Sisolak Signs Emergency Regulation in Response to Teacher Shortage

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed an emergency regulation regarding teacher licenses to help address the state’s staff shortages.

The cost of a substitute teaching license will be reduced from $180 for initial licenses and $150 for renewal licenses to $100 for all substitute teaching licenses under the new regulation.

According to the Nevada Department of Education, this new regulation was requested by the Commission on Professional Standards in Education.

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction will be able to extend the expiration dates of certain provisional licenses for up to six months. According to the Education Department, this would ensure that more than 600 educators could continue teaching this fall.

Sarah Gates, a Clark County elementary school teacher, claims to have one of those provisional licenses. She believes that this extension will be beneficial to many educators who are pursuing their licenses but have busy schedules.

“There’s lots and lots of conditions to be met with the type of conditional license they’re talking about. And I know that that time can that clock can run out really quickly. And I think that that would be a very substantial part of keeping teachers who are already teaching in the classroom and not giving them a little bit extra time to fulfill those conditions. If just life and work got to them and they weren’t able to complete the conditions on time. Now they won’t get booted out of the classroom.”

“Administrators, teachers, and school staff are charged with the care of Nevada’s most valuable asset – our children,” Sisolak remarked. “I am grateful to the Commission on Professional Standards for identifying an opportunity to address school staffing shortages this fall because all children deserve access to caring and qualified adults.”

The Commission on Professional Standards in Education is a public body of 11 members that supervises educator licensure and professional learning requirements. According to state law, the commission cannot charge less than $100 for educator licenses.

According to the state, anyone who has already paid their fees cannot receive an adjustment or refund.

Credits: News3LV