The Florida Senate

231.15  Positions for which certificates required.--

(1)  The State Board of Education shall classify school services, designate the certification subject areas, establish competencies, including the use of technology to enhance student learning, and certification requirements for all school-based personnel, and prescribe rules in accordance with which the professional, temporary, and part-time certificates shall be issued by the Department of Education to applicants who meet the standards prescribed by such rules for their class of service. The rules must allow the holder of a valid professional certificate to add an area of certification without completing the associated course requirements if the certificateholder attains a passing score on an examination of competency in the subject area to be added, and provides evidence of at least 2 years of satisfactory performance evaluations that considered the performance of students taught by the certificateholder. The rules must allow individuals who have specific subject area expertise, but who have not completed a standard teacher preparation program, to participate in a state-approved alternative certification program for a professional certificate. As appropriate, this program must provide for demonstration competencies in lieu of completion of a specific number of college course credit hours in the areas of assessment, communication, critical thinking, human development and learning, classroom management, planning, technology, diversity, teacher responsibility, code of ethics, and continuous professional improvement. The State Board of Education shall consult with the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, the State Board of Nonpublic Career Education, the Board of Regents, and the State Board of Community Colleges before adopting any changes to training requirements relating to entry into the profession. This consultation must allow the educational board to provide advice regarding the impact of the proposed changes in terms of the length of time necessary to complete the training program and the fiscal impact of the changes. The educational board must be consulted only when an institution offering the training program falls under its jurisdiction. Each person employed or occupying a position as school supervisor, principal, teacher, library media specialist, school counselor, athletic coach, or other position in which the employee serves in an instructional capacity, in any public school of any district of this state shall hold the certificate required by law and by rules of the state board in fulfilling the requirements of the law for the type of service rendered. However, the state board shall adopt rules authorizing school boards to employ selected noncertificated personnel to provide instructional services in the individuals' fields of specialty or to assist instructional staff members as education paraprofessionals.

(2)  Each person who is employed and renders service as an athletic coach in any public school in any district of this state shall hold a valid part-time, temporary, or professional certificate. The provisions of this subsection do not apply to any athletic coach who voluntarily renders service and who is not employed by any public school district of this state.

(3)  Each person employed as a school nurse shall hold a license to practice nursing in the state, and each person employed as a school physician shall hold a license to practice medicine in the state.

(4)  A commissioned or noncommissioned military officer who is an instructor of junior reserve officer training shall be exempt from requirements for teacher certification, except for the filing of fingerprints pursuant to s. 231.02, if he or she meets the following qualifications:

(a)  Is retired from active military duty with at least 20 years of service and draws retirement pay or is retired, or transferred to retired reserve status, with at least 20 years of active service and draws retirement pay or retainer pay.

(b)  Satisfies criteria established by the appropriate military service for certification by the service as a junior reserve officer training instructor.

(c)  Has an exemplary military record.

If such instructor is assigned instructional duties other than junior reserve officer training, he or she shall hold the certificate required by law and rules of the state board for the type of service rendered.

History.--s. 515, ch. 19355, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 892(119); s. 9, ch. 57-249; s. 9, ch. 63-376; s. 55, ch. 65-239; s. 4, ch. 67-387; ss. 15, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 69-300; s. 80, ch. 72-221; s. 6, ch. 75-284; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 11, ch. 80-190; s. 5, ch. 80-325; ss. 1, 10, ch. 80-378; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 30, ch. 82-242; s. 3, ch. 83-265; s. 1, ch. 84-272; ss. 2, 15, ch. 86-156; s. 1, ch. 90-91; s. 5, ch. 90-172; s. 47, ch. 90-288; s. 19, ch. 91-105; s. 1, ch. 91-293; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 92-99; s. 48, ch. 94-232; s. 1533, ch. 95-147; s. 3, ch. 98-281; s. 5, ch. 98-292; s. 53, ch. 99-398.