RCW 28A.690.010
Compact entered into -- Terms.The Interstate
Agreement on Qualifications of Educational Personnel is hereby
enacted into law and entered into by this state with all other
states legally joining therein in the form substantially as
follows:
The contracting states solemnly agree that:
Article I
1. The states party to this Agreement, desiring by common
action to improve their respective school systems by utilizing the
teacher or other professional educational person wherever educated,
declare that it is the policy of each of them, on the basis of
cooperation with one another, to take advantage of the preparation
and experience of such persons wherever gained, thereby serving the
best interests of society, of education, and of the teaching
profession. It is the purpose of this Agreement to provide for the
development and execution of such programs of cooperation as will
facilitate the movement of teachers and other professional
educational personnel among the states party to it, and to
authorize specific interstate educational personnel contracts to
achieve that end.
2. The party states find that included in the large movement
of population among all sections of the nation are many qualified
educational personnel who move for family and other personal
reasons but who are hindered in using their professional skill and
experience in their new locations. Variations from state to state
in requirements for qualifying educational personnel discourage
such personnel from taking the steps necessary to qualify in other
states. As a consequence, a significant number of professionally
prepared and experienced educators is lost to our school systems. Facilitating the employment of qualified educational personnel,
without reference to their states or origin, can increase the
available educational resources. Participation in this compact can
increase the availability of educational manpower.
Article II
As used in this Agreement and contracts made pursuant to it,
unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
1. "Educational personnel" means persons who must meet
requirements pursuant to state law as a condition of employment in
educational programs.
2. "Designated state official" means the education official
of a state selected by that state to negotiate and enter into, on
behalf of his or her state, contracts pursuant to this Agreement.
3. "Accept," or any variant thereof, means to recognize and
give effect to one or more determinations of another state relating
to the qualifications of educational personnel in lieu of making or
requiring a like determination that would otherwise be required by
or pursuant to the laws of a receiving state.
4. "State" means a state, territory, or possession of the
United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.
5. "Originating State" means a state (and the subdivision
thereof, if any) whose determination that certain educational
personnel are qualified to be employed for specific duties in
schools is acceptable in accordance with the terms of a contract
made pursuant to Article III.
6. "Receiving State" means a state (and the subdivisions
thereof) which accept educational personnel in accordance with the
terms of a contract made pursuant to Article III.
Article III
1. The designated state official of a party state may make
one or more contracts on behalf of his or her state with one or
more other party states providing for the acceptance of educational
personnel. Any such contract for the period of its duration shall
be applicable to and binding on the states whose designated state
officials enter into it, and the subdivisions of those states, with
the same force and effect as if incorporated in this Agreement. A
designated state official may enter into a contract pursuant to
this Article only with states in which he or she finds that there
are programs of education, certification standards or other
acceptable qualifications that assure preparation or qualification
of educational personnel on a basis sufficiently comparable, even
though not identical to that prevailing in his or her own state.
2. Any such contract shall provide for:
(a) Its duration.
(b) The criteria to be applied by an originating state in
qualifying educational personnel for acceptance by a receiving
state.
(c) Such waivers, substitutions, and conditional acceptances
as shall aid the practical effectuation of the contract without
sacrifice of basic educational standards.
(d) Any other necessary matters.
3. No contract made pursuant to this Agreement shall be for
a term longer than five years but any such contract may be renewed
for like or lesser periods.
4. Any contract dealing with acceptance of educational
personnel on the basis of their having completed an educational
program shall specify the earliest date or dates on which
originating state approval of the program or programs involved can
have occurred. No contract made pursuant to this Agreement shall
require acceptance by a receiving state of any persons qualified
because of successful completion of a program prior to January 1,
1954.
5. The certification or other acceptance of a person who has
been accepted pursuant to the terms of a contract shall not be
revoked or otherwise impaired because the contract has expired or
been terminated. However, any certificate or other qualifying
document may be revoked or suspended on any ground which would be
sufficient for revocation or suspension of a certificate or other
qualifying document initially granted or approved in the receiving
state.
6. A contract committee composed of the designated state
officials of the contracting states or their representatives shall
keep the contract under continuous review, study means of improving
its administration, and report no less frequently than once a year
to the heads of the appropriate education agencies of the
contracting states.
Article IV
1. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to repeal or
otherwise modify any law or regulation of a party state relating to
the approval of programs of educational preparation having effect
solely on the qualification of educational personnel within that
state.
2. To the extent that contracts made pursuant to this
Agreement deal with the educational requirements for the proper
qualification of educational personnel, acceptance of a program of
educational preparation shall be in accordance with such procedures
and requirements as may be provided in the applicable contract.
Article V
The party states agree that:
1. They will, so far as practicable, prefer the making of
multilateral contracts pursuant to Article III of this Agreement.
2. They will facilitate and strengthen cooperation in
interstate certification and other elements of educational
personnel qualification and for this purpose shall cooperate with
agencies, organizations, and associations interested in
certification and other elements of educational personnel
qualification.
Article VI
The designated state officials of any party state may meet
from time to time as a group to evaluate progress under the
Agreement, and to formulate recommendations for changes.
Article VII
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent or
inhibit other arrangements or practices of any party state or
states to facilitate the interchange of educational personnel.
Article VIII
1. This Agreement shall become effective when enacted into
law by two states. Thereafter it shall become effective as to any
state upon its enactment of this Agreement.
2. Any party state may withdraw from this Agreement by
enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall
take effect until one year after the governor of the withdrawing
state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the
governors of all other party states.
3. No withdrawal shall relieve the withdrawing state of any
obligation imposed upon it by a contract to which it is a party. The duration of contracts and the methods and conditions of
withdrawal therefrom shall be those specified in their terms.
Article IX
This Agreement shall be liberally construed so as to
effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this Agreement
shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or
provision of this Agreement is declared to be contrary to the
constitution of any state or of the United States, or the
application thereof to any government, agency, person, or
circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this
Agreement and the applicability thereof to any government, agency,
person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this
Agreement shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state
participating therein, the Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.[1990
c 33 § 545; 1969 ex.s. c 283 § 4. Formerly RCW 28A.93.010,
28.93.010.]
NOTES:
Severability -- 1969 ex.s. c 283: See note following RCW 28A.150.050.