Fla. Stat. § 1012.39 — Florida Code / Title XLVIII / Chapter 1012 / Part III / Section 1012.39
1012.39 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers of adult education, nondegreed teachers of career education, and career specialists and nondegreed teachers of fine and performing arts; students performing clinical field experience.
Status: in_force

(1) Notwithstanding ss. 1012.32, 1012.55, 1012.56, and 1012.57, or any other provision of law or rule to the contrary, each district school board shall establish the minimal qualifications for: (a) Substitute teachers to be employed pursuant to s. 1012.35. The qualifications shall require the filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by s. 1012.32; documentation of a minimum education level of a high school diploma or equivalent; and completion of an initial orientation and training program in district policies and procedures addressing school safety and security procedures, educational liability laws, professional responsibilities, and ethics. (b) Part-time and full-time teachers in adult education programs. The qualifications shall require the filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this requirement. (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of career programs. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed teachers of career and technical education courses for program clusters that are recognized in the state and are based primarily on successful occupational experience rather than academic training. The qualifications for such teachers must require: 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by s. 1012.32. Faculty employed solely to conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this requirement. 2. Documentation of education and successful occupational experience including documentation of: a. A high school diploma or the equivalent. b. Completion of 3 years of full-time successful occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time experience in the teaching specialization area. The district school board may establish alternative qualifications for teachers with an industry certification in the career area in which they teach. c. For full-time teachers, completion of professional education training in teaching methods, course construction, lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs students. This training may be completed through coursework from an accredited or approved institution or an approved district teacher education program, or the local school district inservice master plan. d. Documentation of industry certification when state or national industry certifications are available and applicable. (d) Part-time, nondegreed teachers of fine and performing arts. Qualifications must be established for nondegreed teachers of fine and performing arts courses in the course code directory. The qualifications for such teachers must require: 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by s. 1012.32. 2. Documentation of education and successful experience, including documentation of: a. A high school diploma or the equivalent. b. Completion of 3 years of full-time successful experience or the equivalent of part-time experience in the teaching specialization area.

(2) Substitute, adult education, and nondegreed career education teachers who are employed pursuant to this section shall have the same rights and protection of laws as certified teachers.

(3) A student who is enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation program in a postsecondary educational institution that is approved by rules of the State Board of Education and who is jointly assigned by the postsecondary educational institution and a district school board to perform a clinical field experience under the direction of a regularly employed and certified educator shall, while serving such supervised clinical field experience, be accorded the same protection of law as that accorded to the certified educator except for the right to bargain collectively as an employee of the district school board. The district school board providing the clinical field experience shall notify the student electronically or in writing of the availability of educator liability insurance under s. 1012.75. A postsecondary educational institution or district school board may not require a student enrolled in a state-approved teacher preparation program to purchase liability insurance as a condition of participation in any clinical field experience or related activity on the premises of an elementary or secondary school.

History: s. 714, ch. 2002-387; s. 13, ch. 2004-295; s. 132, ch. 2004-357; s. 34, ch. 2011-175; s. 5, ch. 2016-58; ss. 24, 36, 126, ch. 2016-62; s. 5, ch. 2021-228; s. 41, ch. 2023-81; s. 3, ch. 2025-107.