Licensure Loopholes: Alabama

Analysis of Alabama's policies

Alabama allows new teachers who have not passed required state licensing tests to teach up to one year on an emergency certificate. These certificates are issued at the request of the employing superintendent or headmaster to candidates who hold at least a bachelor's degree, when no certified teachers are available. Emergency certificates may not be extended or renewed.

Citation

Alabama Administrative Code 290-3-2-.03

Recommendations for Alabama

Ensure that all teachers pass required subject-matter licensing tests before they enter the classroom.
While Alabama's policy minimizes the risks brought about by having teachers in classrooms who lack sufficient or appropriate subject-matter knowledge by offering its provisional license for one year only, the state could take its policy a step further and require all teachers to meet subject-matter licensure requirements prior to entering the classroom.

State response to our analysis

Alabama recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state noted that the Emergency Certificate is not considered an alternative certificate. Teachers employed on the basis of holding an Emergency Certificate cannot be deemed highly qualified. The Emergency Certificate is requested at the last minute before the opening of the school year, when no qualified applicant is available for employment, or when a vacancy occurs during the school year and no qualified applicant is available. All Alabama teachers employed on the basis of holding an alternative certificate must meet basic skills and Praxis II requirements prior to the issuance of the first in a series of one-year certificates. The only exception is a certificate requested for a teaching field for which there is no Praxis II content test, such as dance, Chinese and Japanese.

The state noted that Alabama law requires teachers to hold certificates and added that the recently increased availability of online testing may allow Alabama to require testing prior to issuance of an Emergency Certificate.