AN ACT to permit teacher assistants who are enrolled in teacher education programs to continue to work while they complete their student teaching.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 20 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑310.  Teacher assistants engaged in student teaching.The State Board of Education shall adopt a program to facilitate the process by which teacher assistants may become teachers. 
Teacher assistants who participate in this program:
(1)	Shall be enrolled in an approved teacher education program in a North Carolina institution of higher education; and 
(2)	Shall be employed in a North Carolina public school.
Local school administrative units are encouraged to assign teacher assistants to a different classroom during student teaching than the classroom they are assigned to as a teacher assistant. To the extent possible, they may be assigned to another school within the same local school administrative unit. 
At the discretion of the local school administrative unit, teacher assistants may continue to receive their salary and benefits while student teaching in the same local school administrative unit where they are employed as a teacher assistant.
The State Board of Education shall consult with the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities in the development of the program. Each approved teacher education program and each local school administrative unit shall administer this program beginning with the 2005‑2006 academic year."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 11th day of August, 2005.

	_____________________________________
		 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	_____________________________________
		 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	_____________________________________
		 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved __________.m. this ______________ day of ___________________, 2005