(WHTM)– A Pennsylvania lawmaker proposed legislation that would lower the undergraduate grade point average (GPA) requirement for teacher preparation programs.

The bill, proposed by State Representative Regina G. Young (D-185), is part of a greater package of bills being considered by the House Education Committee that aim to open up opportunities for more educators in Pennsylvania.

The minimum GPA requirement for getting into teacher preparation programs is currently 3.0. The legislation aims to change the GPA requirement to 2.8.

According to a 2023 Penn State Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis report cited by Young, roughly 9,500 teachers left teaching in 2022-2023, and an additional 8,300 left in 2023-2024.

The memo said that GPA plays a factor in getting into teacher preparation programs and getting teaching jobs.