House panel approves substitute teacher bill

HARRISBURG— A bill to help ease a current shortage of substitute teachers who work on a day-by-day basis won unanimous approval Tuesday by the House Education Committee.

House Bill 412 would partially address what many educators regard as a chronic teacher shortage in Pennsylvania compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Barb Gleim, R-Cumberland and headed to the House floor would allow certain substitute teachers to work longer periods. It allows someone with an inactive certification to be employed as a substitute for up to 120 days during a school year instead of up to 90 days.

Under HB 412, someone holding a state-issued day-today substitute permit could serve in more than one assignment for up to 20 days instead of just one assignment.

Also on Tuesday, two senators announced plans to introduce a separate bill to help improve the supply of substitute teachers.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, and Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, said they plan a bill to give permanent status to a temporary substitute teacher program created in 2016.

This program allows individuals training to be teachers to serve as a substitute teacher provided they have a valid clearance and at least 60credit hours.

“This program played a key role in meeting the critical demands of schools throughout the pandemic, and it should be a big part of our education strategy even after the public health emergency is over,” Mr. Martin said.

These actions follow the enactment of Act 126 of 2020, which gives state officials authority to issue temporary teaching certificates and take other steps to help those who need certification to start their careers but have experienced delays due tothe pandemic.

Educators have warned that a teacher shortage existed in Pennsylvania before the pandemic hit one year ago.

A majority of school districts in a recent survey report experiencing or anticipating retirements and resignations of teachers, said Art Levinowitz, president of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, in recent testimony before the House Education Committee.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania issued a report last year that Pennsylvania has experienced a dramatic decline in the supply ofnew teachers.