1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing a grant program to promote professional 
1.3 	teaching standards; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [122A.73] GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL 
1.7 	TEACHING STANDARDS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. A grant program to promote professional teaching 
1.9 	standards through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is established to 
1.10 	provide teachers with the opportunity to receive National Board for Professional Teaching 
1.11 	Standards certification and to reward teachers who have already received this certification.
1.12 		Subd. 2.Eligibility. An applicant for a grant must:
1.13 	(1) be a licensed teacher employed in a Minnesota public school;
1.14 	(2) have a minimum of five school years' classroom teaching experience; and 
1.15 	(3) demonstrate acceptance by the National Board for Professional Teaching 
1.16 	Standards as a candidate for board certification or as a recipient of board certification.
1.17 		Subd. 3.Application process. To obtain a grant to participate in the National Board 
1.18 	for Professional Teaching Standards certification process or to receive a reward for already 
1.19 	completing the board certification process, a teacher must submit an application to the 
1.20 	commissioner of education in the form and manner established by the commissioner. The 
1.21 	commissioner shall consult with the Board of Teaching when reviewing the applications. 
1.22 	The commissioner shall also provide program support to assist applicants during the 
1.23 	national board certification process.
2.1 		Subd. 4.Grant awards; proceeds. (a) The commissioner may award grants of 
2.2 	$1,000 to eligible teachers accepted as candidates for the National Board for Professional 
2.3 	Teaching Standards certification or for national board certification renewal for partial 
2.4 	payment of the teacher's candidate application fee.
2.5 	(b) The commissioner shall award grants of $3,000 to all eligible teacher applicants 
2.6 	who hold certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and 
2.7 	$2,000 for renewal of their national board certification.
2.8 	(c) The commissioner shall also award grants to eligible teachers who have received 
2.9 	National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification within one year prior to 
2.10 	the date of the teacher's application for a grant to use for educational purposes, including 
2.11 	purchasing instructional materials, equipment, or supplies, and pursuing professional 
2.12 	development opportunities. The amount of each grant awarded under this paragraph shall 
2.13 	not exceed $1,000 and the commissioner, in consultation with Education Minnesota, shall 
2.14 	establish criteria to determine the amount of each grant.

2.15 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.16 	The following sum is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
2.17 	education in the fiscal year designated for the grant program to promote professional 
2.18 	teaching standards under section 1:

2.19		$
	...,000
	.....
	2008
	
2.20		$
	...,000
	.....
	2009
	
2.21 	$....... of this amount is for ... grants of $1,000 each to eligible teachers accepted as 
2.22 	candidates for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification according 
2.23 	to Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.73, subdivision 4, paragraph (a). The grant award 
2.24 	shall be made to the national board.
2.25 	$....... of this amount is for ... grants of $2,000 each to eligible teachers according to 
2.26 	Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.73, subdivision 4, paragraph (b).
2.27 	$....... of this amount is for grants of up to $1,000 each to eligible teachers who have 
2.28 	received National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification according to 
2.29 	Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.73, subdivision 4, paragraph (c).
2.30 	$100,000 of this amount is for the commissioner of education to pay one coordinator 
2.31 	and three facilitators to assist and support applicants for National Board for Professional 
2.32 	Teaching Standards certification. The coordinator and facilitators must hold certification 
2.33 	from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The money must also be 
2.34 	used for program costs, travel expenses, meetings, supplies, and Web site maintenance.