed ECE 3 — could duplicate Agency of Education endorsements and confuse families and employers.
The House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee heard testimony on S.206 on Wednesday, a bill that would create new early childhood educator licenses administered by the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation.
Jeff Fannin, executive director of Vermont NEA, told the committee he supports the bill’s goal to professionalize the workforce but urged changes to reduce confusion. "The bill would create an entirely new and separate licensure regulatory system for early childhood educators under the Office of Professional Regulation," Fannin said, and recommended eliminating the proposed ECE 3 designation because its requirements are "almost identical" to existing Agency of Education endorsements.
Supporters said S.206 would create clearer career pathways and help retain workers. "It provides a clear pathway to attract and retain new members to the ECE field," said Shannon Edmonds Folsom, childcare manager of JPeak Resort’s child care program, which…
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