By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1003

(In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2015; March 10, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 16, 2015, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 16, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1003 By: Bettencourt

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the issuance of school district teaching permits to persons who teach career and technical education.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 21.055, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows:

(b) To be eligible for a school district teaching permit under this section, a person must hold a baccalaureate degree. [This subsection does not apply to a person who will teach only career and technology education.]

(d-1) Subsections (b), (c), and (d) do not apply to a person who will teach only non-core academic career and technical education courses. A school board may issue a school district teaching permit to a person who will teach courses only in career and technical education based on qualifications certified by the superintendent of the school district. Qualifications must include demonstrated subject matter expertise through active professional licensure, certification, or registration by a nationally recognized professional accrediting agency and at least five years of full-time wage earning work experience requiring licensure within the past eight years. The superintendent of the school district shall certify to the school board that a new employee has undergone a criminal background check and is capable of proper classroom management. A school district shall require a new employee to obtain at least 20 hours of classroom management training and to comply with continuing education requirements as determined by the school board. A person may teach a career and technical education course immediately upon issuance of a permit under this subsection. The school board, promptly after employing a person who qualifies under this subsection, shall send to the commissioner a written statement identifying the person, the course the person will teach, and the person's qualifications to teach the course.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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