(a) The commission may approve a school district request for the assignment of an individual pursuant to subdivision (m) of Section 44225 or Section 44300 if the district has certified by an annual resolution of the governing board that it has made reasonable efforts to recruit a fully prepared teacher for the assignment. If a suitable fully prepared teacher is not available to a school district, the district under all circumstances shall make reasonable efforts to recruit an individual for the assignment, in the following order:

(1) A candidate who is qualified to participate and enrolls in an approved internship program in the region of the school district.

(2) A candidate who is scheduled to complete preliminary credential requirements within six months. The commission shall assure that the employer will provide orientation, guidance, and assistance to the candidate.

(b) If a suitable individual who meets the priorities listed in subdivision (a) is not available to the school district, the district, as a last resort, may request approval for the assignment of a person who does not meet that criteria.

(c) As the supply of teaching interns increases as a result of legislative efforts to expand the Alternative Certification Program, the commission shall notify school districts that state policy directs the assignment of interns to classrooms when available in a given region, with decreased reliance on persons serving on emergency permits or credential waivers.

(d) As the supply of fully prepared teachers increases as a result of the Legislature’s efforts to recruit and retain qualified teachers for California classrooms, the commission shall notify school districts that state policy directs the assignment of fully prepared teachers to California classrooms, with the use of permits or waivers only when school districts are geographically isolated from teacher preparation programs or in the case of unanticipated, short-term need for the assignment of personnel.

(e) As used in this section, a “fully prepared teacher” means an individual who has completed a teacher preparation program. For purposes of this subdivision, a “teacher preparation program” means either a set of courses, including supervised field experience, or an equivalent alternative program, that provides a curriculum of systematic preparation for serving as an educator in California public schools.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 518, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.)