Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 1350
       
       
        
       By Senator Sachs
       
       
       
       
       
       34-01117-15                                           20151350__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to teacher education; amending s.
    3         1009.60, F.S.; revising eligibility criteria for
    4         receipt of a minority teacher education scholarship;
    5         amending s. 1009.605, F.S.; revising funding for
    6         administration and the training program carried out by
    7         the board of directors of the Florida Fund for
    8         Minority Teachers, Inc.; amending ss. 1012.55 and
    9         1012.56, F.S.; revising criteria for eligibility and
   10         issuance of temporary certificates; providing an
   11         effective date.
   12          
   13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   14  
   15         Section 1. Subsections (1) and (4) of section 1009.60,
   16  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   17         1009.60 Minority teacher education scholars program.—There
   18  is created the minority teacher education scholars program,
   19  which is a collaborative performance-based scholarship program
   20  for African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and
   21  Native American students. The participants in the program
   22  include Florida’s Florida College System institutions and its
   23  public and private universities that have teacher education
   24  programs.
   25         (1) The minority teacher education scholars program shall
   26  provide an annual scholarship in an amount that shall be
   27  prorated based on available appropriations and may not exceed
   28  $4,000 for each approved minority teacher education scholar who
   29  is enrolled in one of Florida’s public or private colleges or
   30  universities, in the junior year and is admitted into a teacher
   31  education program, and has not earned more than 18 credit hours
   32  of upper-division education courses.
   33         (4) A student may receive a scholarship from the program
   34  for 3 consecutive years if the student remains enrolled full
   35  time in the program and makes satisfactory progress toward a
   36  baccalaureate degree with a major in education or a graduate
   37  degree with a major in education.
   38         Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) and paragraph
   39  (g) of subsection (3) of section 1009.605, Florida Statutes, are
   40  amended, and subsection (4) is added to that section, to read:
   41         1009.605 Florida Fund for Minority Teachers, Inc.—
   42         (2)
   43         (b) The corporation shall report to the Department of
   44  Education, by the date established by the department, the
   45  eligible students to whom scholarship moneys are disbursed each
   46  academic term, the annual balance of the corporation’s assets
   47  and cash reserves, and any other information requested by the
   48  department in accordance with s. 1009.94. By June 30 of each
   49  fiscal year, the corporation shall remit to the department any
   50  appropriated funds that were not distributed for scholarships,
   51  less the 5 percent for administration and the $100,000 for the
   52  training program required under subsection (4), including
   53  administration of the required training program, authorized
   54  pursuant to subsection (3).
   55         (3) A board of directors shall administer the corporation.
   56  The Governor shall appoint to the board at least 15 but not more
   57  than 25 members, who shall serve terms of 3 years, except that 4
   58  of the initial members shall serve 1-year terms and 4 shall
   59  serve 2-year terms. At least 4 members must be employed by
   60  Florida College System institutions and at least 11 members must
   61  be employed by public or private postsecondary institutions that
   62  operate colleges of education. At least one member must be a
   63  financial aid officer employed by a postsecondary education
   64  institution operating in Florida. Administrative costs for
   65  support of the Board of Directors and the Florida Fund for
   66  Minority Teachers may not exceed 5 percent of funds allocated
   67  for the program. The board shall:
   68         (g) Carry out the training program as required for the
   69  minority teacher education scholars program. No more than 5
   70  percent of the funds appropriated and up to $100,000 from other
   71  available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
   72  program may be expended annually for administration, including
   73  administration of the required training program.
   74         (4) The board of directors shall carry out a training
   75  program as required for the minority teacher education scholars
   76  program. Up to $100,000 from appropriated funds and other
   77  available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
   78  program may be expended annually for the required training
   79  program.
   80         Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
   81  1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   82         1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
   83         (1)
   84         (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant
   85  to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to allow an individual who meets
   86  the following criteria to be eligible for a temporary
   87  certificate in educational leadership under s. 1012.56(7):
   88         1. Earning a passing score on the Florida Educational
   89  Leadership Examination; and
   90         2. Documenting 3 years of successful experience in an
   91  executive management or leadership position; and
   92         2.3. Documenting receipt of a bachelor’s degree or higher
   93  from an accredited institution of higher learning.
   94  
   95  A person operating under a temporary certificate must be under
   96  the mentorship of a state-certified school administrator during
   97  the term of the temporary certificate.
   98         Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
   99  1012.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  100         1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
  101         (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
  102         (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
  103  any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
  104  paragraphs (2)(a)-(g) (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area
  105  content requirements specified in state board rule or
  106  demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to
  107  subsection (5) and holds an accredited degree or a degree
  108  approved by the Department of Education at the level required
  109  for the subject area specialization in state board rule.
  110  
  111  Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
  112  and is nonrenewable. However, the requirement in paragraph
  113  (2)(g) must be met within 1 calendar year of the date of
  114  employment under the temporary certificate. Individuals who are
  115  employed under contract at the end of the 1 calendar year time
  116  period may continue to be employed through the end of the school
  117  year in which they have been contracted. A school district shall
  118  not employ, or continue the employment of, an individual in a
  119  position for which a temporary certificate is required beyond
  120  this time period if the individual has not met the requirement
  121  of paragraph (2)(g). The State Board of Education shall adopt
  122  rules to allow the department to extend the validity period of a
  123  temporary certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
  124  professional certificate, not including the requirement in
  125  paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to the serious illness
  126  or injury of the applicant or other extraordinary extenuating
  127  circumstances. The department shall reissue the temporary
  128  certificate for 2 additional years upon approval by the
  129  Commissioner of Education. A written request for reissuance of
  130  the certificate shall be submitted by the district school
  131  superintendent, the governing authority of a university lab
  132  school, the governing authority of a state-supported school, or
  133  the governing authority of a private school.
  134         Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.