Politics & Government

Daley's Teacher Licensing Bill Passed By Senate

Sen. Ted Daley authored a bill requiring teachers to pass basic skills tests in math, writing and reading.

A bill authored by District 38 Sen. Ted Daley (R) that would require teachers to pass a basic skills examination before receiving their licensure got a green light from the Senate on Monday.

Daley's bill passed through the Senate on a 60-1 vote—just days after a similar bill authored by District 56B Rep. Andrea Kieffer (R) passed by the House. The bill will now go forward to Gov. Mark Dayton's office for passage into law.

Under the bill, prospective teachers must pass a basic skills exam in reading, writing and mathematics before receiving their teaching licensure. Current laws allow teacher candidates who failed a basic skills test to receive and even renew a temporary one-year teaching license up to two more times, according to a press release issued by Daley's office.

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The bill was initially proposed and passed by the Minnesota Legislature last year, but was vetoed by Dayton, who found portions of the bill's language "objectionable," the press release said. Legislators worked to remove the problematic portions of the bill before resubmitting it this year.

"Teacher quality is the number one in-school factor affecting student
achievement,” Daley wrote in the press release. “We want our students to have the best teachers, and it makes sense to ensure only well-qualified ones enter Minnesota classrooms."

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