Sisolak signs emergency regulation to address teacher shortage

Licenses, which were previously $180 to obtain and $150 to renew, will now be $100, according to a new release issued by the Nevada Department of Education.

Sisolak signed the emergency regulation at the request of the Commission on Professional Standards in Education, an 11-member public body that oversees licensing for teachers, to address the ongoing teacher shortage.

School districts around the country have grappled with teacher shortages.

The shortage in Clark County resulted in the district announcing a five-day “pause” in classes due to extreme staffing issues last school year.

In February, the state’s Legislative Commission gave the district the option of hiring emergency substitute teachers who only have a high school diploma.

In an effort to address recruitment efforts, the district — the fifth largest in the country — announced earlier this year that it would raise starting teacher pay from $43,011 to $50,115.

Under the emergency regulation announced Monday, the expiration dates of certain provisional educator licenses also can be extended for up to six months, ensuring that more than 600 educators can continue to teach this fall.

Active-duty and retired military personnel, veterans and their spouses also can receive a $50 discount on licensure fees.

In a statement Monday, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert said the Department of Education is committed to recruiting and retaining teachers.

“Administrators, teachers, and school staff are charged with the care of Nevada’s most valuable asset — our children,” Sisolak said in a written statement Monday. “I am grateful to the Commission on Professional Standards for identifying an opportunity to address school staffing shortages this fall because all children deserve access to caring and qualified adults.”

Contact Lorraine Longhi at 702-387-5298 or llonghi@reviewjournal.com. Follow her at @lolonghi on Twitter.