NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Tennessee bill that would make it easier for industry experts to become public school teachers has gained bipartisan support, but some educators argue the state needs to do more to ease the growing teacher shortage.
The proposed legislation , sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) would create a limited occupational teacher licensure program, which would allow industry experts to teach public school vocational courses without having to go back to school themselves if they have an active industry credential or license and meet other criteria.
“As someone who is a certified teacher, not currently, but is educated to be a teacher, I think that the licensure requirements are important, but what we’re recognizing here is there are people who have very important life skills and professional skills that want to teach and want to share their knowledge, and we should have a streamlined pathway for those people to be able to get in and teach,” Leader Johnson said.
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The bill is aimed at easing Tennessee’s teacher shortage. The state estimates there were nearly 1,500 educator vacancies during the 2023-24 school year, and that doesn’t include those on a limited or emergency license…