BOARD/COMMISSION:  Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board

PELSB is governed by a 13-member board comprised of:

-Seven teachers who are currently teaching in a Minnesota school, have at least five years of teaching experience, and are not serving in a position requiring an administrative leave, pursuant to section 122A.14. The seven teachers must include the following:

• One teacher in a charter school;
• Two teachers from a school located in the seven-county metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subd 2;
• Two teachers from a school located outside the seven-county metropolitan area;
• One teacher from a related service category licensed by the board; and
• One special education teacher.

-Two teachers currently teaching in a board-approved teacher preparation program

- One superintendent, alternating each term between a superintendent from a school district in the seven-county metropolitan area, and a superintendent from  a school district outside the metropolitan area
- One educator who oversees a special education program and who works closely with a cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2; 
- One principal, alternating each term between an elementary and a secondary school principal; and
-One member of the public that may be a current or former school board member.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) was created by the state legislature in 2017, when the legislature combined the work of the Board of Teaching (BOT) and the Minnesota Department of Education’s Licensing Division.  PELSB is tasked with:

• Licensing teachers, including related services providers, in Minnesota,
• Establishing and maintaining teacher licensure standards and requirements,
• Establishing and enforcing the Teacher Code of Ethics,
• Approving and overseeing teacher preparation providers and programs to prepare candidates for licensure in Minnesota, and
• Administering the Teacher Mentorship and Retention of Effective Teachers Grant and the Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color (CUGMEC) Grant.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must conduct an audit that evaluates whether and how approved teacher training programs for candidates for the following licensure areas meet subject matter standards for reading:
(1) early childhood education in accordance with Minnesota Rules, part 8710.3000;
(2) elementary education in accordance with Minnesota Rules, part 8710.3200; and
(3) special education in accordance with Minnesota Rules, part 8710.5000.

The board must submit an initial report with its findings to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 and higher education by January 15, 2025, and a final report by August 1, 2026. Each report must:
(1) identify the reading standards for each licensure area; identify how they are aligned to the requirements of the Read Act, including requirements on evidence-based instruction, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, and reading comprehension; and identify how they are aligned to the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.092, subdivision 5;
(2) describe how the board conducted the audit;
(3) identify the results of the audit; and
(4) summarize the program effectiveness reports for continuing approval related to reading standards reviewed by the board, including the board determinations under Minnesota Rules, part 8705.2200.