Bill Text: NJ S177 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S177 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S177-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator VINCENT J. POLISTINA
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is established in the Department of Education a four-year "New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program," the purpose of which shall be to address teacher shortages in selected school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects and to diversify the teacher workforce in those districts by recruiting, developing, and supporting minority students in becoming teachers in the school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects from which they graduated. Under the pilot program, three Grow Your Own Partnerships established in accordance with subsection b. of this section shall be selected by the Commissioner of Education in accordance with the application process established pursuant to subsection c. of this section. The Department of Education shall provide annual grants to the three selected Grow Your Own Partnerships throughout the four-year pilot program that, at a minimum, shall cover the tuition and fee and room and board costs for any students participating in the program who are attending an institution of higher education.
b. Prior to submitting an application to the Commissioner pursuant to subsection c. of this section, a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project or a group of school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects shall form a Grow Your Own Partnership with an institution of higher education in the State. A Grow Your Own Partnership may also include a supporting nonprofit organization. Under a Grow Your Own Partnership, a student seeking to become a teacher, who attends a partner institution of higher education and who graduated high school from a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project that is part of the partnership, would enter into an agreement with that partnership, to teach in a participating district or school for a period of at least three years upon graduation from the partner institution of higher education.
c. (1) A Grow Your Own Partnership seeking support from the State under the pilot program shall apply to the Commissioner of Education in accordance with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the commissioner. The application shall include, at a minimum:
(a) an agreement between members of the partnership that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each member and that conveys a shared commitment to the development and hiring of students seeking to become teachers in the school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects from which they graduated;
(b) an implementation plan that would provide specific details on student recruitment, the process that students would undergo in order to complete the program proposed by the partnership, the level and types of supports that would be provided to students, and the ways in which the partnership would track student progress through the program;
(c) a description of financial support that would be provided to students, including the amount of funding needed to cover the tuition and fee and room and board costs for any students participating in the program who are attending an institution of higher education and any scholarships and stipends that the partnership would provide;
(d) an estimate of the number of students that the partnership seeks to support throughout the duration of the pilot program;
(e) a description of the mentorship that would be provided to students and any other supports and opportunities that would be offered to students during the academic year and the summer; and
(f) a request for the amount of State grant funds being sought by the partnership, as well as a description of any other funds that would be used to support the program proposed by the partnership.
(2) In selecting partnerships to support, the commissioner shall prioritize partnerships that include one or more SDA districts as defined in section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3) and shall give equal consideration to partnerships located in the north, central and southern geographical regions of the State.
(3) The commissioner shall determine the amount of each award to a partnership in each year of the pilot program. The amount of each award shall, at a minimum, cover the tuition and fee and room and board costs for any students participating in the program who are attending an institution of higher education.
d. (1) As part of the implementation of the New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program, the Department of Education shall organize a New Jersey Grow Your Own Consortium, consisting of the Grow Your Own Partnerships selected for participation in the pilot program. The department shall organize and convene meetings of the consortium, which shall occur on a quarterly basis during the four-year pilot program. The purpose of the meetings shall be to provide opportunities for the partnerships to share their experiences administering the programs supported under this section and to share best practices and potential ideas for furthering the programs.
(2) The department shall, on an annual basis throughout the duration of the pilot program, submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report evaluating the effectiveness and progress of the pilot program to date.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes in the Department of Education a four-year "New Jersey Grow Your Own Teacher Pilot Program." The purpose of the program is to address teacher shortages in selected school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects and to diversify the teacher workforce in those schools by recruiting, developing, and supporting minority students in becoming teachers in the school districts from which they graduated. The department would provide annual grants to the three selected Grow Your Own Partnerships throughout the four-year pilot program that, at a minimum, would cover the tuition and fee and room and board costs for any students participating in the program who are attending an institution of higher education.
To receive support under the pilot program, a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project or a group of school districts, charter schools, or renaissance schools would form a Grow Your Own Partnership with an institution of higher education in the State. The bill provides that a Grow Your Own Partnership may also include a supporting nonprofit organization. Under a Grow Your Own Partnership, a student seeking to become a teacher, who attends a partner institution of higher education and who graduated high school from a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project that is part of the partnership, would enter into an agreement with that partnership, to teach in a participating district or school for a period of at least three years upon graduation from the partner institution of higher education.
Under the bill, a Grow Your Own Partnership seeking support from the State under the pilot program would apply to the Commissioner of Education in accordance with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the commissioner. The bill establishes certain minimum details and information that would be included on an application submitted by partnership. The bill requires the commissioner to prioritize partnerships that include one or more SDA districts. The commissioner would also give equal consideration to partnerships located in the north, central and southern geographical regions of the State.
The bill requires the Department of Education to organize a New Jersey Grow Your Own Consortium, consisting of the Grow Your Own Partnerships selected for participation in the pilot program. The department would organize and convene meetings of the consortium, which shall occur on a quarterly basis during the four-year pilot program. The purpose of the meetings would be to provide opportunities for the partnerships to share their experiences administering the programs supported under the bill and to share best practices and potential ideas for furthering the programs.
Lastly, the bill requires the department, on an annual basis throughout the duration of the pilot program, to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature, a report evaluating the effectiveness and progress of the pilot program to date.
