Florida Senate - 2022 SB 618
By Senator Jones
35-00632-22 2022618__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the School Teacher Training and
3 Mentoring Program; creating s. 1012.988, F.S.;
4 establishing the School Teacher Training and Mentoring
5 Program within the Department of Education; providing
6 the purpose of the program; requiring the department
7 to provide funds to school districts to place teachers
8 who meet specified qualifications as mentors for
9 certain other teachers, subject to appropriation;
10 providing for the provision of stipends for classroom
11 teacher mentorship; providing for the proration of the
12 stipends under certain circumstances; providing
13 department and school district responsibilities for
14 developing policies, curriculum, and best practices
15 relating to classroom instruction; authorizing the
16 State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing an
17 effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Section 1012.988, Florida Statutes, is created
22 to read:
23 1012.988 School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.—
24 (1) There is established within the Department of Education
25 the School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program. The purpose
26 of the program is to increase the effectiveness and involvement
27 of classroom teachers and improve student achievement, equity,
28 and excellence in this state’s public schools.
29 (2) The department shall:
30 (a) Subject to appropriation, provide funds to school
31 districts to place retired classroom teachers who were evaluated
32 as highly effective or current classroom teachers who are
33 evaluated as highly effective as mentors to new classroom
34 teachers; classroom teachers who are rated as needs improvement,
35 developing, or unsatisfactory; and classroom teachers who are
36 from a different demographic group, if needed. The funds must be
37 sufficient for each school district to establish three mentors
38 at each school within the district and for school districts to
39 provide each selected classroom teacher a stipend in the amount
40 of $2,000. However, if the funds appropriated are not adequate
41 to provide the maximum stipend amount to each selected classroom
42 teacher, amounts must be prorated using the same percentage
43 reduction for all mentors.
44 (b) Increase classroom teacher involvement and input when
45 developing state-level policies, curriculum, and best practices
46 relating to classroom instruction.
47 (c) Create and expand nontraditional curriculum models and
48 practices in reading and mathematics in an effort to steer
49 systemic change.
50 (3) School districts shall:
51 (a) Subject to funds received from the department, provide
52 a stipend to three retired classroom teachers who were evaluated
53 as highly effective or current classroom teachers who are
54 evaluated as highly effective at each school within the district
55 to serve as mentors as described in paragraph (2)(a). However,
56 if there is a proven need at a school within the district, the
57 school district may allocate more than three stipends to that
58 school. The provision of such stipends may be part of a school
59 district’s professional development certification and education
60 competency program under s. 1012.56(8).
61 (b) Increase classroom teacher involvement and input when
62 developing district-level policies, curriculum, and best
63 practices relating to classroom instruction.
64 (4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
65 administer this section.
66 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.