The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board extended the following flexibilities for the entirety of the 2024-2025 school year:
Out-of-field permissions (OFPs) granted for the 24-25 school year do not count towards a teacher's five allowed OFPs.
A retired teacher, who holds a lifetime substitute license, can serve in a long-term substitute capacity or an open teaching position if their previous professional teaching license (Tier 3, Tier 4, or Minnesota five-year standard license) is aligned to the assignment. Districts who are looking to hire a retired teacher to teach outside of their licensure field should contact PELSB (pelsb@state.mn.us) for additional options.
Posting Requirements Go Back Into Effect 1/1/25
Beginning January 1, 2025, school districts will need to post a position for a minimum of 15 days on the statewide job board(mnschooljobs.org) before offering the position to a teacher who will need to obtain an out-of-field permission (first time). For the remainder of the calendar year (until Dec. 31), districts are not required to post initial out-of-field permission (OFP) positions for 15 days on the statewide job board. Note, if the teacher already held an OFP in the same assignment in the same district, the district must advertise the position for a minimum of 60 days on the statewide job board.
Reminders: Requirements for OFPs
An out-of-field permission (OFP) allows a teacher to teach outside of their licensure field and/or scope (grade level) for up to one academic school year.
About the permission:
May be issued to a teacher who holds an active Tier 2, 3, or 4 teaching license (not a related services license)
If the teacher holds a Tier 2 license the OFP may cover up to 50% of their FTE
A teacher may hold up to five OFPs in their career
OFPs issued in the previous years of 2020-2021, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024 school years do not count towards the teacher's total
