THE BILL ITSELF
CS/HB 157
School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program
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A bill to be entitled
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An act relating to the School Teacher Training and
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Mentoring Program; creating s. 1012.988, F.S.;
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establishing the School Teacher Training and Mentoring
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Program within the Department of Education; providing
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the purpose of the program; authorizing school
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district and charter schools to place certain
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classroom teachers as teacher mentors in specified
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schools for specified purposes; providing requirements
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for teacher mentors and mentees; authorizing teacher
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mentors to receive a stipend and work with multiple
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classroom teachers; providing department and teacher
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mentor responsibilities; authorizing the State Board
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of Education to adopt rules; amending s. 1011.62,
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F.S.; authorizing specified funds to be used for the
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School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program;
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providing an effective date.
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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Section 1. Section 1012.988, Florida Statutes, is created
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to read:
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1012.988 School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program.—
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(1) The School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program is
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established within the Department of Education. The purpose of
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the program is to increase the effectiveness and involvement of
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classroom teachers and improve student achievement, classroom
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management, and excellence in the state's public schools.
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(2)(a) School districts and charter schools may place
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retired classroom teachers or current classroom teachers in
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schools earning a grade of "D" or "F" to act as teacher mentors
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to:
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1. New classroom teachers;
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2. Classroom teachers who are rated as needs improvement,
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developing, or unsatisfactory on the prior year's performance
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evaluation under s. 1012.34; or
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3. Classroom teachers identified by the school
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administrator as struggling with behavior management within the
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classroom.
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(b) Each teacher mentor selected by the school district,
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charter school, or charter management organization must have:
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1. At least 3 years of teaching experience in
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prekindergarten through grade 12.
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2. Earned a highly effective rating on most recent
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performance evaluation under s. 1012.34.
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(c) Each teacher mentor may receive a stipend up to
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$3,000. The teacher mentor may work with multiple classroom
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teachers.
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(3) The Department of Education shall establish program
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standards and a standard contract template for the teacher
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mentor and mentee which outlines the responsibilities of each
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person and establishes the framework and goals of the program.
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(4) Each teacher mentor must:
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(a) Not have an official management relationship with his
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or her mentee.
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(b) Provide direction, advice, and a neutral sounding
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board to his or her mentee.
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(c) Maintain confidentiality, unless prohibited by law.
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(d) Not have a personal agenda other than assisting his or
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her mentee in developing and reaching the mentee's goals.
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(e) Help his or her mentee in developing skills and
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expertise, including drawing upon the teacher mentor's own
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personal experiences.
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(5) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to
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administer this section.
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Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (7) of section
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1011.62, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
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1011.62 Funds for operation of schools.—If the annual
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allocation from the Florida Education Finance Program to each
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district for operation of schools is not determined in the
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annual appropriations act or the substantive bill implementing
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the annual appropriations act, it shall be determined as
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follows:
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(7) EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT ALLOCATION.—
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(a) The educational enrichment allocation is created to
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assist school districts in providing educational enrichment
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activities and services that support and increase the academic
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achievement of students in grades kindergarten through 12.
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Educational enrichment activities and services may be provided
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in a manner and at any time during or beyond the regular 180-day
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term identified by the school district as being the most
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effective and efficient way to best help the student progress
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from grade to grade and graduate from high school. Funds from
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the educational enrichment allocation may be used for the School
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Teacher Training and Mentoring Program under s. 1012.988. For
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fiscal year 2023-2024, the educational enrichment allocation
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shall consist of a base amount as specified in the General
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Appropriations Act. Beginning in fiscal year 2024-2025, the
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educational enrichment allocation shall consist of the base
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amount that includes a workload adjustment based on changes in
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the unweighted full-time equivalent membership. Beginning in
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fiscal year 2025-2026, and each year thereafter, the statewide
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average base amount as specified in the General Appropriations
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Act shall be used for any new educational entity funded in the
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Florida Education Finance Program.
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Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.