Florida Senate - 2014 SB 1456
By Senator Thompson
12-01430A-14 20141456__
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 subsection
39 (3) of section 1009.605, Florida Statutes, are amended, and
40 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 funds 5 percent for administration pursuant to
52 subsection (3) and the funds for the training program required
53 in subsection (4), including administration of the required
54 training program, authorized 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 $100,000 5 percent of funds
67 allocated for the program. The board shall:
68 (a) Hold meetings to implement this section.
69 (b) Select a chairperson annually.
70 (c) Make rules for its own government.
71 (d) Appoint an executive director to serve at its pleasure.
72 The executive director shall be the chief administrative officer
73 and agent of the board.
74 (e) Maintain a record of its proceedings.
75 (f) Delegate to the chairperson the responsibility for
76 signing final orders.
77 (g) Carry out the training program as required for the
78 minority teacher education scholars program. No more than 5
79 percent of the funds appropriated and up to $100,000 from other
80 available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
81 program may be expended annually for administration, including
82 administration of the required training program.
83 (4) The board of directors shall carry out a training
84 program as required for the minority teacher education scholars
85 program. Up to $100,000 from appropriated funds and other
86 available funds for the minority teacher education scholars
87 program may be expended annually for the required training
88 program.
89 Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
90 1012.55, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
91 1012.55 Positions for which certificates required.—
92 (1)
93 (d) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules pursuant
94 to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to allow an individual who meets
95 the following criteria to be eligible for a temporary
96 certificate in educational leadership under s. 1012.56(7):
97 1. Earning a passing score on the Florida Educational
98 Leadership Examination; and
99 2. Documenting 3 years of successful experience in an
100 executive management or leadership position; and
101 2.3. Documenting receipt of a bachelor’s degree or higher
102 from an accredited institution of higher learning.
103
104 A person operating under a temporary certificate must be under
105 the mentorship of a state-certified school administrator during
106 the term of the temporary certificate.
107 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
108 1012.56, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
109 1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
110 (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
111 (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to
112 any applicant who completes the requirements outlined in
113 paragraphs (2)(a)-(g) (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area
114 content requirements specified in state board rule or
115 demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant to
116 subsection (5) and holds an accredited degree or a degree
117 approved by the Department of Education at the level required
118 for the subject area specialization in state board rule.
119
120 Each temporary certificate is valid for 3 school fiscal years
121 and is nonrenewable. However, the requirement in paragraph
122 (2)(g) must be met within 1 calendar year of the date of
123 employment under the temporary certificate. Individuals who are
124 employed under contract at the end of the 1 calendar year time
125 period may continue to be employed through the end of the school
126 year in which they have been contracted. A school district shall
127 not employ, or continue the employment of, an individual in a
128 position for which a temporary certificate is required beyond
129 this time period if the individual has not met the requirement
130 of paragraph (2)(g). The State Board of Education shall adopt
131 rules to allow the department to extend the validity period of a
132 temporary certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
133 professional certificate, not including the requirement in
134 paragraph (2)(g), were not completed due to the serious illness
135 or injury of the applicant or other extraordinary extenuating
136 circumstances. The department shall reissue the temporary
137 certificate for 2 additional years upon approval by the
138 Commissioner of Education. A written request for reissuance of
139 the certificate shall be submitted by the district school
140 superintendent, the governing authority of a university lab
141 school, the governing authority of a state-supported school, or
142 the governing authority of a private school.
143 Section 5. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.