Bill Text: FL S1350 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Teacher Education
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2015-05-01 - Died in Education Pre-K - 12 [S1350 Detail]
Download: Florida-2015-S1350-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2015 SB 1350
By Senator Sachs
34-01117-15 20151350__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to teacher education; amending s.
3 1009.60, F.S.; revising eligibility criteria for
4 receipt of a minority teacher education scholarship;
5 amending s. 1009.605, F.S.; revising funding for
6 administration and the training program carried out by
7 the board of directors of the Florida Fund for
8 Minority Teachers, Inc.; amending ss. 1012.55 and
9 1012.56, F.S.; revising criteria for eligibility and
10 issuance of temporary certificates; providing an
11 effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 1009.60,
16 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
17 1009.60 Minority teacher education scholars program.—There
18 is created the minority teacher education scholars program,
19 which is a collaborative performance-based scholarship program
20 for African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and
21 Native American students. The participants in the program
22 include Florida’s Florida College System institutions and its
23 public and private universities that have teacher education
24 programs.
25 (1) The minority teacher education scholars program shall
26 provide an annual scholarship in an amount that shall be
27 prorated based on available appropriations and may not exceed
28 $4,000 for each approved minority teacher education scholar who
29 is enrolled in one of Florida’s public or private colleges or
30 universities, in the junior year and is admitted into a teacher
31 education program, and has not earned more than 18 credit hours
32 of upper-division education courses.
33 (4) A student may receive a scholarship from the program
34 for 3 consecutive years if the student remains enrolled full
35 time in the program and makes satisfactory progress toward a
36 baccalaureate degree with a major in education or a graduate
37 degree with a major in education.
38 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and paragraph
39 (g) of subsection (3) of section 1009.605, Florida Statutes, are
40 amended, and subsection (4) is added to that section, to read:
41 1009.605 Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.—
42 (2)
43 (b) The corporation shall report to the Department of
44 Education, by the date established by the department, the
45 eligible students to whom scholarship moneys are disbursed each
46 academic term, the annual balance of the corporation’s assets
47 and cash reserves, and any other information requested by the
48 department in accordance with s. 1009.94. By June 30 of each
49 fiscal year, the corporation shall remit to the department any
50 appropriated funds that were not distributed for scholarships,
51 less the 5 percent for administration and the $100,000 for the
52 training program required under subsection (4), including
53 administration of the required training program, authorized
54 pursuant to subsection (3).
55 (3) A board of directors shall administer the corporation.
56 The Governor shall appoint to the board at least 15 but not more
57 than 25 members, who shall serve terms of 3 years, except that 4
58 of the initial members shall serve 1-year terms and 4 shall
59 serve 2-year terms. At least 4 members must be employed by
60 Florida College System institutions and at least 11 members must
61 be employed by public or private postsecondary institutions that
62 operate colleges of education. At least one member must be a
63 financial aid officer employed by a postsecondary education
64 institution operating in Florida. Administrative costs for
65 support of the Board of Directors and the Florida Fund for
66 Minority Teachers may not exceed 5 percent of funds allocated
67 for the program. The board shall:
68 (g) Carry out the training program as required for the
69 minority teacher education scholars program. No more than 5
70 percent of the funds appropriated and up to $100,000 from other
71 available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
72 program may be expended annually for administration, including
73 administration of the required training program.
74 (4) The board of directors shall carry out a training
75 program as required for the minority teacher education scholars
76 program. Up to $100,000 from appropriated funds and other
77 available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
78 program may be expended annually for the required training
79 program.
80 Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
81 1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
82 1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
83 (1)
84 (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant
85 to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to allow an individual who meets
86 the following criteria to be eligible for a temporary
87 certificate in educational leadership under s. 1012.56(7):
88 1. Earning a passing score on the Florida Educational
89 Leadership Examination; and
90 2. Documenting 3 years of successful experience in an
91 executive management or leadership position; and
92 2.3. Documenting receipt of a bachelor’s degree or higher
93 from an accredited institution of higher learning.
94
95 A person operating under a temporary certificate must be under
96 the mentorship of a state-certified school administrator during
97 the term of the temporary certificate.
98 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
99 1012.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
100 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
101 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
102 (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
103 any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
104 paragraphs (2)(a)-(g) (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area
105 content requirements specified in state board rule or
106 demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to
107 subsection (5) and holds an accredited degree or a degree
108 approved by the Department of Education at the level required
109 for the subject area specialization in state board rule.
110
111 Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
112 and is nonrenewable. However, the requirement in paragraph
113 (2)(g) must be met within 1 calendar year of the date of
114 employment under the temporary certificate. Individuals who are
115 employed under contract at the end of the 1 calendar year time
116 period may continue to be employed through the end of the school
117 year in which they have been contracted. A school district shall
118 not employ, or continue the employment of, an individual in a
119 position for which a temporary certificate is required beyond
120 this time period if the individual has not met the requirement
121 of paragraph (2)(g). The State Board of Education shall adopt
122 rules to allow the department to extend the validity period of a
123 temporary certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
124 professional certificate, not including the requirement in
125 paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to the serious illness
126 or injury of the applicant or other extraordinary extenuating
127 circumstances. The department shall reissue the temporary
128 certificate for 2 additional years upon approval by the
129 Commissioner of Education. A written request for reissuance of
130 the certificate shall be submitted by the district school
131 superintendent, the governing authority of a university lab
132 school, the governing authority of a state-supported school, or
133 the governing authority of a private school.
134 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
