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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to employment of persons with advanced degrees as public |
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school teachers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.003, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a [A] person may |
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not be employed as a teacher, teacher intern or teacher trainee, |
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librarian, educational aide, administrator, educational |
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diagnostician, or school counselor by a school district unless the |
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person holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued as |
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provided by Subchapter B. |
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(a-1) Subject to the approval of the principal at the campus |
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to which the person is assigned, a person with at least a master's |
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degree in a subject may be employed as a teacher by a school |
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district to teach that subject to students in grade levels 7 through |
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12 regardless of whether the person holds an appropriate |
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certificate or permit issued as provided by Subchapter B. For |
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purposes of this subsection, a person's degree must be issued by an |
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institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency or group |
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that is recognized by a nationally recognized accreditation board |
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or be an equivalent degree issued by an institution located in a |
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foreign country. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.057(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) For purposes of this section, "inappropriately |
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certified or uncertified teacher": |
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(1) includes: |
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(A) an individual serving on an emergency |
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certificate issued under Section 21.041(b)(2); or |
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(B) an individual who does not hold any |
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certificate or permit issued under this chapter and is not employed |
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as specified by Subdivision (2)(E) or (G); and |
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(2) does not include an individual: |
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(A) who is a certified teacher assigned to teach |
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a class or classes outside his or her area of certification, as |
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determined by rules proposed by the board in specifying the |
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certificate required for each assignment; |
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(B) serving on a certificate issued due to a |
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hearing impairment under Section 21.048; |
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(C) serving on a certificate issued pursuant to |
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enrollment in an approved alternative certification program under |
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Section 21.049; |
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(D) certified by another state or country and |
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serving on a certificate issued under Section 21.052; |
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(E) serving on a school district teaching permit |
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issued under Section 21.055; [or] |
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(F) employed under a waiver granted by the |
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commissioner pursuant to Section 7.056; or |
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(G) employed in accordance with Section |
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21.003(a-1). |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |