SRC-BWC H.B. 1143 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 1143 By: Grusendorf (Harris) State Affairs 5/10/2001 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Texas suffers from a widely recognized teacher shortage. To overcome this shortage, the state needs to recruit new teachers and retain experienced teachers. H.B. 1143 provides teacher retention and recruitment programs including bonuses for service at low-performing schools and alternative teacher certification options. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 21A, Education Code, by adding Section 21.005, as follows: Sec. 21.005. TEACHER MENTOR AND INDUCTION PROGRAMS. Requires the commission on education (commission), from amounts appropriated for the purposes of this section, to make grants to school districts of not more than a certain amount. Requires the school district to use money received under this section only to support one or more programs SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 21A, Education Code, by adding Section 21.006, as follows: Sec. 21.006. ASSIGNMENT OF INEXPERIENCED TEACHERS. Prohibits a school district from assigning a person who has less than one year of experience in the classroom to teach at a school campus that is identified as low-performing by the commissioner of education (commissioner) under Chapter 39D. SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 21B, Education Code, by adding 21.0491, as follows: Sec. 21.0491. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OF PERSON HOLDING BACHELOR'S DEGREE. Authorizes the State Board for Educator Certification (board), in addition to issuing teaching certificates to persons to whom Section 21.050 applies, to issue a teaching certificate to certain persons. Authorizes a person who holds a bachelor's degree with an academic major related to only one area of the curriculum prescribed under Chapter 28A, to receive a certificate to teach only in that subject area and authorizes the person to teach only in that subject area. SECTION 4. Amends Section 21.057(d), Education Code, to redefine "inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher." SECTION 5. Amends Section 21.052(a), Education Code, to authorize the board to issue a certificate to an educator who performs satisfactorily on an examination, if the educator holds a certificate or other credential issued by another state, similar to and at least as rigorous as that described by this section administered to the educator under the authority of that state. SECTION 6. Amends Chapter 21I, Education Code, by adding Section 21.411, as follows: Sec. 21.411. BONUSES FOR SERVICE AT LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL CAMPUS. Provides that from amounts appropriated for the purposes of this section, a teacher or principal who is identified by the commissioner as an extraordinary educator and who agrees to serve for three school years at a school campus that is identified as low-performing by the commissioner under Chapter 39D, is entitled to a bonus of not more than $3,000, as determined by the commission. Requires the commissioner to adopt criteria for identifying experienced, extraordinary educators under this section. Requires the criteria to include certain information. Requires a bonus under this section to be paid at the beginning of the first year in which the educator serves at the low-performing campus. Provides that an educator who does not serve at the low-performing campus during the entire period for which a bonus under this section was awarded forfeits the bonus and requires an educator, in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner, to repay the bonus. Requires the board to impose sanctions on an educator who receives a bonus under this section but does not serve at the low-performing campus during the entire period for which the bonus was awarded. Authorizes the commissioner and the board to waive the provisions of this section for good cause. Requires the commissioner to pay any bonuses under this section from funds appropriated for that purpose. Requires a teacher, in order to receive a bonus under this section, to be appropriately certified to teach the subject matter of the class or classes that the teacher is assigned to teach. SECTION 7. Amends Section 824.602, Government Code, to prohibit the retirement system, under Section 824.601, subject to Section 825.506, from withholding a monthly benefit payment if the retiree is employed in a Texas public educational institution in a position as a mentor for a classroom teacher on as much as a full-time basis, if the retiree has retired under Section 824.202(a) without reduction for retirement at an early age, is certified under Chapter 21B, Education Code, and has been separated from service with all public schools for at least 12 months. Requires a mentor for a classroom teacher, for purposes of Subsection (a) (6), to have taught in a public school for at least 10 years and requires the mentor to have demonstrated certain abilities and talents. SECTION 8. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year. Makes the change in law to Section 21.052(a), Education Code, prospective. SECTION 9. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001, except that Sections 1 and 6 of this Act take effect September 1, 2001.