S2204

An Act establishing a “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program” and making an appropriation.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a three-year “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program.” The purpose of the program is to create mentoring relationships between male students of color, who are enrolled in educator preparation programs at institutions of higher education in the State, and male teachers of color currently employed by a school district , charter school, or renaissance school project. The commissioner shall select to participate in the pilot program one or more institutions of higher education in the State, which offer an educator preparation program, and one or more school districts , charter schools, or renaissance school projects that each employ at least one male teacher of color.

b. The commissioner shall, based on a competitive application process, select 19 male students of color enrolled in an educator preparation program at the institutions of higher education selected for participation in the pilot program and 19 male teachers of color from the school districts , charter schools, or renaissance school projects selected for participation in the pilot program. A student shall be eligible for the pilot program if he is enrolled in the final year of an educator preparation program at a participating institution.

c. The commissioner shall pair each participating male student of color with a participating male teacher of color. The teacher shall serve as the student’s mentor through the student’s final year of the educator preparation program in which he is enrolled and the first two years of his employment as a teacher, if the student is hired for employment in the participating district , charter school, or renaissance school project upon graduation from an educator preparation program.

d. A school district , charter school, or renaissance school project providing mentoring services under the provisions of this act shall conduct a review of the student’s performance under the “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program” following completion of the student’s final year in an educator preparation program. A school district , charter school, or renaissance school project that provides mentoring services to a student pursuant to the provisions of this section shall make a good faith effort to hire a student who receives a favorable review pursuant to the provisions of this subsection following the student’s graduation from an educator preparation program.

e. A male teacher of color participating as a mentor in the pilot program shall receive a stipend of $5,000 for each year in which he participates in the pilot program.

f. At the conclusion of the pilot program, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program. The report shall include the commissioner’s recommendation on the advisability of the program’s continuation and expansion to additional school districts , charter schools, and renaissance school projects, and institutions of higher education in the State.

2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Education $95,000 to establish the “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program.”

3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the three-year “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program,” which is to be developed and operated by the Commissioner of Education. The commissioner is to select one or more institutions of higher education that offers an educator preparation program, and one or more school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects that each employ at least one male teacher of color to participate in the pilot program.

Under the pilot program, the commissioner is to select 19 male students of color from among the institutions of higher education selected for participation in the pilot program and 19 male teachers of color from the school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects selected for participation in the pilot program. To be eligible for the program, a student is required to be in the final year of an educator preparation program.

The commissioner is required to pair each selected student with a current teacher, who is to serve as the student’s mentor through the candidate’s last year of the educator preparation program and, if the student is hired for employment in the participating district, charter school, or renaissance school project upon the student’s graduation from an educator preparation program, for the first two years of the student’s teaching career.

A school district, charter school, or renaissance school project that provides mentoring services under the provisions of the amended bill is to conduct a review of the student’s performance under the pilot program following completion of the student’s final year in an educator preparation program. A school district, charter school, or renaissance school project that provides mentoring services to a student under the pilot program is required to make a good faith effort to hire the student following the student’s graduation from an educator preparation program, if the student receives a favorable performance review under the review conducted by the school district, charter school, or renaissance school project.

Under the pilot program, a mentor is to receive a stipend of $5,000 for each year of participation in the pilot program.

At the conclusion of the pilot program, the commissioner is to submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the pilot program, including the commissioner’s recommendation on the advisability of the program’s continuation and expansion to additional school districts, charter schools or renaissance school projects, and institutions of higher education in the State.

The bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Education $95,000 to establish the “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program.”