00 SENATE BILL NO. 83 01 "An Act providing for payment and loan incentives to public school teachers for 02 national board certification." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04  * Section 1. AS 14.20 is amended by adding a new section to article 3 to read: 05 Sec. 14.20.225. Incentive and stipend payments for national board  06 certification. (a) A school district or the department, as applicable, shall in January of 07 each year pay an incentive payment of $1,000 to each teacher who is employed by the 08 district or the department and who holds a current and valid national board 09 certification. 10 (b) In addition to the incentive payment provided in (a) of this section, for a 11 teacher who is employed by a district to teach in a school that is located in a high 12 poverty attendance area and that has received a low performance rating, as determined 13 by the department, a school district shall, 14 (1) if the teacher holds a current and valid national board certification, 01 annually pay a supplemental incentive payment of $500; or 02 (2) if a teacher is not national board certified, annually pay the national 03 certification board an amount that is not more than $1,000 to be used toward national 04 certification of the teacher for the period in which the teacher is actively seeking 05 national board certification. 06 (c) The department shall provide sufficient funding, subject to appropriation 07 and in addition to the state aid received under AS 14.17, to a school district to make 08 national board certification incentive payments as provided in this section. The 09 department may establish a form and procedure to be used by a school district to 10 request teacher incentive and stipend payments, including proof of actively pursuing 11 national board certification. 12 (d) In this section, 13 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 14 (2) "national board certification" means individual achievement of 15 national professional teaching standards as certified by a nationally recognized board. 16  * Sec. 2. AS 14.43 is amended by adding new sections to read: 17 Article 9A. National Board Teacher Certification Loan Program.  18 Sec. 14.43.550. Program established. The national board teacher certification 19 loan program is established to provide an incentive for teachers employed by a public 20 school district in the state or a school operated by the department to pursue 21 certification of professional teaching standards by a nationally recognized board. 22 Sec. 14.43.555. Administration and eligibility. (a) The national board teacher 23 certification loan program shall be administered by the commission in accordance with 24 regulations adopted by the commission. The commission shall 25 (1) provide on behalf of eligible teachers loan awards of a lump sum of 26 $2,500 for each teacher, to be repaid over three years at zero percent interest; 27 (2) allocate the loan awards available for national board teacher 28 certification annually to the department for loans on behalf of teachers employed by 29 the department who teach in a public school and to the school district for loans to 30 teachers employed by the district; 31 (3) develop and distribute to the department and to the districts an 01 application form for teacher certification loans under this section. 02 (b) A teacher is eligible to receive the benefit of a national board teacher 03 certification loan if the teacher is currently 04 (1) employed by the department or a public school district and teaches 05 students who are in grades kindergarten through 12; 06 (2) actively pursuing national certification of professional teaching 07 standards awarded by a nationally recognized board; and 08 (3) signs an agreement provided by the commission to secure 09 repayment of the loan within three years. 10 (c) For a loan awarded under this section, the commission shall 11 (1) make quarterly payments to the national teacher certification board 12 on behalf of an eligible teacher; 13 (2) establish conditions for repayment; 14 (3) provide for penalties for default; and 15 (4) pro rate the amount of the award if insufficient funding is available 16 to provide awards on behalf of all eligible teachers in a fiscal year. 17 (d) In making loans under this section, the commission shall apply the 18 standards used by the department under AS 14.20.225(c) for determining what 19 constitutes actively pursuing national certification. 20 Sec. 14.43.590. Definitions. In AS 14.43.550 - 14.43.590, 21 (1) "department" means the Department of Education and Early 22 Development; 23 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990.