Florida Senate - 2025                                    SB 1590
       
       
        
       By Senator Burgess
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01562A-25                                          20251590__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to educator preparation; providing
    3         legislative intent; establishing the Task Force for
    4         Educator Preparation; providing the purpose for the
    5         task force; providing for the composition of the task
    6         force; requiring the Department of Education to
    7         provide administrative support for the task force;
    8         providing the duties of the task force; requiring the
    9         task force to provide a specified report to the
   10         Governor and the Legislature by a specified date;
   11         providing for expiration of the task force; providing
   12         an effective date.
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to
   17  revise educator preparation, certification, and professional
   18  learning development by 2028, to modernize and reform the
   19  program, and to properly prepare educators to meet the
   20  challenges of educating students in the 21st century.
   21         (2) There is established the Task Force for Educator
   22  Preparation to make recommendations regarding educator training,
   23  assessment, certification, and professional learning. The task
   24  force shall be composed of the following members:
   25         (a) Two members from a state university initial teacher
   26  preparation program, appointed by the President of the Senate
   27  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
   28         (b) Two members from private postsecondary institution
   29  initial teacher preparation programs, appointed by the Governor
   30  and the President of the Senate.
   31         (c) Two members from a Florida College System institution
   32  initial teacher preparation program or educator preparation
   33  institute, appointed by the Governor and the Speaker of the
   34  House of Representatives.
   35         (d) Two school district representatives with responsibility
   36  for district alternative certification programs, appointed by
   37  the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   38  Representatives.
   39         (e) Three teachers with active certifications, with at
   40  least one from a charter school, and at least one who has served
   41  as a mentor. The Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
   42  Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one
   43  teacher.
   44         (f) Two district school superintendents, appointed by the
   45  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   46  Representatives.
   47         (g) A Department of Education representative with expertise
   48  in educator quality, appointed by the Governor.
   49         (3) The Department of Education shall provide
   50  administrative support for the task force.
   51         (4) The task force shall:
   52         (a) Evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training
   53  programs, including:
   54         1. The uniform core curricula in initial teacher
   55  preparation programs, including evidence-based practices in
   56  mathematics and literacy instruction, classroom management, and
   57  the use of data to analyze student performance for personalized
   58  instruction.
   59         2. Preparation under school district alternative
   60  certification pathways or educator preparation institutes.
   61         3. The effectiveness of teacher apprenticeship programs.
   62         4. Improvements to field experiences for student teachers.
   63         (b) Analyze existing Florida teacher certification
   64  standards and procedures, including:
   65         1. Gaps or inefficiencies in current certification
   66  pathways.
   67         2. Appropriate educator certification for elementary,
   68  middle, and secondary school grades.
   69         3. The effectiveness of certification exams and
   70  alternatives to ensure teachers meet competency standards.
   71         (c) Evaluate educator professional learning, including:
   72         1. Ongoing professional learning requirements for teachers.
   73         2. Mentor teachers and teaching coaches.
   74         3. Collaboration with teacher preparation programs.
   75         (5) The task force shall issue a report with
   76  recommendations for improvements to the Governor, the President
   77  of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
   78  no later than December 1, 2025, at which time the task force
   79  shall expire.
   80         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.