MN HF2860

Establishes an annual grant program in St. Paul school district (ISD No. 625) to provide teacher training opportunities to underrepresented populations, including high school seniors and nonlicensed district employees interested in becoming licensed teachers.

Requires the St. Paul school district to partner with a local or regional teacher preparation program approved by the Board of Teaching to provide training, student teaching opportunities, and teacher mentoring.

Grants are available to high school seniors in good standing and nonlicensed education or teacher assistants holding a bachelor's degree who are members of populations underrepresented among licensed teachers.

Grant funding covers teacher preparation costs including tuition, textbooks, instructional materials, or stipends for student teaching, not exceeding actual program costs minus any federal Pell grants or state grants received, and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Recipients must commit to working as a licensed classroom teacher in the district for four consecutive school years after receiving a teaching license and must annually complete a federal student aid application.

Appropriates an unspecified amount from the general fund in fiscal year 2017 to the commissioner of education for grants to the St. Paul school district.