08 LC 33
2524
House
Bill 1364
By:
Representatives Casas of the
103rd,
Hembree of the
67th,
and Coleman of the
97th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official
Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the employment of certificated
professional personnel in elementary and secondary education, so as to provide
for alternative teaching certifications for former military personnel under
certain conditions; to provide for requirements for such alternative
certification; to provide for period of certification and renewal; to provide
for criminal records checks; to provide for statutory construction; to prohibit
discrimination or disparate treatment for teachers and applicants for
alternative certification; to revise provisions for purposes of conformity; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Subpart
1 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to the employment of certificated professional
personnel in elementary and secondary education, is amended by revising
subsections (a) and (b) of Code Section 20-2-200, relating to teacher
certification, as follows:
"(a)
The Professional Standards Commission shall provide, by regulation, for
certifying and classifying all certificated professional personnel employed in
the public schools of this state. No such personnel shall be employed in the
public schools of this state unless they hold certificates issued by the
commission certifying their qualifications and classification in accordance with
such regulations. The commission shall establish such number of classifications
of other certificated professional personnel as it may find reasonably necessary
or desirable for the operation of the public schools; provided, however, that
such classifications shall be based only upon academic, technical, and
professional training, experience, and competency of such personnel. The
commission is authorized to provide for denying a certificate to an applicant,
suspending or revoking a certificate, or otherwise disciplining the holder of a
certificate for good cause after an investigation is held and notice and an
opportunity for a hearing are provided the certificate holder or applicant in
accordance with subsection (d) of Code Section 20-2-984.5. The commission shall
designate and define the various classifications of professional personnel
employed in the public schools of this state that shall be required to be
certificated under this Code
section,
or
under Code Section
20-2-206,or
Code Section 20-2-207. Without limiting
the generality of the foregoing, the term 'certificated professional personnel'
is defined as all professional personnel certificated by the commission and
county or regional librarians.
(b)(1)
The Professional Standards Commission shall establish rules and regulations for
appropriate requirements and procedures to ensure high-quality certification
standards for all Georgia educators while facilitating the interstate mobility
of out-of-state certified educators.
(2)
Requirements established for initial certification applicants new to the
profession, to include out-of-state program completers with or without
certificates and with no teaching experience, may include, but are not limited
to, demonstrated satisfactory proficiency in the following: a test of broad
general knowledge; a test of specific subject matter content or other
professional knowledge appropriate to the applicant´s field of
certification; computer skill competency; standards of ethical conduct; and
course work in the identification and education of children who have special
educational needs; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not be construed
to apply to alternative certification requirements as provided in Code
Section
Sections
20-2-206 or
20-2-207.
(3)
Requirements established for holders of valid, professional out-of-state
certificates applying for their first Georgia certificate may include, but are
not limited to the following: computer skill competency; course work in the
identification and education of children who have special educational needs;
recency of study; and standards of ethical conduct. These requirements may be
completed during the validity period of the first Georgia certificate. At the
time of application for the first Georgia certificate, satisfactory proficiency
in subject matter content appropriate to the applicant´s field of
certification may be determined based on Professional Standards Commission
approved tests or combinations of successful teaching experience and academic,
technical, and professional preparation as outlined in rules of the Professional
Standards Commission.
(4)
Requirements for certification renewal shall be established to foster ongoing
professional learning, enhance student achievement, and verify standards of
ethical conduct. Such requirements may include, but are not limited to,
professional learning related to school improvement plans or the
applicant´s field of certification and background checks. Should the
Professional Standards Commission include a requirement to demonstrate computer
skill competency, the rules and regulations shall provide that a certificated
educator may elect to meet the requirement by:
(A)
Completing a course in computer skill competency, including but not limited to
the phase one InTech model training program; or
(B)
Receiving satisfactory results on a test in basic computer skill competency. If
a certificated educator elects to take such test pursuant to this subparagraph,
the local school system by which such educator is employed shall make available
the opportunity to take the test on site at the school in which the educator is
assigned. Each principal shall identify an administrator on site at each school
to serve as a proctor for individuals taking the test pursuant to this
subparagraph.
Individuals
holding a valid Georgia life certificate or a valid National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards certificate shall be deemed to have met state
renewal requirements except those related to background checks.
(5)
Requirements designating approved in-field assignment standards appropriate to
the applicant´s field of certification shall be established to ensure that
educators are assigned to those areas for which they are properly prepared.
These standards may be determined based on reviews of state approved curriculum
courses, state approved preparation programs, and designated certificate
fields."
SECTION
2.
Said
subpart is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"20-2-207.
(a)
Each local school system may provide an alternative teacher certification
program upon approval by the Professional Standards Commission for a teacher
candidate who:
(1)
Has received a passport certificate issued by the American Board for
Certification of Teacher Excellence;
(2)
Possesses a minimum of a bachelor´s degree;
(3)
Meets any requirements of this subpart and commission rules relating to the
content areas of biology, chemistry, elementary education, English, United
States and world history, mathematics, physics, science, or special education;
and
(4)
Is a current or former active duty member of the United States
military.
(b)(1)
A certificate issued by the commission pursuant to this Code section shall be
valid for one year.
(2)
A certificate issued by the commission pursuant to this Code section may be
renewed annually for up to two additional years upon the successful completion
of teaching instruction and of the local school system´s induction
program.
(c)
All individuals making application for certification pursuant to this Code
section, shall be fingerprinted and have a criminal record check made as
required by this subsection. Fingerprints shall be in such form and of such
quality as shall be acceptable for submission to the National Crime Information
Center under standards adopted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the
United States Department of Justice. It shall be the duty of each law
enforcement agency in this state to fingerprint those persons required to be
fingerprinted by this subsection. At the discretion of the commission, fees
required for a criminal record check by the Georgia Crime Information Center,
the National Crime Information Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or
the United States Department of Justice shall be paid by the individual making
application to the Professional Standards Commission. Information provided by
the Georgia Crime Information Center or the National Crime Information Center
shall be used only for the purposes allowed by Code Section 35-3-35 or by
applicable federal laws, rules, or regulations.
(d)
The Professional Standards Commission shall apply the least restrictive
standards when approving a school system developed program under this Code
section.
(e)
Any teacher certified pursuant to this Code section shall be considered a highly
qualified teacher for purposes of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (P.L.
107-110).
(f)
A teacher receiving initial certification pursuant to this Code section shall be
treated in the same manner as certificated professional personnel for purposes
of this chapter or any local board of education policy, including receiving
salaries pursuant to the minimum salary schedule provided for in Code Section
20-2-212."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.