77R11343 BDH-D
By Grusendorf, Burnam, Averitt H.B. No. 1143
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1143:
By Hardcastle C.S.H.B. No. 1143
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to public school teachers.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-5 amended by adding Section 21.005 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 21.005. TEACHER MENTOR AND INDUCTION PROGRAMS. (a)
1-7 From amounts appropriated for the purposes of this section, the
1-8 commissioner shall make grants to school districts of:
1-9 (1) not more than $3,000, as determined by the
1-10 commissioner, for each new teacher employed by the district who
1-11 holds a certificate under Section 21.049 or a permit under Section
1-12 21.055; and
1-13 (2) not more than $1,000, as determined by the
1-14 commissioner, for each new teacher employed by the district who
1-15 holds a certificate under Section 21.044 or 21.052.
1-16 (b) A school district shall use money received under
1-17 Subsection (a) only to support one or more of the following in the
1-18 district:
1-19 (1) a mentor or induction program for new teachers;
1-20 (2) employment of new teachers under a 12-month
1-21 contract that provides for significant training and professional
1-22 development;
1-23 (3) signing bonuses for employment of new teachers in
1-24 shortage areas; or
2-1 (4) payment of college tuition for appropriate
2-2 semester credit hours received by a new teacher.
2-3 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
2-4 amended by adding Section 21.0491 to read as follows:
2-5 Sec. 21.0491. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OF PERSON HOLDING
2-6 BACHELOR'S DEGREE. (a) In addition to issuing teaching
2-7 certificates to persons to whom Section 21.050 applies, the board
2-8 may issue a teaching certificate to a person who:
2-9 (1) holds a bachelor's degree received with an
2-10 academic major or interdisciplinary academic major, including
2-11 reading, other than education, that is related to at least one area
2-12 of the curriculum as prescribed under Subchapter A, Chapter 28; and
2-13 (2) performs satisfactorily on the examination
2-14 prescribed under Section 21.048.
2-15 (b) A person who holds a bachelor's degree with an academic
2-16 major related to only one area of the curriculum prescribed under
2-17 Subchapter A, Chapter 28, may receive a certificate to teach only
2-18 in that subject area.
2-19 SECTION 3. Section 21.052(a), Education Code, is amended to
2-20 read as follows:
2-21 (a) The board may issue a certificate to an educator who:
2-22 (1) holds:
2-23 (A) a degree issued by an institution accredited
2-24 by a regional accrediting agency or group that is recognized by a
2-25 nationally recognized accreditation board; or
2-26 (B) a degree issued by an institution located in
2-27 a foreign country, if the degree is equivalent to a degree
3-1 described by Paragraph (A);
3-2 (2) holds an appropriate certificate or other
3-3 credential issued by another state or country; and
3-4 (3) performs satisfactorily on:
3-5 (A) the examination prescribed under Section
3-6 21.048; or
3-7 (B) if the educator holds a certificate or other
3-8 credential issued by another state, an examination similar to and
3-9 at least as rigorous as that described by Paragraph (A)
3-10 administered to the educator under the authority of that state.
3-11 SECTION 4. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
3-12 amended by adding Section 21.411 to read as follows:
3-13 Sec. 21.411. BONUSES FOR SERVICE AT LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL
3-14 CAMPUS. (a) From amounts appropriated for the purposes of this
3-15 section, a teacher or principal who is identified by the
3-16 commissioner as an experienced, extraordinary educator and who
3-17 agrees to serve for three school years at a school campus that is
3-18 identified as low-performing by the commissioner under Subchapter
3-19 D, Chapter 39, is entitled to a bonus of not more than $3,000, as
3-20 determined by the commissioner.
3-21 (b) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for identifying
3-22 experienced, extraordinary educators under this section. The
3-23 criteria must include:
3-24 (1) an educator's demonstrated ability to improve
3-25 student performance;
3-26 (2) an educator's subject matter expertise;
3-27 (3) if applicable, performance by the educator's
4-1 students or former students on the Scholastic Assessment Test
4-2 (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), and the test instrument
4-3 required under Section 51.306 and in courses at an institution of
4-4 higher education; and
4-5 (4) any other criteria determined by the commissioner
4-6 to be appropriate in determining that an educator's performance is
4-7 superior.
4-8 (c) A bonus under this section must be paid at the beginning
4-9 of the first year in which the educator serves at the
4-10 low-performing campus.
4-11 (d) An educator who does not serve at the low-performing
4-12 campus during the entire period for which a bonus under this
4-13 section was awarded forfeits the bonus and shall, in accordance
4-14 with rules adopted by the commissioner, repay the bonus.
4-15 (e) The State Board for Educator Certification shall impose
4-16 sanctions on an educator who receives a bonus under this section
4-17 but does not serve at the low-performing campus during the entire
4-18 period for which the bonus was awarded.
4-19 (f) The commissioner and the State Board for Educator
4-20 Certification may waive the provisions of Subsections (d) and (e)
4-21 for good cause.
4-22 (g) The commissioner shall pay any bonuses under this
4-23 section from funds appropriated for that purpose.
4-24 SECTION 5. Section 22.051(a), Education Code, is amended to
4-25 read as follows:
4-26 (a) A professional employee of a school district is not
4-27 personally liable for any act that is incident to or within the
5-1 scope of the duties of the employee's position of employment and
5-2 that involves the exercise of judgment or discretion on the part of
5-3 the employee, except in circumstances in which a professional
5-4 employee uses excessive force in the discipline of students or
5-5 negligence resulting in bodily injury to students. This subsection
5-6 also applies to a professional employee of a school district who
5-7 provides personnel information on a current or former employee of
5-8 the school district to another school or district.
5-9 SECTION 6. (a) This Act applies beginning with the
5-10 2001-2002 school year.
5-11 (b) Section 21.052(a), Education Code, as amended by this
5-12 Act, applies only to a certificate issued under Section 21.052,
5-13 Education Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. A
5-14 certificate issued under Section 21.052, Education Code, before the
5-15 effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
5-16 date the certificate is issued, and the former law is continued in
5-17 effect for that purpose.
5-18 SECTION 7. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
5-19 section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of
5-20 two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by
5-21 Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not
5-22 receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes
5-23 effect September 1, 2001.
5-24 (b) Sections 1 and 4 of this Act take effect September 1,
5-25 2001.