The Florida Senate

1012.985  Statewide system for inservice professional development.--

(1)  The intent of this section is to establish a statewide system of professional development that provides a wide range of targeted inservice training to teachers, managers, and administrative personnel designed to upgrade skills and knowledge needed to reach world class standards in education. The system shall consist of a network of professional development academies in each region of the state which are operated in partnership with area business partners to develop and deliver high-quality training programs purchased by school districts. The academies shall be established to meet the human resource development needs of professional educators, schools, and school districts. Funds appropriated for the initiation of professional development academies shall be allocated by the Commissioner of Education, unless otherwise provided in an appropriations act. To be eligible for startup funds, the academy must:

(a)  Be established by the collaborative efforts of one or more district school boards, members of the business community, and the postsecondary educational institutions which may award college credits for courses taught at the academy.

(b)  Demonstrate the capacity to provide effective training to improve teaching skills in the areas of elementary reading and mathematics, the use of instructional technology, high school algebra, and classroom management, and to deliver such training using face-to-face, distance learning, and individualized computer-based delivery systems.

(c)  Propose a plan for responding in an effective and timely manner to the professional development needs of teachers, managers, administrative personnel, schools, and school districts relating to improving student achievement and meeting state and local education goals.

(d)  Demonstrate the ability to provide high-quality trainers and training, appropriate followup and coaching for all participants, and support school personnel in positively impacting student performance.

(e)  Be operated under contract with its public partners and governed by an independent board of directors, which should include at least one district school superintendent and one district school board chair from the participating school districts, the president of the collective bargaining unit that represents the majority of the region's teachers, and at least three individuals who are not employees or elected or appointed officials of the participating school districts. Regional educational consortia as defined in s. 1001.451 satisfy the requirements of this paragraph.

(f)  Be financed during the first year of operation by an equal or greater match from private funding sources and demonstrate the ability to be self-supporting within 1 year after opening through fees for services, grants, or private contributions. Regional educational consortia as defined in s. 1001.451 which serve rural areas of critical economic concern are exempt from the funding match required by this paragraph.

(g)  Own or lease a facility that can be used to deliver training onsite and through distance learning and other technology-based delivery systems. The participating district school boards may lease a site or facility to the academy for a nominal fee and may pay all or part of the costs of renovating a facility to accommodate the academy. The academy is responsible for all operational, maintenance, and repair costs.

(h)  Provide professional development services for the participating school districts as specified in the contract and may provide professional development services to other school districts, private schools, and individuals on a fee-for-services basis.

(2)  Upon compliance with the requirements for the first year of operation in paragraph (1)(f), a regional professional development academy:

(a)  May receive funds from the Department of Education or as provided in the General Appropriations Act for the purpose of developing programs, expanding services, assessing inservice training and professional development, or other programs that are consistent with the mission of the academy and the needs of the state and region; and

(b)  Is not, by virtue of providing services to one or more school districts, a component of any school district or any governmental unit to which the regional professional development academy provides services.

History.--s. 790, ch. 2002-387; s. 1, ch. 2006-151.