Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1224
Ì552164$Î552164
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Education (Farmer) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. Section 1001.241, Florida Statutes, is created
6 to read:
7 1001.241 Third-party credentialing entities.—
8 (1) The department shall approve one or more third-party
9 credentialing entities for the purposes of developing and
10 administering a credentialing program for charter school
11 principals, charter school governing board members, and charter
12 school chief financial officers. The approved credentialing
13 entity shall:
14 (a) Establish position core competencies, certification
15 requirements, testing instruments, and recertification
16 requirements for charter school principals, charter school
17 governing board members, and charter school chief financial
18 officers.
19 (b) Establish a process to administer the certification
20 application, award, and maintenance processes.
21 (c) Develop and administer:
22 1. A code of ethics and disciplinary process.
23 2. Biennial continuing education requirements and annual
24 certification renewal requirements.
25 3. An education provider program to approve training
26 entities that are qualified to provide precertification training
27 to applicants and continuing education opportunities to
28 certified persons.
29 (2) A credentialing entity shall establish a certification
30 program that:
31 (a) Is directly related to the core competencies.
32 (b) Establishes minimum requirements in each of the
33 following categories:
34 1. Training.
35 2. On-the-job work experience.
36 3. Supervision.
37 4. Testing.
38 5. Biennial continuing education.
39 (c) Requires adherence to a code of ethics and provides for
40 a disciplinary process that applies to certified persons.
41 (d) Approves qualified training entities that provide
42 precertification training to applicants and continuing education
43 to charter school principals, charter school governing board
44 members, and charter school chief financial officers. To avoid a
45 conflict of interest, a credentialing entity or its affiliate
46 may not deliver training to an applicant or continuing education
47 to a certificateholder.
48 (3) A credentialing entity shall establish application,
49 examination, and certification fees and an annual certification
50 renewal fee. The application, examination, and certification fee
51 may not exceed $225. The annual certification renewal fee may
52 not exceed $100.
53 (4) All applicants are subject to level 2 background
54 screening as provided under chapter 435. An applicant is
55 ineligible, and a credentialing entity shall deny the
56 application, if the applicant has been found guilty of, or has
57 entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of
58 adjudication, any offense listed in s. 435.04(2) unless the
59 department has issued an exemption under s. 397.4872. In
60 accordance with s. 435.04, the Department of Law Enforcement
61 shall notify the credentialing entity of the applicant’s
62 eligibility based on the results of his or her background
63 screening.
64 (5) The credentialing entity shall issue a certificate of
65 compliance upon approval of a person’s application. The
66 certification shall automatically terminate 1 year after
67 issuance if not renewed.
68 (a) A credentialing entity may suspend or revoke the
69 certificate of compliance of a charter school principal, a
70 charter school governing board member, or a charter school chief
71 financial officer if the charter school principal, the charter
72 school governing board member, or the charter school chief
73 financial officer fails to adhere to the continuing education
74 requirements.
75 (b) A credentialing entity shall revoke a certificate of
76 compliance of a charter school principal, charter school
77 governing board member, or charter school chief financial
78 officer if the charter school principal, charter school
79 governing board member, or charter school chief financial
80 officer provides false or misleading information to the
81 credentialing entity at any time.
82 (c) If a charter school principal, charter school governing
83 board member, or charter school chief financial officer is
84 arrested for or found guilty of, or enters a plea of guilty or
85 nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any offense
86 listed in s. 435.04(2) while acting in that capacity, the
87 charter school shall immediately remove the person from that
88 position and shall notify the credentialing entity within 3
89 business days after such removal.
90 (6) Any decision by a department-recognized credentialing
91 program to deny certification or otherwise impose sanctions on
92 an individual who is certified is reviewable by the department.
93 The individual aggrieved may request an administrative hearing
94 conducted pursuant to ss. 120.569 and 120.57(1) within 30 days
95 after receiving an adverse determination after completing any
96 appeals process offered by the credentialing program.
97 Section 2. Present paragraphs (g), (h), and (i) of
98 subsection (12) of section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, are
99 redesignated as paragraphs (h), (i), and (j), respectively, and
100 a new paragraph (g) is added to that subsection, paragraph (g)
101 is added to subsection (8), and paragraph (b) of subsection (6)
102 and paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of that section are amended,
103 to read:
104 1002.33 Charter schools.—
105 (6) APPLICATION PROCESS AND REVIEW.—Charter school
106 applications are subject to the following requirements:
107 (b) A sponsor shall receive and review all applications for
108 a charter school using the evaluation instrument developed by
109 the Department of Education. A sponsor shall receive and
110 consider charter school applications received on or before
111 August 1 of each calendar year for charter schools to be opened
112 at the beginning of the school district’s next school year, or
113 to be opened at a time determined agreed to by the applicant and
114 the sponsor. A sponsor may not refuse to receive a charter
115 school application submitted before August 1 and may receive an
116 application submitted later than August 1 if it chooses.
117 Beginning in 2018 and thereafter, A sponsor shall also receive
118 and consider charter school applications received on or before
119 February 1 of each calendar year for charter schools to be
120 opened 18 months later at the beginning of the school district’s
121 school year, or to be opened at a time determined by the
122 applicant. A sponsor may not refuse to receive a charter school
123 application submitted before February 1 and may receive an
124 application submitted later than February 1 if it chooses. A
125 sponsor may not charge an applicant for a charter any fee for
126 the processing or consideration of an application, and a sponsor
127 may not base its consideration or approval of a final
128 application upon the promise of future payment of any kind. If
129 an applicant is ready to do so, it may open a charter school
130 before the school district’s next school year after approval of
131 the charter school application submitted by either application
132 deadline. Before approving or denying any application, the
133 sponsor shall allow the applicant, upon receipt of written
134 notification, at least 7 calendar days to make technical or
135 nonsubstantive corrections and clarifications, including, but
136 not limited to, corrections of grammatical, typographical, and
137 like errors or missing signatures, if such errors are identified
138 by the sponsor as cause to deny the final application.
139 1. In order to facilitate an accurate budget projection
140 process, a sponsor shall be held harmless for FTE students who
141 are not included in the FTE projection due to approval of
142 charter school applications after the FTE projection deadline.
143 In a further effort to facilitate an accurate budget projection,
144 within 15 calendar days after receipt of a charter school
145 application, a sponsor shall report to the Department of
146 Education the name of the applicant entity, the proposed charter
147 school location, and its projected FTE.
148 2. In order to ensure fiscal responsibility, an application
149 for a charter school shall include a full accounting of expected
150 assets, a projection of expected sources and amounts of income,
151 including income derived from projected student enrollments and
152 from community support, and an expense projection that includes
153 full accounting of the costs of operation, including start-up
154 costs.
155 3.a. A sponsor shall by a majority vote approve or deny an
156 application no later than 90 calendar days after the application
157 is received, unless the sponsor and the applicant mutually agree
158 in writing to temporarily postpone the vote to a specific date,
159 at which time the sponsor shall by a majority vote approve or
160 deny the application. If the sponsor fails to act on the
161 application, an applicant may appeal to the State Board of
162 Education as provided in paragraph (c). If an application is
163 denied, the sponsor shall, within 10 calendar days after such
164 denial, articulate in writing the specific reasons, based upon
165 good cause, supporting its denial of the application and shall
166 provide the letter of denial and supporting documentation to the
167 applicant and to the Department of Education.
168 b. An application submitted by a high-performing charter
169 school identified pursuant to s. 1002.331 or a high-performing
170 charter school system identified pursuant to s. 1002.332 may be
171 denied by the sponsor only if the sponsor demonstrates by clear
172 and convincing evidence that:
173 (I) The application of a high-performing charter school
174 does not materially comply with the requirements in paragraph
175 (a) or, for a high-performing charter school system, the
176 application does not materially comply with s. 1002.332(2)(b);
177 (II) The charter school proposed in the application does
178 not materially comply with the requirements in paragraphs
179 (9)(a)-(f);
180 (III) The proposed charter school’s educational program
181 does not substantially replicate that of the applicant or one of
182 the applicant’s high-performing charter schools;
183 (IV) The applicant has made a material misrepresentation or
184 false statement or concealed an essential or material fact
185 during the application process; or
186 (V) The proposed charter school’s educational program and
187 financial management practices do not materially comply with the
188 requirements of this section.
189
190 Material noncompliance is a failure to follow requirements or a
191 violation of prohibitions applicable to charter school
192 applications, which failure is quantitatively or qualitatively
193 significant either individually or when aggregated with other
194 noncompliance. An applicant is considered to be replicating a
195 high-performing charter school if the proposed school is
196 substantially similar to at least one of the applicant’s high
197 performing charter schools and the organization or individuals
198 involved in the establishment and operation of the proposed
199 school are significantly involved in the operation of replicated
200 schools.
201 c. If the sponsor denies an application submitted by a
202 high-performing charter school or a high-performing charter
203 school system, the sponsor must, within 10 calendar days after
204 such denial, state in writing the specific reasons, based upon
205 the criteria in sub-subparagraph b., supporting its denial of
206 the application and must provide the letter of denial and
207 supporting documentation to the applicant and to the Department
208 of Education. The applicant may appeal the sponsor’s denial of
209 the application in accordance with paragraph (c).
210 4. For budget projection purposes, the sponsor shall report
211 to the Department of Education the approval or denial of an
212 application within 10 calendar days after such approval or
213 denial. In the event of approval, the report to the Department
214 of Education shall include the final projected FTE for the
215 approved charter school.
216 5. Upon approval of an application, the initial startup
217 shall commence with the beginning of the public school calendar
218 for the district in which the charter is granted. A charter
219 school may defer the opening of the school’s operations for up
220 to 3 years to provide time for adequate facility planning. The
221 charter school must provide written notice of such intent to the
222 sponsor and the parents of enrolled students at least 30
223 calendar days before the first day of school.
224 (7) CHARTER.—The terms and conditions for the operation of
225 a charter school shall be set forth by the sponsor and the
226 applicant in a written contractual agreement, called a charter.
227 The sponsor and the governing board of the charter school shall
228 use the standard charter contract pursuant to subsection (21),
229 which shall incorporate the approved application and any addenda
230 approved with the application. Any term or condition of a
231 proposed charter contract that differs from the standard charter
232 contract adopted by rule of the State Board of Education shall
233 be presumed a limitation on charter school flexibility. The
234 sponsor may not impose unreasonable rules or regulations that
235 violate the intent of giving charter schools greater flexibility
236 to meet educational goals. The charter shall be signed by the
237 governing board of the charter school and the sponsor, following
238 a public hearing to ensure community input.
239 (a) The charter shall address and criteria for approval of
240 the charter shall be based on:
241 1. The school’s mission, the students to be served, and the
242 ages and grades to be included.
243 2. The focus of the curriculum, the instructional methods
244 to be used, any distinctive instructional techniques to be
245 employed, and identification and acquisition of appropriate
246 technologies needed to improve educational and administrative
247 performance which include a means for promoting safe, ethical,
248 and appropriate uses of technology which comply with legal and
249 professional standards.
250 a. The charter shall ensure that reading is a primary focus
251 of the curriculum and that resources are provided to identify
252 and provide specialized instruction for students who are reading
253 below grade level. The curriculum and instructional strategies
254 for reading must be consistent with the Next Generation Sunshine
255 State Standards and grounded in scientifically based reading
256 research.
257 b. In order to provide students with access to diverse
258 instructional delivery models, to facilitate the integration of
259 technology within traditional classroom instruction, and to
260 provide students with the skills they need to compete in the
261 21st century economy, the Legislature encourages instructional
262 methods for blended learning courses consisting of both
263 traditional classroom and online instructional techniques.
264 Charter schools may implement blended learning courses which
265 combine traditional classroom instruction and virtual
266 instruction. Students in a blended learning course must be full
267 time students of the charter school pursuant to s.
268 1011.61(1)(a)1. Instructional personnel certified pursuant to s.
269 1012.55 who provide virtual instruction for blended learning
270 courses may be employees of the charter school or may be under
271 contract to provide instructional services to charter school
272 students. At a minimum, such instructional personnel must hold
273 an active state or school district adjunct certification under
274 s. 1012.57 for the subject area of the blended learning course.
275 The funding and performance accountability requirements for
276 blended learning courses are the same as those for traditional
277 courses.
278 3. The current incoming baseline standard of student
279 academic achievement, the outcomes to be achieved, and the
280 method of measurement that will be used. The criteria listed in
281 this subparagraph shall include a detailed description of:
282 a. How the baseline student academic achievement levels and
283 prior rates of academic progress will be established.
284 b. How these baseline rates will be compared to rates of
285 academic progress achieved by these same students while
286 attending the charter school.
287 c. To the extent possible, how these rates of progress will
288 be evaluated and compared with rates of progress of other
289 closely comparable student populations.
290
291 The district school board is required to provide academic
292 student performance data to charter schools for each of their
293 students coming from the district school system, as well as
294 rates of academic progress of comparable student populations in
295 the district school system.
296 4. The methods used to identify the educational strengths
297 and needs of students and how well educational goals and
298 performance standards are met by students attending the charter
299 school. The methods shall provide a means for the charter school
300 to ensure accountability to its constituents by analyzing
301 student performance data and by evaluating the effectiveness and
302 efficiency of its major educational programs. Students in
303 charter schools shall, at a minimum, participate in the
304 statewide assessment program created under s. 1008.22.
305 5. In secondary charter schools, a method for determining
306 that a student has satisfied the requirements for graduation in
307 s. 1002.3105(5), s. 1003.4281, or s. 1003.4282.
308 6. A method for resolving conflicts between the governing
309 board of the charter school and the sponsor.
310 7. The admissions procedures and dismissal procedures,
311 including the school’s code of student conduct. Admission or
312 dismissal must not be based on a student’s academic performance.
313 8. The ways by which the school will achieve a
314 racial/ethnic balance reflective of the community it serves or
315 within the racial/ethnic range of other public schools in the
316 same school district.
317 9. The financial and administrative management of the
318 school, including a reasonable demonstration of the professional
319 experience or competence of those individuals or organizations
320 applying to operate the charter school or those hired or
321 retained to perform such professional services and the
322 description of clearly delineated responsibilities and the
323 policies and practices needed to effectively manage the charter
324 school. A description of internal audit procedures and
325 establishment of controls to ensure that financial resources are
326 properly managed must be included. Both public sector and
327 private sector professional experience shall be equally valid in
328 such a consideration.
329 10. The asset and liability projections required in the
330 application which are incorporated into the charter and shall be
331 compared with information provided in the annual report of the
332 charter school.
333 11. A description of procedures that identify various risks
334 and provide for a comprehensive approach to reduce the impact of
335 losses; plans to ensure the safety and security of students and
336 staff; plans to identify, minimize, and protect others from
337 violent or disruptive student behavior; and the manner in which
338 the school will be insured, including whether or not the school
339 will be required to have liability insurance, and, if so, the
340 terms and conditions thereof and the amounts of coverage.
341 12. The term of the charter which shall provide for
342 cancellation of the charter if insufficient progress has been
343 made in attaining the student achievement objectives of the
344 charter and if it is not likely that such objectives can be
345 achieved before expiration of the charter. The initial term of a
346 charter shall be for 5 years, excluding 2 planning years. In
347 order to facilitate access to long-term financial resources for
348 charter school construction, charter schools that are operated
349 by a municipality or other public entity as provided by law are
350 eligible for up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the
351 district school board. A charter lab school is eligible for a
352 charter for a term of up to 15 years. In addition, to facilitate
353 access to long-term financial resources for charter school
354 construction, charter schools that are operated by a private,
355 not-for-profit, s. 501(c)(3) status corporation are eligible for
356 up to a 15-year charter, subject to approval by the district
357 school board. Such long-term charters remain subject to annual
358 review and may be terminated during the term of the charter, but
359 only according to the provisions set forth in subsection (8).
360 13. The facilities to be used and their location. The
361 sponsor may not require a charter school to have a certificate
362 of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy for such a
363 facility earlier than 15 calendar days before the first day of
364 school.
365 14. The qualifications to be required of the teachers and
366 the potential strategies used to recruit, hire, train, and
367 retain qualified staff to achieve best value.
368 15. The governance structure of the school, including the
369 status of the charter school as a public or private employer as
370 required in paragraph (12)(j) (12)(i).
371 16. A timetable for implementing the charter which
372 addresses the implementation of each element thereof and the
373 date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to meet this
374 timetable.
375 17. In the case of an existing public school that is being
376 converted to charter status, alternative arrangements for
377 current students who choose not to attend the charter school and
378 for current teachers who choose not to teach in the charter
379 school after conversion in accordance with the existing
380 collective bargaining agreement or district school board rule in
381 the absence of a collective bargaining agreement. However,
382 alternative arrangements shall not be required for current
383 teachers who choose not to teach in a charter lab school, except
384 as authorized by the employment policies of the state university
385 which grants the charter to the lab school.
386 18. Full disclosure of the identity of all relatives
387 employed by the charter school who are related to the charter
388 school owner, president, chairperson of the governing board of
389 directors, superintendent, governing board member, principal,
390 assistant principal, or any other person employed by the charter
391 school who has equivalent decisionmaking authority. For the
392 purpose of this subparagraph, the term “relative” means father,
393 mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first
394 cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in
395 law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
396 stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother,
397 stepsister, half brother, or half sister.
398 19. Implementation of the activities authorized under s.
399 1002.331 by the charter school when it satisfies the eligibility
400 requirements for a high-performing charter school. A high
401 performing charter school shall notify its sponsor in writing by
402 March 1 if it intends to increase enrollment or expand grade
403 levels the following school year. The written notice shall
404 specify the amount of the enrollment increase and the grade
405 levels that will be added, as applicable.
406 (8) CAUSES FOR NONRENEWAL OR TERMINATION OF CHARTER.—
407 (g)1. If a charter is terminated or a charter school closes
408 before the end of a school year or within 3 years after
409 beginning operations and, after a specific finding by the school
410 district of material fraud, disregard of generally accepted
411 accounting principles, or of intentional malfeasance by an
412 applicant for the charter, the charter school owner, the charter
413 school president, charter school governing board members, and
414 the relatives of such owner, upon findings made by the school
415 district, the applicant for the charter, the charter school
416 owner, the charter school president, the charter school
417 governing board members, and the relatives of such owner,
418 president, or governing board member may not submit an
419 application to open a charter school in this state pursuant to
420 subsection (6) for a period of 5 years after the termination of
421 the charter or closure of the charter school. The applicant for
422 the charter, the charter school owner, the charter school
423 president, the charter school governing board members, and the
424 relatives of such owner, president, or governing board member,
425 may appeal to the charter appeals commission the school
426 district’s finding of material fraud, intentional malfeasance,
427 or disregard of generally accepted accounting principles.
428 2. If a charter school owner, a charter school president, a
429 member of a charter school governing board, a charter management
430 organization, or an education management organization is
431 convicted of a crime, including, but not limited to, material
432 fraud or serious financial theft offenses, misrepresentation,
433 fraud, or misappropriation related to the operation of a charter
434 school, that owner, president, or governing board member,
435 including any relatives of such individuals, or the charter
436 management organization or the education management
437 organization, may not submit an application to open a charter
438 school in this state pursuant to subsection (6) for a period of
439 10 years after such conviction.
440
441 For the purpose of this paragraph, the term “relative” has the
442 same meaning as specified in subparagraph (24)(a)2.
443 (12) EMPLOYEES OF CHARTER SCHOOLS.—
444 (g) Each charter school principal, governing board member,
445 chief financial officer, or equivalent position must hold a
446 valid certification issued by a third-party credentialing entity
447 that is recognized under s. 1001.241, at least 30 days before
448 the school opens or within 30 days of the first date of
449 employment, whichever comes first. The credentialing entity must
450 certify the individual’s core competence in the administration
451 of a charter school, including, but not limited to, developing
452 and adjusting business plans; accurate financial planning and
453 good business practices, including accounting for costs and
454 income; state and federal grant and student performance
455 accountability requirements; identification of, and application
456 for, state and federal funding sources; and governance,
457 including government in the sunshine, conflicts of interest,
458 ethics, and financial responsibility. An individual certified
459 under this paragraph meets the training requirements under
460 subparagraph (h)3., paragraph (6)(f), and subparagraph (9)(j)4.
461 Section 3. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) of section
462 1002.45, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
463 1002.45 Virtual instruction programs.—
464 (1) PROGRAM.—
465 (d) A virtual charter school may provide part-time and
466 full-time virtual instruction for students in kindergarten
467 through grade 12 if the virtual charter school has a charter
468 approved pursuant to s. 1002.33 authorizing full-time virtual
469 instruction. A virtual charter school may:
470 1. Contract with the Florida Virtual School.
471 2. Contract with or be an approved provider under
472 subsection (2).
473 3. Enter into an agreement with a school district to allow
474 the participation of the virtual charter school’s students in
475 the school district’s virtual instruction program. The agreement
476 must indicate a process for reporting of student enrollment and
477 the transfer of funds required by paragraph (7)(e).
478 Section 4. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
479 1012.32, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
480 1012.32 Qualifications of personnel.—
481 (2)
482 (b) Instructional and noninstructional personnel who are
483 hired or contracted to fill positions in any charter school and
484 members of the governing board of any charter school, in
485 compliance with s. 1002.33(12)(h) s. 1002.33(12)(g), must, upon
486 employment, engagement of services, or appointment, undergo
487 background screening as required under s. 1012.465 or s.
488 1012.56, whichever is applicable, by filing with any single the
489 district school board for the school district in which one of
490 the charter governing board’s charter schools the charter school
491 is located a complete set of fingerprints taken by an authorized
492 law enforcement agency or an employee of the school or school
493 district who is trained to take fingerprints. Once such
494 instructional and noninstructional personnel are fingerprinted
495 and pass the appropriate background check in any single school
496 district, such fingerprints and background check shall be valid
497 for a period of 3 years and valid in all school districts
498 throughout the state.
499
500 Fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Law
501 Enforcement for statewide criminal and juvenile records checks
502 and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for federal criminal
503 records checks. A person subject to this subsection who is found
504 ineligible for employment under s. 1012.315, or otherwise found
505 through background screening to have been convicted of any crime
506 involving moral turpitude as defined by rule of the State Board
507 of Education, shall not be employed, engaged to provide
508 services, or serve in any position that requires direct contact
509 with students. Probationary persons subject to this subsection
510 terminated because of their criminal record have the right to
511 appeal such decisions. The cost of the background screening may
512 be borne by the district school board, the charter school, the
513 employee, the contractor, or a person subject to this
514 subsection. A district school board shall reimburse a charter
515 school the cost of background screening if it does not notify
516 the charter school of the eligibility of a governing board
517 member or instructional or noninstructional personnel within the
518 earlier of 14 days after receipt of the background screening
519 results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or 30
520 days of submission of fingerprints by the governing board member
521 or instructional or noninstructional personnel.
522 Section 5. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
523
524 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
525 And the title is amended as follows:
526 Delete everything before the enacting clause
527 and insert:
528 A bill to be entitled
529 An act relating to charter schools; creating s.
530 1001.241, F.S.; requiring the Department of Education
531 to approve credentialing entities for a specified
532 purpose; requiring credentialing entities to
533 establish, develop, and administer specified
534 requirements and processes; requiring credentialing
535 entities to establish a certification program;
536 providing requirements for the certification program;
537 requiring credentialing entities to establish certain
538 fees; providing requirements for such fees; providing
539 that applicants who submit applications to a
540 credentialing entity are subject to a certain
541 background screening; providing for the ineligibility
542 of certain applicants; requiring the Department of Law
543 Enforcement to notify the credentialing entity of an
544 applicant’s background screening results; requiring
545 credentialing entities to issue certificates of
546 compliance upon approval of a person’s application;
547 providing for termination of the certification after a
548 specified time period if the certification is not
549 renewed; authorizing credentialing entities to suspend
550 or revoke a certificate of compliance under specified
551 conditions; requiring charter schools to remove a
552 charter school principal, charter school governing
553 board member, or charter school chief financial
554 officer from his or her position, as applicable, under
555 specified conditions; requiring charter schools to
556 notify the credentialing entity of such removal;
557 providing that certain decisions by a department
558 recognized credentialing program are reviewable by the
559 Department of Education; providing that an aggrieved
560 person may request an administrative hearing within a
561 specified timeframe after receiving an adverse
562 determination after completion of an appeals process
563 offered by the credentialing program; amending s.
564 1002.33, F.S.; deleting obsolete language; revising
565 charter school application deadline requirements;
566 authorizing certain charter school applicants to open
567 charter schools before a specified timeframe and after
568 approval; prohibiting specified individuals and
569 entities from submitting an application to open a
570 charter school for specified periods of time; defining
571 the term “relative” for the purpose of applying the
572 prohibition; requiring each charter school principal,
573 governing board member, chief financial officer, or
574 their equivalent, to meet certain certification
575 requirements; amending s. 1002.45, F.S.; authorizing
576 virtual charter schools to provide part-time virtual
577 instruction for certain students; providing that a
578 charter school may be an approved provider; amending
579 s. 1012.32, F.S.; conforming a cross-reference;
580 revising fingerprint filing requirements for charter
581 school instructional and noninstructional personnel;
582 providing that fingerprints and background checks of
583 such personnel who meet certain requirements are valid
584 for a specified period of time in all school
585 districts; providing an effective date.