2006 Minnesota Statutes

122A.72 TEACHER CENTERS.
    Subdivision 1. Teacher defined. For the purposes of this section, "teacher" has the meaning
given it in section 179A.03, subdivision 18.
    Subd. 2. Establishment. A teacher center may be established by one or more school boards
and the exclusive representatives of the teachers. The teacher center shall serve at least ten
districts or 3,000 teachers.
    Subd. 3. Policy board membership. Representatives of exclusive representatives and
representatives of the school boards shall mutually determine the composition of the policy
board according to the guidelines in this subdivision. A majority of the policy board must be
teachers. The number of policy board members from each participating district must be in
proportion to the number of teachers in each district. The board shall be composed of elementary
teachers, secondary teachers, and other teachers, parents, and representatives of school boards,
postsecondary education, business, and labor. At least one teacher from each participating district
shall be a member of the board.
    Subd. 4. Policy board powers and duties. The policy board shall develop policy, designate
a fiscal agent, adopt a budget, expend funds to accomplish the purposes of the center, contract for
technical and other assistance, and perform other managerial or supervisory activities consistent
with the rules of the commissioner of education. The policy board may employ staff or contract
with consultants for services.
    Subd. 5. Center functions. A teacher center shall perform functions according to this
subdivision. The center shall assist teachers, diagnose learning needs, experiment with the use
of multiple instructional approaches, assess pupil outcomes, assess staff development needs
and plans, and teach school personnel about effective pedagogical approaches. The center
shall develop and produce curricula and curricular materials designed to meet the educational
needs of pupils being served, by applying educational research and new and improved methods,
practices, and techniques. The center shall provide programs to improve the skills of teachers to
meet the special educational needs of pupils. The center shall provide programs to familiarize
teachers with developments in curriculum formulation and educational research, including how
research can be used to improve teaching skills. The center shall facilitate sharing of resources,
ideas, methods, and approaches directly related to classroom instruction and improve teachers'
familiarity with current teaching materials and products for use in their classrooms. The center
shall provide in-service programs.
History: 1989 c 329 art 11 s 11; 1998 c 397 art 8 s 5,101; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; 2003
c 130 s 12