PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1088 PRINTER'S NO. 2128
No. 922 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY D. EVANS, ROEBUCK, DePASQUALE, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY,
GRUCELA, JOSEPHS, W. KELLER, KORTZ, LEACH, McILHATTAN, MELIO,
MURT, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYTON, PRESTON,
SOLOBAY, STURLA, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD AND
LONGIETTI, MARCH 29, 2007
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 27, 2007
AN ACT
1 Establishing an Urban Educators Recruitment Program in the
2 Department of Education; and making an appropriation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Urban
7 Educators Recruitment Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Department." The Department of Education of the
13 Commonwealth.
14 "Program." The Urban Educators Recruitment Program
15 established by this act.
16 Section 3. Urban Educators Recruitment Program.
1 (a) Program established.--There is hereby established in the
2 Department of Education an Urban Educators Recruitment Program.
3 (b) Program description.--At a minimum the program shall:
4 (1) Provide scholarships to postsecondary students
5 committed to teach in an urban public school DISTRICT for at <--
6 least five years.
7 (2) Provide resources to member institutions of the
8 State System of Higher Education for the purpose of
9 communicating to their students information related to
10 teaching opportunities available in urban public schools.
11 (3) Identify urban areas SCHOOL DISTRICTS which have <--
12 critical shortages of certified teachers AND POST A LIST OF <--
13 THE URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IDENTIFIED AS HAVING A CRITICAL
14 SHORTAGE OF CERTIFIED TEACHERS ON THE DEPARTMENT'S PUBLICLY
15 ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE, UPDATED SEMIANNUALLY.
16 (4) Provide informational sessions and experiential
17 programs relating to urban education to middle school and
18 high school students enrolled in urban public schools.
19 (C) REFUND.--A SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT WHO DOES NOT COMPLETE <--
20 FIVE YEARS OF TEACHING IN AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL
21 BE REQUIRED TO REFUND THE MONEY TO THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT
22 OF EDUCATION WITHIN ONE YEAR OF LEAVING THE URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL
23 DISTRICT.
24 (D) WAIVER OF REPAYMENT.--UPON THE APPLICATION OF THE
25 RECIPIENT OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL WAIVE
26 THE REPAYMENT REQUIREMENT IF THE DEPARTMENT FINDS THAT THE
27 RECIPIENT WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE FIVE YEARS OF TEACHING IN AN
28 URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT DUE TO ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION ON THE
29 PART OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR OTHER THAN CAUSES ENUMERATED
30 UNDER SECTION 1122 OF THE ACT OF MARCH 10, 1949 (P.L.30, NO.14),
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1 KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CODE OF 1949, OR CONTINUE TEACHING
2 DUE TO ILLNESS OR CATASTROPHIC ILLNESS OF A MEMBER OF THE
3 TEACHER'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY, OR PARENTAL LEAVE TO CARE FOR A
4 NEWBORN OR NEWLY ADOPTED CHILD AND MAY WAIVE THE REPAYMENT
5 REQUIREMENT DUE TO OTHER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
6 (E) ANNUAL REPORT.--THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE AN ANNUAL
7 REPORT ON THE URBAN EDUCATOR RECRUITMENT PROGRAM TO THE
8 EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE AND THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF
9 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND SHALL POST THE REPORT ON ITS
10 PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE BY APRIL 1 OF EACH CALENDAR
11 YEAR.
12 Section 4. Administration.
13 The department shall administer the program and shall adopt
14 such regulations, policies, procedures and forms as are
15 necessary and not inconsistent with this act.
16 Section 5. Appropriation.
17 The sum of $2,000,000, or as much thereof as may be
18 necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of Education
19 for the fiscal year July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, to implement
20 the Urban Educators Recruitment Program.
21 Section 6. Effective date.
22 This act shall take effect July 1, 2007, or immediately,
23 whichever is sooner.
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