TX HB2780

Creates the Texas Teacher Residency Partnership Program allowing educator preparation programs to partner with school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide year-long clinical teaching residency positions for teacher candidates in pre-K through grade 12 classrooms

Establishes a residency partnership allotment providing districts $22,000 base funding per partnership resident, with a "high needs and rural factor" that can increase the amount up to $42,000 based on campus characteristics

Provides an additional $2,000 allotment for each partnership resident seeking special education certification

Requires participating districts to pay at least 50% of partnership resident compensation from non-allotment funds and restricts allotment funds to program implementation and compensation for residents and mentor teachers

Directs the State Board for Educator Certification to establish rules for qualifying educator preparation programs and create a new residency educator certificate, which cannot require a pedagogy exam unless it tests subject-specific content for the certification area sought