Florida Senate - 2023                                     SB 794
       
       
        
       By Senator Harrell
       
       
       
       
       
       31-01041A-23                                           2023794__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Growing Teachers from Within
    3         Pilot Program; creating the pilot program within the
    4         Department of Education, contingent upon legislative
    5         appropriation; providing a purpose for the pilot
    6         program; requiring school districts to apply to the
    7         department by a specified date in order to participate
    8         in the pilot program; requiring the Commissioner of
    9         Education to select participating school districts
   10         based on specified criteria to participate in the
   11         pilot program; requiring the commissioner to
   12         coordinate with certain state universities; specifying
   13         eligibility requirements for participation by school
   14         employees in the pilot program; requiring that funding
   15         for the pilot program be used in a specified manner;
   16         requiring participating school districts to submit a
   17         report to the commissioner on an annual basis;
   18         authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt
   19         rules; providing for expiration; providing an
   20         effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Growing Teachers from Within Pilot Program.—
   25         (1) Contingent upon legislative appropriation, the Growing
   26  Teachers from Within Pilot Program is created within the
   27  Department of Education. The purpose of the pilot program is to
   28  assist school district employees who work in a public school but
   29  are not employed as instructional personnel by removing barriers
   30  to their obtaining a teaching certificate in order to help
   31  alleviate the growing teacher shortage throughout this state.
   32         (2) In order to participate in the pilot program, school
   33  districts must submit an application to the department by
   34  October 1, 2023. The Commissioner of Education shall select up
   35  to three school districts for participation in the pilot
   36  program. The commissioner shall select one school district of a
   37  county with a population less than 100,000 as of the most recent
   38  decennial census, one school district of a county with a
   39  population between 100,000 and 500,000 as of the most recent
   40  decennial census, and one school district of a county with a
   41  population exceeding 500,000 as of the most recent decennial
   42  census. The commissioner shall coordinate with state
   43  universities in proximity of the selected school districts to
   44  assist in the department’s administration of the pilot program.
   45         (3) To be eligible to participate in the pilot program, an
   46  employee of a participating school district must:
   47         1. Be employed as an educational support employee or as an
   48  education paraprofessional and have received an associate degree
   49  or successfully completed 60 semester credit hours at a
   50  postsecondary institution.
   51         2. Commit to teach in the school district for a minimum of
   52  2 years or a pro rata number of years after obtaining a teaching
   53  certificate.
   54         (4) Funds appropriated for the pilot program must be used
   55  for all of the following:
   56         (a) Establishing a customized coursework schedule to allow
   57  for flexibility for participating school district employees to
   58  complete credit hours toward earning a bachelor’s degree while
   59  maintaining employment with the school district and ultimately
   60  attaining a teacher certification.
   61         (b) Financial support for tuition, credentials, technology,
   62  and instructional materials for participating school district
   63  employees.
   64         (5) Participating school districts shall submit a report to
   65  the Commissioner of Education by June 1 of each year for the
   66  duration of the pilot program which includes, but is not limited
   67  to, detailing findings regarding the pilot program’s
   68  implementation and whether it is meeting its intended goal of
   69  serving as a recruitment tool and a strategy to retain school
   70  district employees in order to alleviate the growing teacher
   71  shortage in this state.
   72         (6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
   73  administer this section.
   74         (7) This section expires June 30, 2026.
   75         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023.