Some Ohio teachers are complaining about the rising cost of a teaching license—now up to $200—but the state department of education says it needs the extra money to cover the costs of more thorough background checks required by a new law.
The state board of education raised the fee last month to cover the costs associated with new, more stringent rules designed to root out criminal and ethical infractions among teachers. The five-year license will cost $200 instead of $60.
Similar increases will affect principals, teachers’ aides, and other educators. The new regulation will affect more than 90,000 license renewals each year, according to the education department.
