EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0937*
SENATE BILL 937
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By: Senator Augustine
Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment and Judicial Proceedings
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program – Established 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program to provide 3
grants to certain local school systems for certain employees who pledge to fulfill a 4
certain service obligation as a full–time teacher in the State; requiring the State 5
Department of Education to administer the Program and to take certain actions to 6
develop and implement the program; establishing the eligibility for certain teacher 7
candidates in the Program and requiring teacher candidates to be paid a certain rate 8
and offered certain benefits under the Program; requiring collaboratives to take 9
certain actions under the Program; requiring the Governor to include a certain 10
appropriation in the annual budget bill for the Program; requiring the Department 11
to collect and publish on its website certain data on the Program each year; and 12
generally relating to the Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program. 13
BY adding to 14
Article – Education 15
Section 18–27A–01 through 18–27A–06 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 27A. 16
Grow Your Own Educators Grant Program” 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 20
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 21
Article – Education 22
SUBTITLE 27A. GROW YOUR OWN EDUCATORS GRANT PROGRAM. 23
18–27A–01. 24
2 SENATE BILL 937
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(B) “COLLABORATIVE ” MEANS AN AGREEMENT OUTLINI NG COMMITMENTS 3
OF A PARTNERSHIP AMO NG: 4
(1) AT LEAST ONE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ; 5
(2) AT LEAST ONE UNION REPRESENTI NG EMPLOYEES OF A LOCAL 6
SCHOOL SYSTEM ; AND 7
(3) AT LEAST ONE INSTITUTIO N OF HIGHER EDUCATIO N WITH A 8
TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 9
(C) “ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL ” MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO: 10
(1) IS EMPLOYED AS A NONCERTIFIED EDUCATION SUPPORT 11
PROFESSIONAL BY A PA RTICIPATING LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM ; AND 12
(2) MEETS THE EDUCATIONAL REQU IREMENTS DETERMINED BY A 13
COLLABORATIVE . 14
(D) “NONCERTIFIED EDUCATIO N SUPPORT PROFESSION AL” MEANS A 15
NONCERTIFIED PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE DESI GNATED AS PART OF A BARGAINING 16
UNIT UNDER TITLE 6, SUBTITLE 5 OF THIS ARTICLE. 17
(E) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE GROW YOUR OWN EDUCATORS GRANT 18
PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER THIS SUBTITLE . 19
18–27A–02. 20
(A) THERE IS A GROW YOUR OWN EDUCATORS GRANT PROGRAM. 21
(B) (1) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO 22
ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS WHO: 23
(I) ARE INTERESTED IN PUR SUING A CAREER IN TH E TEACHING 24
PROFESSION; AND 25
(II) ULTIMATELY PLEDGE TO FULFILL A SERVICE OB LIGATION 26
AS A TEACHER EMPLOYE D FULL–TIME IN A HIGH–NEEDS SCHOOL , GRADE LEVEL, OR 27
CONTENT AREA IN THE STATE IN WHICH THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF TEA CHERS, AS 28
IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 29 SENATE BILL 937 3
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADMI NISTER THE PROGRAM. 1
(C) TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR TH E PROGRAM, A TEACHER CANDIDATE 2
APPLICANT SHALL : 3
(1) BE EMPLOYED AS A NONCERTIFIED EDUCATI ON SUPPORT 4
PROFESSIONAL BY A PA RTICIPATING LOCAL SC HOOL SYSTEM ON THE EFFECTIVE 5
DATE OF THE PROGRAM; AND 6
(2) MEET THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS DETERMI NED BY A 7
COLLABORATIVE . 8
18–27A–03. 9
(A) A COLLABORATIVE SHALL NEGOTIATE AN AGREEME NT THAT MEETS 10
THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION (B) OF THIS SECTION. 11
(B) A COLLABORATIVE SHALL DEVELOP AND SUBMIT T O THE DEPARTMENT : 12
(1) A PLAN TO: 13
(I) SELECT AT LEAST ONE C ONTENT AREA IN THE L OCAL 14
SCHOOL SYSTEM IN WHICH THER E IS A SHORTAGE OF T EACHERS, AS IDENTIFIED BY 15
THE DEPARTMENT ; 16
(II) SELECT AT LEAST ONE T EACHER PREPARATION P ROGRAM 17
AT AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THA T SATISFIES THE TRAI NING 18
REQUIREMENTS FOR TEA CHER CANDIDATES ; AND 19
(III) DESIGNATE AN INDIVIDU AL FROM A COLLABORAT IVE TO 20
ASSIST TEACHER CANDI DATES AND PROVIDE PROGRAM GUIDANCE ; 21
(2) AN ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBERS OF : 22
(I) TEACHER APPLICANTS LI KELY TO COMPLETE THE 23
PROGRAM; AND 24
(II) MENTOR TEACHERS NECES SARY TO SUPPORT TEAC HER 25
CANDIDATES IN THE PROGRAM; AND 26
(3) EVIDENCE OF A WRITTEN BILLING AGREEMENT WI TH AN 27
INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION THAT INCLUDES: 28 4 SENATE BILL 937
(I) THE TOTAL COST TO THE COLLABORATIVE FOR TH E 1
COHORT OF TEACHER CA NDIDATES; 2
(II) PRORATED TUITION COST THE COLLABORATIVE SHALL PAY 3
THE INSTITUTION OF H IGHER EDUCATION IF A CANDIDATE DOES NOT C OMPLETE 4
THE PROGRAM; AND 5
(III) A PROVISION THAT NO TEACHER CANDIDATE SHALL BE 6
REQUIRED TO PAY TUIT ION, BOOKS, OR FEES AS PART OF THE TEACHER 7
CANDIDATE’S COURSE OF STUDY. 8
(C) A COLLABORATIVE SHALL DEVELOP AND SUBMIT T O THE DEPARTMENT : 9
(1) AN OUTREACH PLAN TO REC RUIT TEACHER CANDIDA TES AND 10
MENTOR TEACHERS THAT: 11
(I) PRIORITIZES RACIAL AN D LINGUISTIC DIVERSI TY OF THE 12
NONCERTIFIED EDUCATI ON SUPPORT PROFESSIO NAL WORKFORCE ; 13
(II) ESTIMATES PROGRAM EXPENSES BY C ATEGORY; AND 14
(III) IDENTIFIES AT LEAST O NE SOURCE OF LONG –TERM 15
FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE PROCES S AND TIMELINE FOR 16
OBTAINING LONG –TERM FUNDING; AND 17
(2) ANY OTHER MATERIALS R EQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 18
18–27A–04. 19
(A) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AWARD A GRANT TO A LOCAL SCHOOL 20
SYSTEM THAT IS PART OF A COLLABORATIVE FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE LOC AL 21
SCHOOL SYSTEM TO COMPLETE A TEACHER P REPARATION PROGRAM A T AN 22
INSTITUTION OF HIGHE R EDUCATION UNDER THE AGREEMENT DESCRIBED IN § 23
18–27A–03 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 24
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL AWAR D A GRANT FOR: 25
(I) TUITION, BOOKS, AND FEES FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES; 26
(II) STIPENDS FOR MENTOR T EACHERS; AND 27
SENATE BILL 937 5
(III) COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADMINISTRATI ON OF THE 1
PROGRAM. 2
(B) A TEACHER CANDIDATE SHALL BE PAID A RATE OF PAY AND OFFERED 3
BENEFITS THAT ARE AT LEAST EQUAL TO TH E RATE OF PAY RECEIVED BY AND 4
BENEFITS OFFERED TO A NONCERTIFIED EDUCA TION SUPPORT PROFESS IONAL OF 5
THE EQUIVALENT CLASS IFICATION AND TENURE IN THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM 6
PROVIDED IN THE COLLECTIVE BA RGAINING AGREEMENT . 7
(C) (1) A COLLABORATIVE SHALL PROVIDE EACH TEACHER CANDIDATE A 8
MENTOR TEACHER FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROGRAM. 9
(2) A TEACHER CANDIDATE MAY NOT SERVE AS A T EACHER OF 10
RECORD OR A SUBSTITU TE TEACHER FOR ANY T EACHER OTHER THAN TH E MENTOR 11
TEACHER ASSIGNED TO THE TEACHER CANDIDAT E. 12
(D) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A UNION THAT REPRESENTS THE 13
TEACHER CANDIDATES SHALL NEGOTIATE A GR ADUAL RELEASE MODEL THAT 14
ALLOWS TEACHER CANDIDATES TO FOCUS PRIMARILY O N INTERNSHIP AND 15
PRACTICUM REQUIREMEN TS. 16
(E) (1) A TEACHER CANDIDATE SH ALL PERFORM A SERVIC E OBLIGATION 17
TO TEACH FULL–TIME IN THE STATE IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL O R A PUBLIC 18
PREKINDERGARTEN PROG RAM IN A HIGH–NEEDS SCHOOL , AS IDENTIFIED BY THE 19
DEPARTMENT , OR IN A GRADE LEVEL OR CONTENT AREA IN W HICH THERE IS A 20
SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIE D EDUCATORS , AS IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT . 21
(2) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DETE RMINE THE LENGTH OF THE 22
SERVICE OBLIGATION . 23
18–27A–05. 24
BEGINNING IN FISCAL YEAR 2026, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 25
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL AN APPROPRIATION OF $5,000,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 26
18–27A–06. 27
(A) EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLECT AND PU BLISH ON ITS 28
WEBSITE: 29
(1) DATA ON TEACHER CANDIDATE RACE , GENDER, AND LINGUISTIC 30
STATUS; 31
6 SENATE BILL 937
(2) DATA ON TEACHER CANDIDATE STATUS AND RETENTION; 1
(3) SPENDING BY CATEGORY ; 2
(4) A SUMMARY OF TEACHER CANDIDATE RECRUITMEN T METHODS; 3
AND 4
(5) IF APPLICABLE, THE HIRING STATUS AND RETENTION DATA OF 5
PROGRAM GRADUATES . 6
(B) IN REPORTING THE DATA UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION , 7
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL MAKE REASONABLE EFFORTS T O ANONYMIZE THE DATA 8
TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF TEACHER CANDIDATE S. 9
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 10
1, 2024. 11