The bill, which won bipartisan support, won't resolve the problem, which worsened over years and will take time to fix, said the Republican committee chairman, Rep. James Tipton.
“But I do believe that House Bill 319 is a good first step to take some positive actions that will remove some of the burden, remove some of the regulation," said Tipton, the bill's sponsor.
The measure would allow interim certificates to be granted to people wanting to teach their subjects of expertise. They would need at least four years of work experience related to that subject.
It would allow teachers' aides to cover a class, at the discretion of school administrators. The bill calls for the creation of a marketing plan to recruit students into teaching and a statewide job posting system for teacher vacancies, if funding becomes available for both initiatives.
Democratic Rep. Josie Raymond voted for the bill but said she wished it was “more robust” to deal with teacher salaries and such incentives as scholarships or loan forgiveness programs for educators.
