GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	4 

SENATE BILL 1124*
Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 6/10/98
Third Edition Engrossed 6/16/98
House Committee Substitute Favorable 7/15/98

Short Title:  Teacher Cert. Waivers/Lateral Entry.	(Public)

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Sponsors:

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Referred to:  

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May 14, 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ALLOW LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION TO EMPLOY TEACHERS WHO ARE LEGALLY CERTIFICATED IN ANOTHER STATE EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE CERTIFICATED IN NORTH CAROLINA, AND TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR LOCAL BOARDS TO HIRE LATERAL ENTRY TEACHERS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-105.26(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	The State Board may grant requests received from local boards for waivers of State laws, rules, or policies that affect the organization, duties, and assignment of central office staff only.  However, none of the duties to be performed under G.S. 115C-436 may be waived.  The State Board also may grant requests received from local boards for waivers of State laws, rules, or policies governing teacher certification when the boards demonstrate the following: (i) they need to employ teachers who are lawfully certificated in another state; (ii) the certification of these teachers authorizes them to teach the grade or subject matter they will be employed to teach; (iii) the teachers have a bachelors degree and at least two years of classroom teaching experience; and (iv) there is a plan to demonstrate the teachers' competence before the boards employ these teachers.  Teachers receiving teaching certificates under this provision shall be subject to the same requirements for continuing certification and certificate renewal as other certified teachers."
Section 2.  G.S. 115C-296 is amended by adding two new subsections to read:
"( c1)	Notwithstanding this section or any other law, a local board may hire as a teacher an individual who has taught an academic course at a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina, a college or university licensed by the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, a North Carolina community college, or other institution as defined in G.S. 116-22(1) provided the course is similar to the subject matter the individual is hired to teach.  The following conditions shall apply:
(1)	Prior to employment, the individual shall take and pass the certification examination that is applicable to the grade or subject matter the individual is hired to teach.
(2)	The individual shall be initially employed as a probationary teacher.
(3)	The local board shall provide the individual with a paid mentor teacher.
(4)	The individual shall receive an annual evaluation and multiple observations under G.S. 115C-326(a).
(5)	The local board shall review annually the performance of students taught by the individual.
(6)	If the local board wishes to continue to employ the teacher, the board shall determine whether the individual needs additional training and shall provide that training at no cost to the individual.
(c2)	Notwithstanding this section or any other law, a local board may hire as a teacher an individual who has a bachelors degree and at least three years of experience in a profession the local board considers relevant to the grade or subject matter the individual is hired to teach.  The following conditions shall apply:
(1)	Prior to employment, the individual shall take and pass the certification examination that is applicable to the grade or subject matter the individual is hired to teach.
(2)	The individual shall be initially employed as a probationary teacher.
(3)	The local board shall provide the individual with a paid mentor teacher.
(4)	The individual shall receive an annual evaluation and multiple observations under G.S. 115C-326(a).
(5)	The local board shall review annually the performance of students taught by the individual.
(6)	If the local board wishes to continue to employ the individual, the board shall determine whether the individual needs additional training and shall provide that training at no cost to the individual."
Section 3. This act is effective when it becomes law.  Section 1 expires June 30, 2003, except that it remains effective for any teacher employed under this act before July 1, 2003.