H. B. 4546
(By Delegates Campbell, Paxton, Poling,
Spencer, Williams, Tabb, Beach and Wysong)
[Introduced February 14, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-2a of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to continuing additional
compensation for holders of national board for professional
teaching standards certification who are subsequently employed
in principal and assistant principal positions.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18A-4-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
§18A-4-2a. State minimum salary bonus for classroom teachers with
national board certification.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the
rigorous standards and processes for certification by the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) helps to promote
the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, classroom teachers in the public schools of West Virginia should be
encouraged to achieve national board certification through a
reimbursement of expenses and an additional salary bonus which
reflects their additional certification, to be paid in accordance
with the provisions of this section.
(b) One thousand dollars shall be paid annually to each
classroom teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the
National Board of Professional Teaching Standards for the life of
the certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one
certification: Provided, That beginning on the first day of July,
two thousand one, in lieu of the one thousand dollars,
Two thousand
five hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom
teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the National Board
of for Professional Teaching Standards for the life of the
certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one
certification.
(c) The payments:
(i) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the
applicable state minimum salary schedule;
(ii) Shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and
(iii) Shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries
for teachers.
(d) One thousand dollars shall be paid for reimbursement once
to each teacher who enrolls in the program for the national board for professional teaching standards certification and one thousand
dollars shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who
completes the national board for professional teaching standards
certification. Effective the first day of July, two thousand one,
in lieu of the one thousand dollar payment for reimbursements,
One-half the certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once
to each teacher who enrolls in the program for the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards certification and one-half the
certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once to each
teacher who completes the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification. Teachers who achieve National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards certification may be reimbursed a
maximum of six hundred dollars for expenses actually incurred while
obtaining the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
certification.
(e) The state board shall limit the number of teachers who
receive the initial reimbursements of the certification fees set
forth in subsection (d) to one hundred teachers annually.
Effective the first day of July, two thousand one, in lieu of the
limit of one hundred teachers annually, The state board shall limit
the number of teachers who receive the initial reimbursements of
the certification fees set forth in subsection (d) to two hundred
teachers annually. The state board shall establish selection
criteria for the teachers by the legislative rule required pursuant to subsection (g) of this section.
(f) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this
section, funding for reimbursement of the certification fee and
expenses actually incurred while obtaining the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards certifications shall be
administered by the State Department of Education from an
appropriation established for that purpose by the Legislature. If
funds appropriated by the Legislature to accomplish the purposes of
this subsection are insufficient, the state department shall
prorate the reimbursements for expenses and shall request of the
Legislature, at its next regular session, funds sufficient to
accomplish the purposes of this subsection, including needed
retroactive payments.
(g) Effective on the first day of July, two thousand six, the
holder of a valid certificate issued to them by the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards during their employment as a
classroom teacher and who subsequently is employed as a school
principal or assistant school principal
shall continue be paid two
thousand five hundred dollars annually for the life of the
certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one
certification.
(g) The state board shall promulgate legislative rules
pursuant to article three-b, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to
implement the provisions of this section.
Note: The purpose of this bill is to continue the additional
compensation for holders of national board for professional
teaching standards certification who are subsequently promoted to
principal and assistant principal positions.
Strike-throughs indicate existing language that would be
removed, and underscoring indicates new language that would be
added.