A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for educational leave for certain national board certified teachers.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑296.4.  Educational leave for certain National Board Certified Teachers.
(a)	Teachers with national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards who (i) have worked for at least three years at a high‑needs school as designated by the State Board of Education and (ii) are enrolled in an accredited masters in school administration program within the State, shall receive 12 weeks for educational leave with pay to participate in that program.
(b)	The State Board of Education shall designate as high‑needs schools those schools at which (i) a very high percentage of students are performing at Level 1 or Level 2 on end‑of‑grade or end‑of‑course tests, (ii) the teacher turnover rate is very high, or (iii) there is a high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced‑price lunches.
(c)	The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section."
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of ninety-six thousand three hundred seventy‑nine dollars ($96,379) for the 2007‑2008 fiscal year and the sum of ninety-six thousand three hundred seventy-nine dollars ($96,379) for the 2008‑2009 fiscal year to implement this act.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2007.