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A bill proposes to reduce the years needed for a lifetime teaching license in North Dakota, but a state licensing board says ongoing education is critical to the career field.

The House Education Committee held a public hearing Tuesday for that would reduce the years needed for teachers to acquire a lifetime license from 30 years to 20 years. The bill would also mandate teachers with lifetime licenses to file a report with the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board every five years to self-report any criminal violations, or any other information that could cause the teacher鈥檚 license to be revoked or suspended.

Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks, the bill鈥檚 chief sponsor, said a 20-year benchmark for lifetime licensing will reduce out-of-pocket costs for educators and improve workforce retention in education.

Teachers could save about $1,000 by eliminating two license renewal cycles, he said, and save the time it takes to do college-level continuing education credits.

The North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board opposes the bill, Executive Director Rebecca Pitkin told lawmakers. She said lowering the requirements for ongoing education does not 鈥減romote the profession.鈥�

鈥淩equiring six reeducation college credits in five years should not be a reason to leave the profession,鈥� Pitkin said. She added many of those credits can be obtained at the district level with little to no cost to the educator.

There are about 18,000 licensed teachers in North Dakota with about 10,000 currently employed in the state鈥檚 school districts, according to the Department of Public Instruction.

North Dakota United, an educator and public employee union, supports the bill. President Nick Archuleta told lawmakers it could help the state address an .

鈥淲hile these teachers are qualified and fulfill a need in many communities, we believe that recruiting, retaining and respecting teachers here is the best way to meet our needs for the long term,鈥� Archuleta said.

He also said the state has made accommodations for new teachers, including allowing student teachers to become teachers-of-record through , but have done very little to benefit teachers with decades of experience.

鈥淧lease stand up for teachers,鈥� Archuleta said. 鈥淧lease show them that their dedication to the students of North Dakota is appreciated.鈥�

The committee took no immediate action on the bill. A similar bill proposed in the 2023 session failed in the Senate.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. North Dakota Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Amy Dalrymple for questions: [email protected].

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