Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB102 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~By: Bernal, Rodriguez, González of Dallas, H.B. No. 102~~
2		-	~~et al~~.
	1	+	86R1703 CAE-D
	2	+	By: Bernal H.B. No. 102
3	3
4	4
5	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6		AN ACT
7	7		relating to a school district assigning a mentor teacher to a new
8	8		classroom teacher.
9	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10		SECTION 1. Section 21.458, Education Code, is amended by
11		-	adding Subsections (a-1), (b-1), (f), ~~(f-1),~~ and (g) and amending
	11	+	adding Subsections (a-1), (b-1), (f), and (g) and amending
12	12		Subsections (b) and (d) to read as follows:
13	13		(a-1) To be assigned as a mentor, a teacher must agree to
14		-	serve as a mentor teacher for at least one school year. The
15		-	assignment must begin not later than the 30th day of employment of
16		-	the classroom teacher to whom the mentor teacher is assigned. A
17		-	district must agree to assign a mentor to a new classroom teacher
18		-	for at least two school years.
	14	+	serve as a mentor teacher for at least two school years. The
	15	+	assignment must begin on the first day of employment of the
	16	+	classroom teacher to whom the mentor teacher is assigned.
19	17		(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to
20	18		administer this section, including rules concerning the duties and
21	19		qualifications of a teacher who serves as a mentor and the number of
22	20		classroom teachers that may be assigned to a mentor. The rules
23	21		concerning qualifications must require that to serve as a mentor a
24	22		teacher must:
25	23		(1) complete a research-based mentor and induction
26	24		training program approved by the commissioner;
27	25		(2) complete a mentor training program provided by the
28	26		district; [and]
29	27		(3) have at least three complete years of teaching
30	28		experience with a superior record of assisting students, as a
31	29		whole, in achieving improvement in student performance; and
32	30		(4) demonstrate interpersonal skills, instructional
33	31		effectiveness, and leadership skills.
34	32		(b-1) A school district must provide training to mentor
35	33		teachers and any appropriate district and campus employees who work
36	34		with the classroom teacher or supervise the classroom teacher. The
37	35		training must be completed by the mentor teacher and the district
38	36		and campus employees before the beginning of the school year. The
39	37		district shall also provide supplemental training to mentor
40	38		teachers and employees during the school year. The training must
41	39		include content related to best mentorship practices.
42	40		(d) In adopting rules under this section [Subsection (c)],
43	41		the commissioner shall rely on research-based mentoring programs
44	42		that, through external evaluation, have demonstrated success.
45	43		(f) A mentor teacher must meet with each classroom teacher
46		-	assigned to the mentor not less than 12 hours each semester.
47		-	Observations of the mentor by the classroom teacher being mentored
48		-	or of the classroom teacher being mentored by the mentor may count
49		-	toward the 12 hours of meeting time required for the semester.
50		-	Except as provided by Subsection (f-1), the mentoring sessions must
	44	+	assigned to the mentor at least once a week for an individual
	45	+	mentoring session lasting at least 45 minutes, with not less than 12
	46	+	hours of meeting time each semester. The mentoring sessions must
51	47		address the following topics:
52	48		(1) orientation to the context, policies, and
53	49		practices of the school district;
54	50		(2) data-driven instructional practices;
55	51		(3) specific instructional coaching cycles, including
56	52		coaching regarding conferences between parents and the classroom
57	53		teacher;
58	54		(4) professional development; and
59	55		(5) professional expectations.
60		-	(f-1) Subject to approval by the agency, in determining the
61		-	topics to be addressed in the mentoring sessions, a school district
62		-	may create an appropriate curriculum that meets the district needs.
63	56		(g) A school district must:
64	57		(1) designate a specific time during the regularly
65	58		contracted school day for meetings between mentor teachers and
66	59		classroom teachers assigned to a mentor; and
67	60		(2) schedule release time or a reduced teaching load
68	61		for mentor teachers and classroom teachers under this section to
69	62		facilitate mentoring activities, including classroom observations
70	63		or participation in supportive coaching.
71	64		SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
72	65		amended by adding Section 42.161 to read as follows:
73	66		Sec. 42.161. MENTOR PROGRAM ALLOTMENT. (a) A school
74	67		district that has implemented a mentoring program for classroom
75	68		teachers who have less than two years of teaching experience under
76	69		Section 21.458 is entitled to an allotment as determined under
77	70		Subsection (b) to fund the mentoring program and to provide
78	71		stipends for mentor teachers.
79	72		(b) The commissioner shall adopt a formula to determine the
80	73		amount to which each district described by Subsection (a) is
81	74		entitled.
82	75		(c) Funding provided to districts under this section may be
83	76		used only for providing:
84	77		(1) mentor teacher stipends;
85	78		(2) scheduled release time for mentor teachers and the
86	79		classroom teachers to whom they are assigned for meeting and
87	80		engaging in mentoring activities; and
88	81		(3) mentoring support through providers of mentor
89	82		training.
90	83		SECTION 3. Section 21.458(c), Education Code, is repealed.
91	84		SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
92	85		school year.
93	86		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
94	87		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
95	88		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
96	89		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
97	90		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.