GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1993

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1180

Short Title:  Teaching Fellows Supp. Package.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Senators Martin of Guilford; Conder, Perdue, Hunt, Cooper, Cochrane, and Gunter.
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Referred to:  Education/Higher Education.
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May 18, 1993

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE A SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE TO CERTAIN TEACHING FELLOWS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Part 2 of Article 24C of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C-363.23B.  Teaching fellows bonus; grant program.
(a)	The Teaching Fellows Commission shall administer a program to provide a bonus and a grant to each teaching fellow who, beginning with the school year after completion of the program, agrees in writing to teach:
(1)	For at least four years in an elementary school (i) at which at least thirty-five percent (35%) of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch and (ii) that is not located in a local school administrative unit that is identified as a low-performing school system in accordance with Article 6A of this Chapter.
(2)	For at least four years in an elementary school (i) at which at least thirty-five percent (35%) of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch and (ii) that is located in a local school administrative unit that is identified as a low-performing school system in accordance with Article 6A of this Chapter.
(3)	Mathematics, science, or language arts for at least four years in a middle or high school (i) at which at least thirty-five percent (35%) of the students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch and (ii) that is located in a local school administrative unit that is identified as a low-performing school system in accordance with Article 6A of this Chapter.
For the 1993-94 academic year, only teaching fellows who complete the program prior to May 1, 1993, shall be eligible to receive bonuses and grants.
The Teaching Fellows Commission shall develop procedures to determine the appropriate uses for grant funds.
(b)	The bonus for a teaching fellow who accepts a position in accordance with subsection (a)(1) of this section shall be a one-time bonus of five hundred dollars ($500.00) paid upon acceptance of the position.  The bonus for a teaching fellow who accepts a position in accordance with subsections (a)(2) or (a)(3) of this section shall be a one-time bonus of two thousand dollars ($2,000) paid upon acceptance of the position.
A teaching fellow who does not complete the agreement to teach for four years in accordance with subsection (a)	of this section shall repay the bonus with interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per year.  The Commission shall forgive the repayment if it finds that it is impossible for the recipient to complete the agreement because of the death or illness of the recipient.
(c)	The grant for a teaching fellow who accepts a position in accordance with subsection (a) of this section shall be for one thousand dollars ($1,000) a year for the four years of the teaching fellow's agreement.  The grant funds may be used by the teaching fellow, with the consent of the principal of the school and the assistant superintendent in charge of staff development, for staff development activities determined appropriate by the Teaching Fellows Commission including continuing education courses, seminars, conferences, research, or other developmental activities.  Teachers are urged to participate in these staff development activities when students are not in attendance: Provided, however, the funds may be used for a substitute teacher for up to five days a year that teachers are participating in these activities.  Any funds not expended or encumbered at the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the General Fund.
Teaching fellows who receive these grants shall be eligible to participate in other staff development activities on the same basis as other teachers."
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Education the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1993-94 fiscal year and the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) for the 1994-95 fiscal year for the implementation of this act by the Teaching Fellows Commission.
Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1993.