PRINTER'S NO. 1265
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1204
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY YOUNG, SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, SAMUELSON, GUZMAN,
CIRESI, HILL-EVANS, WEBSTER, MERSKI, SCHWEYER, PARKER,
N. NELSON, D. WILLIAMS, LONGIETTI AND SOLOMON, APRIL 16, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 16, 2021
AN ACT
Establishing the Governor's School of Urban Teaching; and
providing for duties of the Department of Education.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Governor's
School of Urban Teaching Act.
Section 2. Legislative intent.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to
establish the permanent operation of the Governor's School of
Urban Teaching at a university or college in this
Commonwealth in order to show future generations of educators
the challenges and rewards of teaching within an urban
environment.
(2) The objectives of the program will be to attract
gifted and talented students to the profession of teaching,
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develop participants' teaching skills with an emphasis on
teaching in an urban and diverse environment, examine current
school practices and determine strategies to adapt these
practices to better meet the needs of an urban teaching
environment and encourage positive attitudes towards teaching
as a career.
(3) The urban teaching program will achieve these goals
by emphasizing creative thinking, problem solving and
leadership skills.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Governor's School of Urban Teaching." The school
established by the department under section 4.
"Host site." A college or university where the Governor's
School of Urban Teaching is located.
"Program." The urban teaching program provided by the
Governor's School of Urban Teaching.
Section 4. Governor's School of Urban Teaching.
The Governor's School of Urban Teaching is established within
the department.
Section 5. Duties of department.
(a) Operation.--The department shall operate the Governor's
School of Urban Teaching at a host site in this Commonwealth.
(b) Administration.--In administering the program, the
department shall do all of the following:
(1) Make student applications available to every public
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and nonpublic school in this Commonwealth and include the
application on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website.
(2) Ensure that the Governor's School of Urban Teaching
enables all qualified students the opportunity to enroll in
the program regardless of race, sex, gender, sexual
orientation, religion, nationality, socioeconomic status or
creed.
(c) Scheduling.--The Governor's School of Urban Teaching
shall be held, to the extent possible, during the summer months
between the end and the beginning of the school year. The
department may grant permission for the program to be held at
other times during the school year when circumstances and
programming options necessitate such a change.
(d) Costs.--Students attending the Governor's School of
Urban Teaching shall not be required to pay any tuition or fees
to attend and participate in the program. Students shall be
responsible for their own costs relating to transportation to
and from the school.
Section 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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