S.L. 1993-740

1993 SESSION

CHAPTER 740

AN ACT TO CREATE THE NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS COMMISSION.

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-295.1. North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission.

(a) There is created the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission (the 'Commission'). The Commission shall be located administratively within the Department of Public Instruction but shall exercise its powers and duties independently of the Department of Public Instruction. The Department of Public Instruction shall provide staff, offices, office equipment, and meeting space to the Commission.

(b) The purpose of the Commission is to establish high standards for North Carolina teachers and the teaching profession.

(1) The State Superintendent of Public Instruction who shall serve as chair of the Commission.

(2) A representative of the North Carolina Association of Educators appointed by the Governor.

(3) A representative of the North Carolina Federation of Teachers appointed by the Governor.

(4) Three teachers, at least one of whom teaches in elementary school and one of whom teaches special education, appointed by the Governor.

(5) Two teachers, at least one of whom teaches in middle or junior high school, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(6) Two teachers, at least one of whom teaches in high school, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(7) One school administrator, either a principal or a superintendent, appointed by the Governor.

(8) Two representatives of teacher education institutions, one of whom shall be a representative of a University of North Carolina institution and one of whom shall be a representative of a private teacher education institution, appointed by the Governor.

(9) One State Board member appointed by the chair of the State Board of Education.

(10) Two at-large members appointed by the Governor.

(11) Two at-large members, one of these members shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and one of these members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In making appointments, the appointing authorities are encouraged to select qualified citizens who are committed to improving the teaching profession and student achievement and who represent the racial, geographic, and gender diversity of the State. The members shall serve for two-year terms. Initial terms shall begin September 1, 1994. Vacancies in the membership shall be filled by the original appointing authority using the same criteria as provided in this subsection.

(d) The Commission shall elect a vice-chair from among its membership. In the absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall preside over the Commission's meetings.

(e) Meetings of the Commission shall be held upon the call of the chair or the vice-chair with the approval of the chair.

(f) Members of the Commission who are State or public school employees shall receive travel expenses as set forth in G.S. 138-6. All other Commission members shall receive per diem and travel expenses as set forth in G.S. 138-5."

Sec. 2. (a) The Commission shall prepare a plan for how it could establish high standards for teachers and the teaching profession. In preparing the plan the Commission shall consider: (i) constitutional and statutory issues concerning the role of the Commission and its relationship to the State Board of Education; (ii) the model for a professional educator standards board under Article 19A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes, Standards Board for Public School Administrators; and (iii) models for professional educator standards boards from other states. In developing the plan the Commission shall:

(1) Recommend how to set high standards for the teaching profession;

(2) Recommend how to improve the qualification of persons for licensure as public school teachers and other public school employees paid on the teacher salary schedules;

(3) Consider current methods to assess teachers and teaching candidates including the National Teacher Exam, the assessments of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and alternative methods to assess teachers;

(4) Identify how the Commission could work with the State Board of Education to issue, renew, and revoke licenses;

(5) Propose how to monitor the ethics and professional practices of teachers;

(6) Consider whether there is a need to revise the method for the approval of reciprocity agreements between North Carolina and other states with regard to teacher licensure;

(7) Make recommendations concerning statutory changes, staffing, and budgeting to implement the plan; and

(8) Make recommendations concerning the role of the Professional Practices Commission.

(b) No later than November 1, 1994, the Commission shall make an interim report of its plan to the Governor, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the State Board of Education. No later than January 1, 1995, the Commission shall report its plan to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the State Board of Education.

(c) The State Board of Education shall review the plan and shall submit its comments on the plan to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than the first Friday in February 1995.

Sec. 3. Per diem and travel expenses of the Commission shall be paid from within the funds appropriated to the Department of Public Instruction for the 1994-95 fiscal year.

Sec. 4. This act becomes effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 13th day of July, 1994.

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Dennis A. Wicker

President of the Senate

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Daniel Blue, Jr.

Speaker of the House of Representatives