House Bill hb1773

    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1773

        By Representatives Melvin, Kilmer, Brown and Miller






  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 an

  9         appropriations act; providing eligibility

10         requirements for startup 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 startup 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 will 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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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1773

    556-236-01






  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 chair 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  Regional educational consortia as defined in s. 228.0857,

10  Florida Statutes, satisfy the requirements of this subsection.

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

12  an equal or greater match from private funding sources and

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

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

15  contributions. Regional educational consortia as defined in s.

16  228.0857, Florida Statutes, are exempt from the funding match

17  required by this subsection.

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

19  deliver training onsite and through distance learning and

20  other technology-based delivery systems. The participating

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

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

23  of renovating a facility to accommodate the academy. The

24  academy is responsible for all operational, maintenance, and

25  repair costs.

26         (6)  Provide professional development services for the

27  participating school districts as specified in the contract.

28  An academy may provide professional development services to

29  other school districts, private schools, and individuals on a

30  fee-for-service basis.

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2001                HB 1773

    556-236-01






  1         (7)  If the majority of counties in a regional

  2  educational consortium have been designated as "rural areas of

  3  critical economic concern" by the Governor in Executive Order

  4  99-275 or subsequent executive orders, all counties and their

  5  respective school districts served by the consortium are

  6  eligible to receive benefits under this section.

  7         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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10                       LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

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      Creates professional development academies to meet the
12    human resource development needs of professional
      educators, schools, and school districts. Provides that
13    appropriated funds must be allocated by the Commissioner
      of Education unless otherwise provided in an
14    appropriations act. Provides eligibility requirements for
      startup funds.
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