Oct. 25, 2016
HARRISBURG – Legislation by Rep. Parke Wentling (R-Crawford/Erie/Lawrence/Mercer) to extend continuing education deadlines placed on public school teachers and administrators by one year recently passed the Senate unanimously.
House Bill 1734 is now heading to the governor’s desk.
“My bill was born out of the 2015-16 state budget impasse, which caused significant financial strain on districts,” Wentling said. “The distribution of state education dollars to districts ceased during the impasse. By easing the continuing professional education compliance deadlines, the legislation will help relieve the financial burden on school districts without undermining the professional development of educators.”
In many instances, districts pay for their educators’ continuing education requirements. Additionally, schools are required to produce three-year compliance plans to explain to the state when and how their employees will complete professional development courses. Further, public school teachers and administrators are mandated to take 180 hours of continuing professional education every five years or have their certifications listed as “inactive.”
The Pennsylvania School Board Association, which represents 4,500 school directors in the Commonwealth, and the Pennsylvania State Education Association, which represents 180,000 public school teachers, staff and other education professionals, supported the bill.
“Continuing education for teachers is an important aspect of the profession and helps ensure students are receiving the best education possible,” Wentling, who was a teacher in the Wilmington Area School District for 17 years, said. “This extension aids districts in their continuing quest to provide a top-notch education while also remaining fiscally responsible.”
For more information, visit
RepWentling.com or
Facebook.com/RepWentling.
Representative Parke Wentling
17th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Greg Gross
717.260.6374
ggross@pahousegop.com
RepWentling.com /
Facebook.com/RepWentling