PRINTER'S NO. 306
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
310
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY HICKERNELL, BARRAR, COX, DIAMOND, GREINER,
HEFFLEY, KAUFFMAN, LAWRENCE, MAJOR, MENTZER, METCALFE,
PEIFER, PICKETT, ROAE, TRUITT AND ZIMMERMAN, FEBRUARY 2, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 2, 2015
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in district and assistant
superintendents, further providing for eligibility.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1003 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949,
amended June 30, 2012 (P.L.684, No.82), is amended to read:
Section 1003. Eligibility.--[(a) Except as otherwise
provided in subsections (b) and (b.1), no] No person shall
receive a letter of eligibility or be elected or appointed as a
district superintendent or assistant district superintendent[,
unless--
(1) He holds a diploma from a college or other institution
approved by the Department of Education;
(2) He has had six (6) years' successful teaching
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experience, not less than three of which shall have been in a
supervisory or administrative capacity;
(3) He has completed in a college or university a graduate
program in education approved by the Department of Education
that includes the Pennsylvania school leadership standards under
section 1217. Completion of the program shall not be subject to
waiver under section 1714-B unless the candidate provides to the
Secretary of Education evidence that the candidate has
successfully completed an equivalent leadership development
program that addresses the school leadership standards under
section 1217.
(4) Provided that in school districts of the first class,
five (5) years of administrative experience at the level of
assistant, associate or deputy superintendent, may be
substituted for prescribed graduate administrative courses, and
which shall be the responsibility of the Secretary of Education
to review these equivalences to conform with State board
regulations.
(b) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), a
person shall be eligible for election or appointment as a
district superintendent or assistant district superintendent if
he holds a graduate degree from an accredited higher education
institution in business, finance or management and has at least
four (4) years of relevant experience in business, finance or
management.
(b.1) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (a), a
person shall be eligible for election or appointment as a
district superintendent or assistant district superintendent if
he holds a juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school
and has at least four (4) years of relevant experience in law.
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This subsection shall expire three (3) years from the effective
date of this subsection. A person who is issued a commission by
the department based on satisfaction of the requirements of this
subsection may retain his commission after the expiration of
this subsection.
(b.2) The department shall, upon request in a form and
manner as prescribed by the department and made available on the
department's publicly accessible Internet website, confirm that
an individual satisfies the requirements of subsection (b) or
(b.1) and that the individual is eligible for election or
appointment as a district superintendent or assistant district
superintendent. Upon a school district's hiring of an individual
who satisfies the requirements of subsection (b) or (b.1), the
department shall issue the individual a commission.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1205.1(f),
1205.2(n.1) and 1205.5(h), a person elected or appointed as a
district superintendent or assistant district superintendent for
the first time in this Commonwealth under subsection (b) or
(b.1) shall successfully complete a leadership development
program that meets the Pennsylvania school leadership standards
under section 1217.] unless the person receives a majority vote
of the board of school directors as required under section 508.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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