Florida Senate - 2024 SB 620
By Senator Simon
3-01513-24 2024620__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the School Teacher Training and
3 Mentoring Program; creating s. 1012.988, F.S.;
4 establishing the School Teacher Training and Mentoring
5 Program within the Department of Education; providing
6 the purpose of the program; providing for the award of
7 stipends for classroom teacher mentorship, subject to
8 appropriation; providing for the proration of the
9 stipends under certain circumstances; providing
10 department and school district responsibilities;
11 providing program requirements relating to program
12 contracts, standards, mentor requirements, and meeting
13 requirements; authorizing rulemaking; providing an
14 effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Section 1012.988, Florida Statutes, is created
19 to read:
20 1012.988 School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.—
21 (1) The School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program is
22 established within the Department of Education. The purpose of
23 the program is to increase the effectiveness and involvement of
24 classroom teachers and improve student achievement, classroom
25 management, and excellence in the state’s public schools.
26 (2)(a) The department shall, subject to appropriation,
27 provide funds to school districts to place retired classroom
28 teachers who were evaluated as highly effective or current
29 classroom teachers who are evaluated as highly effective as
30 mentors to:
31 1. New classroom teachers.
32 2. Classroom teachers who are rated as needs improvement,
33 developing, or unsatisfactory.
34 3. Classroom teachers who struggle with behavior management
35 within the classroom.
36 (b) Each stipend shall be $2,000. The department shall
37 provide enough funds for each school district to establish three
38 mentors at each school within the district. However, if the
39 funds appropriated are inadequate to provide the stipend to each
40 mentor, stipends must be prorated using the same percentage
41 reduction.
42 (3) School districts shall provide a stipend to three
43 mentors at each school within the district. However, if there is
44 a proven need at a school within the district, the school
45 district may allocate more than three stipends to that school.
46 The award of such stipends may be part of a school district’s
47 professional development certification and professional
48 education competency program under s. 1012.56(8) and (9),
49 respectively.
50 (4)(a) The program must provide a contract for the mentor
51 and mentee which outlines the responsibilities of each person
52 and establishes the framework and goals of the program.
53 (b) The program must establish standards for the program
54 which are established by the department which must be based on
55 the University College London Mentoring Handbook.
56 (c) The program must pair a more skilled or experienced
57 classroom teacher as a mentor with a less experienced classroom
58 teacher as a mentee.
59 (d) Each mentor must:
60 1. Not have an official management relationship with his or
61 her mentee.
62 2. Provide direction, advice, and a neutral sounding board
63 to his or her mentee.
64 3. Maintain confidentiality, unless prohibited by law.
65 4. Have no personal agenda other than assisting his or her
66 mentee in developing and reaching the mentee’s goals.
67 5. Help his or her mentee in developing skills and
68 expertise, including drawing upon the mentor’s own personal
69 experiences.
70 (5) The program shall provide mentoring services for 6
71 months as follows:
72 (a) For the first month of the program, each mentor shall
73 complete two 90-minute sessions with his or her mentee.
74 (b) For the second and third months of the program, each
75 mentor shall complete two 60-minute sessions with his or her
76 mentee each month.
77 (c) For the fourth through sixth months of the program,
78 each mentor shall complete one 60-minute session with his or her
79 mentee each month.
80 (6) Each session must include the following:
81 (a) For the first session, the mentor and mentee shall
82 complete an introduction, establish the reason for the mentee’s
83 participation in the program, and define the goals for the
84 remaining sessions.
85 (b) For the second session, the mentor and mentee shall
86 review the established goals, explore the mentee’s current
87 skills, establish the mentee’s desired goals, and establish a
88 plan to attain the mentee’s desired goals.
89 (c) For the third session, the mentor and mentee shall
90 assess the mentee’s skills, strengths, and weakness and how
91 those effect his or her goals.
92 (d) For the fourth through eighth sessions, the mentor and
93 mentee shall review the mentee’s progress and address any
94 issues.
95 (e) For the ninth and final session, the mentor and mentee
96 shall complete a final review of the mentee’s progress and
97 achievement of his or her goals and establish any future goals
98 for the mentee.
99 (7) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
100 administer this section.
101 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.