SECTIONS 70000-70005 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 70000-70005

70000. (a) The Governor's Teaching Fellowships Program is hereby
established to be administered by the Chancellor's office of the
California State University. The chancellor's office shall
collaborate with the University of California, the California
Community Colleges, the Association of Independent California
Colleges and Universities, the State Department of Education, and the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing to ensure that access to the
fellowships is available to students in a variety of teaching
preparation programs.
(b) In January 2001, 250 nonrenewable graduate teaching
fellowships in the amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) each
shall be awarded, with funds disbursed one-half in January 2001 and
one-half in September 2001.
(c) During the 2001-02 fiscal year, 1,000 nonrenewable, graduate
teaching fellowships in the amount of twenty thousand dollars
($20,000) each shall be awarded.
(d) Commencing with the 2002-03 fiscal year and each fiscal year
thereafter, the number of fellowships awarded shall be determined
pursuant to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for this
purpose.
(e) The fellowship award may be used to defer tuition for a
teacher certification program at any accredited postsecondary
institution in California and for living expenses while enrolled in
that program.

70001. (a) The Chancellor's office of the California State
University shall have the following duties:
(1) Developing an application process that establishes a
merit-based fellowship program for graduate students who agree to
teach at a high-priority school for four years.
(2) Establishing a broad and effective outreach effort to promote
the availability and the merits of the fellowship program.
(3) Conducting the selection process for fellowship applicants.
(4) Collaborating with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to
develop and implement a system for monitoring program participants
through the completion of their four-year teaching obligation.
(5) Determining the criteria for selecting teaching fellowship
candidates. The criteria shall include, at a minimum, all of the
following:
(A) Previous academic and employment record.
(B) A demonstrated commitment to serve in a high-priority school.
(C) Faculty and employer evaluations.
(D) Interviews.
(E) Letters of recommendation.
(b) For the purposes of this article, a "high-priority school" is
a school in the bottom half of the Academic Performance Index
rankings established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 52056. If
a school meets this criteria at the time a teacher is hired,
continued employment of the teacher at that school fulfills the
commitment made by the teacher, even if the school improves its rank
on the Academic Performance Index.

70002. An intersegmental review committee is hereby established to
review all applications for the Governor's Teaching Fellowships. The
committee shall recommend teaching fellowship candidates to the
Chancellor's office of the California State University. The committee
shall consist of 12 members, appointed by the Governor to a term of
four years, based on recommendations as follows:
(a) The Chancellor of the California State University shall
recommend six members. Two shall be faculty members. One shall be an
administrator from higher education. One shall be an administrator
from a school maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12,
inclusive. Two shall be teachers from schools maintaining
kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
(b) The President of the University of California shall recommend
three members. One shall be a faculty member. One shall be an
administrator from either higher education or schools maintaining
kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. One shall be an
elementary or secondary teacher.
(c) The Chair of the Association of Independent California
Colleges and Universities shall recommend three members. One shall be
a faculty member. One shall be an administrator from either higher
education or schools maintaining kindergarten or any of grades 1 to
12, inclusive. One shall be an elementary or secondary teacher.

70003. (a) A fellowship recipient shall agree to teach in a
high-priority school for four years and shall have four years, upon
completion of his or her preparation program, to meet that
obligation. Except as provided in subdivision (c), a fellowship
recipient shall agree to repay the state five thousand dollars
($5,000) annually for each year the recipient fails to complete
either the teacher preparation program or the required teaching
service, up to full repayment of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
(b) Nonperformance of the commitment to teach in a high-priority
school for four years shall be certified by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing to the chancellor's office.
(c) Any exceptions to the requirement for repayment shall be
defined by the chancellor's office.

70004. The Trustees of the California State University shall
provide an annual report, for each higher education institution, on
the number of fellows receiving funding, the number of fellows
completing programs, and the place of employment for each candidate.

70005. (a) The Chancellor's office of the California State
University shall adopt any rules and regulations it deems necessary
for the administration of this section and the recovery of funds it
determines are owed to the state. The rules and regulations adopted
by the chancellor's office pursuant to this section shall also
include a provision authorizing the chancellor's office to seek a
civil penalty on a recipient of funds under this program, in an
amount not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per year for each
year that the recipient of funds is determined by the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing to have failed to fulfill his or her obligation
to teach in a high-priority school.
(b) Any moneys derived from the assessment of penalties pursuant
to this section shall be deposited into the General Fund.