A Council Bill to Establish An Incentive Grant for DC Teachers

A BILL IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Councilmember Kathy Patterson introduced the following bill...
...to establish an incentive grant for teachers in the District of Columbia to achieve certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards; and to allow District of Columbia school teachers to deduct from gross income expenses paid for classroom materials and supplies and tuition paid for post-graduate education and professional development.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the “District of Columbia Quality Teacher Incentive Act of 2005”.

Title I – National Board Certification Incentive Grant
Sec. 101. Definitions.
For the purposes of this title, the term:
(1) “Eligible teacher” means a full-time classroom teacher who:
(A) Holds a standard professional certificate or an advanced professional certificate;
(B) Is currently employed by the District of Columbia Board of Education or a District public charter school and has held this employment for at least three years;
(C) Meets the eligibility requirements and applies to be a candidate for National Board Certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
(2) “National Board Certification” means a certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).
Sec. 102. National Board Certification Incentive Grant.
(a) Grants.
(1) General. From amounts appropriated for this program, the Mayor shall award grants to eligible teachers who apply for and complete the National Board Certification process. The grant award shall be used to pay toward the fee for the National Board Certification.
(2) Maximum grant amounts. An eligible teacher shall receive a grant amount of $1,500.
Sec. 103. Administration of the Grant Program.
(a) General. The State Education Office shall administer the program on behalf of the Mayor, including the creation and collection of application forms.
(b) Application Form. The State Education Office shall create an application form that shall request at least the following information from teachers seeking a grant award:
(1) Name; date of birth; social security number; permanent mailing address; ward of residence if a District resident; email address; phone number; name and address of school employer; dates of employment; subject area taught; degree and major of undergraduate and post-graduate education; date of application for National Board Certification candidacy; proof of payment of NBPTS application processing fee.
(c) Return of grant award. In the event that a teacher recipient of the grant award does not complete the National Board Certification process, obtain the National Board Certification, or leaves employment with the District of Columbia Public Schools or the District public charter school before achieving the National Board Certification.

Title II – Quality Teaching Tax Incentives
Sec. 201. Section 47-1803(b) of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended by adding a new subparagraph (2) to read as follows:
“(2) An individual who is a classroom teacher who holds an advanced professional certificate, who teaches in a public school in the District of Columbia, who is a resident of the District of Columbia and who has taught in the District of Columbia for the full academic year prior to the year in which they are applying for the deduction may deduct, up to a maximum of $500, from gross income expenses paid for basic classroom materials and supplies necessary for teaching.”
Sec. 202. Section 47-1803(b) of the District of Columbia Official Code is amended by adding a new subparagraph (3) to read as follows:
“(3) An individual who is a classroom teacher who holds an advanced professional certificate, who teaches in a public school in the District of Columbia, who is a resident of the District of Columbia and who has taught in the District of Columbia for the full academic year prior to the year in which they are applying for the deduction may deduct, up to a maximum of $1,500, from gross income tuition and fee expenses paid for post-graduate education, professional development, or professional certification necessary to become a highly-qualified teacher, to improve teaching credentials, or to maintain professional certification.”

Title III – Fiscal Impact Statement
Sec. 301. The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(3)).

Title IV – Effective Date
Sec. 401. This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.