Florida Senate - 2022                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 896
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/02/2022           .                                
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       The Committee on Education (Burgess) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 17 - 133
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (7) of section
    6  1012.56, Florida Statutes, is amended, and paragraphs (d) and
    7  (e) are added to that subsection, to read
    8         1012.56 Educator certification requirements.—
    9         (7) TYPES AND TERMS OF CERTIFICATION.—
   10  (b) The department shall issue a temporary certificate to any
   11  applicant who:
   12         1. Completes the requirements outlined in paragraphs
   13  (2)(a)-(f) and completes the subject area content requirements
   14  specified in state board rule or demonstrates mastery of subject
   15  area knowledge pursuant to subsection (5) and holds an
   16  accredited degree or a degree approved by the Department of
   17  Education at the level required for the subject area
   18  specialization in state board rule; or
   19         2. For a subject area specialization for which the state
   20  board otherwise requires a bachelor’s degree, documents 48
   21  months of active-duty military service with an honorable
   22  discharge or a medical separation; completes the requirements
   23  outlined in paragraphs (2)(a), (b), (d), (e), and (f); completes
   24  the subject area content requirements specified in state board
   25  rule or demonstrates mastery of subject area knowledge pursuant
   26  to subsection (5); and documents completion of 60 college
   27  credits with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on
   28  a 4.0 scale, as provided by one or more accredited institutions
   29  of higher learning or a nonaccredited institution of higher
   30  learning identified by the Department of Education as having a
   31  quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree or higher.
   32         (c) The department shall issue one nonrenewable 2-year
   33  temporary certificate and one nonrenewable 5-year professional
   34  certificate to a qualified applicant who holds a bachelor’s
   35  degree in the area of speech-language impairment to allow for
   36  completion of a master’s degree program in speech-language
   37  impairment.
   38         (d) A person who is issued a temporary certificate under
   39  subparagraph (b)2. must be assigned a teacher mentor for a
   40  minimum of 2 school years commencing employment. Each teacher
   41  mentor selected by the school district, charter school, or
   42  charter management organization must:
   43         1. Hold a valid professional certificate issued pursuant to
   44  s. 1012.56;
   45         2. Have earned at least 3 years of teaching experience in
   46  prekindergarten through grade 12; and
   47         3. Have earned an effective or highly effective rating on
   48  the prior year’s performance evaluation under s. 1012.34.
   49         (e)1. A each temporary certificate issued under
   50  subparagraph (b)1. is valid for 3 school fiscal years and is
   51  nonrenewable.
   52         2. A temporary certificate issued under subparagraph (b)2.
   53  is valid for 5 school fiscal years, is limited to a one-time
   54  issuance, and is nonrenewable.
   55  
   56  At least 1 year before an individual’s temporary certificate is
   57  set to expire, the department shall electronically notify the
   58  individual of the date on which his or her certificate will
   59  expire and provide a list of each method by which the
   60  qualifications for a professional certificate can be completed.
   61  The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to allow the
   62  department to extend the validity period of a temporary
   63  certificate for 2 years when the requirements for the
   64  professional certificate were not completed due to the serious
   65  illness or injury of the applicant, the military service of an
   66  applicant’s spouse, other extraordinary extenuating
   67  circumstances, or if the certificateholder is rated highly
   68  effective in the immediate prior year’s performance evaluation
   69  pursuant to s. 1012.34 or has completed a 2-year mentorship
   70  program pursuant to s. 1012.56(8). The department shall extend
   71  the temporary certificate upon approval by the Commissioner of
   72  Education. A written request for extension of the certificate
   73  shall be submitted by the district school superintendent, the
   74  governing authority of a university lab school, the governing
   75  authority of a state-supported school, or the governing
   76  authority of a private school.
   77  
   78  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   79  And the title is amended as follows:
   80         Delete lines 3 - 11
   81  and insert:
   82         veterans; amending s. 1012.56, F.S.; authorizing the
   83         Department of Education to issue a temporary
   84         certificate to specified military servicemembers who
   85         meet certain criteria; requiring a teacher mentorship
   86         for specified military servicemembers who hold a
   87         temporary certificate; specifying the duration and
   88         issuance of a temporary certificate for specified
   89         military servicemembers; amending s..