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Introduced Version House Bill 2967 History

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H. B. 2967


(By Delegates M. Poling, Paxton and Michael)
[Introduced March 5, 2009; 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 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate renewal; continuing salary bonus for renewed certificates; providing for reimbursement of renewal fees; and continuing bonus eligibility if a holder accepts employment as principal or in another school level instructional leadership position.

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 and maintain 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 of 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 of 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 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. 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 successful renewal of the ten-year NBPTS certification as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
(e) (f) The state board shall limit the number of teachers who receive the initial reimbursements of the certification fees
are reimbursed for the first one half of the fee for initial certification, as set forth in subsection (d) of this section, to two hundred teachers annually. The state board shall establish selection criteria for the teachers by the legislative rule required pursuant to subsection (g) (i) of this section.
(f) (g) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) (f) 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.
(h) A classroom teacher who holds certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and accepts employment as a principal, an assistant principal, or in another instructional leadership position at the school level, shall remain eligible for the additional salary bonus for NBPTS certification for the life of the certificate held.
(g) (i) 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 encourage teachers who have achieved a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certificate to renew their certifications when they expire after ten years. The bill continues the salary bonus for renewed certificates and provides for reimbursement of renewal fees. The bill also continues bonus eligibility if the holder accepts employment as principal or assistant or in another school level instructional leadership position.

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