GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 946

Short Title:  Teacher Preparation.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Guy and Murphy.
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Referred to:  Higher Education.
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April 19, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT DIRECTING THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA TO DEFER IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR ITS TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
Whereas, the 1985 General Assembly directed the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina to conduct a study of teacher preparation programs in the State; and
Whereas, the Board of Governors adopted a report on November 14, 1986, entitled "The Education of North Carolina's Teachers”in response to the 1985 directive; and
Whereas, in order to develop the report, the Board of Governors had prepared a document entitled "Teacher Supply and Demand in North Carolina Public Schools:  1986-1995", which among other findings revealed:
Shortages are, however, projected in business education, health occupations, and vocational education of the handicapped.  "Teachers of trade and industry, prevocational courses and health occupations do not need a college degree to teach or be certified and are therefore not included on this shortage list “(p. 55) (Underlining added for emphasis); and
Whereas, a four-year baccalaureate degree is in fact required for prevocational or career exploration teachers and a minimum of a two-year community college RN degree with three years supervisory or teaching experience is required for health occupations teachers; and
Whereas, in addition to not responding to the need for nonbaccalaureate teachers, the Board of Governors' report recommended that students in teacher preparation programs at any of the constituent institutions of the university be required to complete a second major in one of the basic academic disciplines or an interdisciplinary major; and 
Whereas, certain teaching majors were exempted from this "second academic major”requirement;
Whereas, the 1989 legislative study report entitled the "Report of the Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission”recommended that:
... the General Assembly direct the Board of Governors to exempt vocational agriculture teachers from the second nonagriculture related major requirement. (p. 9); and
Whereas, the "second academic major”requirement was not agreed to by the State Board of Education and does not take into consideration certification standards or teaching competencies identified by the State Board of Education through its Quality Assurance Program; and
Whereas, if, as predicted, the teaching supply for secondary teachers is decreased by this requirement, especially in preparing vocational education teachers, other avenues such as Community Colleges and private higher education institutions will need to fill the voids; and
Whereas, the General Assembly of North Carolina in enacting House Bill 245 (Chapter 1102) required the State Board of Education, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the Board of Governors to meet at least once a year to "... discuss educational matters of mutual interest ...."; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Board of Governors shall defer the implementation of the "second academic major”requirement for students enrolled in teacher preparation programs at the constituent institutions of the university until the State Board of Education has an opportunity to review the impact of this requirement on the shortages of teachers, especially vocational education teachers.  The Board of Governors may not implement any such requirement until The Board of Governors and the State Board of Education jointly agree to such a requirement or an alternative to such a requirement.
The State Board of Education and the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina shall jointly develop a plan to begin implementation of the new requirements in 1993 to assure that all instruction in publicly funded education be conducted by an adequate supply of teachers, all of whom having been appropriately prepared.
Sec. 2.  This act is effective upon ratification.