SB329.html

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to provide an incentive for unusually experienced, well-educated, and talented teachers and principals to serve low-performing schools; to provide a short title; to provide for legislative findings; to provide definitions; to provide for a salary increase for certain teachers and principals; to provide for construction; to provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

The General Assembly finds that some of the problems confronting low-performing schools could be solved by focusing resources, including human resources, on these specific schools. The General Assembly further finds that one productive intervention for the improvement of these schools would be providing students in low-performing schools with teachers and principals who are unusually experienced and who have advanced degrees and exceptional performance evaluations. The General Assembly further finds that unusually experienced, talented, and well-educated teachers could serve as mentors to teachers with less experience and education and that unusually experienced, talented, and well-educated principals, by providing excellent leadership to these schools, could attract and retain effective teachers. The General Assembly further finds that every school system tries to hire the most experienced, talented, and well-educated teachers and principals, who can choose their schools, especially during the shortage of teachers and principals. The General Assembly further finds that a salary increase would be an effective incentive to encourage some of Georgia´s most experienced, talented, and well-educated teachers and principals to serve students in low-performing schools.

Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, is amended by inserting a new Code section to be designated Code Section 20-2-212.4 to read as follows:
"20-2-212.4.
(a) As used in this Code section:
(1) 'Honor principal' means a principal or assistant principal who:
(A) Has five or more years of experience as a principal at the level of the school (elementary, middle, or high school) where the principal or assistant principal serves;
(B) Holds a L-5, L-6, or L-7 certificate; and
(C) Has received five consecutive annual performance evaluations of satisfactory or better.
(2) 'Honor teacher' means a teacher who:
(A) Has five or more years of experience at the level of the school (elementary, middle, or high school) where the teacher teaches;
(B) Holds a T-5, T-6, or T-7 certificate in the instructional level or academic subject taught by the teacher; and
(C) Has received five consecutive annual performance evaluations of satisfactory or better.
(3) 'Low-performing school' means any school which has received a rating of D or F on the established absolute achievement standard in accordance with Code Section 20-14-33.
(b) Subject to appropriation of sufficient funds by the General Assembly, any honor teacher who teaches in a low-performing school shall receive a 10 percent increase in annual state salary as long as the teacher continues to receive annual performance evaluations of satisfactory or better and continues to teach in the same school, even if the school´s ranking improves and the school is no longer a low-performing school. The increase in state salary provided by this Code section shall be in addition to any increase in salary in accordance with Code Section 20-2-212.2 or any other salary increase. This subsection shall not be construed to require or prohibit any increase in a local supplement payable to an honor teacher who teaches in a low-performing school.

(c) Subject to appropriation of sufficient funds by the General Assembly, any honor principal who serves a low-performing school as principal shall receive a 10 percent increase in annual state salary as long as the principal continues to receive annual performance evaluations of satisfactory or better and continues to serve the same school, even if the school´s ranking improves and the school is no longer a low-performing school. The increase in state salary provided by this Code section shall be in addition to any other increase in salary. This subsection shall not be construed to require or prohibit any increase in a local supplement payable to an honor principal who serves a low-performing school.
(d) This Code section shall not be construed to amend the provisions of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of this title, relating to education accountability."