Senate Bill 2413

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A MISSISSIPPI TEACHER SHORTAGE COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A STUDY ON THE DISTRICT BY DISTRICT NEEDS FOR TEACHERS IN MISSISSIPPI; TO AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE TEACHER SHORTAGE COMMISSION TO CONTRACT WITH THE MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSORTIUM FOR EDUCATIONAL ACCESS TO PROVIDE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) EDUCATION COURSES THROUGH ITS INTERNET-DRIVEN MODEL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THESE COURSES IN RURAL AREAS OF THE STATE WHERE THERE ARE SERIOUS TEACHER SHORTAGES; TO AUTHORIZE THE COMMISSION, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION, TO MATCH FEDERAL AND PRIVATE FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE CONSORTIUM FOR THIS PURPOSE; TO AMEND SECTION 37-9-81, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CONTRACT WITH ENTITIES WITH PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN INSTRUCTIONAL MANAGEMENT TO PROVIDE INTERNET ACCESS FOR STEM COURSEWORK; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby established a commission to be known as the "Mississippi Teacher Shortage Commission" to develop a five-year plan for comprehensively addressing the issue of teacher shortage and internet access in the rural areas of the state and in areas with low-performing school districts. The commission shall consist of twelve (12) members as follows:

(a) The State Superintendent of Education who shall serve as an ex officio member of the commission;

(b) Three (3) appointees of the Governor, one (1) of whom shall be a public school teacher or administrator, one (1) of whom shall have educational and work experience in information technology programs, and one (1) from the state-at-large;

(c) Three (3) appointees of the Lieutenant Governor, one (1) of whom shall be a public school teacher or administrator, one (1) of whom shall have educational and work experience in information technology programs, and one (1) from the state-at-large;

(d) Three (3) appointees of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one (1) of whom shall be a public school teacher or administrator, one (1) of whom shall have educational and work experience in information technology programs, and one (1) from the state-at-large;

(e) One (1) appointee of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning; and

(f) One (1) appointee of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.

Appointing authorities shall make their appointments no later than August 1, 2020.

The commission shall meet upon the call of the Governor and shall organize by selecting a chairman and procedures for conducting business. The State Department of Education shall provide a meeting facility for commission business and provide clerical assistance as necessary.

(2) The duties of the Mississippi Teacher Shortage Commission shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Conduct a study of the teacher shortage situation in Mississippi, including a district by district analysis of needs for highly qualified teachers.

(b) Develop a five-year pilot plan for comprehensively addressing the issue of teacher shortage and internet access in Mississippi schools. The commission may develop the plan during the 2021 fiscal year for presentation to the 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature to begin implementation. The plan would be utilized to solicit federal grants for developing the state's internet infrastructure in order to provide Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes to students via the internet.

(c) Contract with the Mississippi Public School Consortium for Educational Access to conduct the teacher shortage study and to utilize its internet model to provide school districts with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) classes, advanced curriculum offerings, certified quality teachers and instructional delivery methodology in rural and low-performing school districts in the state. Such services may be provided in school districts served by the consortium on July 1, 2020, and may be phased in to other school districts in the state.

(d) To develop a series of best practices policy actions that the State Board of Education and the Mississippi Legislature can implement to provide internet services to school districts in order to alleviate teacher shortages.

(3) The commission members shall meet at times and places upon the call of the chairman. The commission may receive and expend funds appropriated for the purposes of this act and match federal and private funds provided by the consortium to fulfill its mission.

(4) The commission shall prepare an annual report for the consideration of the Chairmen of the House and Senate Education and Universities and Colleges Committees pertaining to its activities.

SECTION 2. Section 37-9-81, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

37-9-81. The school board of a local school district may contract with a person having professional experience in academic, internet, finance or other managerial and operational functions of schools and school districts to serve as a consultant to the school board, superintendent, principals and licensed district and school level administrators in the district. However, any person having experience as a superintendent, principal or other licensed district or school level administrator whose last full-time employment in the field of education was with a school district in Mississippi determined by the State Board of Education to be a failing district is not eligible to serve as a consultant to any school district in the state, including the district at which the person was last employed, for a period of two (2) years following the last date of the person's employment with the failing school district. School districts seeking the services of a consultant shall verify the employment background of any person being considered to provide those services and may not contract with any person who does not meet the qualifications prescribed in this section.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.