Prior to the end of the 117th Congress, language similar to the Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act was passed via the Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act of 2022, H.R. 7939, and signed into law on January 5. The new law will require states and territories to recognize professional licenses, such as teaching licenses, for the spouses of active-duty military personnel who have been relocated to a new base. This is a significant victory for CTE educators, programs and learners near military bases who are impacted by teacher shortages.
Rather than having to restart the licensure process, which may dissuade a teacher from remaining in the profession, they can now present their existing license and military orders. They must be in good standing with the issuing licensing authority and have actively used the license within the prior two years. In the case that a state or territory already has an interstate licensure compact in place, the teacher must abide by the requirements set by the compact, where applicable.
This is an important step in ensuring that teachers can remain in the classroom no matter where they move. ACTE also supports a broader effort, the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, which aims to have all states and territories recognize out-of-state teacher licenses without placing unnecessary burden on the licensee. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these efforts, please contact ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Zach Curtis ([email protected]).
This would be a good thing for any teacher moving between states due to a job transfer of spouse. Please consider this to help with teacher shortages.
Posted by: Laura Lemke | 01/24/2023 at 02:32 PM