House Bill 1815

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.







    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1815

        By Representative Alexander






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to education; creating

  3         professional development academies to meet the

  4         human resource development needs of

  5         professional educators, schools, and school

  6         districts; providing that appropriated funds

  7         must be allocated by the Commissioner of

  8         Education unless otherwise provided in the

  9         appropriations act; providing eligibility

10         requirements for start-up funds; providing an

11         effective date.

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

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15         Section 1.  One or more professional development

16  academies shall be established to meet the human resource

17  development needs of professional educators, schools, and

18  school districts. Funds appropriated for the initiation of

19  professional development academies must be allocated by the

20  Commissioner of Education, unless otherwise provided in an

21  appropriations act. To be eligible for start-up funds, an

22  academy must:

23         (1)  Be established by the collaborative efforts of one

24  or more district school boards, members of the business

25  community, and the postsecondary institutions that may award

26  college credits for courses taught at the academy.

27         (2)  Demonstrate the ability to provide high-quality

28  trainers and training and appropriate followup and coaching

29  for all participants and to support school personnel in

30  improving students' performance.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1815

    593-116A-99






  1         (3)  Be operated under contract with its public

  2  partners and governed by an independent board of directors

  3  that should include at least one school superintendent and one

  4  school board chairman from the participating school districts,

  5  the president of the collective bargaining unit that

  6  represents the majority of the region's teachers, and at least

  7  three individuals who are not employees or elected or

  8  appointed officials of the participating school districts.

  9         (4)  Be financed during the first year of operation by

10  an equal or greater match from private funding sources and

11  demonstrate the ability to be self-supporting within 1 year

12  after opening through fees for services, grants, or private

13  contributions.

14         (5)  Own or lease a facility that can be used to

15  deliver training on-site and through distance learning and

16  other technology-based delivery systems. The participating

17  district school boards may lease a site or facility to the

18  academy for a nominal fee and may pay all or part of the costs

19  of renovating a facility to accommodate the academy. The

20  academy is responsible for all operational, maintenance, and

21  repair costs.

22         (6)  Provide professional development services for the

23  participating school districts as specified in the contract,

24  and may provide professional development services to other

25  school districts, private schools, and individuals on a

26  fee-for-services basis.

27         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1999                HB 1815

    593-116A-99






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  2                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

  3    Creates professional development academies to meet the
      human resource development needs of professional
  4    educators, schools, and school districts. Provides that
      appropriated funds must be allocated by the Commissioner
  5    of Education unless otherwise provided in the
      appropriations act. Provides eligibility requirements for
  6    start-up funds.

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