Amend CSHB 713 by inserting the following appropriately
numbered sections to read as follows and by renumbering subsequent
sections of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter K to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER K. TEACH FOR TEXAS PROGRAM
Sec. 21.501. PURPOSES. The purposes of the Teach for Texas
Program are to:
(1) attract to the teaching profession persons who
have expressed interest in teaching and to support the
certification of those persons;
(2) recognize the importance of the certification
process governed by the board under Subchapter B, which requires
verification of competence in subject area and professional
knowledge and skills;
(3) encourage the creation and expansion of educator
preparation programs that recognize the knowledge and skills gained
through previous educational and work-related experiences and that
are delivered in a manner that recognizes individual circumstances,
including the need to remain employed full-time while enrolled in
the Teach for Texas Program;
(4) require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board to develop guidelines for coursework that integrates subject
area knowledge with teaching strategies and instructional
techniques; and
(5) provide annual stipends to postbaccalaureate
teacher certification candidates.
Sec. 21.502. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Board" means the State Board for Educator
Certification.
(2) "Program" means the Teach for Texas Program.
(3) "Public junior college" and "public senior college
or university" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
Sec. 21.503. DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE OF PROGRAM;
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) The board shall propose rules for
establishing the Teach for Texas Program.
(b) The program consists of:
(1) a professional tier to attract to the teaching
profession persons employed in other professions who have expressed
interest in teaching and whose skills are easily transferrable to
the classroom; and
(2) a student tier to attract to the teaching
profession students who are entering the sophomore or junior years
at a public junior college or public senior college or university
and who have expressed interest in teaching.
(c) The board shall propose alternative certification
requirements under Section 21.049:
(1) for persons in the professional tier of the
program that:
(A) take into account the value of a person's
current skills;
(B) limit the necessity of a person leaving
current employment to pursue certification under the program;
(C) maximize the use of integrated coursework
under Section 61.0514; and
(D) do not compromise the integrity of educator
certification in this state; and
(2) for persons in the student tier of the program
that:
(A) maximize the use of integrated coursework
under Section 61.0514; and
(B) do not compromise the integrity of educator
certification in this state.
Sec. 21.504. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. (a) The program must
offer to participants financial incentives, including tuition
assistance and loan forgiveness. In offering a financial
incentive, the board shall:
(1) require a contract between each participant who
accepts a financial incentive and the board under which the
participant is obligated to teach in a public school in this state
for a stated period after certification;
(2) provide financial incentives in proportion to the
length of the period the person is obligated by contract to teach
after certification; and
(3) give special financial incentives to a participant
who agrees in the contract to teach in an underserved area.
(b) Financial incentives are payable from funds appropriated
for that purpose and from gifts, grants, and donations solicited by
the board for that purpose.
(c) The board shall propose rules establishing criteria for
awarding financial incentives under this section, including
criteria for awarding financial incentives if there are more
participants than funds available to provide the financial
incentives.
Sec. 21.505. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION CAMPAIGN. The board,
working jointly with other state agencies involved in public
education matters and with school districts, shall conduct a
coordinated campaign to educate professionals and students about
the program. The campaign must emphasize:
(1) the importance of teaching as a profession;
(2) the short-term commitment to the program required
of participants; and
(3) the value of the experience offered by the
program.
SECTION ____. Section 21.004, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 21.004. TEACHER RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. (a) The agency,
the State Board for Educator Certification, and the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall develop and implement programs
<a program> to <identify talented students and> recruit persons,
including high school and undergraduate students, mid-career and
retired professionals, honorably discharged and retired military
personnel, and members of underrepresented gender and ethnic
groups, <those students for entry> into the teaching profession.
(b) From funds appropriated for programs developed and
implemented under Subsection (a), the agency, the State Board for
Educator Certification, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board shall develop and widely distribute materials that emphasize
the importance of the teaching profession and inform individuals
about state-funded loan forgiveness and tuition assistance programs
<The recruitment program must include a technology program suitable
for presentation on campuses at high schools and institutions of
higher education in this state>.
(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
encourage institutions of higher education to incorporate a one
semester credit hour course into the existing core curriculum
adopted under Section 61.822 for the purpose of recruiting
undergraduate students into the teaching profession. A course
under this subsection is not considered in determining the number
of semester credit hours of education courses required for purposes
of 21.050(b) <cooperate with and assist the agency in the
development and implementation of the recruitment program>.
(d) The commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioner
of higher education and the executive director of the State Board
for Educator Certification, shall annually <may coordinate and
administer a comprehensive program to> identify the need for
teachers in specific subject areas and geographic regions and among
<to encourage members of> underrepresented groups <to enter the
teaching profession. In coordinating the program, the commissioner
shall consider the efforts of existing programs for recruiting
minorities into the teaching profession>. The commissioner shall
give priority to developing and implementing recruitment programs
to address those needs <this program> from the agency's
discretionary funds.
(e) <The commissioner may implement a plan to identify
talented secondary school students and to attract them to the
teaching profession. In cooperation with the commissioner, the
principal of each high school shall appoint a volunteer teacher as
the teacher recruiting officer for the school to assist in
providing information about the merits of the teaching profession
and in identifying and encouraging talented students to become
teachers. The commissioner may sponsor a meeting in each regional
education service center region of the teacher recruiting officers
from each high school in that area to provide the officers the
opportunity to share information and materials about the teacher
recruitment program.>
<(f)> The agency, the State Board for Educator
Certification, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
<commissioner> shall encourage the business community to cooperate
with local schools to develop recruiting programs designed to
attract and retain capable teachers, including programs to
provide<. The commissioner shall encourage the business community
to provide> summer employment opportunities for teachers.
(f) <(g)> The agency, the State Board for Educator
Certification, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
<commissioner> shall encourage major education associations to
cooperate in developing a long-range program promoting teaching as
a career and to assist in identifying local activities and
resources that may be used to promote the teaching profession.
(g) <(h)> Funds received for <the> teacher recruitment
programs <program> may be used only to publicize and implement the
programs <program>.
SECTION ____. Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. The board shall propose
rules establishing the training requirements a person must
accomplish to obtain a certificate<, enter an internship, or enter
an induction-year program>. The board shall specify the minimum
academic qualifications required for a certificate.
SECTION ____. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 21.0441 and 21.0442 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.0441. INDUCTION FOR BEGINNING EDUCATORS. The board
shall propose rules establishing guidelines for the induction of
beginning educators into the teaching profession. The guidelines
must:
(1) provide for training for effective mentors,
including modeling effective strategies and observing the practices
of beginning educators and providing suggestions for improvement;
(2) recommend support structures; and
(3) provide for assessing the performance of beginning
educators as required by Section 21.045(a).
Sec. 21.0442. COOPERATION WITH TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION
COORDINATING BOARD. The board shall cooperate with and advise the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in adoption by the
coordinating board of rules for educator preparation coursework
guidelines under Section 61.0514.
SECTION ____. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0514 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0514. INTEGRATED COURSEWORK. The board by rule,
with the cooperation and advice of the State Board for Educator
Certification, shall adopt educator preparation coursework
guidelines that promote, to the greatest extent practicable, the
integration of subject matter knowledge with classroom teaching
strategies and techniques in order to maximize the effectiveness
and efficiency of coursework required for certification under
Subchapter B, Chapter 21.
SECTION ____. Not later than August 15, 2000, the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules in accordance
with Section 61.0514, Education Code, as added by this Act, and
shall distribute the rules to public junior colleges and public
senior colleges and universities in this state. Public junior
colleges and public senior colleges and universities shall offer
courses in accordance with those rules beginning with the fall
semester of the 2002-2003 academic year.