Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 704 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency to establish a Careers to Classrooms Program to help persons obtain state certification as elementary or secondary teachers or educational aides and to facilitate their hiring by school districts that receive federal funds for improving academic programs for educationally disadvantaged children and that have a shortage of qualified teachers and aides, particularly in certain subject areas. The bill establishes educational requirements for eligibility and requires the agency to give preference to an applicant who has substantial, proven career experience in science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering, or in another field that the agency identifies as important for state educational objectives, and who agrees to seek employment as a public school teacher in one of those subjects or fields. Each participant must enter into a written agreement with the agency to obtain state certification, either as a certified teacher or as an aide, within an agency-specified period and to accept an offer of full-time employment as a public school teacher or aide for at least two years beginning the school year after becoming certified. The bill requires the agency to pay each participant a stipend and requires a participant who either fails to obtain certification or employment as required or voluntarily leaves or is terminated for cause after being employed for less than two years to reimburse the agency a prorated portion of the stipend amount.