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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot project to lower teacher turnover rates in |
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high-need public school districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 21.419 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 21.419. SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED |
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PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS; PILOT PROJECT. (a) The commissioner |
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shall establish a pilot project in school districts selected by the |
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commissioner to pay salary supplements to teachers who commit to |
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teach for at least three years in one of the districts at any campus |
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considered academically unacceptable under Section 39.132. |
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(b) In selecting school districts under Subsection (a), the |
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commissioner shall select districts: |
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(1) in which at least 70 percent of the number of |
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students enrolled in the district are educationally disadvantaged; |
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(2) that have a substantial number of campuses |
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considered academically unacceptable under Section 39.132; and |
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(3) that have high teacher turnover rates. |
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(c) From amounts appropriated to the agency, the |
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commissioner shall award grants to school districts that |
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participate in the program. A grant under this section must be in |
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an amount sufficient to pay the costs to the district of |
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participating in the program, as determined by the commissioner. A |
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determination of the commissioner is final and may not be appealed. |
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(d) A school district may use a grant awarded under |
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Subsection (c) only to pay a salary supplement to a teacher who |
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commits to teach for three years beginning with the 2007-2008 |
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school year at any campus in the district considered academically |
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unacceptable under Section 39.132. The district shall pay |
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one-third of the salary supplement as a signing bonus and pay the |
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remaining two-thirds of the salary supplement only at the end of the |
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teacher's three-year commitment to the district. A teacher who |
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does not fulfill the three-year commitment is not entitled to any |
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portion of the remaining two-thirds of the salary supplement. |
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(e) The provisions of Chapter 21 regarding resignation |
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apply in the same manner to a teacher employed under a contract who |
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commits to teach in a district under this section as to a teacher |
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employed under a contract to teach in any district. |
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(f) A grant a school district receives under this section is |
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in addition to any funding the district receives under Chapter 42. |
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The commissioner shall distribute funds under this section with the |
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Foundation School Program payment to which the district is entitled |
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as soon as practicable after the end of the school year as |
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determined by the commissioner. A district to which Chapter 41 |
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applies is entitled to a grant under this section. The commissioner |
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shall determine the timing of the distribution of a grant to a |
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district that does not receive Foundation School Program payments. |
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An open-enrollment charter school is not eligible for a grant under |
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this section. |
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(g) This section does not create a property right to a grant |
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or salary supplement. A school district is entitled to a grant to |
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carry out the purposes of this section only to the extent the |
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commissioner makes the grant in accordance with this section and |
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only to the extent sufficient state funds are appropriated for |
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those purposes. If state funds are appropriated but are |
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insufficient to fully fund a grant, the commissioner shall reduce |
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the grant paid to each district and the district shall reduce the |
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salary supplement the district pays to each teacher under this |
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section proportionately so that each selected teacher receives the |
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same amount of money. |
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(h) Each district shall, in the manner and at the time |
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prescribed by the commissioner, provide to the commissioner proof |
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acceptable to the commissioner of the appropriate certification of |
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a teacher to whom the district is paying a salary supplement under |
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this section. |
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(i) The commissioner may audit the expenditure of money |
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appropriated for purposes of this section. A district's use of the |
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money appropriated for purposes of this section shall be verified |
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as part of the district audit under Section 44.008. |
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(j) A salary supplement a teacher receives under this |
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section is not considered in determining whether the district is |
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paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402. |
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(k) The commissioner may adopt any rules necessary to |
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implement this section. |
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(l) The agency shall report to the legislature describing |
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the agency's activities under the pilot project, the effect of the |
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project on the teacher turnover rate and the academic performance |
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level for each school district participating in the project, and |
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the recommendations arising from the project. The agency shall |
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submit an interim report under this subsection not later than |
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January 1, 2009, and a final report not later than January 1, 2011. |
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(m) This section expires January 1, 2011. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.419, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with the 2007-2008 school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |