June 22, 2020

CARSON CITY, Nev – Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed an emergency regulation at the request of the Nevada Department of Education that eliminates potential gaps in teacher hiring and licensure renewals due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency regulation is in effect as of Monday, June 22, 2020.

This emergency regulation allows the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to extend expiration dates of educator licenses for up to 12 months and provides certain exceptions for mandatory exams on alternative teacher licenses. Alternative licensees are individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree but did not complete a traditional teacher preparation program.

Nevada’s Praxis exams for teacher candidates are required to demonstrate competency and proficiency as well as meet the regulatory prerequisites to licensure. When testing centers closed due to the pandemic on May 15, the statewide vendor providing Praxis exams initiated at-home administration of certain exams. However, some of the required exams have not been made available, meaning alternate teacher applicants are unable to complete all the required testing.

The emergency regulation also addresses other logistical obstacles created by the pandemic including delays in fingerprinting and processing background checks.

“More than 4,700 educators’ licenses are due to expire over the next four months,” said Jhone Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “This emergency regulation enables school districts to hire a significant number of teachers who would otherwise have been unable to renew their licenses because of the impact of COVID-19.”

About the Nevada Department of Education

The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) leads and collaborates with Nevada’s 17 school districts and the State Public Charter School Authority to advance educational equity Statewide. With offices in Carson City and Las Vegas, NDE oversees all pre-K-12 education in the State, working to achieve its mission to improve student achievement and educator effectiveness by ensuring opportunities, facilitating learning, and promoting excellence. Under the leadership of the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, NDE impacts the achievement of nearly half a million children and 30,000 educators.