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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state funding for annual stipends provided to public |
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school teachers who serve as mentors to other public school |
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teachers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.458, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), and |
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(c-3) to read as follows: |
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(c) From the funds allocated under Section 21.703 or other |
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funds appropriated to the agency for purposes of this section, the |
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commissioner shall adopt rules and provide funding to school |
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districts that assign mentor teachers under this section. Funding |
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provided to districts under this section may be used only for |
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providing: |
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(1) mentor teacher stipends in the amount of $2,000 |
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per teacher for each school year during which the teacher serves as |
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a mentor; |
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(2) scheduled time for mentor teachers to provide |
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mentoring to assigned classroom teachers; and |
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(3) mentoring support through providers of mentor |
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training. |
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(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c), a school district may |
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use funds provided under that subsection for a purpose authorized |
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by Subsection (c)(2) or (3) only to the extent that funds remain |
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after fully funding the stipends authorized by Subsection (c)(1). |
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(c-2) Subsection (c-1) does not create a property right of a |
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teacher to receive a stipend. If a school district receives |
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insufficient funds to fully fund the stipends, the district shall |
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reduce the stipend the district pays to each teacher serving as a |
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mentor proportionately so that each teacher serving as a mentor |
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receives the same amount of money. |
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(c-3) A stipend a teacher receives under this section is not |
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considered in determining whether the district is paying the |
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teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 21.703(a), (b), and (d), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Each state fiscal year, the commissioner shall deposit |
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the sum of $1,000 multiplied by the number of classroom teachers in |
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this state to the credit of the educator excellence fund in the |
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general revenue fund. Each state fiscal year, the agency shall use: |
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(1) from the funds in the educator excellence fund, |
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the amount necessary to fund stipends under Section 21.458 for |
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teachers who serve as mentors to other teachers, provided that not |
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more than $150 million may be used for this purpose each fiscal |
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year; |
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(2) not more than $100 million of any remaining [the] |
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funds in the educator excellence fund to provide grant awards under |
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the awards for student achievement program established under |
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Subchapter N; and |
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(3) [(2)] any remaining funds in the educator |
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excellence fund to provide a qualifying school district a grant in |
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an amount determined by: |
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(A) dividing the amount of remaining money |
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available for distribution in the educator excellence fund by the |
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total number of students in average daily attendance in qualifying |
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districts for that fiscal year; and |
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(B) multiplying the amount determined under |
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Paragraph (A) by the number of students in average daily attendance |
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in the district. |
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(b) Subsection (a) applies beginning with the state fiscal |
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year beginning September 1, 2008. In the state fiscal year |
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beginning September 1, 2007, the commissioner shall deposit $840 |
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multiplied by the number of classroom teachers in this state to the |
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credit of the educator excellence fund in the general revenue fund. |
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The agency shall use: |
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(1) from the funds in the educator excellence fund, |
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the amount necessary to fund stipends under Section 21.458 for |
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teachers who serve as mentors to other teachers, provided that not |
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more than $150 million may be used for this purpose; |
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(2) not more than $100 million of any remaining [the] |
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funds in the educator excellence fund to provide grant awards under |
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the awards for student achievement program established under |
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Subchapter N; and |
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(3) [(2)] any remaining funds in the educator |
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excellence fund to provide a qualifying school district a grant in |
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an amount determined by: |
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(A) dividing the amount of remaining money |
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available for distribution in the educator excellence fund by the |
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total number of students in average daily attendance in qualifying |
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districts for that fiscal year; and |
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(B) multiplying the amount determined under |
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Paragraph (A) by the number of students in average daily attendance |
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in the district. |
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(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) or (b), the agency may |
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use funds in the educator excellence fund remaining after |
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compliance with Subsection (a)(1) or (b)(1), as applicable, as |
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necessary to conduct or contract with another entity to conduct the |
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evaluation required under Section 21.706. This subsection expires |
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June 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |