COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Senate Bill 168 is now in effect, a K-12 education bill that, among many things, lowers the threshold for what it takes to be a teacher in Ohio.
SB 168 went into effect Oct. 24 and makes several adjustments to education regulation reform. The bill reduces restrictions on educator licenses, localizes teacher evaluation framework to the district level, and eliminates more than a dozen sections of the Ohio Revised Code. It also transfers money from the General Revenue Fund to the High School Financial Literacy Fund and further limits the powers of the Department of Education and Workforce.
The bill was sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester), who said the legislation will eliminate “burdensome” regulations.
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With the bill now enacted, Ohio schools – both public and private – can hire unlicensed educators as long as they are “otherwise qualified based on experience” and the Board of Education approves it and provides professional development where needed.