1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to children; establishing the teacher education and compensation helps 
1.3 	program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes, chapter 136A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [136A.126] TEACHER EDUCATION AND COMPENSATION HELPS; 
1.7 	MINNESOTA EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER RETENTION PROGRAMS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.TEACH. The teacher education and compensation helps program 
1.9 	(TEACH) is established to provide tuition scholarships, education incentives, and an 
1.10 	early childhood teacher retention program to provide retention incentives to early care 
1.11 	and education providers. The commissioner shall transfer funds provided under this 
1.12 	section through a grant to a nonprofit organization licensed to administer the TEACH 
1.13 	early childhood program.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Program components. (a) The nonprofit organization shall distribute 
1.15 	funds for:
1.16 	(1) tuition scholarships up to $5,000 per year for courses leading to the nationally 
1.17 	recognized child development associate credential or college-level courses leading to an 
1.18 	associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood development and school-age care; and 
1.19 	(2) education incentives of a minimum of $100 to participants in the tuition 
1.20 	scholarship program if they complete a year of working in the early care and education 
1.21 	field.
1.22 	(b) Applicants for the scholarship must be either employed by a licensed early 
1.23 	childhood or child care program and working directly with children, a licensed family 
1.24 	child care provider, or an employee in a school-age program operated under the auspices 
2.1 	of a license-exempt public program. Lower wage earners will be given high consideration 
2.2 	when awarding the tuition scholarships. Scholarship recipients must contribute ten 
2.3 	percent of the total scholarship and must be sponsored by their employers, who must 
2.4 	also contribute ten percent of the total scholarship. Scholarship recipients who are 
2.5 	self-employed must contribute only 20 percent of the total scholarship. 
2.6 	(c) The organization shall also distribute funds for teacher retention incentives of 
2.7 	$1,000 to $3,500 annually to be paid biannually. Applicants for the retention incentives 
2.8 	must be either employed by a licensed early childhood or child care program and 
2.9 	working directly with children, a licensed family child care provider, or an employee in 
2.10 	a school-age program operated under the auspices of a license-exempt public program. 
2.11 	Lower wage earners will be given high consideration. The amount of the retention 
2.12 	incentive must be based on the applicant's level of education when the applicant applies 
2.13 	for the incentive. A provider is eligible for the retention incentive if the provider:
2.14 	(1) has worked in the field for at least one year and has been working at the same 
2.15 	location for at least one year at the time of application;
2.16 	(2) agrees to remain in the provider's current position for a period of at least one 
2.17 	year; and
2.18 	(3) has an associate's or bachelor's degree or a child development associate's degree.
2.19 		Subd. 3.Advisory committee. The TEACH early childhood and Minnesota early 
2.20 	childhood teacher retention programs must have an advisory board as prescribed by the 
2.21 	national TEACH organization.

2.22 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.23 	$....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2008 from the general fund to the Minnesota 
2.24 	Office of Higher Education for the teacher education and compensation helps and the 
2.25 	Minnesota early childhood teacher retention programs in Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.26 	136A.126. This appropriation shall become part of the agency's budget base.