SSB 1049

The teach Iowa scholar program, administered by the college student aid commission, provides grants to certain high-caliber, full-time teachers in Iowa in amounts not to exceed $4,000 annually or $20,000 over five years. Current law requires applicants under the program to be in the top percent academically of students exiting a teacher preparation program to be eligible for grants under the program. The bill changes this requirement to the top percent academically of students exiting a teacher preparation program. Current law also requires applicants to be preparing to teach in a specific field or subject. The bill eliminates this requirement and replaces it with a requirement that the applicant be preparing to become a teacher who provides classroom instruction. _____ nonpublic school with less than or equal to 1,200 students and applicants preparing to teach in a school district, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school with greater than 1,200 students. The bill authorizes the commission to award different amounts to each group of applicants if the amount requested by applicants of either group is less than the amount reserved for that group. The bill establishes that this provision applies to grants awarded by the commission on or after July 1, 2023, to initial applicants under the program. Current law authorizes the BOEE to issue a regional exchange teaching license to an applicant who has completed a teacher preparation program outside of the state and who is applying for the applicant’s first Iowa teaching license if, among other requirements, the applicant is a resident of the state. The bill removes the requirement that such an applicant be a resident of this state if the applicant provides the BOEE with a copy of an offer of employment as a teacher from a school located in this state. Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules to provide for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and who do not meet other requirements for licensure. The bill provides that the rules shall require the BOEE to issue a teacher intern license to an applicant who has completed a program offered by a higher education institution providing practitioner preparation that is designed to assist students in attaining a teacher intern license. The bill requires the BOEE to allow a licensee who has attained a teacher intern license under such a program to apply for an initial teaching license if the school that employed the licensee during the program and the higher education institution recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply. _____ secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of employment with a school.46 authorizes the board of directors of a school district to adopt a program for early retirement benefits to encourage its employees to retire before the normal retirement date.46 to also authorize the board of directors to adopt a program for teacher recruitment incentives to recruit new teachers. The bill requires the board of directors to discuss the adoption of the program for early retirement benefits or the program for teacher recruitment incentives, if applicable, at a regular or special meeting prior to adopting the program and allow for public comment.15. Additionally, the bill prohibits the board of directors from paying a teacher recruitment incentive in more than five school budget years. The bill also prohibits the board of directors from adopting the program for early retirement benefits concurrently with the program for teacher recruitment incentives. In addition, the bill prohibits the board of directors from adopting either the program for early retirement benefits or the program for teacher recruitment incentives within five years after adopting the other program. The bill establishes that these provisions apply to school budget years beginning July 1, 2024. The bill authorizes the board of directors to expend the district management levy to pay the costs of either the program for early retirement benefits or the program for teacher recruitment incentives. The bill prohibits the board of directors from expending the district management levy on the costs of both programs in the same fiscal year. The bill establishes that these provisions apply to school budget years beginning July 1, 2024.