By Burnam H.B. No. 2896
77R6674 BDH-D
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) To
1-7 the extent that funds are available, the commissioner shall make
1-8 grants to school districts of:
1-9 (1) $3,000 for each new teacher employed by the
1-10 district who holds a certificate under Section 21.049; and
1-11 (2) $1,000 for each new teacher employed by the
1-12 district who holds a certificate under Section 21.044 or 21.052.
1-13 (b) A school district shall use money received under
1-14 Subsection (a) only to support one or more of the following in the
1-15 district:
1-16 (1) a mentor or induction program for new teachers;
1-17 (2) signing bonuses for employment of new teachers in
1-18 shortage areas; or
1-19 (3) payment of college tuition for appropriate
1-20 semester credit hours received by a new teacher.
1-21 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-22 amended by adding Section 21.0491 to read as follows:
1-23 Sec. 21.0491. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OF PERSON HOLDING
1-24 BACHELOR'S DEGREE. (a) In addition to issuing teaching
2-1 certificates to persons to whom Section 21.050 applies, the board
2-2 may issue a teaching certificate to a person who:
2-3 (1) holds a bachelor's degree received with an
2-4 academic major or interdisciplinary academic major, including
2-5 reading, other than education, that is related to at least one area
2-6 of the curriculum as prescribed under Subchapter A, Chapter 28; and
2-7 (2) performs satisfactorily:
2-8 (A) on the examination prescribed under Section
2-9 21.048; and
2-10 (B) not later than the end of the person's first
2-11 year of teaching, on a pedagogy examination administered by the
2-12 board.
2-13 (b) A person who holds a bachelor's degree with an academic
2-14 major related to only one area of the curriculum prescribed under
2-15 Subchapter A, Chapter 28, may receive a certificate to teach only
2-16 in that subject area and may be assigned to teach only in that
2-17 subject area.
2-18 (c) A person who receives an alternative certification under
2-19 this section must receive mentoring from an experienced teacher in
2-20 the school.
2-21 SECTION 3. Section 21.057(d), Education Code, is amended to
2-22 read as follows:
2-23 (d) For purposes of this section, "inappropriately certified
2-24 or uncertified teacher" means a person who:
2-25 (1) does not hold a bachelor's degree with an academic
2-26 major or minor or an interdisciplinary academic major or minor that
2-27 is related to the subject taught by the person; or
3-1 (2) has not performed satisfactorily on the
3-2 examination prescribed under Section 21.048[:]
3-3 [(1) includes:]
3-4 [(A) an individual serving on an emergency
3-5 certificate issued under Section 21.041(b)(2); or]
3-6 [(B) an individual who does not hold any
3-7 certificate or permit issued under this chapter and is not employed
3-8 as specified by Subdivision (2)(E); and]
3-9 [(2) does not include an individual:]
3-10 [(A) who is a certified teacher assigned to
3-11 teach a class or classes outside his or her area of certification,
3-12 as determined by rules proposed by the board in specifying the
3-13 certificate required for each assignment;]
3-14 [(B) serving on a certificate issued due to a
3-15 hearing impairment under Section 21.048;]
3-16 [(C) serving on a certificate issued pursuant to
3-17 enrollment in an approved alternative certification program under
3-18 Section 21.049;]
3-19 [(D) certified by another state or country and
3-20 serving on a certificate issued under Section 21.052;]
3-21 [(E) serving on a school district teaching
3-22 permit issued under Section 21.055; or]
3-23 [(F) employed under a waiver granted by the
3-24 commissioner pursuant to Section 7.056].
3-25 SECTION 4. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
3-26 amended by adding Section 21.411 to read as follows:
3-27 Sec. 21.411. BONUSES FOR SERVICE AT LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOL
4-1 CAMPUS. (a) As provided by this section and to the extent that
4-2 funds are available, a teacher or principal who is identified by
4-3 the commissioner as an experienced, extraordinary educator and who
4-4 agrees to serve for three school years at a school campus that is
4-5 identified as low-performing by the commissioner under Subchapter
4-6 D, Chapter 39, is entitled to a bonus of $3,000.
4-7 (b) The commissioner shall adopt criteria for identifying
4-8 experienced, extraordinary educators under this section. The
4-9 criteria must include:
4-10 (1) if applicable, an educator's demonstrated ability
4-11 to improve the performance of students with a stable home
4-12 environment, as determined by the commissioner, who have remained
4-13 enrolled in the educator's course for an entire school year;
4-14 (2) an educator's subject matter expertise;
4-15 (3) if applicable, performance by the educator's
4-16 students or former students on the Scholastic Assessment Test
4-17 (SAT), the American College Test (ACT), and the test instrument
4-18 required under Section 51.306 and in courses at an institution of
4-19 higher education;
4-20 (4) whether the educator has earned a certificate from
4-21 the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; and
4-22 (5) any other criteria determined by the commissioner
4-23 to be appropriate in determining that an educator's performance is
4-24 superior.
4-25 (c) A bonus under this section must be paid at the beginning
4-26 of the first year in which the educator serves at the
4-27 low-performing campus.
5-1 (d) An educator who does not serve at the low-performing
5-2 campus during the entire period for which a bonus under this
5-3 section was awarded forfeits the bonus and shall, in accordance
5-4 with rules adopted by the commissioner, repay the bonus.
5-5 (e) The State Board for Educator Certification shall impose
5-6 sanctions on an educator who receives a bonus under this section
5-7 but does not serve at the low-performing campus during the entire
5-8 period for which the bonus was awarded.
5-9 (f) The commissioner and the State Board for Educator
5-10 Certification may waive the provisions of Subsections (d) and (e)
5-11 for good cause.
5-12 (g) The commissioner shall pay any bonuses under this
5-13 section from funds appropriated for that purpose.
5-14 SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2001-2002
5-15 school year.
5-16 SECTION 6. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
5-17 section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of
5-18 two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by
5-19 Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not
5-20 receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes
5-21 effect September 1, 2001.
5-22 (b) Sections 1 and 4 of this Act take effect September 1,
5-23 2001.