An Act To Allow Teachers To Teach and Students To Learn by Amending the Laws Governing Education Standards
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0579
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SIROCKI, O'CONNOR
Amends: 20-A MRSA §253, 20-A MRSA §2902, 20-A MRSA §4502, 20-A MRSA §4722, 20-A MRSA §4722-A, 20-A MRSA §13016, 20-A MRSA §15688-A

Legislative Document 
No. 579 
H.P. 403 
House of Representatives, February 26, 2015 
An Act To Allow Teachers To Teach and Students To Learn by 
Amending the Laws Governing Education Standards 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative SIROCKI of Scarborough. 
Cosponsored by Representative: O'CONNOR of Berwick. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §253, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 669, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §2902, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
3.  Courses required by law.  Provide instruction in elementary schools as specified 
in sections 4701, 4704, 4706 and 4711 and in secondary schools as specified in sections 
4701, 4704, 4706, 4722, 4723 and 4724.  
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
1.  General requirements.  Elementary and secondary schools and school 
administrative units, including an educational program or school located in or operated by 
a juvenile correctional facility, shall meet all requirements of the system of learning 
results as established in section 6209 as well as other requirements of this Title and other 
statutory requirements applicable to the public schools and basic school approval 
standards.  Each school administrative unit shall prepare and implement a comprehensive 
education plan that is aligned with the system of learning results, focused on the learning 
of all students and oriented to continuous improvement.  The comprehensive education 
plan must include a plan for transitioning to proficiency-based graduation in accordance 
with section 4722-A.  This plan must also address all other plans required by the 
department. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
6.  Annual report on comprehensive education plan.  The superintendent shall 
make an annual report of progress on the comprehensive education plan, developed 
pursuant to subsection 1, to the citizens of the school administrative unit.  The school 
board shall annually review and approve the plan.  The superintendent shall certify 
progress on the plan to the commissioner on an annual basis and shall submit to the 
commissioner a copy of the minutes of the school board meeting at which the school 
board reviewed and approved the plan. 
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §5, is 
further amended to read: 
8.  Waivers.  The commissioner may grant a school administrative unit a waiver of 
one or more school approval requirements upon receipt of an application from the school 
administrative unit that includes the basis for the waiver request and a plan to reduce 
reliance on waivers in subsequent years.  Financial hardship is one criterion the 
commissioner must consider in determining whether to grant a waiver. 
A.  Financial hardship is one criterion the commissioner must consider in determining 
whether to grant a waiver. 
B.  A request to waive the requirement for a transition plan to proficiency-based 
graduation in accordance with section 4722-A by January 1, 2017 must include 
specific information about the reason for the waiver request and a date by which the 
proficiency-based graduation requirement will be met. Any waiver granted by the 
commissioner under this paragraph must require an annual report to the 
commissioner on the school administrative unit's progress toward meeting the 
requirements of section 4722-A.  This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2020. 
C.  The commissioner shall provide a report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters by February 1st annually on 
the number of waivers provided pursuant to paragraph B, including the reasons for 
the waivers granted.  The commissioner shall promptly post the annual report 
submitted pursuant to this paragraph on the department's publicly accessible website. 
This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2020. 
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §4722, sub-§§7 and 8, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 669, §6, 
are repealed. 
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §4722-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 439, §4, is repealed. 
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §13016, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 669, §8, is 
further amended to read: 
2.  Professional teacher certificates.  A professional teacher certificate may be 
renewed for 5-year periods in accordance with state board rules, which must require, at a 
minimum, that the teacher complete at least 6 hours of professional or academic study, or 
in-service training designed to improve the performance of the teacher in the field for 
which the teacher holds an endorsement, or in a related subject area, or to improve the 
teacher's knowledge of, and skill in, standards-based education. Teachers who desire to 
qualify for a master teacher certificate must coordinate their continuing professional 
education with the requirements of an applicable teacher action plan. 
Sec. 9.  20-A MRSA §15688-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. C, 
§12, is repealed. 
Sec. 10.  PL 2011, c. 669, §§9 to 11 are repealed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill repeals the requirements for a system of proficiency-based education 
standards scheduled to become effective in 2017.