§ 16-11-1 Certification of public schoolteachers required Deductions from state aid for noncompliance. No person shall be employed to teach, as principal or assistant, in any schoolsupported wholly or in part by public money unless the person shall have acertificate of qualification issued by or under the authority of the board ofregents for elementary and secondary education. Provided, however, that anyperson who is employed as a part time speech and language pathologist at theRhode Island School for the Deaf, for a period of not less than ten (10) yearsprior to July 11, 1990, shall not be required to have a certificate ofqualification, and shall be exempt from the provisions of this section whichrequire the certificate. In case any city or town shall pay or cause to be paidany of the public money to any person for teaching who did not, at the time ofteaching, hold a certificate, then the department of elementary and secondaryeducation shall deduct a sum equal to the amount so paid from the amount of thestate's money due, or which may thereafter become due, to the city or town,before giving his or her order in favor of the city or town for any of thepublic money under the provisions of §§ 16-1-10, 16-1-11, and 16-5-22.