The Florida Senate

1012.05  Teacher recruitment and retention.--

(1)  The Department of Education, in cooperation with teacher organizations, district personnel offices, and schools, colleges, and departments of all public and nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions, shall concentrate on the recruitment of qualified teachers.

(2)  The Department of Education shall:

(a)  Develop and implement a system for posting teaching vacancies and establish a database of teacher applicants that is accessible within and outside the state.

(b)  Advertise in major newspapers, national professional publications, and other professional publications and in public and nonpublic postsecondary educational institutions.

(c)  Utilize state and nationwide toll-free numbers.

(d)  Conduct periodic communications with district personnel directors regarding applicants.

(e)  Provide district access to the applicant database by computer or telephone.

(f)  Develop and distribute promotional materials related to teaching as a career.

(g)  Publish and distribute information pertaining to employment opportunities, application procedures, and all routes toward teacher certification in Florida, and teacher salaries.

(h)  Provide information related to certification procedures.

(i)  Develop and sponsor the Florida Future Educator of America Program throughout the state.

(j)  Develop, in consultation with school district staff including, but not limited to, district school superintendents, district school board members, and district human resources personnel, a long-range plan for educator recruitment and retention.

(k)  Identify best practices for retaining high-quality teachers.

(l)  Develop, in consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc., and the Agency for Workforce Innovation, created pursuant to ss. 445.004 and 20.50, respectively, a plan for accessing and identifying available resources in the state's workforce system for the purpose of enhancing teacher recruitment and retention.

(m)  Develop and implement a First Response Center to provide educator candidates one-stop shopping for information on teaching careers in Florida and establish the Teacher Lifeline Network to provide online support to beginning teachers and those needing assistance.

(3)  The Department of Education, in cooperation with district personnel offices, shall sponsor a job fair in a central part of the state to match in-state educators and potential educators and out-of-state educators and potential educators with teaching opportunities in this state.

(4)  Subject to proviso in the General Appropriations Act, the Commissioner of Education may use funds appropriated by the Legislature and funds from federal grants and other sources to provide incentives for teacher recruitment and preparation programs. The purpose of the use of such funds is to recruit and prepare individuals who do not graduate from state-approved teacher preparation programs to teach in a Florida public school. The commissioner may contract with entities other than, and including, approved teacher preparation programs to provide intensive teacher training leading to passage of the required certification exams for the desired subject area or coverage. The commissioner shall survey school districts to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs.

History.--s. 691, ch. 2002-387; s. 40, ch. 2003-391.