Directs the commissioner of education to establish a mentor program whereby a school district may hire retired teachers to mentor inexperienced teachers in the classroom and in preparation for such classes; provides such mentors would not lose retirement benefits, but cannot increase such benefits by service as a mentor teacher.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1168
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 11, 2017
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMANOWITZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.
CROUCH, LOPEZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a mentor
program to assist new teachers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 309-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 309-b. Teacher's mentor program. 1. The commissioner shall establish
4 a mentor program whereby a school district may employ a retired teacher
5 to work in the classroom and in preparation with a new teacher to
6 provide experience and expedite development of such new teacher.
7 2. The mentor teacher may be paid an amount to be negotiated by the
8 local board and not determined by or limited to restriction of previous
9 salary or step, which payment shall not diminish the payment of retire-
10 ment benefits to such mentor teacher, notwithstanding any other
11 provision of law to the contrary.
12 3. Time spent as a mentor teacher may not be included as creditable
13 service toward retirement or to increase any retirement benefit.
14 4. No person may hold tenure as a mentor teacher or become entitled to
15 tenure as a mentor teacher.
16 5. Any school board may follow the program established by the commis-
17 sioner pursuant to subdivision one of this section, but shall not be
18 compelled to have such a program.
19 6. The commissioner shall promulgate necessary rules and regulations
20 to carry out the program, as established pursuant to this section, imme-
21 diately upon this section becoming a law.
22 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of September next
23 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03483-01-7
