A lapsed teaching certificate could spell trouble for a candidate seeking to become Pima County schools chief.
Republican Margaret Burkholder is working to renew her teaching certificate just days before Election Day, and after the start of early voting.
State law requires county school superintendents to have a valid teaching certificate. But Burkholderβs teaching license expired last week.
Burkholder was unaware of the expiration until Monday, when she was contacted by the Star.
Certification requires 90 hours of professional development and a valid fingerprint clearance card, both of which Burkholder says she has and has submitted to the Arizona Department of Education by mail.
Burkholder β who is a classroom teacher at a local charter school β expects to be re-certified by Election Day, Nov. 8. The Arizona Department of Education, however, says the renewal process can take up to four weeks.
A voter could challenge the election if Burkholder beats Democrat Dustin Williams for the post, says Brad Nelson, the countyβs election director.
However it would be up to a member of the public to make a challenge after the election because the county elections office does not determine the qualifications of candidates, Nelson said.
The job, which pays $76,600, is not rooted in policymaking.
Rather, it is heavy with administrative duties including conducting bond and override elections, filling vacancies on school boards, overseeing budgets to ensure reporting is accurate, handling registration of teaching certificates and facilitating training opportunities for educators, among other responsibilities.
The current county school superintendent, Linda Arzoumanian, is retiring after nearly two decades of holding the seat.
