1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; allowing school districts to 
  1.3             employ licensed teachers to teach in fields other than 
  1.4             the fields in which they are licensed; proposing 
  1.5             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [122A.255] [TEACHING OUTSIDE A FIELD OF 
  1.8   LICENSURE.] 
  1.9      (a) Notwithstanding the provisions in chapter 122A or other 
  1.10  law or rule to the contrary, a school district may employ a 
  1.11  licensed teacher to teach outside the field in which the teacher 
  1.12  is licensed if the district makes good faith but unsuccessful 
  1.13  efforts to employ a teacher who is licensed to teach in the 
  1.14  particular field.  The school board of the district at a public 
  1.15  hearing at least annually must formally approve the decision to 
  1.16  employ a licensed teacher to teach outside the field in which 
  1.17  the teacher is licensed.  A board that acts to formally approve 
  1.18  the decision must provide timely notice of its action to the 
  1.19  board of teaching. 
  1.20     (b) The provisions of section 122A.40 or 122A.41 shall 
  1.21  apply to the initial award, renewal, or termination of a 
  1.22  teacher's contract under this section. 
  1.23     (c) A school district that employs a licensed teacher to 
  1.24  teach outside the field in which the teacher is licensed must 
  1.25  not adversely affect the salary, seniority, or other employment 
  2.1   benefits of other teachers or otherwise penalize those teachers. 
  2.2      (d) The board of teaching must not penalize a teacher 
  2.3   employed under this section as a result of teaching outside the 
  2.4   field in which the teacher is licensed.  The commissioner must 
  2.5   not penalize the school district, financially or otherwise, for 
  2.6   employing a teacher to teach outside the field in which the 
  2.7   teacher is licensed. 
  2.8      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective immediately and 
  2.9   applies to the 2001-2002 school year and later.