H.R. No. 199

R E S O L U T I O N

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, 82nd Legislature, 1st Called Session, 2011, That House Rule 13, Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13, Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on Senate Bill 8 (the flexibility of the board of trustees of a school district in the management and operation of public schools in the district) to consider and take action on the following matters:

(1) House Rule 13, Sections 9(a)(3) and (4), are suspended to permit the committee to add text on a matter not in disagreement and not included in either the house or senate version of the bill by adding the following new SECTIONS to the bill:

SECTION 2. Section 21.051, Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 21.051. RULES REGARDING FIELD-BASED EXPERIENCE AND OPTIONS FOR FIELD EXPERIENCE AND INTERNSHIPS. (a) In this section, "teacher of record" means a person employed by a school district who teaches the majority of the instructional day in an academic instructional setting and is responsible for evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.

(b) Before a school district may employ a candidate for certification as a teacher of record, the candidate must complete at least 15 hours of field-based experience in which the candidate is actively engaged in instructional or educational activities under supervision at:

(1) a public school campus accredited or approved for the purpose by the agency; or

(2) a private school recognized or approved for the purpose by the agency.

(c) Subsection (b) applies only to an initial certification issued on or after September 1, 2012. Subsection (b) does not affect:

(1) the validity of a certification issued before September 1, 2012; or

(2) the eligibility of a person who holds a certification issued before September 1, 2012, to obtain a subsequent renewal of the certification in accordance with board rule.

(d) Subsection (b) does not affect the period within which an individual must complete field-based experience hours as determined by board rule if the individual is not accepted into an educator preparation program before the deadline prescribed by board rule and is hired for a teaching assignment by a school district after the deadline prescribed by board rule.

(e) The board shall propose rules relating to the field-based experience required by Subsection (b). The commissioner by rule shall adopt procedures and standards for recognizing a private school under Subsection (b)(2).

(f) The board shall propose rules providing flexible options for persons for any field-based [field] experience or internship required for certification.

SECTION 22. On or before January 1, 2012, the State Board for Educator Certification shall propose rules relating to educator certification as prescribed by Section 21.051, Education Code, as amended by this Act.

Explanation: The addition is necessary to establish requirements for field-based experience that a candidate for certification must meet before a school district may employ the candidate as a teacher of record.

(2) House Rule 13, Sections 9(a)(3) and (4), are suspended to permit the committee to add text on a matter not in disagreement and not included in either the house or senate version of the bill by adding the following at the end of proposed Section 21.4021(e), Education Code, in SECTION 16 of the bill: A furlough day does not constitute a day of service for purposes of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Explanation: The addition is necessary to clarify that a school district furlough day does not constitute a day of service for purposes of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

Eissler

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 199 was adopted by the House on June 27, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 93, Nays 50, 1 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House