AB 2060: Experienced Mentor Teacher Stipend Program.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to adopt standards for the accreditation of postsecondary teacher preparation programs. Existing law prescribes clinical practice as one of the commission-adopted standards and requires that teaching credential candidates perform 600 hours of clinical practice throughout the candidates teacher preparation program, including, as a component of those hours, student teaching.

This bill would, contingent upon an appropriation of one-time funding by the Legislature, establish the California Teacher Mentor Grant Program, Experienced Mentor Teacher Stipend Program, under the administration of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, to expand the Student Teacher Stipend Program to award grants stipends of an unspecified amount $3,000 each to compensate teacher mentors experienced mentor teachers, as defined, who mentor student teacher candidates who are in teacher preparation programs, as provided. In administering the grant program, Experienced Mentor Teacher Stipend Program, the bill would require the commission to issue a request for applications to all local educational agencies in the state in order to solicit applications for funding. The bill would require the commission to adopt criteria for the selection of local educational agencies to participate in the grant program. expand the online process for local educational agencies, as defined, to submit an experienced mentor teachers information, as provided. The bill would require local educational agencies awarded funding under the Experienced Mentor Teacher Stipend Program to also partner with a commission-approved teacher preparation program to create an experienced mentor teacher recruitment and selection process accompanied by planned professional learning and support activities, as provided. The bill would require the commission to annually report to the education and policy committees of both houses of the Legislature certain information regarding the grant program, Experienced Mentor Teacher Stipend Program, as provided.