House Bill 3939c1
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 CS/HB 3939
By the Committee on Education Appropriations and
Representatives Murman, Wise, Flanagan, Morroni, Lynn and Byrd
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to education; amending s.
3 24.121, F.S.; deleting obsolete language
4 relating to the release of lottery funds to
5 school districts; amending s. 229.58, F.S.;
6 revising provisions relating to membership of
7 school advisory councils; amending s. 229.591,
8 F.S., relating to school improvement and
9 education accountability; including
10 postsecondary institutions in the goal of
11 ensuring professional teachers and staff;
12 amending s. 231.02, F.S., relating to
13 qualifications of district school system
14 personnel; deleting certain provisions relating
15 to background check; amending s. 231.096, F.S.;
16 revising provisions relating to teaching
17 out-of-field; amending s. 231.15, F.S.;
18 providing State Board of Education duties
19 relating to teacher certification; amending s.
20 231.17, F.S.; revising provisions relating to
21 qualification for a temporary certificate;
22 providing certain decisionmaking authority of
23 the Commissioner of Education; amending s.
24 231.1725, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to
25 employment of noncertificated teachers in
26 critical teacher shortage areas; providing for
27 protection of laws for students performing
28 clinical field experience; amending s. 231.24,
29 F.S.; providing certificate renewal
30 requirements relating to teaching students with
31 limited English proficiency; amending s.
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1 231.261, F.S.; providing rulemaking authority
2 of the Education Practices Commission; amending
3 s. 231.263, F.S.; clarifying provisions
4 relating to the recovery network program for
5 educators; amending s. 231.29, F.S.; requiring
6 State Board of Education rules relating to
7 personnel assessment; amending s. 231.40, F.S.;
8 providing that members of a school system sick
9 leave pool may contribute additional hours to
10 the pool above the maximum permitted when a
11 member of the pool is suffering a medical
12 hardship; amending s. 231.47, F.S.; correcting
13 a cross reference; amending s. 231.546, F.S.,
14 relating to the Education Standards Commission;
15 deleting duties relating to teacher education
16 centers; amending s. 231.600, F.S.; revising
17 requirements of the school district
18 professional development system; amending s.
19 231.625, F.S.; deleting provisions relating to
20 a teacher referral and recruitment center;
21 requiring establishment of a teacher
22 recruitment and retention services office;
23 amending s. 231.6255, F.S.; revising provisions
24 relating to the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador
25 for Education Program; creating s. 231.63,
26 F.S.; creating the Florida Educator Hall of
27 Fame; providing for nominations,
28 recommendations, and selection of members;
29 repealing s. 231.613, F.S., relating to
30 inservice training institutes; providing an
31 effective date.
2
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1 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
2
3 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (5) of section
4 24.121, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
5 24.121 Allocation of revenues and expenditure of funds
6 for public education.--
7 (5)
8 (d) Beginning July 1, 1993, No funds shall be released
9 for any purpose from the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to
10 any school district in which one or more schools do not have
11 an approved school improvement plan pursuant to s. 230.23(16).
12 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
13 229.58, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 229.58 District and school advisory councils.--
15 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.--
16 (a) The school board shall establish an advisory
17 council for each school in the district, and shall develop
18 procedures for the election and appointment of advisory
19 council members. A majority of the members of each school
20 advisory council must be persons who are not employed by the
21 school board. Each advisory council shall be composed of the
22 principal and an appropriately balanced number of teachers,
23 education support employees, students, parents, and other
24 business and community citizens who are representative of the
25 ethnic, racial, and economic community served by the school.,
26 provided that Vocational-technical center and high school
27 advisory councils shall include students, and middle and
28 junior high school advisory councils may include students.
29 School advisory councils of vocational-technical and adult
30 education centers are not required to include parents as
31 members. Council members representing teachers, education
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1 support employees, students, and parents shall be elected by
2 their respective peer groups at the school in a fair and
3 equitable manner as follows:
4 1. Teachers shall be elected by teachers.
5 2. Education support employees shall be elected by
6 education support employees.
7 3. Students shall be elected by students.
8 4. Parents shall be elected by parents.
9
10 The school board shall establish procedures for use by schools
11 in selecting business and community members. Such procedures
12 shall include means of ensuring wide notice of vacancies and
13 for taking input on possible members from local business,
14 chambers of commerce, community and civic organizations and
15 groups, and the public at large. The school board shall review
16 the membership composition of each advisory council. Should
17 the school board determine that the membership elected by the
18 school is not representative of the ethnic, racial, and
19 economic community served by the school, the board shall
20 appoint additional members to achieve proper representation.
21 Although schools should be strongly encouraged to establish
22 school advisory councils, any school district that has a
23 student population of 10,000 or fewer may establish a district
24 advisory council which shall include at least one duly elected
25 teacher from each school in the district. For the purposes of
26 school advisory councils and district advisory councils, the
27 term "teacher" shall include classroom teachers, certified
28 student services personnel, and media specialists. For
29 purposes of this paragraph, "education support employee" means
30 any person employed by a school who is not defined as
31 instructional or administrative personnel pursuant to s.
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1 228.041 and whose duties require 20 or more hours in each
2 normal working week.
3 Section 3. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section
4 229.591, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
5 229.591 Comprehensive revision of Florida's system of
6 school improvement and education accountability.--
7 (3) EDUCATION GOALS.--The state as a whole shall work
8 toward the following goals:
9 (f) Teachers and staff.--The schools, district, all
10 postsecondary institutions, and state ensure professional
11 teachers and staff.
12 Section 4. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of
13 section 231.02, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
14 231.02 Qualifications of personnel.--
15 (2)(a) Instructional and noninstructional personnel
16 who are hired to fill positions requiring direct contact with
17 students in any district school system or laboratory school
18 shall, upon employment, file a complete set of fingerprints
19 taken by an authorized law enforcement officer or an employee
20 of the school or district who is trained to take fingerprints.
21 These fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Law
22 Enforcement for state processing and to the Federal Bureau of
23 Investigation for federal processing. School districts which
24 have authorized terminal access to the Florida Crimes
25 Information Telecommunications Network or the National Crime
26 Information Center may use this equipment for the background
27 check required by this subsection. Such new employees shall be
28 on probationary status pending fingerprint processing and
29 determination of compliance with standards of good moral
30 character. Employees found through fingerprint processing to
31 have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude shall
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1 not be employed in any position requiring direct contact with
2 students. Probationary employees terminated because of their
3 criminal record shall have the right to appeal such decisions.
4 The cost of the fingerprint processing may be borne by the
5 school board or the employee.
6 (b) Any provision of law notwithstanding, by January
7 1, 1997, for personnel currently required to be certified
8 under s. 231.17, and January 1, 1998, for all other personnel
9 currently employed by any district school system or any other
10 public school who have not been fingerprinted and screened in
11 the same manner outlined in paragraph (a) shall submit a
12 complete set of fingerprints taken by an authorized law
13 enforcement officer or an employee of the school or district
14 who is trained to take fingerprints. The fingerprints shall
15 be submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement for state
16 processing and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for federal
17 processing. School districts which have authorized terminal
18 access to the Florida Crimes Telecommunications Network or the
19 National Crime Information Center may use that equipment for
20 the background check required by this paragraph. Employees
21 found through fingerprint processing to have been convicted of
22 a crime involving moral turpitude shall not be employed in any
23 position requiring direct contact with students. The cost of
24 the fingerprint processing may be borne by the school district
25 or the individual employee at a cost not to exceed $24.00.
26 Any additional cost shall be borne by the Department of
27 Education. Each local school board and laboratory school shall
28 develop policies necessary for the implementation of this
29 subsection. The Commissioner of Education shall provide
30 guidelines regarding standards of good moral character for use
31 in the development of these policies. Within these standards,
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1 the lack of good moral character shall be defined as having
2 been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.
3 Section 5. Section 231.096, Florida Statutes, is
4 amended to read:
5 231.096 Teacher teaching out-of-field;
6 assistance.--Each school district shall have a plan to assist
7 any teacher teaching out-of-field, and priority consideration
8 in professional development activities shall be given to
9 teachers who are teaching out-of-field in summer inservice
10 institutes. A district may include in its annual summer
11 inservice institute plan a section that provides for
12 institutes in instructional areas identified as district
13 critical teacher shortage areas and approved by the Department
14 of Education.
15 Section 6. Section 231.15, Florida Statutes, is
16 amended to read:
17 231.15 Positions for which certificates required.--
18 (1) The State Board of Education shall have authority
19 to classify school services, designate the certification
20 subject areas, establish competencies and certification
21 requirements for all school-based personnel, and to prescribe
22 rules in accordance with which the professional, temporary,
23 and part-time certificates shall be issued by the Department
24 of Education to applicants school employees who meet the
25 standards prescribed by such rules for their class of service.
26 Each person employed or occupying a position as school
27 supervisor, principal, teacher, library media specialist,
28 school counselor, athletic coach, or other position in which
29 the employee serves in an instructional capacity, in any
30 public school of any district of this state shall hold the
31 certificate required by law and by rules of the state board in
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1 fulfilling the requirements of the law for the type of service
2 rendered. However, the state board shall adopt rules
3 authorizing school boards to employ selected noncertificated
4 personnel to provide instructional services in the
5 individuals' fields of specialty or to assist instructional
6 staff members as teacher aides. Each person who is employed
7 and renders service as an athletic coach in any public school
8 in any district of this state shall hold a valid part-time,
9 temporary, or professional certificate. Each person employed
10 as a school nurse shall hold a license to practice nursing in
11 the state, and each person employed as a school physician
12 shall hold a license to practice medicine in the state. The
13 provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any athletic
14 coach who renders service in a voluntary capacity and who is
15 not employed by any public school of any district in this
16 state.
17 (2) A commissioned or noncommissioned military officer
18 who is an instructor of junior reserve officer training shall
19 be exempt from requirements for teacher certification, except
20 for the filing of fingerprints pursuant to s. 231.02 231.1712,
21 if he or she meets the following qualifications:
22 (a) Is retired from active military duty with at least
23 20 years of service and draws retirement pay or is retired, or
24 transferred to retired reserve status, with at least 20 years
25 of active service and draws retirement pay or retainer pay.
26 (b) Satisfies criteria established by the appropriate
27 military service for certification by the service as a junior
28 reserve officer training instructor.
29 (c) Has an exemplary military record.
30
31
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1 If such instructor is assigned instructional duties other than
2 junior reserve officer training, he or she shall hold the
3 certificate required by law and rules of the state board for
4 the type of service rendered.
5 Section 7. Paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of section
6 231.17, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (14) is
7 added to said section, to read:
8 231.17 Official statements of eligibility and
9 certificates granted on application to those meeting
10 prescribed requirements.--
11 (3) TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE.--
12 (c) To qualify for a temporary certificate, the
13 applicant must:
14 1. File a written statement under oath that the
15 applicant subscribes to and will uphold the principles
16 incorporated in the Constitutions of the United States and of
17 the State of Florida.
18 2. Be at least 18 years of age.
19 3. Document receipt of a bachelor's or higher degree
20 from an accredited institution of higher learning, as defined
21 by state board rule. Credits and degrees awarded by a newly
22 created Florida state institution that is part of the State
23 University System shall be considered as granted by an
24 accredited institution of higher learning during the first 2
25 years of course offerings while accreditation is gained.
26 Degrees from foreign institutions, or degrees from other
27 institutions of higher learning that are in the accreditation
28 process, may be validated by a process established in state
29 board rule. Once accreditation is gained, the institution
30 shall be considered as accredited beginning with the 2-year
31 period prior to the date of accreditation. The bachelor's or
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1 higher degree may not be required in areas approved in rule by
2 the State Board of Education as nondegreed areas. Each
3 applicant seeking initial certification must have attained at
4 least a 2.5 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the
5 applicant's major field of study. The applicant may document
6 the required education by submitting official transcripts from
7 institutions of higher education or by authorizing the direct
8 submission of such official transcripts through established
9 electronic network systems.
10 4. Meet such academic and professional requirements
11 based on credentials certified by standard institutions of
12 higher learning, including any institutions of higher learning
13 in this state accredited by an accrediting association that is
14 a member of the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary
15 Accreditation, as prescribed by the state board.
16 4.5. Be competent and capable of performing the
17 duties, functions, and responsibilities of a teacher.
18 5.6. Be of good moral character.
19
20 Rules adopted pursuant to this section shall provide for the
21 review and acceptance of credentials from foreign institutions
22 of higher learning.
23 (14) AUTHORITY OF COMMISSIONER.--The Commissioner of
24 Education is authorized to make decisions regarding an
25 applicant's certification under extenuating circumstances not
26 otherwise provided for in statute or rule.
27 Section 8. Section 231.1725, Florida Statutes, is
28 amended to read:
29 231.1725 Employment of substitute teachers, teachers
30 of adult education, and nondegreed teachers of career
31
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1 education; students performing clinical field experience, and
2 noncertificated teachers in critical teacher shortage areas.--
3 (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of ss. 231.02,
4 231.15, and 231.17, and 231.172 or any other provision of law
5 or rule to the contrary, each school board shall establish the
6 minimal qualifications for:
7 (a) Substitute teachers to be employed pursuant to s.
8 231.47. The qualifications shall require the filing of a
9 complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as required by
10 s. 231.02.
11 (b) Part-time and full-time teachers in adult
12 education programs. The qualifications shall require the
13 filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the same manner as
14 required by s. 231.02. Faculty employed solely to conduct
15 postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
16 requirement.
17 (c) Part-time and full-time nondegreed teachers of
18 vocational programs. Qualifications shall be established for
19 agriculture, business, health occupations, family and consumer
20 sciences, industrial, marketing, and public service education
21 teachers, based primarily on successful occupational
22 experience rather than academic training. The qualifications
23 for such teachers shall require:
24 1. The filing of a complete set of fingerprints in the
25 same manner as required by s. 231.02. Faculty employed solely
26 to conduct postsecondary instruction may be exempted from this
27 requirement.
28 2. Documentation of education and successful
29 occupational experience including documentation of:
30 a. A high school diploma or the equivalent.
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1 b. Completion of 6 years of full-time successful
2 occupational experience or the equivalent of part-time
3 experience in the teaching specialization area. Alternate
4 means of determining successful occupational experience may be
5 established by the school board.
6 c. Completion of career education training conducted
7 through the local school district inservice master plan.
8 d. For full-time teachers, completion of professional
9 education training in teaching methods, course construction,
10 lesson planning and evaluation, and teaching special needs
11 students. This training may be completed through coursework
12 from a standard institution or an approved district teacher
13 education program.
14 e. Demonstration of successful teaching performance.
15 (d) Part-time and full-time noncertificated teachers
16 in critical teacher shortage areas. The qualifications shall
17 require the filing of fingerprints in the same manner as
18 required by s. 231.02 and shall be based on academic training
19 in the essential generic and specialization competencies of
20 the instructional assignment. The school board shall be
21 responsible for determining critical teacher shortage areas
22 within the school district. Each school board shall annually
23 report the number, qualifications, and areas of assignment of
24 all noncertificated teachers employed pursuant to this
25 paragraph during each school year.
26 (2) Substitute, adult education, and nondegreed career
27 education teachers and noncertificated teachers in critical
28 teacher shortage areas who are employed pursuant to this
29 section shall have the same rights and protection of laws as
30 certified teachers.
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1 (3) A student who is enrolled in a state-approved
2 teacher preparation program in an institution of higher
3 education approved by rules of the State Board of Education
4 and who is jointly assigned by such institution of higher
5 education and a school board to perform a clinical field
6 experience under the direction of a regularly employed and
7 certified educator shall be accorded the same protection of
8 laws as that accorded the certified educator while serving
9 such supervised clinical field experience, except for the
10 right to bargain collectively with employees of the school
11 board.
12 Section 9. Paragraph (d) is added to subsection (3) of
13 section 231.24, Florida Statutes, to read:
14 231.24 Process for renewal of professional
15 certificates.--
16 (3) For the renewal of a professional certificate, the
17 following requirements must be met:
18 (d) For an educator who is required to complete
19 training in teaching students with limited English
20 proficiency, state board of education rules for the expanded
21 use of such training shall apply as follows:
22 1. A teacher who holds a professional certificate may
23 use college credits or inservice points completed in English
24 for Speakers of Other Languages training in excess of 6
25 semester hours during one certificate validity period toward
26 renewal of the professional certificate during subsequent
27 validity periods.
28 2. A teacher who holds a temporary certificate may use
29 college credits or inservice points completed in English for
30 Speakers of Other Languages training toward renewal of the
31 first professional certificate. Such training shall not have
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1 been included within the degree program. The temporary and
2 professional certificates shall be issued for consecutive
3 school years.
4 Section 10. Paragraph (d) of subsection (7) of section
5 231.261, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
6 231.261 Education Practices Commission;
7 organization.--
8 (7) The duties and responsibilities of the commission
9 are to:
10 (d) Have rulemaking authority pursuant to chapter 120
11 to establish procedures for operations and administration,
12 disciplinary proceedings, indexing, implementation of orders,
13 and retention of records, and to establish disciplinary
14 guidelines.
15 Section 11. Subsections (9) and (12) of section
16 231.263, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
17 231.263 Recovery network program for educators.--
18 (9) An approved treatment provider must disclose to
19 the recovery network program all information in its possession
20 which relates to a person's impairment and participation in
21 the treatment program. Information obtained under this
22 subsection is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s.
23 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. This exemption is
24 necessary to promote the rehabilitation of impaired educators
25 teachers and to protect the privacy of treatment program
26 participants. The failure to provide such information to the
27 program is grounds for withdrawal of approval of a treatment
28 provider. Medical records provided to the program may not be
29 disclosed to any other person, except as authorized by law.
30 (12) The State Board of Education shall include in the
31 fees established pursuant to s. 231.30 s. 231.15(3) an amount
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1 sufficient to implement the provisions of this section. The
2 state board shall by rule establish procedures and additional
3 standards for:
4 (a) Approving treatment providers, including
5 appropriate qualifications and experience, amount of
6 reasonable fees and charges, and quality and effectiveness of
7 treatment programs provided.
8 (b) Admitting eligible persons to the program.
9 (c) Evaluating impaired persons by the recovery
10 network program.
11 Section 12. Subsection (8) is added to section 231.29,
12 Florida Statutes, to read:
13 231.29 Assessment procedures and criteria.--
14 (8) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules
15 pursuant to chapter 120 to review and approve each district's
16 instructional personnel assessment system.
17 Section 13. Paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of section
18 231.40, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
19 231.40 Sick leave.--
20 (4) SICK LEAVE POOL.--Notwithstanding any other
21 provision of this section, a school board, based upon the
22 maintenance of reliable and accurate records by the district
23 school system showing the amount of sick leave which has been
24 accumulated and is unused by employees in accordance with this
25 section, may, by rule or collective bargaining agreement,
26 establish one or more plans allowing participating full-time
27 employees of a district school system to pool sick leave
28 accrued and allowing any sick leave thus pooled to be
29 disbursed to any participating employee who is in need of sick
30 leave in excess of that amount he or she has personally
31
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1 accrued. Such rules or agreements shall include, but not be
2 limited to, the following provisions:
3 (d)1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2.,
4 participating employees shall make equal contributions to the
5 sick leave pool. There shall be established a maximum amount
6 of sick leave which may be contributed by an employee to the
7 pool. After the initial contribution which an employee makes
8 upon electing to participate, no further contributions shall
9 be required except as may be necessary to replenish the pool.
10 Any such further contribution shall be equally required of all
11 employees participating in the pool.
12 2. In the case where an employee is suffering a
13 medical hardship, as defined by rule, other members of the
14 sick leave pool may donate additional days over the maximum
15 amount permitted to be contributed.
16 Section 14. Section 231.47, Florida Statutes, is
17 amended to read:
18 231.47 Substitute teachers.--Each school board shall
19 adopt rules prescribing the compensation of, and the procedure
20 for employment of, substitute teachers. Such procedure for
21 employment shall include, but not be limited to, the filing of
22 a complete set of fingerprints as required in s. 231.02
23 231.1712.
24 Section 15. Subsection (1) of section 231.546, Florida
25 Statutes, is amended to read:
26 231.546 Education Standards Commission; powers and
27 duties.--
28 (1) The Education Standards Commission shall have the
29 duty to:
30 (a) Recommend to the state board desirable standards
31 relating to programs and policies for the development,
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1 certification and certification extension, improvement, and
2 maintenance of competencies of educational personnel,
3 including teacher interns.
4 (b) Recommend to the state board standards for
5 approval of preservice teacher education programs.
6 (c) Plan and conduct an annual review of human
7 resources studies regarding teaching personnel and report the
8 findings to the state board.
9 (d) Recommend to the state board objective,
10 independently verifiable standards of measurement and
11 evaluation of teaching competence.
12 (e) Recommend to the state board alternative ways to
13 demonstrate qualifications for certification which assure
14 fairness and flexibility while protecting against
15 incompetence.
16 (f) Recommend to the state board the most feasible
17 locations for teacher education centers from proposals
18 submitted by school districts and universities.
19 (g) Recommend to the state board guidelines for the
20 expenditure of funds for teacher education centers and
21 approval of teacher education center programs.
22 (f)(h) Recommend critical state priorities for
23 preservice and inservice teacher training such as
24 understanding diverse student populations, working in a
25 changing workplace, and understanding subject matter and
26 instruction. The commission shall recommend standards for
27 measuring evidence of training in these priorities for
28 continuing program approval for preservice teacher education,
29 initial teacher certification and certificate renewal, and
30 staff development activities.
31
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1 (g)(i) Evaluate the progress of school community
2 professional development systems as provided in s. 231.600.
3 (h)(j) Perform such other duties as may be required to
4 achieve the purposes of this section and s. 231.545.
5 Section 16. Paragraph (b) of subsection (4) and
6 subsection (6) of section 231.600, Florida Statutes, are
7 amended to read:
8 231.600 School Community Professional Development
9 Act.--
10 (4) The Department of Education, school districts,
11 schools, and public colleges and universities share the
12 responsibilities described in this section. These
13 responsibilities include the following:
14 (b) Each district school board shall consult with
15 teachers and representatives of college and university
16 faculty, community agencies, and other interested citizen
17 groups to establish policy and procedures to guide the
18 operation of the district professional development program.
19 The professional development system must:
20 1. Require that schools identify student needs that
21 can be met by improved professional performance, and assist
22 schools in making these identifications;
23 2. Provide training activities coupled with followup
24 support that is and other professional development appropriate
25 to accomplish district-level and school-level improvement
26 goals and standards; and
27 3. Provide for systematic consultation with regional
28 and state personnel designated to provide technical assistance
29 and evaluation of local professional development programs.
30 (6) The Department of Education shall design methods
31 by which the state and district school boards may evaluate and
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1 improve the professional development system. The evaluation
2 must include an annual assessment of data that indicate
3 progress or lack of progress of all students whose needs were
4 identified as most critical to improved professional
5 development, including needs of students with disabilities,
6 students having limited proficiency in English, and
7 low-achieving student populations. If the review of data
8 indicates an achievement level that is unusual, the department
9 may investigate the causes of the success or lack of success,
10 may provide technical assistance, and may require the school
11 district to employ a different approach to professional
12 development. The department shall report annually to the
13 State Board of Education and the Legislature any school
14 district that, in the determination of the department, has
15 failed to provide an adequate professional development system.
16 This report must include the results of the department's
17 investigation and of any intervention provided.
18 Section 17. Section 231.625, Florida Statutes, is
19 amended to read:
20 231.625 Teacher shortage recruitment and retention
21 referral.--
22 (1) The Department of Education, through the Center
23 for Career Development Services, in cooperation with teacher
24 organizations, and district personnel offices, and colleges of
25 education directors, shall expand its career information
26 system to concentrate on the recruitment of qualified teachers
27 in teacher shortage areas.
28 (2) The Department of Education, through the Center
29 for Career Development Services, shall establish a teacher
30 referral and recruitment and retention services office center
31 which shall:
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1 (a) Advertise teacher positions in targeted states
2 with declining student enrollments.
3 (b) Advertise in major newspapers, national
4 professional publications, and other professional publications
5 and in graduate schools of education.
6 (c) Utilize state and a nationwide toll-free numbers
7 number and a central post office box.
8 (d) Develop standardized resumes for teacher applicant
9 data.
10 (e) Conduct periodic communications with district
11 superintendents and personnel directors regarding new
12 applicants.
13 (f) Provide district access to the applicant database
14 by computer or telephone.
15 (g) Develop and distribute promotional materials
16 related to teaching as a career.
17 (h) Publish and distribute information pertaining to
18 employment opportunities, application procedures, teacher
19 certification, and teacher salaries and benefits for beginning
20 and continuing teachers.
21 (i) Provide Publish information related to alternative
22 certification procedures.
23 (j) Develop and sponsor the Florida Future Educator of
24 America Program clubs throughout the state.
25 (k) Review and recommend to the Legislature and school
26 districts incentives for attracting teachers to this state.
27 (3) The Office of Teacher Recruitment and Retention
28 Services teacher referral and recruitment center, in
29 cooperation with teacher organizations and district personnel
30 offices directors, shall sponsor a an annual job fair in a
31 central part of the state to match in-state educators and
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1 out-of-state educators with teaching opportunities in this
2 state.
3 Section 18. Section 231.6255, Florida Statutes, is
4 amended to read:
5 231.6255 Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education
6 Program.--
7 (1) The Legislature recognizes that Florida continues
8 to face teacher shortages faces a severe shortage of teachers
9 and that fewer young people consider teaching as a career. It
10 is the intent of the Legislature to promote the positive and
11 rewarding aspects of being a teacher, to encourage more
12 individuals to become teachers, and to provide annual
13 sabbatical support for outstanding Florida teachers to serve
14 as goodwill ambassadors for education. The Legislature
15 further wishes to honor the memory of Christa McAuliffe, who
16 epitomized the challenge and inspiration that teaching can be.
17 (2) There is established the Christa McAuliffe
18 Ambassador for Education Program to provide salary, travel,
19 and other related expenses annually for an outstanding Florida
20 teacher to promote the positive aspects of teaching as a
21 career. The goals of the program are to:
22 (a) Enhance the stature of teachers and the teaching
23 profession.
24 (b) Promote the importance of quality education and
25 teaching for our future.
26 (c) Inspire and attract talented young people to
27 become teachers.
28 (d) Provide information regarding Florida's
29 scholarship and loan programs related to teaching.
30 (e) Promote the teaching profession within community
31 and business groups.
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1 (f) Provide information regarding Florida's
2 alternative certification program to retired military
3 personnel and other individuals who might consider teaching as
4 a second career.
5 (g) Work with and represent the Office of Teacher
6 Recruitment and Retention Services teacher referral and
7 recruitment center, as needed.
8 (h) Work with and encourage the efforts of school and
9 district teachers of the year.
10 (i) Support the activities of the Florida Future
11 Educator Teacher of America Program clubs.
12 (j) Represent Florida teachers at business, trade,
13 education, and other conferences and meetings.
14 (k) Promote the teaching profession in other ways
15 related to the teaching responsibilities, background
16 experiences, and aspirations of the Ambassador for Education.
17 (3) The Teacher of the Year shall serve as the
18 Ambassador for Education, except that for the first 2 years,
19 Florida's NASA Teachers in Space shall also serve as
20 Ambassadors for Education. If the Teacher of the Year is
21 unable to serve as the Ambassador for Education, the first
22 runner-up shall serve in his or her place. The Department of
23 Education Each district school board shall establish
24 application and selection procedures for determining an annual
25 teacher of the year. Applications and selection criteria shall
26 be developed and distributed annually by the Department of
27 Education to all school districts. The Commissioner of
28 Education shall establish a selection committee which assures
29 representation from teacher organizations, administrators, and
30 parents to select the Teacher of the Year and Ambassador for
31 Education from among the district teachers of the year.
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1 Selection criteria shall be developed and distributed annually
2 to all school districts.
3 (4)(a) The Department of Education and the Office of
4 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Services, through the Center
5 for Career Development Services and in conjunction with the
6 teacher referral and recruitment center, shall administer the
7 program.
8 (b) The Commissioner of Education shall pay an annual
9 salary, fringe benefits, travel costs, and other costs
10 associated with administering the program.
11 (c) The Ambassador for Education shall serve for 1
12 year, from July 1 to June 30, and shall be assured of
13 returning to his or her teaching position upon completion of
14 the program. The ambassador will not have a break in
15 creditable or continuous service or employment for the period
16 of time in which he or she participates in the program.
17 Section 19. Section 231.63, Florida Statutes, is
18 created to read:
19 231.63 Florida Educator Hall of Fame.--
20 (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to recognize
21 and honor those persons, living or dead, who have made
22 significant contributions to education in this state.
23 (2)(a) There is hereby established the Florida
24 Educator Hall of Fame. The Florida Educator Hall of Fame shall
25 be located in an area on the Plaza Level of the Capitol
26 Building.
27 (b) The Florida Education Foundation shall make a
28 recommendation for the design and theme for the Florida
29 Educator Hall of Fame. The Commissioner of Education, in
30 consultation with the Secretary of Management Services, shall
31 approve the foundation's recommendation.
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1 (c) Each person who is selected as a member shall have
2 a plaque placed in the Florida Educator Hall of Fame. The
3 plaque shall designate the member's particular discipline or
4 contribution and shall set forth vital information relating to
5 the member. Each member shall also receive a standardized
6 memento of the member's selection.
7 (3) The Florida Education Foundation shall accept
8 nominations annually for persons to be recommended as members
9 of the Florida Educator Hall of Fame. Floridians who have made
10 a significant contribution to education in this state, as
11 determined and documented by the Florida Education Foundation,
12 shall be eligible for membership. The foundation shall
13 recommend to the Commissioner of Education persons to be named
14 as members of the Florida Educator Hall of Fame.
15 (4) In the first year, the Commissioner of Education
16 shall name no more than 10 members to the Florida Educator
17 Hall of Fame. Thereafter, the commissioner shall name no more
18 than four members to the Florida Educator Hall of Fame in any
19 1 year.
20 (5) The Commissioner of Education and the Florida
21 Education Foundation shall develop and adopt written policies
22 to carry out the purposes of this section, including
23 procedures to accept nominations, make recommendations for
24 selection of members, provide recipient's travel expenses, and
25 provide funding for the Florida Educator Hall of Fame.
26 (6) The Commissioner of Education may annually request
27 an appropriation from the Legislature sufficient to carry out
28 the purposes of this section. The Florida Education Foundation
29 may also provide funds to cover any or all expenses related to
30 the Florida Educator Hall of Fame.
31
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1 Section 20. Section 231.613, Florida Statutes, is
2 repealed.
3 Section 21. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
4 law.
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