1. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, at least 70 percent of the teachers who provide instruction at a charter school must demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise. If a charter school operates a vocational school, the charter school shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that at least 70 percent of the teachers who provide instruction at the school demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise, but in no event may less than 50 percent of the teachers who provide instruction at the school demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise.

2. If a charter school specializes in:

(a) Arts and humanities, physical education or health education, a teacher must demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise to teach those courses of study.

(b) The construction industry or other building industry, teachers who are employed full-time to teach courses of study relating to business and industry must:

(1) Demonstrate experience and qualifications through subject matter expertise; or

(2) Hold a license issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction which contains an endorsement to teach such courses.

3. A teacher who is employed by a charter school, regardless of the date of hire, must demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise if the teacher teaches one or more of the following subjects:

(a) English language arts;

(b) Mathematics;

(c) Science;

(d) A foreign or world language;

(e) Civics or government;

(f) Economics;

(g) Geography;

(h) History; or

(i) The arts.

4. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 388A.515, a charter school may employ a person who does not demonstrate experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise to teach a course of study for which a teacher is not required to demonstrate such experience and qualifications if the person has:

(a) A degree, a license or a certificate in the field for which the person is employed to teach at the charter school; and

(b) At least 2 years of experience in that field.

5. A teacher who is employed by a charter school to teach special education or English as a second language must be licensed to teach special education or English as a second language, as applicable.

6. For purposes of this section, a teacher demonstrates experience and qualifications through licensure or subject matter expertise:

(a) If the teacher is employed by a charter school that has not received, within the immediately preceding 2 consecutive school years, one of the three highest ratings of performance pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for public schools, or equivalent ratings in another state, as determined by the Department, and the:

(1) Overall performance of the teacher has been reported as effective or highly effective, in accordance with the regulations adopted by the State Public Charter School Authority; and

(2) Teacher is licensed to teach pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS.

(b) If the teacher is employed by a charter school that has received, within the immediately preceding 2 consecutive school years, one of the three highest ratings of performance pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for public schools, or equivalent ratings in another state, as determined by the Department, and the:

(1) Overall performance of the teacher has been reported as effective or highly effective, in accordance with the regulations adopted by the State Public Charter School Authority, regardless of whether the teacher is licensed to teach pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS; or

(2) The teacher holds a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree from an accredited college or university and has demonstrated expertise in the subject area for which the teacher provides instruction on an assessment approved by the Department, in consultation with sponsors of charter schools described in this paragraph, regardless of whether the teacher is licensed to teach pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS.

7. If a charter school that has received within the immediately preceding 2 consecutive school years, one of the three highest ratings of performance pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for public schools, or equivalent ratings in another state, as determined by the Department, intends to employ persons to teach who are not licensed, the charter school shall within 3 years:

(a) Obtain approval for and offer an alternative route to licensure pursuant to NRS 391.019; or

(b) Enter into an agreement with a qualified provider of an alternative route to licensure to provide the required education and training to unlicensed teachers who are employed by the school to teach such a course of study.

(Added to NRS by 1997, 1852; A 1999, 3302; 2001, 3137; 2003, 19th Special Session, 44; 2005, 2406, 2542; 2007, 1258; 2011, 3058; 2015, 2085, 3302; 2017, 3240, 3398) — (Substituted in revision for part of NRS 386.590)