BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 842
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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 842 (Torlakson)
          As Amended August 24, 2006
          Majority vote

           SENATE VOTE  :   Vote not relevant
            
           PUBLIC SAFETY                   APPROPRIATIONS                  
                (vote not relevant)           (vote not relevant)

           SUMMARY  :  Authorizes an array of initiatives to improve the  
          recruitment, training and retention of teachers in California's  
          schools.  Specifically  this bill  :
             
          1)Authorizes funding to school districts for the purpose of  
            paying fees for teachers (to a maximum of $1000 per teacher)  
            in California public school districts and charter schools who  
            seek certification from the National Board for Professional  
            Teaching Standard;


          2)Amends exemptions from taking the California Basic Educational  
            Skills Test for certain certificated persons;


          3)Resumes the Governor's Teaching Fellowships Program  
            administered by the California State University (CSU), to  
            begin awarding fellowships in 2007-08 (to a maximum of $20,000  
            over four years) to teaching credential candidates during  
            their candidacy and during years in which they teach in  
            high-priority schools, reduces membership on the  
            intersegmental review and selection committee appointed by the  
            Governor and requires an annual report from CSU;

          4)Establishes, until January 1, 2015, the California Teacher  
            Cadet Program (CTCP) to be operated by the California Center  
            on Teaching Careers, in conjunction with the Superintendent of  
            Public Instruction and the Chancellor of CSU, to encourage  
            high school pupils to consider a career in teaching, requires  
            CSU to establish an advisory committee, to evaluate this  
            program and report to the Legislature by January 1, 2010, and  
            appropriates $475,000 for the support of various costs  
            associated with this program; and

          5)Expresses the intent of the Legislature to create a  








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            competitive grant program for institutions of higher education  
            to collaborate with schools to create and implement  
            professional development schools for teacher education.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee:

          1)General Fund (GF) (Proposition 98) cost pressure up to $2  
            million annually to pay fees for teachers seeking NBPTS  
            certification.

          2)GF pressure of up to several million initially, and over $10  
            million within a few years for resumption of the GTFP.

          3)One time GF appropriation totaling $475,000 for the CTCP and  
            the advisory committee.

          4)GF pressure of $3 million in 2007-08 for the competitive grant  
            program. 

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "More than 20,000 teachers  
          are under-prepared and each day more than 400,000 students are  
          being shortchanged by the serious lack of investment in  
          recruiting, training and retaining a diverse pool of qualified  
          teachers.  The problem is particularly acute in low-performing,  
          "high-priority" schools, where a significant number of students  
          fail to meet rigorous state and federal academic performance  
          standards.  This bill, through a multi-faceted approach seeks to  
          provide more opportunities and incentives that will help to deal  
          with the maldistribution of qualified teachers and combat the  
          looming shortage of teachers at a time when record numbers are  
          planning to retire and retention numbers for new teachers have  
          weakened."

          This bill has not been heard in an Assembly policy committee in  
          its current form.  However, another measure with similar  
          contents, SB 1124 (Torlakson), pending in the Assembly, was  
          heard in Assembly Higher Education Committee.


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Gill / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960  



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