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.