House Bill 0277

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 277

        By Representative L. Miller






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Transition to Teaching

  3         Pilot Program; creating the Transition to

  4         Teaching Pilot Program with the intent of

  5         addressing the need of high-poverty school

  6         districts for teachers; defining terms;

  7         providing procedures for applying to

  8         participate in the program; providing for the

  9         award of stipends; requiring the Commissioner

10         of Education to distribute awards equitably;

11         requiring a program participant to serve in a

12         high-poverty school district for 3 years;

13         requiring the commissioner to establish

14         requirements to ensure that eligible program

15         participants fulfill their service obligation

16         or repay any stipend or financial incentive

17         received; providing funding for the award of

18         stipends; providing for program evaluation;

19         authorizing the adoption of rules; providing an

20         effective date.

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

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24         Section 1.  Transition to Teaching Pilot Program.--

25         (1)  CREATION; PURPOSE.--There is created the

26  Transition to Teaching Pilot Program to address the need of

27  high-poverty school districts for highly qualified teachers in

28  specific subject areas, such as mathematics, science, foreign

29  languages, bilingual education, English, career education,

30  computer literacy, and special education, by facilitating the

31  recruitment, preparation, and placement of professionals

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 277

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  1  interested in changing careers and who have knowledge and

  2  experience that will help them become such teachers.

  3         (2)  DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:

  4         (a)  "High-poverty school district" means a school

  5  district in which the percentage of children ages 5 through 17

  6  from families below the poverty level is 20 percent or

  7  greater, or in which the number of such children exceeds

  8  10,000.

  9         (b)  "Eligible program participant" means a

10  professional who:

11         1.  Holds at least a baccalaureate degree but is not

12  certified to teach in a high-need subject area, or who will

13  earn a teaching certificate upon completing a maximum of 15

14  college credit hours.

15         2.  Demonstrates interest in, and commitment to,

16  becoming a teacher.

17         3.  Has knowledge and experience relevant to teaching a

18  high-need subject area in a high-poverty school district.

19         4.  Has a commitment for hire, in writing, from a

20  school district.

21         (3)  APPLICATION TO PARTICIPATE; AWARD OF

22  STIPENDS.--Each eligible program participant who wishes to

23  participate in the Transition to Teaching Pilot Program shall

24  submit an application to the Commissioner of Education

25  containing such information as the commissioner requires.

26  During the 2000-2001 fiscal year, the commissioner may award

27  up to 2,700 stipends of $5,000 each to be used by the program

28  participant for training necessary to become certified to

29  teach in a high-need subject area. To the extent practicable,

30  the commissioner shall distribute stipends awarded according

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 277

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  1  to this section equitably among the different geographic

  2  regions of the state.

  3         (4)  SERVICE OBLIGATION; REPAYMENT.--Each eligible

  4  program participant must agree, in writing, to serve in a

  5  high-poverty school district for at least 3 years and to

  6  become fully certified within 2 years after employment. The

  7  commissioner shall establish such requirements as he or she

  8  deems appropriate to ensure that eligible program participants

  9  who receive a training stipend or other financial incentive,

10  but fail to complete their service obligation, repay all or a

11  portion of such stipend or other incentive.

12         (5)  FUNDING.--There is appropriated from the General

13  Revenue Fund in fiscal year 2000-2001 to the Commissioner of

14  Education the amount of $13.5 million for the purpose of

15  providing 2,700 stipends of $5,000 each to eligible program

16  participants, according to the provisions of this section.

17         (6)  PROGRAM EVALUATION.--The district school board of

18  each school district in which an eligible program participant

19  has been hired shall submit such information to the

20  Commissioner of Education as the commissioner deems necessary

21  to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The commissioner

22  must provide the same information to the Speaker of the House

23  of Representatives and to the President of the Senate.

24         (7)  RULES.--The State Board of Education may adopt

25  rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes,

26  to implement the provisions of this section.

27         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                 HB 277

    516-205-00






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  2                          HOUSE SUMMARY

  3
      Creates the Transition to Teaching Pilot Program with the
  4    intent of addressing the need of high-poverty school
      districts for teachers. Defines terms. Provides
  5    procedures for applying to participate in the program.
      Provides for the award of stipends. Requires the
  6    Commissioner of Education to distribute awards equitably.
      Requires a program participant to serve in a high-poverty
  7    school district for 3 years. Requires the commissioner to
      establish requirements to ensure that program
  8    participants fulfill their service obligation or repay
      any stipend or financial incentive received. Provides
  9    funding for the award of stipends. Provides for program
      evaluation. Authorizes the adoption of rules.
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