20-3-103. Deputy superintendent -- staff. (1) The state superintendent of public instruction shall appoint a deputy who, in the absence of the superintendent or in the case of vacancy in that office, shall perform all the duties of office until the disability is removed or the vacancy is filled. The deputy shall subscribe, take, and file the oath of office provided by law for other state officers before entering on the performance of the deputy's duties. If the superintendent of public instruction has fewer than 5 years of teaching or school administrative experience, the superintendent shall appoint a deputy with at least 5 years of teaching or school administrative experience.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction has the power to employ, organize, and administer a staff of personnel to assist in the administration of the duties and services of the office. In organizing the staff, the superintendent of public instruction may employ:

(a) a professional staff with expertise in curriculum, instruction, and assessment;

(b) specialists in curriculum and instruction in the content areas contained in the accreditation standards adopted by the board of public education under 20-7-101;

(c) a supervisor of physical education who is a graduate of an accredited institution of higher education with a master's degree in physical education;

(d) a professional staff consisting of individuals prepared in career and technical education program areas, including but not limited to agriculture education, business and marketing education, family and consumer sciences education, health science education, and industrial technology education; and

(e) a special education supervisor who is a graduate of an accredited institution of higher education with a master's degree in a field related to special education for persons with disabilities and who has not less than 2 years' experience in special education.