Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01022 Latest Draft

Bill / Chaptered Version Filed 06/18/2019

                             
 
 
Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
Public Act No. 19-74 
 
 
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 
commencing July 1, 2020, and each school year thereafter, the Minority 
Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council, established pursuant to 
section 10-156bb of the general statutes, in consultation with the 
minority teacher recruitment task force, established pursuant to section 
10-156aa of the general statutes, shall develop and implement 
strategies and utilize existing resources to ensure that at least two 
hundred fifty new minority teachers and administrators, of which at 
least thirty per cent are men, are hired and employed by local and 
regional boards of education each year in the state. As used in this 
section, "minority" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-
156bb of the general statutes. 
Sec. 2. Section 10-146c of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 
(a) As used in this section: 
(1) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or territories or  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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possessions of the United States; and 
(2) "Educator preparation program" means a program designed to 
qualify an individual for [professional] certification as an educator 
provided by institutions of higher education or other providers, 
including, but not limited to, an alternate route to certification 
program. 
(b) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, 
as agent for the state shall enter into reciprocity agreements concerning 
educator certification reciprocity with the chief education officials for 
each state. If the commissioner is unable to establish a reciprocity 
agreement with another state, the commissioner may establish or join 
an interstate agreement pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. 
[(b)] (c) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's 
designee, as agent for the state shall establish or join interstate 
agreements with other states to facilitate the certification of qualified 
educators from other states. Any such interstate agreement shall 
include provisions requiring candidates for certification to, at a 
minimum, (1) hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited 
college or university, (2) have fulfilled post-preparation assessments as 
approved by the commissioner, and (3) have successfully completed 
an approved educator preparation program. Notwithstanding the 
provisions of sections 10-145b and 10-145f, as amended by this act, the 
State Board of Education shall issue the appropriate [professional] 
certificate to any applicant, based on such applicant's qualifications, 
who satisfies the requirements of the appropriate interstate agreement.  
[(c)] (d) If the commissioner is unable to establish or join a 
reciprocity agreement or an interstate agreement with another state, 
the commissioner may create and make available a recognition 
statement that specifies the states, assessments and educator 
preparation programs that the commissioner will recognize for  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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purposes of issuing [professional] certification under sections 10-145b, 
as amended by this act, and 10-145f, as amended by this act. 
(e) Not later than January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the 
commissioner shall submit a progress report on the development and 
implementation of reciprocity agreements and interstate agreements 
and any recommendations for legislation to the joint standing 
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 
relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-
4a. 
Sec. 3. Section 10-145l of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 
On and after July 1, [2010] 2019, the State Board of Education shall 
allow an applicant for certification to teach in a subject shortage area 
pursuant to section 10-8b or a certified employee seeking to teach in 
such a subject shortage area to substitute achievement of [an excellent] 
a satisfactory score, as determined by the State Board of Education, on 
any appropriate State Board of Education approved subject area 
assessment for the subject area requirements for certification pursuant 
to section 10-145f, as amended by this act. 
Sec. 4. Section 8-265pp of the general statutes is repealed and the 
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 
The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority shall develop and 
administer a program of mortgage assistance to certified teachers (1) 
employed by priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p, (2) 
employed by transitional school districts pursuant to section 10-263c, 
(3) employed by the Technical Education and Career System at a 
technical education and career school located in such priority or 
transitional school districts, [or] (4) who teach in a subject matter 
shortage area pursuant to section 10-8b, (5) who graduated from a  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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public high school in an educational reform district, as defined in 
section 10-262u, or (6) who graduated from an historically black 
college or university or a Hispanic-serving institution, as those terms 
are defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, P.L. 89-329, as 
amended from time to time, and reauthorized by the Higher Education 
Opportunity Act of 2008, P.L. 110-315, as amended from time to time. 
Such assistance shall be available to eligible teachers for the purchase 
of a house as their principal residence, provided, in the case of a 
teacher employed by a priority or a transitional school district, or by 
the Technical Education and Career System at a technical education 
and career school located in a priority or transitional school district, 
the house is located in such district. In making mortgage assistance 
available under the program, the authority shall utilize down payment 
assistance or any other appropriate housing subsidies. The terms of 
any mortgage assistance shall allow the mortgagee to realize a 
reasonable portion of the equity gain upon sale of the mortgaged 
property. 
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 10-183v of the general statutes is 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 
1, 2019): 
(b) A teacher receiving retirement benefits from the system may be 
reemployed for up to one full school year by a local board of 
education, the State Board of Education or by any constituent unit of 
the state system of higher education (1) in a position [(1)] designated 
by the Commissioner of Education as a subject shortage area for the 
school year in which the teacher is being employed, [or] (2) at a school 
located in a school district identified as a priority school district, 
pursuant to section 10-266p, for the school year in which the teacher is 
being employed, (3) if the teacher graduated from a public high school 
in an educational reform district, as defined in section 10-262u, or (4) if 
the teacher graduated from an historically black college or university  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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or a Hispanic-serving institution, as those terms are defined in the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, P.L. 89-329, as amended from time to 
time, and reauthorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 
2008, P.L. 110-315, as amended from time to time. Notice of such 
reemployment shall be sent to the board by the employer and by the 
retired teacher at the time of hire and at the end of the assignment. 
Such reemployment may be extended for an additional school year, 
provided the local board of education (A) submits a written request for 
approval to the Teachers' Retirement Board, (B) certifies that no 
qualified candidates are available prior to the reemployment of such 
teacher, and (C) indicates the type of assignment to be performed, the 
anticipated date of rehire and the expected duration of the assignment. 
Sec. 6. Subsection (a) of section 10-145b of the general statutes is 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 
1, 2019): 
(a) The State Board of Education, upon receipt of a proper 
application, shall issue an initial educator certificate to any person who 
(1) holds a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree from an institution 
of higher education [accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher 
Education or Office of Higher Education or] that is regionally 
accredited or has received an equivalent accreditation, and (2) has 
completed (A) an educator preparation program approved by the State 
Board of Education or the appropriate governing body in the state in 
which the institution of higher education is located, or (B) an alternate 
route to certification program approved by the State Board of 
Education or the appropriate governing body in the state in which 
such alternate route to certification program is located, and satisfies 
the requirements for a temporary ninety-day certificate, pursuant to 
subsection (c) of this section, or a resident teacher certificate, pursuant 
to section 10-145m. In addition, on and after July 1, 2018, each 
applicant shall have completed a subject area major as defined by the  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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State Board of Education, except (i) as provided in section 10-145l, as 
amended by this act, or (ii) where an applicant achieves a satisfactory 
evaluation on an appropriate State Board of Education approved 
subject area assessment [and] or has completed advanced coursework 
in a relevant subject area. Each such initial educator certificate shall be 
valid for three years, except as provided in subsection (c) of this 
section, and may be extended by the Commissioner of Education for 
an additional year for good cause upon the request of the 
superintendent in whose school district such person is employed or 
upon the request of the assessment team reviewing such person's 
performance. 
Sec. 7. Subsections (e) and (f) of section 10-145f of the general 
statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 
(Effective July 1, 2019): 
(e) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person 
who holds a valid teaching certificate that is at least equivalent to an 
initial educator certificate, as determined by the State Board of 
Education, and such certificate is issued by a state other than 
Connecticut in the subject area or endorsement area for which such 
person is seeking certification in Connecticut shall not be required to 
successfully complete the competency examination and subject matter 
assessment pursuant to this section, if such person has either [(1)] (A) 
successfully completed at least three years of teaching experience or 
service in the endorsement area for which such person is seeking 
certification in Connecticut in the past ten years in a public school or a 
nonpublic school approved by the appropriate state board of 
education in such other state, or [(2)] (B) holds a master's degree or 
higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking certification 
in Connecticut. 
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who 
has held a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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Education and such certificate has expired shall not be required to 
successfully complete the subject matter assessment in the 
endorsement area for which such person is seeking renewal or 
advancement of such certificate, pursuant to this section, if such 
person has either (A) successfully completed at least three years of 
teaching experience or service in a public school or a nonpublic school 
under a valid teaching certificate issued by the State Board of 
Education or issued by a state other than Connecticut, in the past ten 
years in such endorsement area, or (B) holds a master's degree or 
higher in the subject area for which such person is seeking renewal or 
advancement of such certificate. 
(f) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person 
who has achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an equivalent 
competency examination or subject area assessment required for 
educator certification in another state shall not be required to achieve a 
satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject 
matter assessment pursuant to this section, provided the State Board of 
Education determines that the requirements for achieving a 
satisfactory evaluation on such equivalent competency examination or 
subject area assessment in another state are at least equivalent to the 
requirements prescribed by the State Board of Education for achieving 
a satisfactory evaluation on the competency examination or subject 
matter assessment pursuant to this section. 
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any person who 
has previously achieved a satisfactory evaluation on an appropriate 
State Board of Education approved subject area assessment for a 
teaching certificate that has expired shall not be required to take the 
appropriate subject matter assessment currently approved by the State 
Board of Education, provided the Commissioner of Education 
determines that the requirements for achieving a satisfactory 
evaluation on such previous subject area assessment are at least  Substitute Senate Bill No. 1022 
 
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equivalent to the requirements prescribed by the State Board of 
Education for such current subject matter assessment.