Section 11-1195 - Distinguished educators program(a) The Department of Education shall establish a Distinguished Educators Program for organizing individuals into a State corps of educators for the purpose of making them available throughout this Commonwealth to help eligible school districts and schools improve the quality of education.(b) The department shall develop guidelines, standards and criteria for the selection of participants. At a minimum, candidates must hold administrative or instructional certificates and have satisfactory experience as a teacher or school administrator for a minimum of five (5) years prior to the date of application. Candidates selected for participation shall have knowledge and skills relating to school leadership, management, curriculum and instruction.(c) Applications shall be submitted to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department. The application form and information relating to applying for the program, along with criteria to be used to review applications, shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and may be placed on the department's Internet website.(d) The following applies for school year 2007-2008 and each school year thereafter: (1) The department shall appoint a selection committee to annually select from the applications received those individuals who will participate in the program.(2) At least ninety per centum (90%) of the individuals selected for participation in any year must possess an instructional or administrative certificate issued by the Commonwealth.(3) An individual selected must not be an employe of the department or a professional organization representing school boards of directors, school administrators, school principals or teachers.(e) By participating in the program, all individuals recognized as Distinguished Educators by the department agree to provide assistance to eligible school districts and schools at the request of the department.(f) The department shall establish an intensive and comprehensive training program for Distinguished Educators in order to participate in the program. Individuals must attend and complete the training program before being named a Distinguished Educator. The department shall require additional training from time to time to ensure the continued competencies of Distinguished Educators and the integrity of the program. Training shall be provided at no cost to participants. The training program shall include instruction relating to school district and school management, methods of personnel evaluation, school district and school organization, curriculum and assessment techniques and methodologies. Participants in the program will be compensated by the department during training pursuant to subsection (j).(g) The following apply: (1) Upon request of the department, a Distinguished Educator may be assigned to provide assistance to an eligible school district or to one or more schools within that school district as part of a team of Distinguished Educators.(2) No Distinguished Educator may be assigned as a consultant to the department.(3) The following apply: (i) A Distinguished Educator may be assigned to provide assistance to one or more eligible school districts for a period of at least one (1) school semester, which may be extended upon mutual agreement of the Distinguished Educator and the department. A Distinguished Educator shall not be assigned to a school district from which leave was granted for the Distinguished Educator pursuant to subsection (h).(ii) While on assignment, a Distinguished Educator shall do all of the following:(A) Cooperate with the superintendent and leadership team in the school districts where they are serving schools.(B) Work cooperatively with other members of the Distinguished Educators Program and the department.(C) Recommend curriculum and assessment techniques and methodologies.(h) Any school district, intermediate unit or area career and technical school may grant leave to a Distinguished Educator to serve under and in accordance with the provisions of this article.(i) If leave is granted under subsection (h), Distinguished Educators shall maintain the rights and obligations established in sections 1168 and 1170, but the leave shall not be subject to section 1166, 1166.1, 1167 or 1169. (j) The department shall compensate an individual serving as a Distinguished Educator based on a formula developed by the department and published annually in the Pennsylvania Bulletin by August 1 of each year. The department shall make payment only to the extent that funds are appropriated for this purpose. The department shall not pay any costs incurred by a school district to fill a vacancy resulting from the absence of a Distinguished Educator during the leave granted pursuant to subsection (h).(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of 24 Pa.C.S. § 8346 (relating to termination of annuities), an individual who is an annuitant may serve as a Distinguished Educator without the loss of his annuity. While serving as a Distinguished Educator, the annuitant shall not be entitled to earn any credited service, and no contributions shall be made by the annuitant or the department on account of such service as a Distinguished Educator.(l) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection: The term "eligible school district" shall mean a school district which meets at least one of the following criteria:
(1) Has one or more schools in corrective action.(2) Has one or more schools which have not met their academic adequate yearly progress targets in math and reading for the school overall.(3) Has one or more schools which have not met their academic adequate yearly progress targets in math and reading for a particular subgroup for two consecutive years.(4) Has one or more schools which have met their academic adequate yearly progress targets in math and reading only by the department's application of section 1111(b)(2)(I)(i) of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (115 Stat. 1445, 20 U.S.C. § 6311(b)(2)(A)(i) ), the Pennsylvania Performance Index or confidence intervals. "Selection Committee." A committee formed by the department which, at a minimum, includes one of each of the following:
(1) A Pennsylvania educator who has been recognized by a national, State or independent organization for excellence in education.(2) A Pennsylvania education practitioner.(3) A national education practitioner.(4) A Pennsylvania education researcher.(5) A department representative. With the exception of the department representative, a member of the selection committee under clause (1), (2), (3) or (4) must not be an employe of the department or a school entity administering the program.
Amended by P.L. TBD 2019 No. 76, § 13, eff. 12/30/2019.1949, March 10, P.L. 30, No. 14, § 1195, added 2006, July 11, P.L. 1092, No. 114, § 2.2, imd. effective.