By Coleman H.B. No. 1399
76R5790 CAS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the Teach for Texas Program.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Subchapter K to read as follows:
1-6 SUBCHAPTER K. TEACH FOR TEXAS PROGRAM
1-7 Sec. 21.501. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
1-8 (1) "Board" means the State Board for Educator
1-9 Certification.
1-10 (2) "Program" means the Teach for Texas Program.
1-11 (3) "Public junior college" and "public senior college
1-12 or university" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
1-13 Sec. 21.502. DEVELOPMENT. The board shall propose rules for
1-14 establishing the Teach for Texas Program to attract persons to the
1-15 teaching profession who otherwise may be unable to teach because
1-16 of financial or other barriers and to provide for certification of
1-17 those persons.
1-18 Sec. 21.503. STRUCTURE. The program consists of:
1-19 (1) a professional tier to attract to the teaching
1-20 profession persons employed in other professions who have expressed
1-21 interest in teaching and whose skills are easily transferrable to
1-22 the classroom; and
1-23 (2) a student tier to attract to the teaching
1-24 profession students who are entering the sophomore or junior years
2-1 at a public junior college or public senior college or university
2-2 and who have expressed interest in teaching.
2-3 Sec. 21.504. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. The board shall
2-4 propose alternative certification requirements under Section
2-5 21.049:
2-6 (1) for persons in the professional tier of the
2-7 program that:
2-8 (A) take into account the value of a person's
2-9 current skills;
2-10 (B) limit the necessity of a person leaving
2-11 current employment to pursue certification under the program;
2-12 (C) maximize the use of integrated coursework
2-13 under Section 61.0514; and
2-14 (D) do not compromise the integrity of educator
2-15 certification in this state; and
2-16 (2) for persons in the student tier of the program
2-17 that:
2-18 (A) maximize the use of integrated coursework
2-19 under Section 61.0514; and
2-20 (B) do not compromise the integrity of educator
2-21 certification in this state.
2-22 Sec. 21.505. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. (a) The program must
2-23 offer to participants financial incentives, including tuition
2-24 assistance and loan forgiveness. In offering a financial
2-25 incentive, the board shall:
2-26 (1) require a contract between each participant who
2-27 accepts a financial incentive and the board under which the
3-1 participant is obligated to teach in a public school in this state
3-2 for a stated period after certification;
3-3 (2) provide financial incentives in proportion to the
3-4 length of the period the person is obligated by contract to teach
3-5 after certification; and
3-6 (3) give special financial incentives to a participant
3-7 who agrees in the contract to teach in an underserved area.
3-8 (b) Financial incentives are payable from funds appropriated
3-9 for that purpose and from gifts, grants, and donations solicited by
3-10 the board for that purpose.
3-11 Sec. 21.506. PROGRAM ELEMENTS. The program must:
3-12 (1) allow a participant to complete internship or
3-13 fieldwork requirements during the summer to the greatest extent
3-14 practicable;
3-15 (2) take into account the special needs of substitute
3-16 teachers and create incentives for substitute teachers to become
3-17 certified to teach; and
3-18 (3) offer health insurance to each person who leaves
3-19 employment to complete internship or fieldwork requirements.
3-20 Sec. 21.507. MEDIA CAMPAIGN. The board, working jointly
3-21 with other state agencies involved in public education matters,
3-22 shall conduct a coordinated media campaign to educate professionals
3-23 and students about the program. The media campaign must emphasize:
3-24 (1) the importance of teaching as a profession;
3-25 (2) the short-term commitment to the program required
3-26 of participants; and
3-27 (3) the value of the experience offered by the
4-1 program.
4-2 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
4-3 amended by adding Section 21.0441 to read as follows:
4-4 Sec. 21.0441. COOPERATION WITH TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION
4-5 COORDINATING BOARD. The board shall cooperate with and advise the
4-6 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in adoption by the
4-7 coordinating board of rules for educator preparation program
4-8 curriculum guidelines under Section 61.0514.
4-9 SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
4-10 amended by adding Section 61.0514 to read as follows:
4-11 Sec. 61.0514. INTEGRATED COURSEWORK. The board by rule, in
4-12 cooperation with and with the advice of the State Board for
4-13 Educator Certification, shall adopt educator preparation program
4-14 curriculum guidelines under which educator preparation courses, to
4-15 the greatest extent practicable, integrate subject matter material
4-16 with material concerning classroom teaching techniques in order to
4-17 minimize the coursework necessary to obtain educator certification
4-18 under Subchapter B, Chapter 21.
4-19 SECTION 4. Not later than August 15, 2000, the Texas Higher
4-20 Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules in accordance with
4-21 Section 61.0514, Education Code, as added by this Act, and shall
4-22 distribute the rules to public junior colleges and public senior
4-23 colleges and universities in this state. Public junior colleges
4-24 and public senior colleges and universities shall offer courses in
4-25 accordance with those rules beginning with the fall semester of the
4-26 2002-2003 academic year.
4-27 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
5-1 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
5-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.