What is changing about state assignment policy?
In the past, assignment was based on districts requesting permission to assign a teacher in a course that did not fit state policy. Recently Washington began collecting detailed information about students and the courses where they are enrolled, which allows for a more proactive assignment policy. Assignment is changing from a system where districts report to PESB, to PESB reporting to districts. The policy itself is changing from a strategy that attempted to identify admissible reasons for assigning teachers to courses that did not match their credentials, to identifying the best assignments.
How does this change impact federal “Highly Qualified Teacher” policy?
In the past, federal and state assignment policy was very different, which created confusion for districts and teachers. Currently PESB and OSPI’s Title II office are working to align the policies. While there will never be perfect alignment, Washington policy is more rigorous in several areas, and the current work will make it much easier for districts to understand and report on their assignment practices.
