Hiring Policy
Emergency License(s) Availability: Idaho requires that all new teachers pass all required subject-matter tests as a condition of initial licensure. However, Idaho allows teachers who hold a valid certificate from another state to teach on an interim certificate even if they have not met the
state's licensure requirements, which include subject-matter testing
(see 6-A: Requirements for Out-of-State Teachers analysis and recommendations).
Ensure that all teachers—including out-of-state teachers—meet Idaho's subject-matter licensing standards.
Allowing out-of-state teachers who have not passed licensure tests to remain in the
classroom for up to three years neglects the needs of students. This is
especially important when it comes to out-of-state teachers who have passed
content tests that do not rise to the level of Idaho's standard, such as an
elementary content test that requires a passing score on each content core
subject (see 6-A Requirements for Out-of-State Teachers analysis and recommendations).
Idaho recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.
6B: Provisional and Emergency Licensure
Teachers who have not passed content licensing tests place students at risk. While states may need a regulatory basis for filling classroom positions with a few people who do not hold full teaching credentials, many of the regulations permitting this put the instructional needs of children at risk, often year after year.[1] For example, schools can make liberal use of provisional certificates or waivers provided by the state if they fill classroom positions with instructors who have completed a teacher preparation program but have not passed their state licensing tests. These allowances are permitted for up to three years in some states. The unfortunate consequence is that students' needs are neglected in an effort to extend personal consideration to adults who cannot meet minimum state standards.[2]
While some flexibility may be necessary because licensing tests are not always administered with the needed frequency, making provisional certificates and waivers available year after year could signal that the state does not put much value on its licensing standards or what they represent. States accordingly need to ensure that all persons given full charge of children's learning are required to pass the relevant licensing tests in their first year of teaching, ideally before they enter the classroom. Licensing tests are an important minimum benchmark in the profession, and states that allow teachers to postpone passing these tests are abandoning one of the basic responsibilities of licensure.