1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to parental notification of the employment of an
1-3 inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-6 amended by adding Section 21.057 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 21.057. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. (a) A school district
1-8 that assigns an inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher to
1-9 the same classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days
1-10 during the same school year shall provide written notice of the
1-11 assignment to a parent or guardian of each student in that
1-12 classroom.
1-13 (b) The superintendent of the school district shall provide
1-14 the notice required by Subsection (a) not later than the 30th
1-15 instructional day after the date of the assignment of the
1-16 inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher.
1-17 (c) The school district shall:
1-18 (1) make a good-faith effort to ensure that the notice
1-19 required by this section is provided in a bilingual form to any
1-20 parent or guardian whose primary language is not English;
1-21 (2) retain a copy of any notice provided under this
1-22 section; and
1-23 (3) make information relating to teacher certification
1-24 available to the public on request.
2-1 (d) For purposes of this section, "inappropriately certified
2-2 or uncertified teacher":
2-3 (1) includes:
2-4 (A) an individual serving on an emergency
2-5 certificate issued under Section 21.041(b)(2); or
2-6 (B) an individual who does not hold any
2-7 certificate or permit issued under this chapter and is not employed
2-8 as specified by Subdivision (2)(E); and
2-9 (2) does not include an individual:
2-10 (A) who is a certified teacher assigned to teach
2-11 a class or classes outside his or her area of certification, as
2-12 determined by rules proposed by the board in specifying the
2-13 certificate required for each assignment;
2-14 (B) serving on a certificate issued due to a
2-15 hearing impairment under Section 21.048;
2-16 (C) serving on a certificate issued pursuant to
2-17 enrollment in an approved alternative certification program under
2-18 Section 21.049;
2-19 (D) certified by another state or country and
2-20 serving on a certificate issued under Section 21.052;
2-21 (E) serving on a school district teaching permit
2-22 issued under Section 21.055; or
2-23 (F) employed under a waiver granted by the
2-24 commissioner pursuant to Section 7.056.
2-25 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect beginning with the
2-26 1999-2000 school year.
2-27 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-6 passage, and it is so enacted.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 618 was passed by the House on May
11, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 1, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 618 on May 27, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0,
2 present, not voting.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 618 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 25, 1999, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
0.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: _____________________
Date
_____________________
Governor