Part Time Teaching Licenses: Oregon

Analysis of Oregon's policies

Oregon does not offer a license with minimal requirements that would allow content experts to teach part time.

Recommendations for Oregon

Offer a license that allows content experts to serve as part-time instructors.
Oregon should permit individuals with deep subject-area knowledge to teach a limited number of courses without fulfilling a complete set of certification requirements.  The state should verify content knowledge through a rigorous test and conduct background checks as appropriate, while waiving all other licensure requirements.  Such a license would increase districts' flexibility to staff certain subjects, including many STEM areas, that are frequently hard to staff or may not have high enough enrollment to necessitate a full-time position.

State response to our analysis

Oregon noted that it offers the Limited Teaching License.

Last word

The Limited Teaching License does not meet the intent of this goal, which is to allow content experts to teach part time in the K-12 classroom. Although this license is designed to be used for "highly specialized subjects," it is unclear from the minimum requirements, which include that candidates must have an associate's degree, that it is intended for content experts. It can also be used for substituted teaching.