Butte School District

FLEXIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY

1009FE

Recruitment and Retention

It is the policy of the District to utilize all resources available to meet the District’s objective of recruiting and retaining high-quality staff focused on the individual success of each student. To meet this objective, the District will utilize the flexible instructor licensure opportunities available to the District.

Flexible Instructor Licensing

It is the policy of the District to increase the flexibility and efficiency of the District’s resources by utilizing the provision of law allowing flexibility in licensure of instructors and as a means of addressing recruitment and retention of staff. Flexibilities in the following areas are available for the District’s enhancement of its programs and services with a focus on individual student success:

Internships
- Available to anyone with a current license and endorsement in one subject who wants to move to a new licensed role/endorsed area.
- Requirements must be satisfied within 3 years.
- Must include a plan between the intern, the school district and an accredited preparation program
Provisionally Certified
- May be issued to an otherwise qualified applicant who can provide satisfactory evidence of:

§ The intent to qualify in the future for a class 1 or class 2 certificate and

§ Who has completed a 4-year college program or its equivalent, and

§ Holds a bachelor’s degree from a unit of the Montana university system or its equivalent.

Substitutes
- Must have a GED or high school diploma
- Will have completed 3 hours of training by the district
- Will have submitted a fingerprint background check
  - (All requirements can be waived by the district if the substitute has prior substitute teaching experience in another public school from November 2002 to earlier)
- May not substitute more than 35 consecutive days for the same teacher. However, the same substitute can be used for successive absences of different staff as long as each regular teacher for whom the substitute is covering is back by 35 consecutive teaching days.
Retired Educators
- School district must certify to OPI and TRS that the district has been unable to fill the position due to no qualified applications or no acceptance of offer by a non-retired teacher.
- A retired teacher with a date of termination through December 31, 2023, may not be employed under this provision until the retired teacher has a break in service of 150 calendar days unless the retired teacher is employed as a substitute classroom teacher to carry on the duties of a regular, licensed teacher who is temporarily absent or is employed to mentor a newly hired teacher. A retired teacher with a date of termination of January 1, 2024, or later, may not be employed under this provision until the employee has a break in service of 120 calendar days unless the retired teacher is employed as a substitute classroom teacher to carry on the duties of a regular, licensed teacher who is temporarily absent or is employed to mentor a newly hired teacher. Limited to employment in a second- or third-class elementary district or a second- or third-class high school district.
- Retired teacher must have 27 years of experience in TRS.
- There is a 3-year lifetime limit on the retired individual going to work under this provision.
Class 3 Administrative License
- Valid for a period of 5 years
- Appropriate administrative areas include: elementary principal, secondary principal, K-12 principal, K-12 superintendent, and supervisor.
- Must be eligible for an appropriately endorsed Class 1,2 or 5 license to teach in the school(s) in which the applicant would be an administrator or would supervise, and qualify as set forth in ARM 10.57414 through 10.57.418
- An applicant for a Class 3 administrative license who completed an educator preparation program which does not meet the definition in ARM 10.57.102(2), who is currently licensed in another state at the same level of licensure, may be considered for licensure with verification of five years of successful administrative experience as defined in ARM 10.57.102 as documented by a recommendation from a state accredited P-12 school employer on a form prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and approved by the Board of Public Education. The requirements of ARM 10.57.414(1) (c) (i-iii) must be met by an applicant seeking a superintendent endorsement.
• Class 4 for CTE
- Valid for a period of 5 years
- Renewable pursuant to the requirements of 10.57.215, ARM and the requirements specific to each type of Class 4 license.
- 4A – for licensed teachers without a CTE endorsement
- 4B – for individuals with at least a bachelor’s degree
- 4C – for individuals with a minimum of a high school diploma or GED
Class 5 alternatives
- Good for a maximum of 3 years
- Requirements dependent upon the alternative the district is seeking
Emergency authorization of employment
- Individual must have previously held a valid teacher or specialist certificate or have met requirements of rule 10.57.107, ARM
- Emergency authorization is valid for one year, but can be renewed from year to year provided conditions of scarcity continue to persist.
Alternative Teacher Credentialing

The District may employ a teacher possessing a Class 2 certificate issued after completing a certification and endorsement program that meets the requirements of alternative teacher credentialing consistent with Montana law and has been approved by the board of public education upon recommendation of the superintendent of public instruction.

Teacher Residency Program

In accordance with Montana law, the District may participate in a teacher residency program consistent with the terms established by the Office of Public Instruction, professional educator preparation program, and Board of Trustees in order to recruit and retain high-quality teachers.