CHAPTER 15
FORMERLY
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE :
WHEREAS, the mission of Teach For America and teacher residency programs is to enlist our nation’s most promising future leaders in the movement to eliminate educational inequity; and
WHEREAS, Teach For America has been established in 29 communities around the United States and helped place 6,200 teachers into high-needs schools in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Teach For America recruits outstanding recent college graduates of all majors and career interests and working professionals to commit two years to teach in low-income urban and rural public schools and invests in the training and professional development necessary to ensure their success as teachers in our nation’s highest-poverty communities; and
WHEREAS, in addition to meeting stringent entry requirements for the Teach For America program, Teach For America corps members are required to complete an intensive, classroom-based institute in order to begin teaching; and
WHEREAS, Delaware has the opportunity to be a state-wide Teach For America site and to have teacher residency programs; and
WHEREAS, some legislative changes are necessary to permit Teach For America corps members and candidates for teacher residency programs to teach in Delaware.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend subsection 1260(a)(1), Title 14 of the Delaware Code by deleting the current language and replacing it with the following:
“(1) Either:
(i) Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a coherent major or its equivalent, which shall be no less than 30 credit hours appropriate to the instructional field; or
(ii) Hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university and are enrolled in the Teach For America program or a teacher residency program and have completed all pre-service requirements for such program and, where applicable and available, have achieved a passing score on an examination of content knowledge, such as Praxis II, for the area in which such individual will be teaching;”.
Section 2. Amend subsection 1260(a)(2), Title 14 of the Delaware Code by replacing the semi-colon ";" at the end of that subsection with a period (".") and adding the following sentence thereafter:
“Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, candidates enrolled in the Teach For America Program or a teacher residency program shall, where applicable and available, have achieved a passing score on an examination of content knowledge, such as Praxis II, for the area in which such candidate will be teaching prior to taking full responsibility for teaching a classroom;”.
Section 3. Amend subsection 1261(b)(1), Title 14 of the Delaware Code by adding the following at the end of that subsection:
“A teacher entering a Delaware school through the Teach For America or a teacher residency program shall be considered in compliance with this requirement if such teacher has completed the 200 hour pre-service training provided by Teach For America or the pre-service training requirements provided by the teacher residency program.”.
Section 4. Amend section 1261, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by adding a new subsection (e) to read as follows:
“(e) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Title to the contrary, candidates enrolled in the Teach For America or a teacher residency program shall not be limited to teaching in areas identified as critical curricular areas.”.
Section 5. This Act shall sunset 3 years subsequent to the date of enactment.
Approved April 20, 2009
