Jackson, Miss. — The Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education Certification and Licensure and Development voted Friday to begin the Administrative Procedures Act process to revise career and technical education licensure guidelines in Title 7 of the Mississippi Administrative Code, Part 142.

The proposed change would add a special-note provision to clarify criteria for obtaining certain CTE license types after an initial standard renewable CTE license has been granted, MDE staff told the commission. MDE said the change is intended to prevent districts from losing teachers when local CTE programs change to match current industry needs.

"This is really eliminating their, losing an educator who is capable of actually teaching these courses," MDE staff said while explaining the proposal. Tonya Gibson, a CTE staff member with the department, told commissioners, "we are ever changing. And we want to afford our long school districts the opportunity to create business programs as well as, converting programs that may not..." as part of the rationale for the amendment.

The commission approved the motion to begin the rulemaking process; the motion and second were not identified by name in the public transcript. The department said the new special note would be referenced throughout the official CTE guidelines document and would apply only to certain CTE license pathways.

MDE emphasized the change would limit the need for educators to repeat requirements they have already met when a district converts a program to a different industry-aligned pathway. No final rule was adopted Friday; the action authorizes MDE to start the formal notice and comment process under the state Administrative Procedures Act.

Commissioners did not request additional materials during the vote; staff indicated they will return with proposed rule language as the process proceeds.