The Commissioner of Education, upon request from a local or regional board of education for a district that has a school with grades kindergarten to eight, inclusive, in the district, may permit a certified teacher employed by such board in such school who holds an endorsement in elementary education and who is otherwise qualified to teach a specialized course to teach such specialized course in grades kindergarten to eight, inclusive. For purposes of this section, “specialized course” means a course in a subject area that requires specialized knowledge and skills, such as computer and information technology.