CSSB 83(EDC): "An Act providing for payment and loan incentives to public school teachers for national board certification."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 83(EDC) 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, 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) Nothing in this section prohibits a district or the department from 13 providing additional monetary incentives to a teacher. 14 (e) In this section, 15 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 16 (2) "national board certification" means individual achievement of 17 national professional teaching standards as certified by a nationally recognized board. 18 * Sec. 2. AS 14.43 is amended by adding new sections to read: 19 Article 9A. National Board Teacher Certification Loan Program. 20 Sec. 14.43.550. Program established. The national board teacher certification 21 loan program is established to provide an incentive for teachers employed by a public 22 school district in the state or a school operated by the department to pursue 23 certification of professional teaching standards by a nationally recognized board. 24 Sec. 14.43.555. Administration and eligibility. (a) The national board teacher 25 certification loan program shall be administered by the commission in accordance with 26 regulations adopted by the commission. The commission shall 27 (1) provide on behalf of eligible teachers loan awards of a lump sum of 28 $2,500 for each teacher, to be repaid over three years at zero percent interest; 29 (2) allocate the loan awards available for national board teacher 30 certification annually to the department for loans on behalf of teachers employed by 31 the department who teach in a public school and to the school district for loans to
01 teachers employed by the district; 02 (3) develop and distribute to the department and to the districts an 03 application form for teacher certification loans under this section. 04 (b) A teacher is eligible to receive the benefit of a national board teacher 05 certification loan if the teacher is currently 06 (1) employed by the department or a public school district and teaches 07 students who are in grades kindergarten through 12; 08 (2) actively pursuing national certification of professional teaching 09 standards awarded by a nationally recognized board; and 10 (3) signs an agreement provided by the commission to secure 11 repayment of the loan within three years. 12 (c) For a loan awarded under this section, the commission shall 13 (1) make payments to the national teacher certification board on behalf 14 of an eligible teacher; 15 (2) establish conditions for repayment; 16 (3) provide for penalties for default; and 17 (4) pro rate the amount of the award if insufficient funding is available 18 to provide awards on behalf of all eligible teachers in a fiscal year. 19 (d) In making loans under this section, the commission shall apply the 20 standards used by the department under AS 14.20.225(c) for determining what 21 constitutes actively pursuing national certification. 22 Sec. 14.43.590. Definitions. In AS 14.43.550 - 14.43.590, 23 (1) "department" means the Department of Education and Early 24 Development; 25 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990.