Section 3301.54. Direction and supervision of preschool program - qualifications of staff members

(A)

(1) Each preschool program shall be directed and supervised by a director, a head teacher, an elementary principal, or a site administrator who is on site and responsible for supervision of the program. Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, this person shall hold a valid educator license designated as appropriate for teaching or being an administrator in a preschool setting issued pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised Code and have completed at least four courses in child development or early childhood education from an accredited college, university, or technical college.

(2) If the person was employed prior to July 1, 1988, by a school district board of education or an eligible nonpublic school to direct a preschool program, the person shall be considered to meet the requirements of this section if the person holds a valid kindergarten-primary certificate described under former division (A) of section 3319.22 of the Revised Code as it existed on January 1, 1996.

(3) If the person is employed to direct a preschool program operated by an eligible, nontax-supported, nonpublic school, the person shall be considered to meet the requirements of this section if the person holds a valid teaching certificate issued in accordance with section 3301.071 of the Revised Code.

(B) Each preschool staff member shall be at least eighteen years of age and have a high school diploma or a certification of high school equivalency issued by the state board of education or a comparable agency of another state, except that a staff member may be less than eighteen years of age if the staff member is a graduate of a two-year vocational child-care training program approved by the state board of education, or is a student enrolled in the second year of such a program that leads to high school graduation, provided that the student performs duties in the preschool program under the continuous supervision of an experienced preschool staff member and receives periodic supervision from the vocational child-care training program teacher-coordinator in the student's high school. A preschool staff member shall annually complete fifteen hours of inservice training in child development or early childhood education, child abuse recognition and prevention, and first aid, and in the prevention, recognition, and management of communicable diseases, until a total of forty-five hours has been completed, unless the staff member holds an associate or higher degree in child development or early childhood education from an accredited college, university, or technical college, or any type of educator license designated as appropriate for teaching in an associate teaching position in a preschool setting issued by the state board of education pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 09-01-2003