2020 -- H 7292

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LC003314

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Alzate, McNamara, Lyle, Amore, and Williams

     Date Introduced: January 24, 2020

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-11 of the General Laws entitled "Certification of Teachers [See

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Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding

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thereto the following sections:

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     16-11-10. Minority teacher recruitment and retention.

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     (a) The Rhode Island commissioner of education shall develop and implement strategies

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and utilize existing resources including, but not limited to, partnerships with public and private

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universities to reach a goal of at least two hundred (200) new hire minority teachers and

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administrators, being hired and employed by local boards of education in the state as of July 1,

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2025, and that such levels are maintained.

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     (b) For purposes of this section, "minority" means individuals whose race is defined as

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other than white, or whose ethnicity is defined as Hispanic or Latino by the federal Office of

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Management and Budget for use by the Bureau of Census of the United States Department of

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Commerce.

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     16-11-11. Reporting requirements.

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     The Rhode Island commissioner of education shall submit a progress report on the

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development and implementation of reciprocity agreements and interstate agreements and any

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recommendations for legislation to the governor, speaker of the house, senate president, the chair

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of the house health, education and welfare committee, and the chair of the senate education

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committee no later than March 1, 2021 and every March 1 thereafter.

 

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     16-11-12. Mortgage assistance to certified teachers.

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     The Rhode Island housing authority shall develop and administer a program for mortgage

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assistance to certified teachers employed by a low-performing school district based on the Rhode

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Island department of education's (RIDE) yearly report card, or employed by a school district that

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has been intervened by RIDE pursuant to ยง 16-7.1-5. Such assistance shall be available to eligible

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teachers for the purchase of a house as their principle residence, provided, the house is located in

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the school district where the teacher is employed. In making assistance available under the

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program, the authority shall utilize down payment assistance or any other appropriate housing

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subsidies and/or partner with outside entities. The terms of any mortgage assistance shall allow

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the mortgagee to realize a reasonable portion of equity gain upon sale of the mortgaged property.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION - CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS

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     This act would create minority teacher recruitment by allowing the commissioner of

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education to implement strategies to reach a goal of two hundred (200) new hire minority

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teachers in the state by 2025. This act would also require progress reports by the commissioner of

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education to inform the general assembly of development and implementation of reciprocity

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agreements and interstate agreements. This act would also allow the Rhode Island housing

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authority to develop and administer a program for mortgage assistance to certified teachers

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employed by a low-performing school district.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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