SP0618, LD 1781, item 1, 125th Maine State Legislature
An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program for Teachers

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An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program for Teachers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13013-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 58, §3 and c. 240, Pt. D, §§1 and 2, is further amended to read:
§ 13013-A.Salary supplements for national board-certified teachers
 
1. Department of Education salary supplement.   Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Education shall provide a public school teacher who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, as of July 1, ~~2006~~2012 or thereafter with an annual national board certification salary supplement of ~~$3,000~~$2,000 for the life of the certificate. The salary ~~supplement~~supplements under this subsection and subsection 1-A must be added to the teacher's base salary and must be considered in the calculation for contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System. If a nationally certified teacher becomes no longer employed as a classroom teacher in the field of that teacher's national certification, the ~~supplement ceases~~supplements cease.
 
1-A.  School administrative unit salary supplement.     Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, a school administrative unit shall provide an additional annual national board certification salary supplement of at least $1,000 for national board-certified teachers who are eligible to receive the salary supplement pursuant to subsection 1. School administrative units must provide this additional annual national board certification salary supplement from the state subsidy allocated to the school administrative unit pursuant to chapter 606-B.
 
2. Local filing; certification.   On or before October 15th annually, the superintendent of schools of a school administrative unit or the chief administrative officer of a career and technical education region shall file with the commissioner a certified list of national board-certified teachers eligible to receive the salary ~~supplement~~supplements pursuant to ~~subsection~~subsections 1 and 1-A.
 
3. Payment.   The department and the school administrative units shall provide the salary ~~supplement~~supplements under this section to eligible teachers no later than February 15th of each year.
 
4. Expend funds.   A school administrative unit may expend funds received from the department through the salary ~~supplement~~supplements under ~~subsection 1~~this section without calling for a special meeting of the local legislative body.
 
5.  Payment of application fees.     Beginning in school year 2012-2013, up to 10% of the per-pupil amount for professional development calculated pursuant to section 15680 and allocated to a school administrative unit must be awarded to provide payment of the application fees for teachers who are seeking to attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, during the year of allocation. If a school administrative unit fails to award 10% of the per-pupil amount for professional development allocated to the school administrative unit to provide payment of the application fees pursuant to this subsection within the year of allocation, the commissioner may withhold from the professional development allocation to the school administrative unit calculated pursuant to section 15680 for the subsequent school year that amount of the professional development allocation that the school administrative unit failed to provide for payment of application fees unless the commissioner determines that the school administrative unit made a good faith effort to promote the availability of professional development funds to pay the application fees for teachers interested in attaining national board certification.
 
SUMMARY
This bill restructures the incentive established for teachers who attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The bill provides that, beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the payment of the $3,000 annual salary supplement awarded to national board-certified teachers must be provided with funds from the Department of Education and the state subsidy allocated to the school administrative unit that employs the teacher. The bill also establishes an incentive to encourage teachers to apply for national board certification. The bill provides that, beginning with school year 2012-2013, up to 10% of the per-pupil amount for professional development allocated to a school administrative unit must be awarded to provide payment of the application fees for teachers employed by the school administrative unit who apply for national board certification during the year of allocation. If a school administrative unit fails to use the full 10% of the per-pupil amount to pay for application fees, the Commissioner of Education may withhold from the next year's allocation the unused amount.

SP0618, LR 2635, item 1,Second Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature, page