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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1022
January Session, 2019
AN ACT CONCERNING MI NORITY TEACHER RECRU ITMENT AND
RETENTION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) For the school year 1
commencing July 1, 2020, and each school year thereafter, the Minority 2
Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council, established pursuant to 3
section 10-156bb of the general statutes, in consultation with the 4
minority teacher recruitment task force, established pursuant to section 5
10-156aa of the general statutes, shall develop and implement 6
strategies and utilize existing resources to ensure that at least two 7
hundred fifty new minority teachers and administrators, of which at 8
least thirty per cent are men, are hired and employed by local and 9
regional boards of education each year in the state. As used in this 10
section, "minority" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-11
156bb of the general statutes. 12
Sec. 2. Section 10-146c of the general statutes is repealed and the 13
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 14
(a) As used in this section: 15
(1) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of 16
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or territories or 17
possessions of the United States; and 18 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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(2) "Educator preparation program" means a program designed to 19
qualify an individual for professional certification as an educator 20
provided by institutions of higher education or other providers, 21
including, but not limited to, an alternate route to certification 22
program. 23
(b) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, 24
as agent for the state shall enter into reciprocity agreements concerning 25
professional certification reciprocity with the chief education officials 26
for each state. If the commissioner is unable to establish a reciprocity 27
agreement with another state, the commissioner may establish or join 28
an interstate agreement pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 29
[(b)] (c) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's 30
designee, as agent for the state shall establish or join interstate 31
agreements with other states to facilitate the certification of qualified 32
educators from other states. Any such interstate agreement shall 33
include provisions requiring candidates for certification to, at a 34
minimum, (1) hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited 35
college or university, (2) have fulfilled post-preparation assessments as 36
approved by the commissioner, and (3) have successfully completed 37
an approved educator preparation program. Notwithstanding the 38
provisions of sections 10-145b and 10-145f, as amended by this act, the 39
State Board of Education shall issue the appropriate professional 40
certificate to any applicant, based on such applicant's qualifications, 41
who satisfies the requirements of the appropriate interstate agreement. 42
[(c)] (d) If the commissioner is unable to establish or join a 43
reciprocity agreement or an interstate agreement with another state, 44
the commissioner may create and make available a recognition 45
statement that specifies the states, assessments and educator 46
preparation programs that the commissioner will recognize for 47
purposes of issuing professional certification under sections 10-145b 48
and 10-145f, as amended by this act. 49
(e) Not later than January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the 50 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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commissioner shall submit a progress report on the development and 51
implementation of reciprocity agreements and interstate agreements 52
and any recommendations for legislation to the joint standing 53
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 54
relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-55
4a. 56
Sec. 3. Section 10-145l of the general statutes is repealed and the 57
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 58
On and after July 1, [2010] 2019, the State Board of Education shall 59
allow an applicant for certification to teach in a subject shortage area 60
pursuant to section 10-8b or a certified employee seeking to teach in 61
such a subject shortage area to substitute achievement of [an excellent] 62
a satisfactory score, as determined by the State Board of Education, on 63
any appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area 64
assessment for the subject area requirements for certification pursuant 65
to section 10-145f. 66
Sec. 4. Section 8-265pp of the general statutes is repealed and the 67
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 68
The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority shall develop and 69
administer a program of mortgage assistance to certified teachers (1) 70
employed by priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p, (2) 71
employed by transitional school districts pursuant to section 10-263c, 72
(3) employed by the Technical Education and Career System at a 73
technical education and career school located in such priority or 74
transitional school districts, [or] (4) who teach in a subject matter 75
shortage area pursuant to section 10-8b, (5) who graduated from a 76
public high school in an educational reform district, as defined in 77
section 10-262u, or (6) who graduated from an historically black 78
college or university or a Hispanic-serving institution, as those terms 79
are defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, P.L. 89-329, as 80
amended from time to time, and reauthorized by the Higher Education 81
Opportunity Act of 2008, P.L. 110-315, as amended from time to time. 82 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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Such assistance shall be available to eligible teachers for the purchase 83
of a house as their principal residence, provided, in the case of a 84
teacher employed by a priority or a transitional school district, or by 85
the Technical Education and Career System at a technical education 86
and career school located in a priority or transitional school district, 87
the house is located in such district. In making mortgage assistance 88
available under the program, the authority shall utilize down payment 89
assistance or any other appropriate housing subsidies. The terms of 90
any mortgage assistance shall allow the mortgagee to realize a 91
reasonable portion of the equity gain upon sale of the mortgaged 92
property. 93
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 10-183v of the general statutes is 94
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 95
1, 2019): 96
(b) A teacher receiving retirement benefits from the system may be 97
reemployed for up to one full school year by a local board of 98
education, the State Board of Education or by any constituent unit of 99
the state system of higher education (1) in a position [(1)] designated 100
by the Commissioner of Education as a subject shortage area for the 101
school year in which the teacher is being employed, [or] (2) at a school 102
located in a school district identified as a priority school district, 103
pursuant to section 10-266p, for the school year in which the teacher is 104
being employed, (3) if the teacher graduated from a public high school 105
in an educational reform district, as defined in section 10-262u, or (4) if 106
the teacher graduated from an historically black college or university 107
or a Hispanic-serving institution, as those terms are defined in the 108
Higher Education Act of 1965, P.L. 89-329, as amended from time to 109
time, and reauthorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 110
2008, P.L. 110-315, as amended from time to time. Notice of such 111
reemployment shall be sent to the board by the employer and by the 112
retired teacher at the time of hire and at the end of the assignment. 113
Such reemployment may be extended for an additional school year, 114
provided the local board of education (A) submits a written request for 115 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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approval to the Teachers' Retirement Board, (B) certifies that no 116
qualified candidates are available prior to the reemployment of such 117
teacher, and (C) indicates the type of assignment to be performed, the 118
anticipated date of rehire and the expected duration of the assignment. 119
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 10-145b of the general statutes is 120
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 121
1, 2019): 122
(a) The State Board of Education, upon receipt of a proper 123
application, shall issue an initial educator certificate to any person who 124
(1) holds a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree from an institution 125
of higher education [accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher 126
Education or Office of Higher Education or] that is regionally 127
accredited or has received an equivalent accreditation, and (2) has 128
completed (A) an educator preparation program approved by the State 129
Board of Education or the appropriate governing body in the state in 130
which the institution of higher education is located, or (B) an alternate 131
route to certification program approved by the State Board of 132
Education or the appropriate governing body in the state in which 133
such alternate route to certification program is located, and satisfies 134
the requirements for a temporary ninety-day certificate, pursuant to 135
subsection (c) of this section, or a resident teacher certificate, pursuant 136
to section 10-145m. In addition, on and after July 1, 2018, each 137
applicant shall have completed a subject area major as defined by the 138
State Board of Education, except (i) as provided in section 10-145l, as 139
amended by this act, or (ii) where an applicant achieves a satisfactory 140
evaluation on an appropriate State Board of Education approved 141
subject area assessment [and] or has completed advanced coursework 142
in a relevant subject area. Each such initial educator certificate shall be 143
valid for three years, except as provided in subsection (c) of this 144
section, and may be extended by the Commissioner of Education for 145
an additional year for good cause upon the request of the 146
superintendent in whose school district such person is employed or 147
upon the request of the assessment team reviewing such person's 148 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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performance. 149
Sec. 7. Subsections (e) and (f) of section 10-145f of the general 150
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 151
(Effective July 1, 2019): 152
(e) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person 153
who holds a valid teaching certificate that is at least equivalent to an 154
initial educator certificate, as determined by the State Board of 155
Education, and such certificate is issued by a state other than 156
Connecticut in the subject area or endorsement area for which such 157
person is seeking certification in Connecticut shall not be required to 158
successfully complete the competency examination and subject matter 159
assessment pursuant to this section, if such person has either [(1)] (A) 160
successfully completed at least three years of teaching experience or 161
service in the endorsement area for which such person is seeking 162
certification in Connecticut in the past ten years in a public school or a 163
nonpublic school approved by the appropriate state board of 164
education in such other state, or [(2)] (B) holds a master's degree or 165
higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking certification 166
in Connecticut. 167
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who 168
has held a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of 169
Education and such certificate has expired shall not be required to 170
successfully complete the subject matter assessment in the 171
endorsement area for which such person is seeking renewal or 172
advancement of such certificate, pursuant to this section, if such 173
person has either (A) successfully completed at least three years of 174
teaching experience or service in a public school or a nonpublic school 175
under a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of 176
Education or issued by a state other than Connecticut, in the past ten 177
years in such endorsement area, or (B) holds a master's degree or 178
higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking renewal or 179
advancement of such certificate. 180 Substitute Bill No. 1022
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(f) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person 181
who has achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an equivalent 182
competency examination or subject area assessment required for 183
educator certification in another state shall not be required to achieve a 184
satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject 185
matter assessment pursuant to this section, provided the State Board of 186
Education determines that the requirements for achieving a 187
satisfactory evaluation on such equivalent competency examination or 188
subject area assessment in another state are at least equivalent to the 189
requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education for achieving 190
a satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject 191
matter assessment pursuant to this section. 192
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who 193
has previously achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an appropriate 194
State Board of Education approved subject area assessment for a 195
teaching certificate that has expired shall not be required to take the 196
appropriate subject matter assessment currently approved by the State 197
Board of Education, provided the Commissioner of Education 198
determines that the requirements for achieving a satisfactory 199
evaluation on such previous subject area assessment are at least 200
equivalent to the requirements prescribed by the State Board of 201
Education for such current subject matter assessment. 202
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 10-146c
Sec. 3 July 1, 2019 10-145l
Sec. 4 July 1, 2019 8-265pp
Sec. 5 July 1, 2019 10-183v(b)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2019 10-145b(a)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2019 10-145f(e) and (f)
ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP Substitute Bill No. 1022
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APP Joint Favorable Subst.