Two bipartisan education bills passed in the Iowa House, shepherded by Freshman Representative Garrett Gobble. Both bills enjoyed broad bipartisan support and passed the Iowa House unanimously. House File 770 and House File 675 passed with a vote of 92-0 and 93-0.

House File 770 changes Iowa teacher licensure renewal requirements by allowing professional development plans or courses to account for up to half of the required credits.

HF 770

“This bill will be good for Iowa’s teachers, students, and schools because it will allow teachers to be properly rewarded and advanced because of their hard work, reflection and growth,” said Gobble “We need to focus on letting our teachers teach, instead of getting pulled away from their students and getting tangled in red tape.”

House File 675

Substitute teachers with an associate’s degree or 60 hours of college credits would be authorized to teach in grades PK-12 if House File 675 becomes law.

Rep. Garrett Gobble

“This bill will allow a group of qualified applicants to get a chance to be in the classroom,” stated Gobble. “We need to encourage those with the heart to teach to get into the classroom. This bill will allow the next generation of teachers to get a head start with real-world experience in the classroom through substitute teaching,” he conculded.

Representative Gobble, an educator from Ankeny, represents Iowa’s 38th House District.