TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT H.B. 5669:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5669 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Rob VerHeulen
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to permit a State-approved nonpublic school to provide professional development for teachers, and require the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) to credit such professional development toward the issuance or renewal of a teaching certificate or endorsement just as the Department credits professional development provided by a public school.
The Code requires the board of each school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy to provide at least five days of teacher professional development each school year.
The bill would allow a State-approved nonpublic school to provide teacher professional development for nonpublic school teachers. The MDE would have to credit this professional development toward the issuance or renewal of a teaching certificate or endorsement to the same extent as professional development provided by a public school is credited for its teachers for those purposes, if the MDE determined that both of the following conditions were met:
-- The professional development provided substantially the same program content as professional development provided by a public school that the Department credited toward the issuance or renewal of a teaching certificate or endorsement.
-- The nonpublic school submitted to the same auditing and documentation requirements for professional development as a public school.
MCL 380.1527 Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on local public schools, because nothing would change for public school teachers using professional development for recertification. Private schools are required to follow the auditing and documentation requirements that apply to public schools, which would be used to determine whether the professional development provided by a private school was substantially the same as professional development provided by public schools. The Department would not need to increase personnel in the Office of Professional Preparation and Certification Services in order to determine whether professional development provided by a private school was substantially the same as professional development provided by public schools.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.