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| PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 885 | PRINTER'S NO. 1154 |
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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY ROEBUCK, BISHOP, BRENNAN, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, DALEY, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GIBBONS, GRUCELA, HARKINS, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MANN, McILVAINE SMITH, MUNDY, M. O'BRIEN, PARKER, PASHINSKI, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH, STURLA, WHEATLEY, JOSEPHS, W. KELLER, MILNE, OLIVER AND STABACK, MARCH 9, 2009 |
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| AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 18, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An |
2 | act relating to the public school system, including certain |
3 | provisions applicable as well to private and parochial |
4 | schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the |
5 | laws relating thereto," providing for payment of fees |
6 | associated with certification by the National Board for |
7 | Professional Teaching Standards. |
8 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
9 | hereby enacts as follows: |
10 | Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known |
11 | as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an |
12 | article to read: |
13 | ARTICLE XI-B |
14 | CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS BY THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR |
15 | PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS |
16 | Section 1101-B. Definitions. |
17 | The following words and phrases when used in this article |
18 | shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
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1 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
2 | "Department." The Department of Education of the |
3 | Commonwealth. |
4 | "Eligible teacher." A teacher who has: | <-- |
5 | (1) Completed three full years of teaching in a | <-- |
6 | Pennsylvania public school, intermediate unit or area |
7 | vocational-technical school. |
8 | (2) A current, full-time teaching position in a |
9 | Pennsylvania public school, intermediate unit or area |
10 | vocational-technical school. |
11 | (3) Not previously received Commonwealth funds for |
12 | participating in any certification area of the NBPTS program. |
13 | (4) Not repaid any Commonwealth funds previously |
14 | received for the NBPTS certification process. |
15 | (5) Not received a waiver of repayment from the |
16 | Department of Education. |
17 | (1) Is a current Pennsylvania resident. | <-- |
18 | (2) Currently holds a valid Pennsylvania teaching |
19 | certification in good standing. |
20 | (3) Has completed three full years of teaching or school |
21 | counseling in a Pennsylvania public school, intermediate unit |
22 | or area vocational-technical school. |
23 | (4) Holds a current, full-time teaching or school |
24 | counseling position in a Pennsylvania public school, |
25 | intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school. |
26 | (5) Has not previously received Commonwealth funds for |
27 | participating in any certification area of the NBPTS program. |
28 | (6) Has not repaid any Commonwealth funds previously |
29 | received for the NBPTS certification process. |
30 | (7) Has not received a waiver of repayment from the |
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1 | Department of Education. |
2 | "National Board for Professional Teaching Standards" or |
3 | "NBPTS." The independent, nonprofit organization established in |
4 | 1987 to establish high standards for teachers' knowledge and |
5 | performance and for development and operation of a national |
6 | voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet those |
7 | standards. |
8 | "Public school." A school operated by a school district, |
9 | intermediate unit, charter school, cyber charter school or an | <-- |
10 | area vocational-technical school. |
11 | Section 1102-B. Program. |
12 | (a) Establishment.--A program to help defray the cost to |
13 | teachers of becoming certified by the National Board for |
14 | Professional Teaching Standards is established. |
15 | (b) Goal.--It is the goal of the Commonwealth to provide |
16 | opportunities and incentives for excellent teachers and to |
17 | retain them in the teaching profession. To attain this goal, the |
18 | Commonwealth shall support the efforts of teachers to achieve |
19 | national certification by providing reimbursement for approved | <-- |
20 | paid leave time forto public schools for substitute fees | <-- |
21 | associated with teachers participating in the certification |
22 | process and paying the assessment fee for teachers who seek to |
23 | attain national certification from the National Board for |
24 | Professional Teaching Standards. |
25 | Section 1103-B. Payment of fees. |
26 | Eligible teachers who participate in NBPTS certification | <-- |
27 | shall be entitled to do so without loss of pay or time. To the |
28 | extent funds are available, the Commonwealth shall do all of the |
29 | following: |
30 | (1) Pay all or a portion of the cost of NBPTS assessment |
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1 | fees on behalf of an eligible teacher to become NBPTS |
2 | certified or recertified. |
3 | (2) Reimburse school districts for substitute fees for |
4 | each day the eligible teacher participates in preparation for |
5 | NBPTS certification, up to three days. |
6 | Section 1104-B. Priority. |
7 | (a) Schools in school improvement or corrective action.-- |
8 | Eligible teachers who teach in schools identified as in school |
9 | improvement or corrective action shall receive first priority |
10 | for payment of assessment fees under this article. The eligible |
11 | teachers' districts shall also receive first priority for |
12 | substitute fees reimbursement. |
13 | (b) Other priority.--Eligible teachers who teach early |
14 | childhood education, mathematics or science at the middle or |
15 | secondary level or who teach special education or foreign |
16 | languages shall receive second priority for payment of |
17 | assessment fees under this article. The eligible teachers' |
18 | districts shall also receive second priority for substitute fees |
19 | reimbursement. |
20 | Section 1105-B. Duties of eligible teachers. |
21 | (a) Completion of process.--An eligible teacher on whose |
22 | behalf the assessment fee is paid shall agree to complete the |
23 | certification process or be subject to repayment as set forth in |
24 | section 1106-B(a). |
25 | (b) Three-year commitment.--An eligible teacher on whose |
26 | behalf the assessment fee is paid and who receives NBPTS |
27 | certification shall, in addition to the requirement under |
28 | subsection (a), agree to serve as a teacher or administrator in |
29 | a Pennsylvania public school for a period of at least three |
30 | years or be subject to repayment as set forth in section 1106- |
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1 | B(b). Eligible teachers who receive priority under section 1104- |
2 | B and who receive NBPTS certification shall teach in that |
3 | priority class for the three-year commitment period. If an |
4 | eligible teacher receives priority under section 1104-B(a) and |
5 | the school is removed from improvement or corrective action |
6 | during the three-year commitment period, service in the same |
7 | school or in another school identified as in school improvement |
8 | or corrective action shall continue to fulfill the requirements |
9 | of this subsection. |
10 | Section 1106-B. Repayment. |
11 | (a) Failure to complete the certification process.--When an |
12 | eligible teacher for whom the Commonwealth has paid the |
13 | assessment fee fails to complete the certification process, the |
14 | teacher shall reimburse the Commonwealth for the amount of the |
15 | assessment fee. A candidate who completes the certification |
16 | process but is denied NBPTS certification shall not be subject |
17 | to repayment pursuant to this subsection. |
18 | (b) Failure to continue teaching.--When an eligible teacher |
19 | for whom the Commonwealth has paid the assessment fee fails to |
20 | teach in a Pennsylvania public school for three consecutive | <-- |
21 | years after completing the certification processmeet the | <-- |
22 | requirements of section 1105-B(b), the teacher shall reimburse |
23 | the Commonwealth for the amount of the assessment fee. The |
24 | teacher shall certify to the department each year that the |
25 | teacher is in compliance with section 1105-B(b). |
26 | (c) Waiver of repayment.--Upon the application of the |
27 | eligible teacher, the department shall waive the repayment |
28 | requirement if the department finds that the teacher was unable |
29 | to complete the process or continuemeet the requirements of | <-- |
30 | section 1105-B(b) for teaching in a priority class or school |
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1 | identified as in school improvement or corrective action due to |
2 | administrative action on the part of the school district or area |
3 | vocational-technical school for other than causes enumerated in |
4 | section 1122, or continue teaching due to illness of the |
5 | teacher, the death or catastrophic illness of a member of the |
6 | teacher's immediate family, or parental leave to care for a |
7 | newborn or newly adopted child and may waive the repayment |
8 | requirement due to other extraordinary circumstances. |
9 | Section 1107-B. Duties of department. |
10 | (a) Guidelines.--The department shall develop guidelines |
11 | necessary for the implementation of this article. |
12 | (b) Technical assistance.--To the extent funds are |
13 | available, the department shall provide technical assistance to |
14 | NBPTS applicants. The department may contract with one or more |
15 | institutions of higher education or intermediate units in order |
16 | to provide technical assistance. |
17 | Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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