In addition to holding teaching permits or certificates as required by WAC
180-16-220(2), the assignment of classroom teachers in the basic program of education shall comply with the following:
(1) Classroom teachers with standard or unendorsed continuing teacher certificates may be assigned to any grade or subject areas for which certification is required.
(2) Classroom teachers with initial, residency, endorsed continuing, or professional teacher certificates may be assigned only to the specified grades and specified subject areas stated as endorsements upon their respective certificates or permits.
(3) Classroom teachers with initial, residency, endorsed continuing, or professional teacher certificates who have an elementary education endorsement may be assigned to teach any subject in grades K-8.
(4) Any certificated teacher who has completed twenty-four quarter hours (sixteen semester hours) of academic study in a content area that will be offered in grades four through nine may be assigned to that course even if the teacher does not hold an endorsement in that area.
(5) Any certificated teacher may be assigned to a middle school or junior high school block program, which for the purpose of this section shall be defined as the same teacher assigned to teach two or more subject areas to the same group of students, if the teacher has an endorsement in one of the subject areas and has completed or will complete within one year nine quarter hours in each of the other subject areas.
(6) Upon determination by school districts that teachers have the competencies to be effective teachers in alternative settings, individuals with initial, residency, endorsed continuing, or professional teacher certificates may be assigned to teach in alternative schools.
(7) Any certificated teacher may be assigned to courses offered in basic education subject areas not included with the list of endorsements specified in WAC
181-82A-202.
(8) Any certificated teacher may be assigned to serve as a substitute classroom teacher at any grade level or in any subject area for a period not to exceed thirty consecutive school days in any one assignment.
(9) Any certificated person holding a limited certificate as specified in WAC
181-79A-230 or a career and technical education certificate as specified in chapter
181-77 WAC may be assigned as per the provisions of such section or chapter.
(10) If a teacher is assigned to provide special education, then the district must also comply with WAC
392-172-200 and
392-172-202.
(11)(a) For the purpose of this section, the term "specified subject areas" shall mean courses or classes with the same subject area title as specified by the classroom teacher's endorsement and courses or classes which the board of directors of the district, using the endorsement-related assignment table published by the professional educator standards board as a nonbinding guideline, determines to substantially include the same subject area as the endorsement--e.g., a classroom teacher with a health endorsement may be assigned to any course, regardless of course title, which substantially includes health as the subject area.
(b) The endorsement-related assignment table published by the professional educator standards board may not be changed without prior professional educator standards board approval. Endorsement-related assigned classroom teachers must be evaluated annually specific to the assignment and achieve a satisfactory rating to continue in the assignment.
(12) Exceptions to the assignment requirements of subsection (1) of this section must comply with WAC
181-82-110.
(13) School district compliance with this section shall be subject to the state staff review process specified in WAC
180-16-195(2).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.210. 08-12-056, § 181-82-105, filed 6/2/08, effective 7/3/08; 06-14-010, § 181-82-105, filed 6/22/06, effective 7/23/06. 06-02-051, recodified as § 181-82-105, filed 12/29/05, effective 1/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.010. 03-23-039, § 180-82-105, filed 11/12/03, effective 12/13/03; 02-18-038, § 180-82-105, filed 8/26/02, effective 9/26/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.010 and 28A.305.130 (1) through (4). 02-04-018, § 180-82-105, filed 1/24/02, effective 2/24/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.305.130 (1) and (2), 28A.410.010 and 28A.150.220(4). 99-04-008, § 180-82-105, filed 1/21/99, effective 2/21/99.]