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.
_______________________________ _______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 704 was passed by the House on May
10, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
Senate amendments to H.B. No. 704 on May 25, 2001, by a non-record
vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 704 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 23, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
_______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________________
Date
__________________________
Governor