A problem that predates the pandemic has become a full-blown issue statewide that is already affecting classroom instruction, lawmakers are told at a hearing.
For nurses, a courtesy certification would extend for the life of their license, and for teachers, the extension would be an additional four years beyond 180 teaching days.
With staffing shortages challenging schools, a bill moving in the Senate would remove teachers from a 2011 law requiring public workers to live in the state.
The immediate goal of establishing this "flexibility" in grade-point average, Praxis test results, or subject matter credit requirements is to get more educators into Jersey classrooms.
In anticipation of a teacher shortage, the Senate endorses a bill allowing retired teachers to go back to work for two years while collecting their pension.