By Delisi                                              H.B. No. 704
         77R4040 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the Careers to Classrooms 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 M to read as follows:
 1-6                SUBCHAPTER M.  CAREERS TO CLASSROOMS PROGRAM
 1-7           Sec. 21.601.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
 1-8                 (1)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
 1-9     assigned by 20 U.S.C. Section 1001 and its subsequent amendments.
1-10                 (2)  "Program" means the Careers to Classrooms Program.
1-11           Sec. 21.602.  ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.  The agency shall
1-12     establish a program to:
1-13                 (1)  assist persons in obtaining certification in this
1-14     state as  elementary or secondary school teachers or educational
1-15     aides; and
1-16                 (2)  facilitate the employment of those persons by
1-17     school districts in this state that:
1-18                       (A)  receive grants under 20 U.S.C. Section 6311
1-19     et seq. and its subsequent amendments on the basis of having in the
1-20     district concentrations of children who are educationally
1-21     disadvantaged; and
1-22                       (B)  have a shortage of:
1-23                             (i)  qualified teachers, particularly
1-24     science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering teachers; or
 2-1                             (ii)  educational aides.
 2-2           Sec. 21.603.  ELIGIBILITY.  A person is eligible for the
 2-3     program if:
 2-4                 (1)  in the case of a person planning to become
 2-5     certified in this state as a public elementary or secondary school
 2-6     teacher, the person has received a baccalaureate or advanced degree
 2-7     from an institution of higher education; and
 2-8                 (2)  in the case of a person planning to become
 2-9     certified in this state as an educational aide, the person has
2-10     received an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree from an
2-11     institution of higher education.
2-12           Sec. 21.604.  INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS. (a)  The agency
2-13     shall develop an application for the program.
2-14           (b)  The agency and the State Board for Educator
2-15     Certification shall distribute the applications and information
2-16     regarding the program.
2-17           Sec. 21.605.  SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS. (a)  The agency
2-18     shall select persons to participate in the program on the basis of
2-19     applications submitted to the agency.
2-20           (b)  Each application must be submitted:
2-21                 (1)  in the form and contain the information the agency
2-22     requires; and
2-23                 (2)  in a timely manner.
2-24           Sec. 21.606.  PREFERENCES.  (a)  In selecting persons to
2-25     participate in the program who are planning to become certified in
2-26     this state as teachers, the agency shall give preference to a
2-27     person who:
 3-1                 (1)  has substantial, demonstrated career experience in
 3-2     science, mathematics, computer science, or engineering and agrees
 3-3     to seek employment  as a teacher in one of those subjects in a
 3-4     public elementary or secondary school in this state; or
 3-5                 (2)  has substantial, demonstrated career experience in
 3-6     a field other than science, mathematics, computer science, or
 3-7     engineering  that is identified by the agency as a field important
 3-8     for state educational objectives and agrees to seek employment as a
 3-9     teacher in a subject related to that field in a public elementary
3-10     or secondary school in this state.
3-11           (b)  The commissioner shall determine the level of experience
3-12     considered substantial for purposes of this section.
3-13           Sec. 21.607.  AGREEMENT.  (a)  A person selected to
3-14     participate in the program who is planning to become certified as a
3-15     teacher must enter into a written agreement with the agency under
3-16     which the person agrees to:
3-17                 (1)  obtain, within the period the agency by rule
3-18     requires, certification in this state as an elementary or secondary
3-19     school teacher; and
3-20                 (2)  accept, during the first school year that begins
3-21     after the date the person becomes certified, an offer of full-time
3-22     employment for at least two school years as an elementary or
3-23     secondary school teacher with a school district described by
3-24     Sections 21.602(2)(A) and (B)(i).
3-25           (b)  A person selected to participate in the program who is
3-26     planning to become certified as an educational aide must enter into
3-27     a written agreement with the agency under which the person agrees
 4-1     to:
 4-2                 (1)  obtain, within the period the agency by rule
 4-3     requires, certification in this state as an educational aide; and
 4-4                 (2)  accept, during the first school year that begins
 4-5     after the date the person becomes certified, an offer of full-time
 4-6     employment for at least two school years as an educational aide
 4-7     with a school district described by Sections 21.602(2)(A) and
 4-8     (B)(ii).
 4-9           Sec. 21.608.  STIPEND.  The agency shall pay to each
4-10     participant in the program a stipend equal to the lesser of:
4-11                 (1)  $5,000; or
4-12                 (2)  an amount equal to the total costs of the type
4-13     described by Paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (8), and (9), 20 U.S.C.
4-14     Section 1087ll, and its subsequent amendments, incurred by the
4-15     person while obtaining certification in this state as a teacher or
4-16     educational aide and employment as a teacher or educational aide at
4-17     a public elementary or secondary school in this state.
4-18           Sec. 21.609.  REIMBURSEMENT.  (a)  A participant in the
4-19     program who fails to obtain certification or employment as required
4-20     by the agreement under Section 21.607 or who voluntarily leaves or
4-21     is terminated for cause from employment after teaching in a public
4-22     elementary or secondary school in this state for less than two
4-23     school years shall reimburse the agency for the portion of the
4-24     stipend that bears the same ratio to the amount of the stipend as
4-25     the unserved portion of required service bears to the two school
4-26     years of required service.
4-27           (b)  The obligation to reimburse the agency under this
 5-1     section is, for all purposes, a debt to the state.  A discharge in
 5-2     bankruptcy under Title 11, United States Code, does not release a
 5-3     participant from the obligation to reimburse the agency.  The
 5-4     amount owed bears interest at the rate equal to the highest rate
 5-5     being paid by the United States on the day the reimbursement is
 5-6     determined to be due for securities that have maturities of 90 days
 5-7     or less, and the interest accrues from the day the participant
 5-8     receives notice of the amount due.
 5-9           (c)  For purposes of this section, a participant in the
5-10     program is not considered to be in violation of an agreement under
5-11     Section 21.607 during any period  in which the participant:
5-12                 (1)  is pursuing a full-time course of study related to
5-13     the field of teaching at an institution of higher education
5-14     approved by the State Board for Educator Certification;
5-15                 (2)  is serving on active duty as a member of the armed
5-16     forces of the United States;
5-17                 (3)  is temporarily totally disabled for a period not
5-18     to exceed three years as established by affidavit of a qualified
5-19     physician;
5-20                 (4)  is unable to secure employment for a period not to
5-21     exceed one year because of care required by a disabled spouse;
5-22                 (5)  is seeking and unable to find full-time employment
5-23     as a teacher in a public elementary or secondary school for a
5-24     single period not to exceed 27 months; or
5-25                 (6)  satisfies the provisions of any additional
5-26     reimbursement exception adopted by the agency.
5-27           (d)  A participant is excused from reimbursement under
 6-1     Subsection (a)  if the participant becomes permanently totally
 6-2     disabled as established by affidavit of a qualified physician.  The
 6-3     agency may waive reimbursement for some or all of the amount owed
 6-4     in the case of extreme hardship to the participant.
 6-5           Sec. 21.610.  GRANTS TO FACILITATE PLACEMENT. (a)  The agency
 6-6     may enter into an agreement as prescribed by Subsection (b) with a
 6-7     school district described by Section 21.602(2) that first employs
 6-8     as a full-time elementary or secondary school teacher or
 6-9     educational aide after certification a person participating in the
6-10     program.
6-11           (b)  An agreement under this section must provide that:
6-12                 (1)  the school district agrees to employ the person
6-13     full-time for at least two school years at a specified salary in a
6-14     district school that:
6-15                       (A)  serves a concentration of children who are
6-16     educationally disadvantaged; and
6-17                       (B)  has an exceptional need for teachers or
6-18     educational aides, as applicable; and
6-19                 (2)  the state shall pay the district for that person
6-20     $5,000 each year for not more than two years.
6-21           Sec. 21.611.  RULES.  The commissioner shall adopt rules to
6-22     implement this subchapter.
6-23           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.