Bill Text: FL S0620 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-08 - Died in Education Pre-K -12 [S0620 Detail]

Download: Florida-2024-S0620-Introduced.html
       Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 620
       
       
        
       By Senator Simon
       
       
       
       
       
       3-01513-24                                             2024620__
    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; providing for the award of
    7         stipends for classroom teacher mentorship, subject to
    8         appropriation; providing for the proration of the
    9         stipends under certain circumstances; providing
   10         department and school district responsibilities;
   11         providing program requirements relating to program
   12         contracts, standards, mentor requirements, and meeting
   13         requirements; authorizing rulemaking; providing an
   14         effective date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Section 1012.988, Florida Statutes, is created
   19  to read:
   20         1012.988School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.—
   21         (1)The School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program is
   22  established within the Department of Education. The purpose of
   23  the program is to increase the effectiveness and involvement of
   24  classroom teachers and improve student achievement, classroom
   25  management, and excellence in the state’s public schools.
   26         (2)(a)The department shall, subject to appropriation,
   27  provide funds to school districts to place retired classroom
   28  teachers who were evaluated as highly effective or current
   29  classroom teachers who are evaluated as highly effective as
   30  mentors to:
   31         1.New classroom teachers.
   32         2.Classroom teachers who are rated as needs improvement,
   33  developing, or unsatisfactory.
   34         3.Classroom teachers who struggle with behavior management
   35  within the classroom.
   36         (b)Each stipend shall be $2,000. The department shall
   37  provide enough funds for each school district to establish three
   38  mentors at each school within the district. However, if the
   39  funds appropriated are inadequate to provide the stipend to each
   40  mentor, stipends must be prorated using the same percentage
   41  reduction.
   42         (3)School districts shall provide a stipend to three
   43  mentors at each school within the district. However, if there is
   44  a proven need at a school within the district, the school
   45  district may allocate more than three stipends to that school.
   46  The award of such stipends may be part of a school district’s
   47  professional development certification and professional
   48  education competency program under s. 1012.56(8) and (9),
   49  respectively.
   50         (4)(a)The program must provide a contract for the mentor
   51  and mentee which outlines the responsibilities of each person
   52  and establishes the framework and goals of the program.
   53         (b)The program must establish standards for the program
   54  which are established by the department which must be based on
   55  the University College London Mentoring Handbook.
   56         (c)The program must pair a more skilled or experienced
   57  classroom teacher as a mentor with a less experienced classroom
   58  teacher as a mentee.
   59         (d)Each mentor must:
   60         1.Not have an official management relationship with his or
   61  her mentee.
   62         2.Provide direction, advice, and a neutral sounding board
   63  to his or her mentee.
   64         3.Maintain confidentiality, unless prohibited by law.
   65         4.Have no personal agenda other than assisting his or her
   66  mentee in developing and reaching the mentee’s goals.
   67         5.Help his or her mentee in developing skills and
   68  expertise, including drawing upon the mentor’s own personal
   69  experiences.
   70         (5)The program shall provide mentoring services for 6
   71  months as follows:
   72         (a)For the first month of the program, each mentor shall
   73  complete two 90-minute sessions with his or her mentee.
   74         (b)For the second and third months of the program, each
   75  mentor shall complete two 60-minute sessions with his or her
   76  mentee each month.
   77         (c)For the fourth through sixth months of the program,
   78  each mentor shall complete one 60-minute session with his or her
   79  mentee each month.
   80         (6)Each session must include the following:
   81         (a)For the first session, the mentor and mentee shall
   82  complete an introduction, establish the reason for the mentee’s
   83  participation in the program, and define the goals for the
   84  remaining sessions.
   85         (b)For the second session, the mentor and mentee shall
   86  review the established goals, explore the mentee’s current
   87  skills, establish the mentee’s desired goals, and establish a
   88  plan to attain the mentee’s desired goals.
   89         (c)For the third session, the mentor and mentee shall
   90  assess the mentee’s skills, strengths, and weakness and how
   91  those effect his or her goals.
   92         (d)For the fourth through eighth sessions, the mentor and
   93  mentee shall review the mentee’s progress and address any
   94  issues.
   95         (e)For the ninth and final session, the mentor and mentee
   96  shall complete a final review of the mentee’s progress and
   97  achievement of his or her goals and establish any future goals
   98  for the mentee.
   99         (7)The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
  100  administer this section.
  101         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.

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