Rachel Soupey, general counsel for the State Board of Education, outlined a proposed amendment to the board's leave-for-teachers rule at a rulemaking hearing held Oct. 9, 2025.

Soupey said the change would align the State Board rule with recent state law. "Chapters 296 and 235 of the Public Acts of 2025 increase from 20 days to 30 days the maximum number of consecutive days a substitute teacher may substitute for a regular teacher on leave without having to possess a teaching license or permit," she said.

The proposed amendment would also update the rule's cross-references to reflect the statutory changes. No public comments were received during the hearing. The board is expected to vote on final reading of the set of rules at its quarterly meeting scheduled for Nov. 21, 2025; if approved on final reading, the rules would proceed to the attorney general's review, be published with the secretary of state for 90 days and then be considered by the Joint Government Operations Committee of the Tennessee House and Senate, Soupey said.

Because this hearing was for gathering public feedback, no formal board action was taken at the Oct. 9 session.