A bill that would expand the state’s oversight of for-profit colleges and universities is on a fast track after a long stalemate.
A “modernization” bill proposed by the Educational Approval Board was almost derailed by opposition from the Department of Public Instruction, which feared that the board would infringe on approval of teacher education programs or cause confusion and unnecessary expense for those seeking a teacher’s license.
But after months of stalemate, the board and DPI reached a compromise that protects the exclusive right of the state superintendent of public instruction to approve programs and schools that lead to licensure of teachers or provide professional development for them. The Colleges and Universities Committee in the Assembly is expected to approve the bill this afternoon.