Bill Text: NY A06080 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts the "teachers for at-risk schools act"; provides that the education department shall pay a bonus of up to $2,000 a year to classroom teachers in low performing schools or in schools with more than 75% of its students qualified for free or subsidized lunches, when the teacher meets certain standards.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - referred to education [A06080 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A06080-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6080
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     March 4, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CAMARA  --  Multi-Sponsored  by  -- M. of A.
         P. LOPEZ, ROBINSON -- read once  and  referred  to  the  Committee  on
         Consumer Affairs and Protection
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "teachers
         for at-risk schools act"
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
    2  the "teachers for at-risk schools act".
    3    S 2. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby finds that:
    4    (a) schools in high-poverty areas employ fewer well-qualified teachers
    5  than schools in more affluent areas;
    6    (b)  teachers can make an enormous difference in children's lives, and
    7  the best teachers are needed to meet the enormous challenges in  at-risk
    8  schools; and
    9    (c)  financial  incentives bring high-quality teachers to high-poverty
   10  areas where they are most needed.
   11    The legislature hereby enacts this  act  to  improve  the  quality  of
   12  education in at-risk schools.
   13    S 3. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3613 to read
   14  as follows:
   15    S  3613.  TEACHERS  FOR  AT-RISK  SCHOOLS. 1. IN ADDITION TO ANY OTHER
   16  STATE AID PROVIDED TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE,  THERE
   17  SHALL  BE  PAID BY THE DEPARTMENT TO EACH CLASSROOM TEACHER A BONUS, NOT
   18  TO EXCEED TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR, EQUAL TO THE BONUS PAID TO SUCH
   19  TEACHER BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYING THE TEACHER, WHEN  SUCH  CLASS-
   20  ROOM TEACHER:
   21    A.  TEACHES  IN  A  PUBLIC  SCHOOL THAT IS A LOW PERFORMING SCHOOL, AS
   22  DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION THIRTY-SIX HUNDRED TWELVE OF  THIS
   23  PART, OR IN WHICH MORE THAN SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS QUALIFY
   24  FOR FREE OR SUBSIDIZED SCHOOL LUNCHES; AND
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04064-01-1
       A. 6080                             2
    1    B.  IS A NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER, HOLDS A MASTER'S OR DOCTOR-
    2  ATE DEGREE IN EDUCATION OR IN THE SUBJECT THEY TEACH, OR GRADUATED  FROM
    3  AN  INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.5 OR
    4  HIGHER ON A 4.0 SCALE OR ITS EQUIVALENT.
    5    2.  THE SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYING ANY TEACHER RECEIVING A BONUS PURSU-
    6  ANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION  SHALL  BE  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  THE
    7  PAYMENT OF ANY INCREASE IN THE BENEFIT COSTS ATTRIBUTABLE TO SUCH BONUS.
    8    S  4.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
    9  the date on which it shall have become a law.