Florida Senate - 2026 CS for CS for SB 182
By the Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education; the
Committee on Education Pre-K - 12; and Senators Jones,
Yarborough, Osgood, and Massullo
602-03206-26 2026182c2
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; authorizing school
7 districts and charter schools to place certain
8 classroom teachers as teacher mentors in specified
9 schools for specified purposes; providing requirements
10 for teacher mentors and mentees; authorizing teacher
11 mentors to receive a stipend; providing the time
12 period for each mentor and mentee relationship through
13 the program; providing limitations on the number of
14 mentees teacher mentors may work with; providing
15 department and teacher mentor responsibilities;
16 authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt
17 rules; amending s. 1011.62, F.S.; authorizing
18 specified funds to be used for the School Teacher
19 Training and Mentoring Program; providing an effective
20 date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Section 1012.988, Florida Statutes, is created
25 to read:
26 1012.988 School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.—
27 (1) The School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program is
28 established within the Department of Education. The purpose of
29 the program is to increase the effectiveness and involvement of
30 classroom teachers and improve student achievement, classroom
31 management, and excellence in the state’s public schools.
32 (2)(a) School districts and charter schools may place
33 retired classroom teachers or current classroom teachers in
34 schools earning a grade of “D” or “F” to act as teacher mentors
35 to:
36 1. New classroom teachers;
37 2. Classroom teachers who are rated as needs improvement,
38 developing, or unsatisfactory on the prior year’s performance
39 evaluation under s. 1012.34; or
40 3. Classroom teachers identified by the school
41 administrator as struggling with behavior management within the
42 classroom.
43 (b) Each teacher mentor selected by the school district,
44 charter school, or charter management organization must have:
45 1. At least 3 years of teaching experience in
46 prekindergarten through grade 12.
47 2. Earned a highly effective rating on his or her most
48 recent performance evaluation under s. 1012.34.
49 (c) Each teacher mentor may receive a stipend of up to
50 $3,000.
51 (d) Each mentor and mentee relationship through the program
52 shall be for one grading period.
53 (e)1. A retired classroom teacher serving as a teacher
54 mentor may not have more than five mentees at a time.
55 2. A classroom teacher serving as a teacher mentor may not
56 have more than one mentee at a time.
57 (3) The Department of Education shall establish program
58 standards and a standard contract template for the teacher
59 mentor and mentee which outlines the responsibilities of each
60 person and establishes the framework and goals of the program.
61 (4) Each teacher mentor must:
62 (a) Present significant historical events with accuracy and
63 integrity, grounded in verifiable evidence and scholarly rigor.
64 (b) If a curriculum is used, use a curriculum that affirms
65 the principles of fairness and equal opportunity reflected in
66 the Florida Educational Equity Act and encourages respectful
67 dialogue across diverse perspectives.
68 (c) Maintain confidentiality, unless prohibited by law.
69 (d) Not have a personal agenda other than assisting his or
70 her mentee in developing and reaching the mentee’s goals.
71 (e) Help his or her mentee in developing skills and
72 expertise, including drawing upon the teacher mentor’s own
73 personal experiences.
74 (5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
75 administer this section.
76 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
77 1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
78 1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
79 allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
80 district for operation of schools is not determined in the
81 annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
82 the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
83 follows:
84 (7) EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT ALLOCATION.—
85 (a) The educational enrichment allocation is created to
86 assist school districts in providing educational enrichment
87 activities and services that support and increase the academic
88 achievement of students in grades kindergarten through 12.
89 Educational enrichment activities and services may be provided
90 in a manner and at any time during or beyond the regular 180-day
91 term identified by the school district as being the most
92 effective and efficient way to best help the student progress
93 from grade to grade and graduate from high school. Funds from
94 the educational enrichment allocation may be used for the School
95 Teacher Training and Mentoring Program under s. 1012.988 if
96 funds are available. For fiscal year 2023-2024, the educational
97 enrichment allocation shall consist of a base amount as
98 specified in the General Appropriations Act. Beginning in fiscal
99 year 2024-2025, the educational enrichment allocation shall
100 consist of the base amount that includes a workload adjustment
101 based on changes in the unweighted full-time equivalent
102 membership. Beginning in fiscal year 2025-2026, and each year
103 thereafter, the statewide average base amount as specified in
104 the General Appropriations Act shall be used for any new
105 educational entity funded in the Florida Education Finance
106 Program.
107 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.