SB861: Increasing support and professional development for educators

Legislative Summary

The purpose of this bill is to increase support and professional development for educators; expand factors used to determine how funds for supporting county-level implementation of the comprehensive systems for teacher and leader induction and professional growth are allocated to the counties; authorize retention of additional funding for 2024 -- 2025 school year by Department of Education to distribute to the county boards for the purpose of contracting with organizations that facilitate the school districts' participation in regional professional learning cadres or teacher leadership networks designed to support math and science improvement or supported by the Department of Education; require certain amount of funds be retained beginning with 2025 -- 2026 school year to distribute to the county boards for the purpose of expanding the school districts' ability to contract with organizations that facilitate the school districts' participation in regional professional learning cadres or teacher leadership networks designed to support math and science improvement or to support teachers who are less than fully certified for the teaching position in which they are employed; require the funds to be distributed to the county boards under a grant program to be established by the state board by rule; require the state board to ensure that the results on the comprehensive statewide student assessment for the students taught by each teacher are provided to that teacher; add to topics the plan for implementation of a comprehensive system of support for improving professional practice is to address; and require certain additional amounts paid to a teacher be only for the duration of any service provided and not be considered salary for the computation of an annuity under the Teachers Retirement System.