Public comment is open on changes to vocational technical educator licenses related to the LOOK Act.
At the March Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting, draft changes to teacher licenses were release. Public comment is open for until May 18, 2018.
For more information on the full set of regulations, check the DESE page here. Submit your comments via survey here or send an email to LOOKAct@doe.mass.edu.
The proposed changes to include:
Vocational Technical Education – 603 CMR 4.00
- Adds Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement for vocational technical teacher of English learners.
- Adds SEI Endorsement to requirements for a vocational technical Professional-level license.*
- Will allow SEI Endorsement coursework to be applied towards 18 academic credit requirement for Professional-level license.
- Adds SEI Teacher or SEI Administrator Endorsement requirement for vocational technical administrator licenses*
- SEI Endorsement requirements will be effective July 1, 2020.
- Professional License Renewal: Educators must include 15 PDPs in Sheltered English Immersion/English as a second language and 15 PDPs in special education as part of the total 150 PDPs.
- Updated language for Grounds for License Action
* It is the understanding of the Massachusetts Teachers Association that DESE will be offering no-cost SEI Endorsement courses for vocational technical educators who will require the SEI Endorsement during the 2018-2019 school year. However, exact details of this plan are not yet available.