SRC-CTC S.B. 998 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 998
77R4078 BDH-DBy: Madla
Education
4/12/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a teacher in an alternative education program (AEP) which is not
located on a regular school campus is not required to hold a teachers
certificate.  AEPs are campuses for students who have been removed from the
regular classroom for discipline problems, the programs teach all classes
as well as life skills, anger management, and other specialized courses.
These teachers deal with discipline, class management, learning
disabilities, and other special needs that, because of the complexity of
the teaching environment, lead to a high turnover rate.  This instability
in the teaching staff inhibits the students from excelling in this special
environment.  As proposed, S.B. 998 allows an uncertified teacher who works
in an AEP for three years or more to take the alternative teacher
certification test without completing the alternative certification program
to encourage and reward teachers to work in AEPs for a longer period of
time. 

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 Section 21.049, Education Code, to prohibit the State
Board for Educator Certification from requiring a person employed as a
teacher in an alternative education program under Section 37.008 or a
juvenile justice education program under Section 37.011 for at least three
years to complete an alternative educator certification program adopted
under this section before taking the appropriate certification examination. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.
Provides that, for the purposes of Section 21.049(b), Education Code, as
added by this Act, a person's employment as a teacher in an alternative
education program or juvenile justice alternative education program before
the 2001-2002 school year is not included in determining whether the person
meets the requirements of that section.