S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2595
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 23, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in  relation  to  providing  for  the
   enhancement  of  the  quality of teaching in the public schools in New
   York city

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. The education law is amended by adding a new article 125-C
 to read as follows:
                                ARTICLE 125-C
                        CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
                           CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE
                            IN URBAN EDUCATION
 SECTION 6284. CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN URBAN
                 EDUCATION.
   § 6284. CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK CENTER  FOR  EXCELLENCE  IN  URBAN
 EDUCATION.  1. THE LEGISLATURE HEREBY FINDS AND DETERMINES THAT THERE IS
 A LOOMING SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS WILLING  TO  CONSIDER  TEACHING
 POSITIONS IN URBAN SCHOOLS. THIS SHORTAGE IS EVIDENT IN THE STATE'S FIVE
 LARGEST  CITY  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS AND HAS REACHED CRITICAL PROPORTIONS IN
 NEW YORK CITY.
   2. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK  CENTER
 FOR  EXCELLENCE  IN  URBAN EDUCATION.   THE CENTER SHALL BE LOCATED AT A
 CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLEGE ACCREDITED BY THE  NATIONAL  COUNCIL
 FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION.
   3. THE CENTER SHALL:
   A.  COLLABORATE WITH TEACHERS FROM THE CITY'S URBAN CENTERS TO DEVELOP
 AND DELIVER PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF URBAN EDUCATION,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DEALING WITH SEVERE CLASSROOM  MANAGEMENT
 PROBLEMS; ISSUES OF CONFLICT AND RACIAL SENSITIVITIES; UNDERSTANDING THE
 CENTRAL  ROLE SCHOOLS PLAY IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; AND COPING WITH AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04327-01-3
              

 S. 2595                             2
 
 COMPENSATING FOR A MYRIAD OF FAMILY AND SOCIAL ISSUES THAT IMPACT SCHOOL
 PERFORMANCE.
   B.  PARTNER  WITH  URBAN  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS TO (I) ENSURE HIGH QUALITY
 CLINICAL EDUCATION FOR PRESERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION  STUDENTS  IN  URBAN
 LOCATIONS;  (II)  DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO RECRUIT CHILDREN INTO
 CAREERS OF TEACHING; (III) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF MINORITY CANDIDATES IN
 TEACHER PREPARATION  PROGRAMS  AND  INCREASE  PRODUCTIVITY  IN  TEACHING
 FIELDS  OF CRITICAL NEED INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, CHILDHOOD EDUCA-
 TION WITH EMPHASIS IN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND READING;  EARLY  ADOLES-
 CENCE EDUCATION WITH EMPHASIS IN INTEGRATED SCIENCE-MATHEMATICS-TECHNOL-
 OGY; ADOLESCENT EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS; SPECIAL EDUCATION;
 BILINGUAL  SPECIAL  EDUCATION;  AND  BILINGUAL  SPEECH  PATHOLOGY;  (IV)
 ATTRACT TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS TO JOBS IN URBAN LOCATIONS  OF  CRIT-
 ICAL  NEED;  AND (V) SYSTEMATICALLY RENEW BOTH THE SCHOOL AND COLLEGIATE
 ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH JOINT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SCHOLARLY ACTIV-
 ITIES.
   C.  PROVIDE  SPECIAL  CAPSTONE  PROGRAMS  FOR  STUDENTS   FROM   OTHER
 COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES  IN  THE  STATE  TO RECRUIT AND QUALIFY PRESERVICE
 EDUCATORS FOR SERVICE IN URBAN SETTINGS.
   § 2. Section 605 of the education law  is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
   13.  REGENTS  TEACHER  LOAN  FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. REGENTS TEACHER LOAN
 FORGIVENESS AWARDS SHALL BE AWARDED ANNUALLY TO TEACHERS  WHO  AGREE  TO
 TEACH  PUBLIC  SCHOOL  IN  AN  AREA  OF NEW YORK STATE DESIGNATED BY THE
 REGENTS AS HAVING A SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL  TEACHERS.    SUCH  AWARDS
 SHALL BE CLASSIFIED AND ALLOCATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGENTS RULES.
   A. ELIGIBILITY. (1) THE APPLICANT MUST BE A RESIDENT OF NEW YORK STATE
 AND CERTIFIED.
   (2)  THE APPLICANT MUST AGREE TO TEACH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN AN AREA IN NEW
 YORK STATE DESIGNATED AS HAVING A SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
   B. SELECTION.   THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH  CRITERIA  FOR  THE
 SELECTION  OF  PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM. AN APPLICANT MUST SATISFY AT
 LEAST ONE OF THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED. A PRIORITY SHALL BE  ACCORDED  TO
 ANY  APPLICANT WHO IS COMPLETING THE SECOND YEAR OF THE SERVICE REQUIRE-
 MENT AND IS REAPPLYING FOR A NEW AWARD. THE CRITERIA SHALL  INCLUDE  BUT
 NOT BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:
   (1)  REAPPLICATION  FOR  A NEW AWARD BY A PERSON WHO IS COMPLETING THE
 SECOND YEAR OF A SERVICE REQUIREMENT;
   (2) RECEIPT OF SPECIFIC TRAINING IN AN AREA  OF  CERTIFICATION  DETER-
 MINED BY THE REGENTS TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY;
   (3)  RECEIPT  OF SPECIFIC TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE IN SERVING A SHORTAGE
 AREA;
   (4) RECEIPT OF SPECIFIC TRAINING OR  EXPERIENCE  MATCHING  A  SPECIFIC
 EDUCATIONAL NEED EXISTING IN A SHORTAGE AREA; AND
   (5)  AGREEMENT  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  D  OF THIS SECTION TO TEACH
 PUBLIC SCHOOL IN AN AREA DETERMINED BY THE  REGENTS  TO  HAVE  A  SEVERE
 SHORTAGE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
   C.  NOTIFICATION.  (1)  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL THEN FORWARD APPROVED
 APPLICATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT AND SHALL NOTIFY UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS;
   (2) THE PRESIDENT SHALL VERIFY THE APPROVED APPLICANTS':
   (I) ELIGIBILITY; AND
   (II) TOTAL UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL STUDENT EXPENSE;
   (3) THE PRESIDENT SHALL NOTIFY APPLICANTS OF THEIR AWARD ENTITLEMENT.
   D. SERVICE REQUIREMENT. WITHIN SUCH TIME AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  BY
 REGULATION  PROVIDE,  A RECIPIENT OF AN AWARD SHALL HAVE AGREED TO TEACH
 PUBLIC SCHOOL IN A SPECIFIC AREA DESIGNATED  AS  HAVING  A  SHORTAGE  OF
 S. 2595                             3
 
 PUBLIC  SCHOOL  TEACHERS  FOR  A  PERIOD  OF  TEN MONTHS FOR EACH ANNUAL
 PAYMENT TO BE RECEIVED  BY  THE  RECIPIENT.  TEACHERS  IN  TRAINING  WHO
 RECEIVE  AN AWARD SHALL NOT RECEIVE CREDIT TOWARD THEIR REQUIRED SERVICE
 FOR  TIME SPENT IN A TRAINING PROGRAM. IN NO CASE SHALL THE TOTAL NUMBER
 OF MONTHS OF SERVICE REQUIRED BE LESS THAN  TWENTY-FOUR.  THE  PRESIDENT
 SHALL,  IN  CONSULTATION  WITH THE COMMISSIONER, DEVELOP AND SECURE FROM
 EACH AWARD RECIPIENT, A WRITTEN AGREEMENT TO:
   (1) TEACH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE DESIGNATED SHORTAGE AREA; AND
   (2) TEACH FULL-TIME AND SERVE AS AN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY  ADVISOR
 OR COACH.
   IF  A RECIPIENT FAILS TO COMPLY FULLY WITH SUCH CONDITIONS, THE PRESI-
 DENT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE FROM SUCH RECIPIENT AN  AMOUNT  TO  BE
 DETERMINED BY THE FORMULA:
                                A = 2B (T-S)
                                       -----
                                         T
   IN  WHICH  "A" IS THE AMOUNT THE PRESIDENT IS ENTITLED TO RECOVER; "B"
 IS THE SUM OF ALL PAYMENTS MADE TO THE RECIPIENT  AND  THE  INTEREST  ON
 SUCH AMOUNT WHICH WOULD BE PAYABLE IF AT THE TIMES SUCH AWARDS WERE PAID
 THEY  WERE LOANS BEARING INTEREST AT THE MAXIMUM PREVAILING RATE; "T" IS
 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF  MONTHS  IN  THE  RECIPIENT'S  PERIOD  OF  OBLIGATED
 SERVICES;  AND  "S" IS THE NUMBER OF MONTHS OF SERVICE ACTUALLY RENDERED
 BY THE RECIPIENT. ANY AMOUNT WHICH THE PRESIDENT IS ENTITLED TO  RECOVER
 UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE PAID WITHIN THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING
 ON THE DATE THAT THE RECIPIENT FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THIS SERVICE CONDI-
 TION. NOTHING IN THE WRITTEN AGREEMENT SHALL AFFECT THE TERMS OF EMPLOY-
 MENT  OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO SHALL NEGOTIATE, SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE
 PROGRAM, HIS OR HER SALARY AND OTHER FORMS OF EMPLOYMENT WITH AN AGENCY,
 INSTITUTION OR A PROGRAM IN WHICH HE OR SHE SHALL BE EMPLOYED.
   ANY OBLIGATION TO COMPLY WITH SUCH  PROVISIONS  AS  OUTLINED  IN  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL BE CANCELLED UPON THE DEATH OF THE RECIPIENT. THE COMMIS-
 SIONER SHALL MAKE REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE WAIVER OR SUSPENSION OF
 ANY FINANCIAL OBLIGATION WHICH WOULD INVOLVE EXTREME HARDSHIP.
   E. REPORTING. A RECIPIENT OF AN AWARD SHALL REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE NEW
 YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPORATION, AND THE DEPARTMENT  ON
 FORMS PRESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT, AS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REQUIRED
 SERVICES,  COMMENCING  WITH  THE  CALENDAR  YEAR  IN WHICH THE RECIPIENT
 BEGINS TO TEACH PUBLIC SCHOOL IN A SHORTAGE AREA  AND  CONTINUING  UNTIL
 THE  RECIPIENT  SHALL HAVE COMPLETED, OR IT IS DETERMINED THAT HE OR SHE
 SHALL NOT BE OBLIGATED TO COMPLETE,  THE  REQUIRED  SERVICES.    IF  THE
 RECIPIENT SHALL FAIL TO FILE ANY REPORT REQUIRED HEREUNDER WITHIN THIRTY
 DAYS  OF WRITTEN NOTICE TO THE RECIPIENT, MAILED TO THE ADDRESS SHOWN ON
 THE LAST APPLICATION FOR AN AWARD OR LAST  REPORT  FILED,  WHICHEVER  IS
 LATER,  THE  PRESIDENT OF THE CORPORATION MAY IMPOSE A FINE OF UP TO ONE
 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE PRESIDENT SHALL HAVE THE DISCRETION TO  WAIVE  THE
 FILING  OF  A  REPORT,  EXCUSE  A DELAY IN FILING OR A FAILURE TO FILE A
 REPORT, OR WAIVE OR REDUCE ANY FINE IMPOSED FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN.
   F. OTHER AWARDS. AWARD RECIPIENTS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY  FOR  ONE
 ADDITIONAL AWARD.
   §  3.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 677-b to
 read as follows:
   § 677-B. REGENTS PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.    1.
 NUMBER  AND  CERTIFICATION.  EIGHTY  REGENTS  PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER LOAN
 FORGIVENESS AWARDS SHALL BE AWARDED EACH  YEAR.  SUCH  AWARDS  SHALL  BE
 ALLOCATED  AS  PROVIDED  IN ARTICLE THIRTEEN OF THIS CHAPTER TO ELIGIBLE
 S. 2595                             4
 
 PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AS CERTIFIED TO THE PRESIDENT BY THE  COMMISSION-
 ER.
   2.  CALCULATION  OF  AWARD  AMOUNTS.  EACH  AWARD SHALL CONSIST OF TWO
 CONSECUTIVE  ANNUAL  LOAN  FORGIVENESS  PAYMENTS.  EACH  OF  THE  ANNUAL
 PAYMENTS  SHALL BE FOR AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE TOTAL OF UNDERGRADUATE AND
 GRADUATE SCHOOL STUDENT LOAN EXPENSE OR TEN THOUSAND  DOLLARS  WHICHEVER
 IS  LESS.  THE PRESIDENT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CALCULATING THE DOLLAR
 AMOUNT OF EACH AWARD THAT ELIGIBLE  CANDIDATES  MAY  RECEIVE  FROM  THIS
 PROGRAM.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, STUDENT LOAN EXPENSE SHALL
 MEAN THE CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF THE ANNUAL STUDENT LOANS COVERING THE  COST
 OF  ATTENDANCE  AT  AN UNDERGRADUATE INSTITUTION AND/OR GRADUATE SCHOOL.
 INTEREST PAID OR DUE ON STUDENT LOANS THAT AN APPLICANT  HAS  TAKEN  OUT
 FOR USE IN PAYING FOR SUCH UNDERGRADUATE AND/OR GRADUATE EDUCATION SHALL
 BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
   3.  AWARD  DISBURSEMENT.  A.  ANNUAL  AWARD DISBURSEMENTS SHALL BE THE
 RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PRESIDENT AND SHALL OCCUR PRIOR TO  THE  BEGINNING
 OF  EACH  OF  THE  REQUIRED TERMS OF SERVICE AS SPECIFIED IN THE SERVICE
 CONTRACT. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES  CORPO-
 RATION  SHALL  ADOPT RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING CRITERIA FOR DETER-
 MINING SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE  SERVICE  CONTRACT  AND  ANY  APPEAL
 PROCESS  THAT MAY BE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THIS PARAGRAPH UPON RECOMMEN-
 DATION OF THE PRESIDENT IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER.
   B. THE DISBURSEMENT OF THE SECOND ANNUAL AWARD SHALL BE DEPENDENT UPON
 SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE  FIRST  YEAR  REQUIREMENT  OF  THE  SERVICE
 CONTRACT  AS  DEFINED  BY  THE  PRESIDENT, AS WELL AS OTHER CRITERIA SET
 FORTH IN THIS SECTION.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.