SUMMARY:

            This bill would amend Subpart 1 of Part 6 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of O.C.G.A to change provisions to Master Teacher program and to establish a Distinguished Leader Certification and would provide bonuses for teachers holding each of these certificates.  Those certificates would carry automatic renewal.

REQUIREMENTS:

• The bill allows the addition of mentoring, department chair positions or other requirements at the discretion of the PSC to the criteria for Master Teacher certification.
• It reduces the maximum allowable term of a Master Teacher certificate to 5 years, down from 7 years, but it provides for automatic renewal.
• It would provide a 10% bonus to teachers holding that certificate beginning June 30, 2010, subject to General Assembly appropriations.
• The PSC would be responsible for establishing criteria for a Distinguished Teacher Leader certificate (good for no more than 5 years), to include at a minimum:
• • Master Teacher certification
  • Masters degree or higher in a content field, curriculum and instruction or a related field;
  • Teacher leader endorsement from the PSC;
  • Recommendation by the teacher’s principal or peer faculty;
  • At the discretion of the PSC, mentoring, department chair position or other requirements.
• A teacher must have 5 or more years of teaching experience to apply.
• A Distinguished Teacher Leader would be eligible for a 15% bonus each year he/she held the certification, subject to General Assembly appropriation.
• A DTL certificate would renew automatically.
• The sunset provision for the current law (June 30, 2009) would be removed.

NOTE:

• This bill could eliminate or reduce professional development requirements for a number of teachers in a rapidly changing career environment.