Thousands of Indiana teachers are scrambling to begin renewing their professional teaching licenses before new rules that state lawmakers approved this spring take effect July 1.
The pending renewal modification advanced quietly through the Indiana legislature, but it didn’t grab the attention of most teachers until the state education department sent out guidance last month on how to meet the new requirements, spurring teachers to action.
From May 1 to June 2, the department says 22,760 teachers had professional-growth plans in process, compared with just 514 plans in process during the same time last year.
The change requires teachers who are renewing their license through a “professional-growth plan"—the most common renewal path—to complete 15 hours of professional development related specifically to their community’s workforce needs. That includes available jobs and skills needed by local employers.
Teachers need 90 hours of professional development for their license renewal, which comes every five years for most teachers.
