| 12 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 13 | 14 | | AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR EXTENDED -YEAR CONTRACTS FOR INITIALLY 2 |
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| 14 | 15 | | LICENSED TEACHERS, MENTOR TEACHERS, TEACHERS IN LOW -PERFORMING 3 |
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| 15 | 16 | | SCHOOLS, AND CERTAIN VETERAN TEACHERS. 4 |
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| 16 | 17 | | Whereas, students who are struggling in school need an extended school year and 5 |
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| 17 | 18 | | individualized instructional support; and 6 |
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| 18 | 19 | | Whereas, students and teachers would benefit from additional opportunities for 7 |
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| 19 | 20 | | teachers to participate in professional development; and 8 |
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| 20 | 21 | | Whereas, teachers have limited time to engage in professional development during 9 |
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| 21 | 22 | | the school year because their time is largely committed to working with students; and 10 |
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| 22 | 23 | | Whereas, teachers need more time to learn from other teachers in the context of 11 |
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| 23 | 24 | | teacher-designed and teacher-led professional development; and 12 |
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| 24 | 25 | | Whereas, effective professional development requires learning that is situated in 13 |
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| 25 | 26 | | teachers' actual practice and focused on students' thinking and work instead of separated from 14 |
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| 26 | 27 | | teaching and learning by time and location; and 15 |
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| 27 | 28 | | Whereas, communities of practice are essential to providing teachers with 16 |
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| 28 | 29 | | opportunities to lead, learn from, and collaborate with their professional peers; and 17 |
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| 29 | 30 | | Whereas, transformative learning takes time to become established, and professional 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | development that is sustained over the course of an academic year provides that time; and 19 |
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| 31 | 32 | | Whereas, teacher evaluations should provide meaningful feedback to teachers; and 20 |
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| 32 | 33 | | Whereas, the teacher evaluation process can incorporate professional development in 21 |
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| 33 | 34 | | order to improve teacher performance; and 22 |
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| 34 | 35 | | Whereas, teachers should be compensated for participating in professional activities 23 |
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| 35 | 36 | | by way of an extended contractual year; and 24 |
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| 36 | 37 | | Whereas, the General Assembly supports providing compensation for teachers in 25 |
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| 37 | 38 | | accordance with advanced teaching roles; and 26 |
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| 38 | 39 | | Whereas, extended-year teacher contracts and advanced teaching roles can 27 |
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| 39 | 40 | | complement one another to improve teacher performance and student achievement; Now, 28 |
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| 40 | 41 | | therefore, 29 |
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| 41 | 42 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 30 |
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| 42 | 43 | | SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-302.1 reads as rewritten: 31 |
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| 43 | 44 | | "§ 115C-302.1. Salary. 32 |
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| 44 | 45 | | (a) Prompt Payment. – Teachers shall be paid promptly when their salaries are due 33 |
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| 45 | 46 | | provided the legal requirements for their employment and service have been met. All teachers 34 |
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| 46 | 47 | | employed by any local school administrative unit who are to be paid from local funds shall be 35 |
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| 49 | 54 | | (b) Salary Payments. Payments Under Terms of Contracts. – State-allotted teachers shall 1 |
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| 50 | 55 | | be paid for a term of 10 months. as follows: 2 |
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| 51 | 56 | | (1) Extended-year contract teachers. – Teachers designated as extended-year 3 |
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| 52 | 57 | | contract teachers as provided in G.S. 115C-306.1 shall be paid for a term of 4 |
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| 53 | 58 | | 11 months. 5 |
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| 54 | 59 | | (2) Career and technical education teachers. – Except for career and technical 6 |
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| 55 | 60 | | education agriculture teacher personnel positions as provided for in this 7 |
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| 56 | 61 | | subsection, subdivision, State-allotted months of employment for career and 8 |
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| 57 | 62 | | technical education to local boards shall be used for the employment of 9 |
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| 58 | 63 | | teachers of career and technical education for a term of employment to be 10 |
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| 59 | 64 | | determined by the local boards of education. Beginning with the 2018-2019 11 |
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| 60 | 65 | | school year, career and technical education agriculture teacher personnel 12 |
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| 61 | 66 | | positions serving students in grades nine through 12 shall be for a term of 13 |
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| 62 | 67 | | employment for 12 calendar months. A local board of education may fund 14 |
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| 63 | 68 | | these positions using any combination of State funds, local funds, or any other 15 |
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| 64 | 69 | | funds available to the local board. 16 |
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| 65 | 70 | | (3) 10-month term teachers. – All other teachers shall be paid for a term of 10 17 |
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| 66 | 71 | | months. 18 |
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| 67 | 72 | | Each local board of education shall establish a set date on which monthly salary payments to 19 |
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| 68 | 73 | | State-allotted teachers shall be made. This set pay date may differ from the end of the month of 20 |
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| 69 | 74 | | service. The daily rate of pay for teachers shall equal midway between one twenty-first and one 21 |
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| 70 | 75 | | twenty-second of the monthly rate of pay. Except for teachers employed in a year-round school 22 |
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| 71 | 76 | | or school, paid in accordance with a year-round calendar, or both, employed on an extended-year 23 |
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| 72 | 77 | | contract, the initial pay date for teachers shall be no later than August 31 and shall include a full 24 |
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| 73 | 78 | | monthly payment. Subsequent pay dates shall be spaced no more than one month apart and shall 25 |
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| 74 | 79 | | include a full monthly payment. 26 |
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| 75 | 80 | | Teachers may be prepaid on the monthly pay date for days not yet worked. A teacher who 27 |
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| 76 | 81 | | fails to attend scheduled workdays or who has not worked the number of days for which the 28 |
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| 77 | 82 | | teacher has been paid and who resigns, is dismissed, or whose contract is not renewed shall repay 29 |
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| 78 | 83 | | to the local board any salary payments received for days not yet worked. A teacher who has been 30 |
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| 79 | 84 | | prepaid and continues to be employed by a local board but fails to attend scheduled workdays 31 |
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| 80 | 85 | | may be subject to dismissal under G.S. 115C-325 or G.S. 115C-325.4 or other appropriate 32 |
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| 81 | 86 | | discipline. 33 |
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| 82 | 87 | | Any individual teacher who is not employed in a year-round school may be paid in 12 34 |
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| 83 | 88 | | monthly installments if the teacher so requests. The request shall be filed in the local school 35 |
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| 84 | 89 | | administrative unit which employs the teacher. Local school administrative units shall fulfill this 36 |
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| 85 | 90 | | requirement through a payroll deduction plan. The payment of the annual salary in 12 37 |
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| 86 | 91 | | installments instead of 10 or 11 shall not increase or decrease the teacher's annual salary nor in 38 |
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| 87 | 92 | | any other way alter the contract made between the teacher and the local school administrative 39 |
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| 88 | 93 | | unit. 40 |
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| 89 | 94 | | Notwithstanding this subsection, the term "daily rate of pay" for the purpose of 41 |
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| 90 | 95 | | G.S. 115C-12(8) or for any other law or policy governing pay or benefits based on the teacher 42 |
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| 91 | 96 | | salary schedule shall not exceed one twenty-second of a teacher's monthly rate of pay. 43 |
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| 92 | 97 | | (b1) The State Board of Education shall maintain the same policies related to masters pay 44 |
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| 93 | 98 | | for teachers that were in effect for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. 45 |
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| 94 | 99 | | … 46 |
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| 95 | 100 | | (c) Vacation. – Included within the 10-month term term of employment shall be annual 47 |
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| 96 | 101 | | vacation leave at the same rate provided for State employees, computed at one-twelfth of the 48 |
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| 97 | 102 | | annual rate for State employees for each month of employment. Local boards shall provide at 49 |
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| 98 | 103 | | least 10 days of annual vacation leave at a time when students are not scheduled to be in regular 50 |
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| 99 | 104 | | attendance. However, instructional personnel who do not require a substitute may use annual 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 101 | 106 | | vacation leave on days that students are in attendance. Career and technical education teachers 1 |
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| 102 | 107 | | Teachers who are employed for 11 or 12 months may, with prior approval of the principal, work 2 |
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| 103 | 108 | | on annual vacation leave days designated in the school calendar and may use those annual 3 |
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| 104 | 109 | | vacation leave days during the eleventh or twelfth month of employment. Local boards of 4 |
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| 105 | 110 | | education may adopt policies permitting instructional personnel employed for 11 or 12 months 5 |
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| 106 | 111 | | in year-round schools to, with the approval of the principal, take vacation leave at a time when 6 |
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| 107 | 112 | | students are in attendance; local funds shall be used to cover the cost of substitute teachers. 7 |
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| 108 | 113 | | On a day that pupils are not required to attend school due to inclement weather, but employees 8 |
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| 109 | 114 | | are required to report for a workday, a teacher may elect not to report due to hazardous travel 9 |
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| 110 | 115 | | conditions and to take an annual vacation day or to make up the day at a time agreed upon by the 10 |
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| 111 | 116 | | teacher and the teacher's immediate supervisor or principal. On a day that school is closed to 11 |
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| 112 | 117 | | employees and pupils due to inclement weather, a teacher shall work on the scheduled makeup 12 |
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| 113 | 118 | | day. 13 |
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| 114 | 119 | | All vacation leave taken by the teacher will be upon the authorization of the teacher's 14 |
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| 115 | 120 | | immediate supervisor and under policies established by the local board of education. Annual 15 |
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| 116 | 121 | | vacation leave shall not be used to extend the term of employment. 16 |
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| 117 | 122 | | Notwithstanding any provisions of this subsection to the contrary, no person shall be entitled 17 |
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| 118 | 123 | | to pay for any vacation day not earned by that person. 18 |
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| 119 | 124 | | … 19 |
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| 120 | 125 | | (e) Teachers in Year-Round Schools. – Compensation for teachers employed in 20 |
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| 121 | 126 | | year-round schools shall be the same as teachers paid for a 10-month term, other teachers 21 |
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| 122 | 127 | | employed for the same number of months, but those days may be scheduled over 12 calendar 22 |
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| 123 | 128 | | months. Annual leave, sick leave, workdays, holidays, salary, and longevity for teachers who are 23 |
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| 124 | 129 | | employed at year-round schools shall be equivalent to those of other teachers employed for the 24 |
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| 125 | 130 | | same number of months, respectively. Teachers paid for a term of 10 or 11 months in year-round 25 |
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| 126 | 131 | | schools shall receive their salary in 12 equal installments. 26 |
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| 127 | 132 | | …." 27 |
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| 128 | 133 | | SECTION 2. Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by 28 |
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| 129 | 134 | | adding a new section to read: 29 |
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| 130 | 135 | | "§ 115C-306.1. Extended-year teacher contracts. 30 |
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| 131 | 136 | | (a) Definitions. – As used in this section, the following definitions apply: 31 |
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| 132 | 137 | | (1) Extended-year contract. – A contract providing for a term of employment of 32 |
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| 133 | 138 | | 11 months during the school year. 33 |
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| 134 | 139 | | (2) IL teacher. – A teacher who holds a current North Carolina teaching license 34 |
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| 135 | 140 | | in any of the following classes: 35 |
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| 136 | 141 | | a. A three-year initial professional license. 36 |
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| 137 | 142 | | b. A three-year limited license. 37 |
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| 138 | 143 | | c. A one-year residency license. 38 |
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| 139 | 144 | | d. A one-year emergency license. 39 |
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| 140 | 145 | | (3) LPS teacher. – A teacher assigned by a local board of education to teach at a 40 |
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| 141 | 146 | | school identified as low-performing as provided in G.S. 115C-105.37. 41 |
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| 142 | 147 | | (4) Mentor teacher. – A teacher designated by the local board of education as a 42 |
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| 143 | 148 | | mentor teacher. A mentor teacher may include a teacher in an advanced 43 |
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| 144 | 149 | | teaching role pursuant to G.S. 115C-311. 44 |
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| 145 | 150 | | (5) Veteran teacher. – A teacher who meets all of the following requirements: 45 |
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| 146 | 151 | | a. Holds a current five-year North Carolina continuing professional 46 |
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| 147 | 152 | | license for teaching. 47 |
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| 148 | 153 | | b. Has at least six years of licensed teaching experience. 48 |
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| 149 | 154 | | c. Is not an IL teacher, a mentor teacher, or an LPS teacher. 49 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 151 | 156 | | (b) Extended-Year Contracts. – Local boards of education shall, in awarding contracts to 1 |
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| 152 | 157 | | teachers as provided in Part 3 of Article 22 of this Chapter, provide for extended-year contracts 2 |
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| 153 | 158 | | as follows: 3 |
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| 154 | 159 | | (1) Mandatory extended-year contracts. – The local board of education shall 4 |
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| 155 | 160 | | award mandatory extended-year contracts to all IL teachers and all LPS 5 |
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| 156 | 161 | | teachers. IL teachers and LPS teachers shall not be eligible to receive 6 |
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| 157 | 162 | | 10-month contracts. 7 |
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| 158 | 163 | | (2) Optional extended-year contracts. – The local board of education shall offer 8 |
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| 159 | 164 | | optional extended-year contracts as follows: 9 |
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| 160 | 165 | | a. To mentor teachers in any year that the teacher is designated as a 10 |
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| 161 | 166 | | mentor teacher. 11 |
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| 162 | 167 | | b. To veteran teachers one year out of each three-year period the teacher 12 |
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| 163 | 168 | | is employed by the local board. 13 |
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| 164 | 169 | | Mentor teachers and veteran teachers may accept the extended-year contract 14 |
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| 165 | 170 | | or may request and be awarded a 10-month contract. 15 |
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| 166 | 171 | | (c) Designation of Mentor Teachers. – The local board of education shall annually 16 |
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| 167 | 172 | | designate up to ten percent (10%) of those teachers employed by the local board as mentor 17 |
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| 168 | 173 | | teachers. The local board of education shall, at a minimum, use the following criteria in 18 |
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| 169 | 174 | | designating mentor teachers: 19 |
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| 170 | 175 | | (1) Effectiveness in teaching and mentoring other teachers. 20 |
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| 171 | 176 | | (2) Contribution to academic success of students. 21 |
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| 172 | 177 | | The local board of education shall use annual teacher evaluations and other research-based 22 |
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| 173 | 178 | | metrics in designating mentor teachers. 23 |
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| 174 | 179 | | (d) Extended-Year Contract Duties. – A teacher who is awarded and accepts an 24 |
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| 175 | 180 | | extended-year contract shall be assigned, at a minimum, the following additional job duties in 25 |
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| 176 | 181 | | the eleventh month of employment: 26 |
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| 177 | 182 | | (1) IL teachers. – IL teachers shall work with mentor teachers to improve 27 |
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| 178 | 183 | | professional skills and increase classroom effectiveness. IL teachers shall 28 |
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| 179 | 184 | | participate in professional development and support extended school year 29 |
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| 180 | 185 | | instruction for students performing below grade level. 30 |
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| 181 | 186 | | (2) Mentor teachers. – Mentor teachers shall do at least one of the following: 31 |
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| 182 | 187 | | a. Mentor and teach other teachers, including IL teachers. 32 |
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| 183 | 188 | | b. Provide professional development to other teachers. 33 |
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| 184 | 189 | | c. Support extended school year instruction for students performing 34 |
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| 185 | 190 | | below grade level. 35 |
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| 186 | 191 | | d. Engage in other professional collaborations to improve student 36 |
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| 187 | 192 | | success. 37 |
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| 188 | 193 | | (3) LPS teachers. – LPS teachers shall be assigned additional job duties in the 38 |
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| 189 | 194 | | discretion of the local board of education, which may include teaching an 39 |
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| 190 | 195 | | extended school instructional year or engaging in high-quality professional 40 |
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| 191 | 196 | | development. 41 |
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| 192 | 197 | | (4) Veteran teachers. – Veteran teachers shall be assigned additional job duties 42 |
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| 193 | 198 | | related to the provision of high-quality professional development in the 43 |
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| 194 | 199 | | discretion of the local board of education." 44 |
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| 195 | 200 | | SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-325.3(a) reads as rewritten: 45 |
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| 196 | 201 | | "§ 115C-325.3. Teacher contracts. 46 |
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| 197 | 202 | | (a) Length of Contract. – A contract between the local board of education and a teacher 47 |
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| 198 | 203 | | who has been employed by the local board of education for less than three years shall be for a 48 |
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| 199 | 204 | | term of one school year. A new contract or renewal of contract between the local board of 49 |
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| 200 | 205 | | education and a teacher who has been employed by the local board of education as a teacher for 50 |
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| 201 | 206 | | three years or more shall be for a term of one, two, or four school years. A local board of 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 |
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| 203 | 208 | | education may require by policy that the three years of employment be consecutive. A contract 1 |
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| 204 | 209 | | or renewal of contract between the local board of education and a teacher shall include terms 2 |
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| 205 | 210 | | permitting extended-year teacher contracts as provided in G.S. 115C-306.1." 3 |
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| 206 | 211 | | SECTION 4. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 4 |
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| 207 | 212 | | Public Instruction for the 2025-2026 fiscal year the sum of three hundred ten million dollars 5 |
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| 208 | 213 | | ($310,000,000) in recurring funds to provide extended-year teacher contracts to certain teachers 6 |
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| 209 | 214 | | in accordance with G.S. 115C-306.1, as enacted by this act. 7 |
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| 210 | 215 | | SECTION 5. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025, and applies beginning with 8 |
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| 211 | 216 | | the 2025-2026 school year. 9 |
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