Legislative updates: what your school should know - Swing Education

Legislative updates: what your school should know

At Swing, we want to help schools stay up to date with their state’s newly enacted laws. While there’s lots of legislation in process, here are some recently passed updates pertaining to schools:

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Arizona
California
Illinois
New Jersey
Texas

Arizona

What: House Bill 2060
Effective: Oct 30, 2023
What you need to know: This bill establishes a statutory handbook of parental rights and allows charter schools to post required teacher information online. Schools are now responsible for collecting and maintaining this information for both current and former teachers.

What: Senate Bill 1315
Effective: Oct 30, 2023
What you need to know: Currently, school district governing boards are required to develop emergency response plans (ERPs) for each school in their district. ERPs are now required to address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and assist students with disabilities.

What: Senate Bill 1584
Effective: Oct 30, 2023
What you need to know: Allows districts who qualify as “small school districts” to employ, including through third party contractors like Swing, immediate relatives of the governing board as a substitute teacher, including those who live in the same household of residence.

California

What: Assembly Bill 748
Effective: September 19, 2022
What you need to know: Prior to the start of the 2023-2024 school year, school sites serving any of grades 6 through 12 must create a poster identifying approaches, and sharing resources regarding students’ mental health. The poster must be prominently displayed in areas accessible and frequented by students.

What: California Budget (Senate Bill 101) for 2023-2024
Effective: June 27, 2023
What you need to know: This bill makes it easier to become a teacher by including funding to waive and reimburse registration fees for California Educator Exam and Performance assessments.

What: Prop. 28 Funding Now Available for CA Schools
Effective: June 27, 2023
What you need to know: Around $941m is now available to CA schools on an annual basis to staff arts and music programs. 80% of that funding is to be used on staffing, which may include substitute teachers like SwingSubs.

Illinois

What: House Bill 3442
Effective: January 1, 2024
What you need to know: This amendment to the Illinois Education Code allows school districts to continue to employ the same substitute teacher in the same position for 90 days or through the end of the semester. In order to do so, the district must file a written request for a 30-day extension.

What: Senate Bill 2390
Effective: June 29, 2023
What you need to know: Non-public schools are now subject to more stringent background check requirements. Additionally, this bill extends the availability of short term substitute teaching licenses for another five years.

What: Senate Bill 1488
Effective: August 4, 2023
What you need to know: Through August, 2025, candidates completing a teacher preparation program or seeking a credential will no longer be required to pass a teacher performance assessment.

New Jersey

What: Changes to NJ Education Law makes it easier to become a substitute teacher
Effective: May 1, 2023
What you need to know: Instructional Substitute Credentials are now available to all aged 18 and older who have completed at least 30 college credits. There is no longer a requirement that the candidate must be enrolled in a university program at the time of their application. Applicants for an Instructional Substitute Credential must now:

What: Assembly Bill 5060
Effective: July 3, 2023
What you need to know: Teachers can now use their paid sick leave for a multitude of reasons, increasing the need for substitute teachers. This bill makes it much easier for public school teachers to use their sick leave for reasons other than their own illnesses.

What: A 5422/S 3798
Effective: Jul 20, 2023
What you need to know: This bill welcomes retired teachers back into the classroom. Retired teachers can return for up to two years without TPAF re-enrollment.

Texas

What: Senate Bill 2124
Effective: May 27, 2023
What you need to know: Schools are now required to develop and implement advanced math programs for middle schools as soon as is practicable. The program must enable select students to take Algebra I in 8th grade.

What: House Bill 3803
Effective: June 13, 2023
What you need to know: Parents can now elect for students to repeat any grade through 8th and to repeat high school courses from the previous year. This bill targets any learning loss attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What: House Bill 900
Effective: Sep 1, 2023
What you need to know: Texas State Library and Archives Commission are to establish standards for district libraries so that districts can use the ratings to prevent students from checking out certain materials without parental permission.

What: House Bill 621
Effective: Sep 1, 2023
What you need to know: Military service members will now be eligible to obtain a teaching certificate by substituting the requirement of a bachelor’s or associates degree (depending on the credential type) for a military service and/or a combination of military service and credit hours. They must still meet all other requirements before teaching.