You asked for information on legislation and progress on establishing an alternative route to certification for school administrators. You also asked if the education commissioner can waive certification requirements for administrators.

SUMMARY

A 2006 law requires the Department of Higher Education (DHE) to develop an alternative route to certification (ARC) for school administrators. It also requires DHE to consult with the state Department of Education (SDE) about the program.

In written testimony at a March 2007 Education Committee public hearing, DHE reported that it was looking around the country for administrator ARC program models. According to Katherine Nicoletti, SDE's legislative liaison, SDE and DHE are currently engaged in discussions about developing the ARC program, but nothing has been finalized. Valerie Lewis, commissioner of higher education, confirms these discussions but says she is unable to establish a program without funding. No funding for an administrator ARC program was appropriated in the FY 08-09 state budget.

A 2007 law gives the education commissioner the power to waive certification requirements for school superintendents in very narrow circumstances. But no law allows the commissioner to waive certification for other types of public school administrators.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO CERTIFICATION FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

In 2006, the General Assembly passed legislation requiring DHE, in consultation with SDE, to develop alternate route to certification (ARC) programs for school administrators and superintendents. DHE was required to develop criteria for program admission. Programs must include mentored apprenticeships (PA 06-135, § 25). DHE already administers an ARC program for teachers, which focuses on teacher shortage subjects identified by the education commissioner.

In 2007, the Education Committee raised and had a public hearing on HB 7353, which, along with reiterating the requirement that DHE develop a pilot ARC program for administrators, would have provided $ 312,826 and $ 315,678 for FYs 08 and 09 respectively, to DHE to fund the program. At the 2007 public hearing, DHE reported that it is looking across the country for the best alternate route models, which would focus on “turn-around” administrators for failing schools. The committee took no action on HB 7353 and no other legislation on this topic was enacted in 2007.

The governor's budget for FY 08 and FY 09 proposed to transfer $ 135,793 in FY 08 and $ 138,645 in FY 09 from SDE to DHE for the administrator ARC program, but the final budget adopted by the General Assembly did not include any funding for the program. DHE commissioner Valerie Lewis reports that, although DHE is willing to establish an administrator ARC program, it cannot do so without start-up funding, either from the state or a private foundation.

EDUCATION COMMISSIONER'S POWER TO WAIVE CERTIFICATION FOR ADMINISTRATORS

State law generally prohibits school boards from employing any teacher, supervisor, administrator, special service staff member or school superintendent in any public school who does not have an appropriate state education credential. The law makes two exceptions, both for school superintendents. It allows (1) a school board to appoint an uncertified person as acting superintendent for up to 90 days with the education commissioner's approval (CGS § 10-157) and (2) the education

commissioner to waive a school superintendent's certification if the commissioner considers the person exceptionally qualified to be a school superintendent (PA 07-241).

To be considered exceptionally qualified and eligible for a waiver, a superintendent must:

1. have been appointed under the law allowing appointments of non-certified acting superintendents for up to 90 days with the commissioner's approval,

2. have worked as a school superintendent in another state for at least 15 years, and

3. be or have been certified as a superintendent by the other state.

State law does not authorize the education commissioner to waive certification requirements for any other school administrators.

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