House Bill 3933

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3933

        By the Committee on Education Innovation and
    Representative Melvin





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; amending s.

  3         231.0861, F.S.; revising provisions relating to

  4         selection of principals and assistant

  5         principals; providing for the appointment of

  6         persons from the private sector or the

  7         noneducational governmental sector; providing

  8         requirements for eligibility; providing

  9         requirements for appointment; amending s.

10         231.087, F.S.; revising provisions relating to

11         educational management; requiring preservice

12         and inservice programs for educational

13         managers; providing an effective date.

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15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Section 231.0861, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         231.0861  Principals and assistant principals;

20  selection.--

21         (1)  The Legislature recognizes that the principal is

22  the administrative and instructional leader of a public

23  school. The Legislature further recognizes that strong,

24  competent principals can improve our public schools.  For this

25  reason, it is imperative that public school principals be

26  selected from those candidates who are deemed to possess have

27  been evaluated and certified as possessing the competencies

28  deemed necessary for success in the field. Candidates who are

29  professional educators or candidates qualified pursuant to

30  subsection (3) who are from the private sector or the

31  noneducational governmental sector may be selected.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3933

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  1         (2)  By July 1, 1986, Each district school board shall

  2  adopt and implement an objective-based process for the

  3  recruitment, screening, selection, and appointment of

  4  professional educators as assistant principals and principals

  5  in the public schools of this state which meets the criteria

  6  approved by the Florida Council on Educational Management.

  7  Each school district may contract with other local school

  8  districts, agencies, associations, or universities to conduct

  9  the assessments, evaluations, and training programs required

10  under this section.

11         (3)  A person from the private sector or the

12  noneducational governmental sector shall be eligible for

13  appointment as a principal or an assistant principal if he or

14  she meets the following minimum qualifications:

15         (a)  Has a bachelor's degree from an accredited college

16  or university.

17         (b)  Has 5 years of administrative, policy analysis or

18  development, or planning and evaluation experience, 2 years of

19  which experience must have been in an administrative or

20  supervisory capacity.

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22  A master's degree from an accredited college or university may

23  be substituted for 1 year of the experience required in

24  paragraph (b). A doctoral degree from an accredited college or

25  university may be substituted for 2 years of the experience

26  required in paragraph (b).

27         (4)  If a person's initial appointment under subsection

28  (3) is as a principal, there must be employed at the same

29  school at least one assistant principal who received his or

30  her appointment under subsection (2).

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3933

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  1         (5)(a)(3)  Candidates for the position of assistant

  2  principal or principal in the public schools of this state

  3  under subsection (2) must have satisfactorily met the written

  4  examination and performance requirements adopted by the State

  5  Board of Education for certification.  Effective July 1, 1993,

  6  candidates for the position of principal or assistant

  7  principal in public secondary schools under subsection (2)

  8  must also demonstrate knowledge of the role of career

  9  education in secondary schools.  Such State Board of Education

10  rules must include provisions for those persons who became

11  certified prior to June 24, 1984. Such State Board of

12  Education rules shall also include provisions for

13  superintendents, assistant superintendents, and area

14  superintendents with certification rights equal to those of

15  principals.

16         (b)  A person appointed as an assistant principal or

17  principal under subsection (3) is required to serve 1 year as

18  an intern or as an interim assistant principal or principal

19  while completing the required inservice program of

20  competency-based certification identified under s. 231.087(1).

21         (6)(4)  An out-of-state certified and experienced

22  assistant principal or principal employed in the public

23  schools of this state under subsection (2) is required to

24  serve 1 year as an intern or interim assistant principal or

25  principal while the required performance assessment of basic

26  and high performing competencies is completed.

27         (7)(5)  The Department of Education shall maintain and

28  make available to a district, upon request, a list of

29  certified candidates eligible for appointment under subsection

30  (2) for the position of assistant principal or principal at no

31  charge to the district.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3933

    603-121B-98






  1         Section 2.  Subsection (1) and paragraph (g) of

  2  subsection (3) of section 231.087, Florida Statutes, are

  3  amended to read:

  4         231.087  Management Training Act; Florida Council on

  5  Educational Management; Florida Academy for School Leaders;

  6  Center for Interdisciplinary Advanced Graduate Study.--

  7         (1)  INTENT.--The Legislature recognizes that quality

  8  education in the public schools of this state requires

  9  excellence in its principals and other managers. Efficient and

10  effective management of schools to meet the needs of students

11  in today's society requires a unique blend of skills and,

12  experience, and academic background which is rarely provided

13  through typical baccalaureate or graduate programs in

14  education. The purpose of this section is to provide for a

15  state, regional, and district support system for excellence in

16  principals and other educational managers.  This support

17  system shall include the identification of those competencies

18  basic to effective management of schools; a performance-based

19  management training program; a program of competency-based

20  certification for school managers, to become effective July 1,

21  1986; a performance-based evaluation and compensation program

22  for educational managers; and a research and service center

23  for principals and other educational managers; a preservice

24  program of competency-based certification for school managers

25  which shall be required for those persons seeking appointment

26  under s. 231.0861(2); and an inservice program of

27  competency-based certification which shall be required during

28  the initial year of employment for those persons appointed as

29  school administrators under s. 231.0861(3). It is further

30  intended that this section encourage career development,

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998                HB 3933

    603-121B-98






  1  inservice training, and skills enhancement for present and

  2  potential education managers.

  3         (3)  DUTIES OF COUNCIL.--The council shall have the

  4  following duties:

  5         (g)  To identify criteria for the screening, selection,

  6  and appointment of school managers consistent with s.

  7  231.0861.

  8         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1 of the

  9  year in which enacted.

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11            *****************************************

12                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      With respect to principals and assistant principals,
14    provides for the appointment of persons from the private
      sector or the noneducational governmental sector.
15    Provides eligibility and appointment requirements.
      Revises provisions relating to effective educational
16    management.

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