1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for certain school
1.3 	districts to assist other districts to develop teacher
1.4 	mentoring programs; appropriating money; proposing
1.5 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [122A.628] SCHOOLS MENTORING SCHOOLS REGIONAL
1.8 	SITES.
1.9 	The commissioner of education shall select up to four
1.10 	school districts, or partnerships of school districts, for the
1.11 	purpose of assisting other school districts in the region with
1.12 	the development of thorough and effective teacher mentoring
1.13 	programs.  The commissioner shall use geographic balance and
1.14 	proven teacher induction programs as criteria when selecting the
1.15 	sites.  One site must include the Brainerd teacher support
1.16 	system, which has been cited by the Minnesota Board of Teaching
1.17 	as a model program and was one of only six programs in the
1.18 	nation to be recognized for the 2004 NEA-Saturn/UAW partnership
1.19 	award.  The sites shall be known as schools mentoring schools
1.20 	regional sites.
1.21 	The sites shall provide high quality mentoring assistance
1.22 	programs and services to other nearby school districts for the
1.23 	development of effective systems of support for new teachers.
1.24 	The sites shall offer coaching/mentor training, in-class
1.25 	observation training, and train-the-teacher opportunities for
2.1 	teams of participating teachers.  The sites shall use their
2.2 	recognized experience and methods to equip schools to work with
2.3 	their own new and beginning teachers.  The commissioner shall
2.4 	review and report annually to the legislature on the operation
2.5 	of each training center.

2.6 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.7 	The following sums are appropriated from the general fund
2.8 	to the Department of Education for the fiscal years designated
2.9 	to select and fund schools mentoring schools regional sites:
2.10 	$.,...,........2006 
2.11 	$.,...,........2007 
2.12 	Any balance remaining in the first year does not cancel but
2.13 	is available in the second year.