PA has a teacher shortage. All states do. Here is a simple way to solve the problem

PA does not like out-of-state certifications and makes it nearly impossible to transfer one in. My state rep met with me personally over it after I asked her office for help. Keep in mind. . .Republican.

They sent me legislation that will be presented in Harrisburg. It was presented by. . .you guessed it, a Republican. Her chief of staff asked me to look it over and give comment and suggestions over the current law and the proposal. My comments are in boldfaced-. My proposal is in italics.

Them: Section 1206.1 of the Public School Code of 1949 provides for the certification of out-of-sate applicants
ME: We're using a 1949 law in 2026? IT hasn't changed since before my parents were born. It's over 75 years old and times have changed since my parents were -2 and -3 years old.
Them: Section 1206.1. Out-of-State Applicants for Certification.-- (a) The Department of Education shall issue a comparable Pennsylvania certificate to an out-of-State candidate who satisfies one of the following:
(1) Holds a valid and current instructional certificate issued by another state and satisfies the following:
----Completion of a college or university educator preparation program approved by the certifying state and satisfaction of testing requirements demonstrating subject matter competency in the applicable area of Pennsylvania certification, including passage of related content tests required by the certifying state and field experience.
ME: This is the Praxis Professional Knowledge and subject tests. The out-of-state certification already does this. Arizona uses Pearson, but because it isn't Praxis or NBPTS, Pennsylvania refuses to accept it. No teacher should have to do this twice when entering. Added to that, some states (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, for example) allow two years of teaching to be used in-lieu of student teaching while completing the required program and testing. This is the system I used in Arizona, but Pennsylvania won't accept if student teaching wasn't done, per PDE.
THEM: Has taught on the out-of-State certificate and presented to the department evidence of satisfactory professional educator experience for the candidate's two most recent years of classroom teaching.
ME: Overseas teaching does not qualify, even if you've taught American education or international curricula that is taught in American schools as well, such as CIE, IB, and AP. To overcome this, a simple letter on letterhead from the overseas institution signed by the head of HR or the director/principal of the school noting length of employment, subjects taught, grades taught, curriculum used (IGCSE-/A-Level and IB put everything we have to shame), and contact information (namely a professional email address or a personal email if no professional email is available and why not, along with the official stamp of the school to prevent forgery must be included. Many American teach in foreign countries. If they use international English curricula, this need to be accepted. This was written when teachers did not go abroad because it was cost-prohibitive and we were in the midst of a Cold War.
THEM: Holds a valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. A candidate with a certificate shall be granted the highest-level Pennsylvania certification available in the candidate's area of certification.
ME: If the certification area isn't in one approved or in PA's certification realm, this doesn't apply. Certified history/government isn't Integrated Social Studies, so no certification will be granted. But certification in two social studies subjects NEEDS to qualify, since history and government are social studies subjects and are the bulk of a social studies curriculum.
THEM: (b) An out-of-State candidate who satisfies the requirements of subsection (a) must also satisfy this Commonwealth's requirements under sections 1202 and 1209.
ME: More of this later
THEM: (c) An out-of-State candidate who is seeking Pennsylvania certification in a subject identified by the department as a shortage area and meets the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) shall be issued the appropriate certificate on an expedited basis in accordance with this section.
ME: In PA today, all areas are shortage areas, but SPED and STEM get priority. Social studies, according to Indeed are 400+ statewide, ELA is 500+, SPED is 1000+, 300+ STEM, 100+ art and music, 100+ PE, 1000+ elementary, 200+ computer science, 150+ school librarian, 1000+ school administrator, 450+ foreign language, 500+ home economics, 700+ vocational teachers. We are in crisis mode, but the PDE refuses to use this aspect of the law to get more teachers. There is a massive shortage in substitute teachers as well.
THEM: Section 1202 states that –
A teacher is prohibited from teaching a subject that they are not properly certified to teach;
ME: At least with social studies, being certified in history and government qualifies social studies since they are social studies areas. If you are certified in calculus, you're certified math (which PA doesn't). If you're certified in chemistry, you should be certified science (which PA does). If you are certified in literature, you should be certified English (which PA does). If you are a foreign language native speaker, one still needs to take the subject knowledge test in their language (their foreign language native ability should be sufficient. (PA does NOT do this).
THEM: Teaching certificates may be provided to an individual who’s a U.S. citizen, a temporary exchange teacher, a teacher employed for the purpose of teaching foreign languages or a person authorized to work in the U.S.; and
ME: A resident foreign national holding an immigrant visa who has declared, in writing, to PDE the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen is eligible for a teaching certificate.Again, this is discriminatory. Green Card holders may not want to give up their citizenship but should not be denied certification because of it. Citizenship is NOT a requirement to teach. Citizenship does not create good teachers as most bad teachers in this country are Americans. On top of that, Act 47 and Act 55 allowed this starting in 2024.
THEML Section 1209 prohibits a teaching certificate from being provided to an individual who;
Does not have a good moral character; or
ME: How many background checks does a teacher need to do? We already have three of them to get licensed and all districts require those three. Also, we need a truer definition of good moral character. It's immoral to lie and commit adultery. Are they disqualified? We need a set list of what qualifies as good moral character or else is a nebulous, meaningless, and ultimate subjective qualification. I'm sure, in 1949, good moral character meant not being gay, not being a single mother, and/or not being Communist. This is a throw back to the old “school marm” era.
THEM: Engages in the illegal use of controlled substances or alcohol … but an individual may overcome this disqualification and receive a teaching certificate if they’re reviewed by PDE and determined to be of good moral character.
ME: This works as a partial definition. No one wants an alcoholic or junkie teaching. Again, I can be a good upstanding person who is a functioning alcohol. No more character issue. Are there appeals? Is a person qualified for a DWI? Alcohol use being a disqualifying standard should be left to employing districts in the municipalities, as PA wrote after Prohibition.
THEM: Rep. Ortitay’s House Bill 2353 simplifies the testing requirements in section 1206.1 to those required by an out-of-state applicant’s certifying state –
Section 1206.1. Out-of-State Applicants for Certification.--(a) The Department of Education shall issue a comparable Pennsylvania certificate to an out-of-State candidate who satisfies one of the following:
(1) Holds a valid and current instructional certificate issued by another state and satisfies the following:
(i) Completion of a college or university educator preparation program approved by the certifying state and satisfaction of testing requirements [demonstrating subject matter competency in the applicable area of Pennsylvania certification, including passage of related content tests required by the certifying state and field experience]established by the certifying state.
ME: Good start, but why should a teacher of 10+ years experience pass a PA test when they've been teaching the subject. I propose making the testing required for out-of-state with less than the shelf life of a Level 1 PA certification, which is six years.
THEM: (ii) Has taught on the out-of-State certificate and presented to the department evidence of satisfactory professional educator experience for the candidate's two most recent years of classroom teaching.
ME: Again, no mention of international teaching. My solution from above will allow that teaching to qualify.
THEM: (2) Holds a valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. A candidate with a certificate shall be granted the highest-level Pennsylvania certification available in the candidate's area of certification.
ME: Standard in all states. NBPTS is accepted everywhere.
THEM: (b) An out-of-State candidate who satisfies the requirements of subsection (a) must also satisfy this Commonwealth's requirements under sections 1202 and 1209.
ME: Now we are running into problems as stated above.
THEM: An out-of-State candidate who is seeking Pennsylvania certification in a subject identified by the department as a shortage area and meets the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) shall be issued the appropriate certificate on an expedited basis in accordance with this section.
ME: Not to repeat, but all areas, including school administration, are shortage areas. Remember, I just used Indeed. A lot of schools go through Applitrak on their school district websites to post vacancies, so Indeed might not have the true number of vacancies.

MY REBUTTAL TO THE LEGISLATION AND MY PROPOSAL:
All this bill does is automatically waive for “nationally recognized” teacher exams the requirement to test in Pennsylvania. There are none of these except the NBPTS. Pearson (NES) is used in twenty states. Forty-six, include the Marianas, use Praxis (AZ, FL, IL, and MI don't). NBPTS lasts five years and costs teachers $570 ever five years to register, test, and retest. This is cost-prohibitive when the Praxis in PA only costs $135. Not to sound aloof, but Mr. Ortitay is a banker/businessman and not an educator.

This legislation does ABSOLUTELY nothing to alleviate the problem, except to force teachers to play $570 every five years for the NBPTS examination to certify and re-certify.

Proposed additions to the legislation that would actually do something:

1: Out-of-state teacher with 6+ years experience:
a. Making subject certification universal. Allow subject certification to become state overall subject certification. Science teachers will teach all sciences in their career. If certified in one science, that's their ENDORSEMENT area. Social Studies teachers will teach all subjects in social studies in their careers, so whatever subject is on their out-of-state certification becomes their endorsement. EXAMPLE: Teacher A has a Montana teacher certification in 7-12 Biology. PA accepts it as “science” with an endorsement in biology. Teacher B has a Texas 7-12 certification in Economics. PA accepts it as social studies certification with an endorsement in Economics. NY State does this already.
b. The PA certification will be called a “LEVEL 1 CERTIFICATION WITH DEFIENCIES” and those deficiencies will be noted IN RED on the certification and the holder will have two years to make up the deficiency. These could be including, but not limited to, taking state professional knowledge test, coursework required in their area if needed, CPE requirements. Once they are done, they are granted a full level 1 certification and must do what is required for a full level. If it is not done in the time given, the teacher loses their certification and must start from scratch with the existing avenues provided by law. Arizona does this.
c: PA testing in subject is recommended by not required, but if not done, they can never be eligible for a level II permanent certification and must do double the continuing education as required by state law.

2: Out-of-state teacher with less than six years experience:
a. Same as above
b. Same as above
c. PA testing in subject is required, but if not done, the certification lapses and must follow the procedures of certification dictated by state law

3. Career jumpers with either 10+ years experience in their field or at least a Master's Degree in their field:
a. A provisional certification will be given is the prospective educator has one or both of they above requirements. It will be with deficiencies noted on what courses they need to take and the state test required.
b. In this category, the prospective teacher/administrator must take the Professional Teacher Knowledge test or the Principal, Supervisor, or Superintendent Professional Knowledge within two years of issuance. Education courses must be taken except for student teaching. These courses can be done while teaching but progress must be shown to the PDE upon request, usually at the end of each semester. If the educator passes the tests with the education course, full certification will be given upon scores released to the PDE. If the prospective teacher takes the exam before the classes are completed and fails the exam, they have two more opportunities to take the exam with our without the education preparation classwork required. If they fail three times in two years, they lose their certification and must follow the protocol determined by current law law. (This is tailored the way state bar exams administer their exams).

4. Career jumpers with either less than ten years experience in their field or only a Bachelor's Degree in their field:
a: Requirements for certification do NOT change from the present system.

5: Foreign teachers with certification in their country and a Master's Degree:
a. Same as Subsection 1.a, 1.b, 1.c
b: All foreign certifications, degrees, classes, and grades must go through a state approved equivalency service at the applicant's expense. Once done, the PDE MUST accept the findings without equivocation. All certification then will be accepted by the PDE even if issued in another country. If that country's native language is not English (or a majority of the country does not speak English even if English is one of the official languages), official certified translations of all required documents with US notarization will be submitted to the PDE at the applicant's expense. This applies to IR visas, EB visas, CR visas, J visas, H-1B visas (if foreign applicant needs sponsorship), and work permits issued with a non-immigrant visa (such has H visas).
c: For those who are from non-English speaking or non-English majority countries, an English language exam must be taken before the certification lapses and achieve a score of a minimum set by the PDE. This could be TOEIC, TOFEL, IELTS, or the English parts of the SAT, ACT, or GRE (with a lower score than normal required if GRE is taken because it is an exam for potential Master's and Doctoral students). If not completed, the certification immediately lapses upon expiration date.

6: Foreign teachers with certification in their country and a only a Bachelor's Degree:
a. Same as Subsection 2.a, 2.b, 2.c
b. Same as Subsection 5.b
c. Same as Subsection 5.c

7: Those in a current B.Ed, M.Ed, or Post-Bachelor's teacher preparation program:
a: Current system with no changes.