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An Act To Allow Local Flexibility in Teacher Assignment To Enhance Student Achievement
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13013, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2017, c. 235, §12 and affected by §41, is further amended to read:
 
3. Endorsements.   A professional teacher certificate must be issued with an endorsement that specifies the grades and subject area that the teacher is deemed qualified to teach. A holder of a professional teacher certificate may not teach more than 20% of that teacher's teaching assignment outside the certificate holder'steacher's area of endorsement unless the certificate holderteacher has received a waiver from the commissioner in accordance with state board rules. A superintendent shall notify in writing the commissioner within 30 days after a teacher is assigned to teach outside the teacher's area of endorsement. The notification must include the percentage of time the teacher is assigned to teach outside the teacher's area of endorsement, the reason behind the assignment and a brief description of the teacher's abilities in the area outside the teacher's endorsement.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a holder of a professional teacher certificate to teach no more than 20% of the teacher's teaching assignment outside the teacher's area of endorsement. It also requires a superintendent to notify and provide certain details to the Commissioner of Education when a teacher is assigned to teach outside the teacher's area of endorsement.