GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

S	1 

SENATE BILL 441

Short Title:  School Admin. Training/Cert.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senator Perdue.
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Referred to:  Higher Education.
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April 1, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT REGARDING THE TRAINING OF PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  (a) The Education Leadership Commission is created in the General Assembly.  The Commission shall consist of 16 members:  three Senators, one public school principal, one public school superintendent, one parent of a public school child, and two business leaders, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and three Representatives, one public school principal, one public school superintendent, one public school teacher, and two business leaders, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(b) The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate one Senator as cochairman and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate one Representative as cochairman. 
(c)	The Commission shall:
(1)	Study the efficacy of the existing university-based administrative preparation programs;
(2)	Examine alternative methods for determining administrator competence, including testing;
(3)	Review issues related to competencies required for administrative positions and to the current certification process;
(4)	Study the Principals' Executive Program, the Superintendents' Executive Program, and other nonuniversity-based training for administrators;
(5)	Examine the current recruitment and selection procedures for school administrators in light of projected supply and demand over the next 10 years;
(6)	Make recommendations for the improvement of administrator support systems; and
(7)	Review current administrative evaluation procedures.
	(d) The Commission shall submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before March 1, 1992.  Upon filing its final report, the Commission shall terminate.
(e) The Commission, while in the discharge of official duties, may exercise all the powers provided for under the provisions of G.S. 120-19, and G.S. 120-19.1 through G.S. 120-19.4.  The Commission may meet at any time upon the joint call of the cochairmen.  The Commission may meet in the Legislative Building or the Legislative Office Building.
(f) Members of the Commission who are legislators shall receive subsistence and travel expenses at the rates set forth in G.S. 120-3.1.  Members who are public officers and employees shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-6.  All other members shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 138-5.
(g) The Commission may contract for professional, clerical, or consultant services as provided by G.S. 120-32.02.  The Legislative Services Commission, through the Legislative Administrative Officer, shall assign professional staff to assist in the work of the Commission. The House of Representatives' and the Senate's Supervisor of Clerks shall assign clerical staff to the commission or committee, upon the direction of the Legislative Services Commission.  The expenses relating to clerical employees shall be borne by the Commission.
(h) The Commission may apply for, receive, and accept grants and contributions from any source of money, labor, or any other thing of value, to be used for the purposes of this section.  Such grants or contributions shall be subject to the provisions of G.S. 120-32.03.
(i) When a vacancy occurs in the membership of the Commission, the vacancy shall be filled by the same appointing officer who made the initial appointment.
(j) All State departments and agencies and local governments and their subdivisions shall furnish the Commission with any information in their possession or available to them.
Sec. 2. G.S. 115C-271 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C-271. Selection by local board of education, term of office.
At a meeting to be held biennially or quadrennially not later than April 30, the various county boards of education shall meet and elect a county superintendent of schools. Such superintendent shall take office on the following July 1 and shall serve for a term of two or four years, or until his successor is elected and qualified. The superintendent shall be elected for a term of either two or four years, which term shall be in the discretion of the county board of education. The county board of education may, with the written consent of the current superintendent, extend or renew the term of the superintendent's contract at any time during the final 12 months of the contract; provided, however, when new members are to be elected or appointed and sworn in during the final 12 months of the contract the board may not act until after the new members have been sworn in. The term and conditions of employment shall be stated in a written contract which shall be entered into between the board of education and the superintendent. A copy of the contract shall be filed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction before any person is eligible for this office.
It is the policy of the State of North Carolina that the superintendents of each of the several school administrative units be hired solely at the discretion of the local boards of education and that a candidate for superintendent of a local school administrative unit must have been, at least, a principal in a North Carolina public school or have equivalent experience as prescribed by the State Board of Education and have other minimum credentials, educational prerequisites and experience requirements as the State Board of Education shall prescribe. The State Board of Education is directed to promulgate prerequisites for candidacy for superintendent not later than January 1, 1985.
All superintendents initially hired as superintendents in North Carolina local school administrative units after the 1990-91 school year are required to complete successfully the Superintendents' Basic Executive Program within three years of being hired as a condition of their certification.
All superintendents who successfully complete the Superintendents' Basic Executive Program during or after the 1991-92 school year are required to complete successfully ongoing training for superintendents at least every five years after completing the Program; provided, however, all superintendents who successfully complete the Superintendents' Basic Executive Program prior to the 1991-92 school year are required to complete successfully ongoing training for superintendents before the 1996-97 school year and at least every five years thereafter.
If any board of education shall elect a person to serve as superintendent of schools in any local school administrative unit who is not qualified, or cannot qualify, according to this section, such election is null and void and it shall be the duty of such board of education to elect a person who can qualify.
In all city administrative units, the superintendent of schools shall be elected by the city board of education of such unit, to serve for a period of either two or four years, which term of office shall be within the discretion of the board; and the qualifications, provisions and approval shall be the same as for county superintendents. The city board of education may, with the written consent of the current superintendent, extend or renew the term of the superintendent's contract at any time during the final 12 months of the contract; provided, however, when new members are to be elected or appointed and sworn in during the final 12 months of the contract, the board may not act until after the new members have been sworn in. The election shall be held biennially or quadrennially, as the case may be, during the month of April."
Sec. 3.  G.S. 115C-284(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The State Board of Education shall have entire control of certifying all applicants for supervisory and professional positions in all public elementary and high schools of North Carolina; and it shall prescribe the rules and regulations for the renewal and extension of all certificates, and shall determine and fix the salary for each grade and type of certificate which it authorizes.  Provided, that the State Board of Education shall require each applicant for an initial certificate or graduate certificate to demonstrate his academic and professional preparation by achieving a prescribed minimum score at least equivalent to that required by the Board on November 30, 1972, on a standard examination appropriate and adequate for that purpose: Provided, further, that in the event the Board shall specify the National Teachers Examination for this purpose, the required minimum score shall not be lower than that which the Board required on November 30, 1972.
All principals initially hired as principals in North Carolina public schools after the 1990-91 school year are required to complete successfully the Principals' Basic Executive Program within three years of being hired as a condition of their certification.  All other principals are required to complete successfully the Program prior to the 1996-97 school year.
All principals who successfully complete the Principals' Basic Executive Program during or after the 1991-92 school year are required to complete successfully ongoing training for principals at least every five years after completing the Program; provided, however, all principals who successfully complete the Principals' Basic Executive Program prior to the 1991-92 school year are required to complete successfully ongoing training for principals before the 1996-97 school year and at least every five years thereafter."
Sec. 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of $25,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year for the Education Leadership Commission created in Section 1 of this act.
Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1991.