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.