H. B. 2545

                        (By Delegates Pasdon, Duke, Perry and Moye)

                        (By Request of the Department of Education)

                        [Introduced February 2, 2015; 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 reimbursement of certification fee for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification; and requiring the submission of satisfactory evidence to the West Virginia Department of Education for reimbursement.

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 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) (1) Three thousand five hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who holds a valid certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for the life of the certification, but in no event more than ten years for any one certification.

            (2) Three thousand five hundred dollars shall be paid annually to each classroom teacher who holds a valid renewal certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for the life of the renewal certificate, but in no event more than ten years for any one renewal certificate.

            (c) The payments:

            (1) Shall be in addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable state minimum salary schedule;

            (2) Shall be paid in equal monthly installments; and

            (3) Shall be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for teachers.

            (d) For initial certification, one half of the certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who enrolls submits satisfactory evidence to the West Virginia Department of Education of enrollment in the program for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. and The remaining one half of the certification fee shall be paid for reimbursement once to each teacher who completes submits satisfactory evidence to the West Virginia Department of Education of completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification Completion shall be defined as the completion of ten scorable entries, as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Teachers who achieve National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification may be reimbursed a maximum of $600 for expenses actually incurred while obtaining the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.

            (e) For renewal certification, each teacher who completes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification renewal process shall be reimbursed for the renewal certification fee. Completion of the certification renewal process means the submission of satisfactory evidence to the West Virginia Department of Education of the successful renewal of the ten-year certification as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

            (f) The state board shall establish selection criteria for the teachers by the legislative rule required pursuant to subsection (h) of this section.

            (g) Funding for reimbursement of the initial certification fee and expenses actually incurred while obtaining the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certifications and funding for reimbursement of the renewal certification fee 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.

            (h) 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 make a technical improvement in the language for reimbursement of teachers for fees upon enrollment, completion or renewal of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification. Currently completion is defined as submitting “ten scorable entries,” but the NBPTS has changed its definition several times over the years and the current statutory definition is no longer valid. The new language requires the submission of satisfactory evidence to the West Virginia Department of Education, rather than relying on a specific parameter of the NBPTS that may change.

            Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.