Career/Vocational Technical Education

Amendments to the Vocational Technical Education Regulations

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009 the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to adopt amendments to the Vocational Technical Education Regulations 603 CMR 4.00. The vote followed a period of public comment. The amendments will become effective on February 20, 2009. The amendments, which were first discussed at the November 18, 2008 Board meeting, make the following changes: • Add one new vocational technical teacher license titled Construction Craft Laborer. • Add provisions regarding inactive and invalid licenses. These provisions are basically identical to the provisions in the Recertification Regulations 603 CMR 44.00 and provide that a license that is not renewed becomes inactive for a period of five years and an inactive license that is not renewed becomes invalid. The amendments allow educators to become employed under an inactive license and give them two years from the date of employment to renew the inactive license. Educators cannot be employed under an invalid license unless the school district receives an employment waiver from the Commissioner. • Provide for preliminary and initial vocational technical educator licenses to be valid for five years of employment under the license, in place of five calendar years.

Last Updated: January 30, 2009