Report of Regents Higher Education Committee to The Board of Regents

The Higher Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on May 16, 2022. All members were present.

ACTION ITEMS

Proposed Amendment of Sections 80-5.3 and 80-5.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education to Extend the Flexibilities for Incidental Teaching and Substitute Teaching [HE (A) 1] - Department staff presented proposed amendments to the Commissioner’s regulations to extend the flexibility where certified teachers can teach up to 10 classroom hours a week in a subject area not covered by their certificate through the 2022-2023 school year, and to extend the flexibility  where substitute teachers who do not hold a valid teaching certificate, and are not working towards certification, may be employed by a school district or BOCES beyond the 40-day limit under certain conditions through the 2022-2023 school year.

The Committee recommends that sections 80-5.3 and 80-5.4 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education be amended, as submitted, as an emergency measure, effective June 1, 2022, upon a finding by the Board of Regents that such action is necessary for the preservation of the general welfare to continue allowing certified teachers to teach up to 10 classroom hours a week in a subject area not covered by their certificate and substitute teachers to work more than 40 days in a school district or BOCES in a school year under certain conditions for the 2022-2023 school year to address teacher shortages.  

The motion passed unanimously. 

MATTERS NOT REQUIRING BOARD ACTION

Proposed Amendment of Section 80-1.5 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to the Creation of a Safety Net for the Business and Marketing Content Specialty Test [HE (D) 1] - Department staff presented proposed amendments to the Commissioner’s regulations to create a safety net for the revised Business and Marketing Content Specialty Test (CST), such that when the test becomes available, a candidate may take either the revised CST or the predecessor CST in Business and Marketing for one year after the revised Business and Marketing CST becomes operational.  

Deputy Commissioner William Murphy reviewed the items on the Consent Agenda.