SB 83 - Teacher Board Certification Incentives

• School districts and the Department of Education shall pay an annual incentive of $1,000 in January to each teacher holding current national board certification.

• Teachers in high-poverty, low-performing schools receive an additional $500 annual supplemental incentive, or districts may pay up to $1,000 directly to the national certification board for teachers actively pursuing certification.

• The state Department of Education shall provide sufficient funding to school districts for these incentive payments in addition to regular state aid.

• A National Board Teacher Certification Loan Program is established, administered by the commission, providing $2,500 lump-sum loans to eligible teachers, repayable over three years at zero percent interest.

• Teachers employed by the department or school districts teaching kindergarten through grade 12 who are actively pursuing national board certification are eligible for the loan program.