State officials have a created a new committee of education stakeholders that is set to begin work quickly on a teacher licensure system.

State Department of Education officials announced the formation of the committee Friday, and its first meeting is already scheduled for Monday.

The 13-member Tiered Licensure Technical Advisory Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in room WW 55 in the basement of the Statehouse.

The committee, and the tiered licensure idea, can be traced back to this summer’s recommendations from Gov. Butch Otter’s Task Force for Improving Education. The task force called for redefining the teacher pay system by creating a career ladder pay model tied to a licensure system. A separate task force recommendation called for “a continuum of professional growth and learning that is tied to licensure. Movement through the system would be accomplished in a very specific, objective way using performance measures.”

The tiered licensure committee’s goal is to create the licensure system, outline expectations and define how educators will move from tier to tier, based on accountability or performance standards.

Beginning work quickly may be a priority for the new committee, because Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna’s proposed FY 2015 budget calls for beginning to phase in a teacher career ladder system tied to licensure.

The legislative session begins in early January.

Members of the new tiered licensure committee include:

• Andy Grover, superintendent, Melba School District.
• Barb Leeds, human resources director, Meridian Joint School District No. 2.
• Becky Meyer, principal, Lake Pend Oreille School District.
• Lisa Burtenshaw, trustee, Idaho Falls School District.
• Mikki Nuckols, teacher, Bonneville School District, board member of Northwest Professional Educators.
• Shawn Tiegs, teacher, Nezperce School District.
• Paula Kellerer, dean, Northwest Nazarene University.
• Penni Cyr, president, Idaho Education Association.
• Rod Gramer, president, Idaho Business for Education.
• Roger Brown, Office of Gov. Butch Otter.
• Tracie Bent, Office of the State Board of Education.
• Roger Quarles, chief deputy, Idaho State Department of Education.
• A parent representative to be determined.

Check back with Idaho Education News on Monday afternoon for full coverage of the committee’s first meeting.