NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2673

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to higher education
Jan 24, 2023	referred to higher education

co-Sponsors

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A7232
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §679-k, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: A11365
2019-2020: S4063, A3055
2021-2022: S804, A1602

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the New York Teach Program conditional tuition waiver; requires participants to teach at hard to staff school districts for four years after graduation in order to have tuition waived in full for accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs in education.

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2673

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the "New
York Teach Program" conditional tuition waiver

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation will establish the New York Teach Program to fund and
provide a much needed new wave of young, eligible teachers into the
state education system.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Short title. This act shall be known and be cited as the "New
York Teach Program".

Section 2: The education law is amended by adding a new section 679-k.
The state will provide for a tuition waiver for an accelerated 5 year
master's in education program at eligible public universities.  Everyone

accepted into the program must complete it within 5 years, maintain a
3.0 average, and spend 4 years teaching at a hard-to-staff school.
Priority for the waivers will be given to low-income students. Waivers
will be given to 5,000 students for each of the first 10 years, after
which a commission will study the impact of the program and deem its
continuation. Students who graduate will be assigned to a hard-to-staff
school, although they can make requests in extenuating circumstances.
Failure to comply with rules will result in the expulsion from the
program and a debt to the corporation for the years in the program.

Students will be able to transfer between schools as long as it is with
in the program. Students are also not disallowed from other scholarships
and financial aid.

Section 3: This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State United Teachers - NYSUT - wrote a recent report of a
storm brewing in New York. A shortage of teachers, caused by a mix of
Baby Boomers reaching retirement age and a lack of new teachers due to
economic constraints. The average age of teachers in the state is 48.
They have also reported that since 2009-10, enrollment in teacher educa-
tion programs in New York has decreased by roughly 49 percent. An esti-
mated 10 percent of new teachers are leaving the state for more opportu-
nities due to the cumbersome certificate process. This shows, more than
anything, that we need a new program to fund and provide teachers to our
education system. New York Teach will create a smart way to fund the
education of teachers and provide hard to staff schools with young
employees who will bring about a positive energy and strong work ethic.

While the program is only a tuition waiver, we do not disallow students
from receiving other financial aid such as FAFSA and TAP and we allow
for scholarships as well that will be able to go towards room and board.
We understand that with the rising cost of higher education, it is
important that teachers - who take on teaching the new age of children
not be financially burdened because of a broken system. This program
will stop the storm that is brewing and provide a way for young, envi-
sioned teachers to take our education system by the reigns.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S804 / A1602

2019-20: S4063 / A3055

2018: A11365

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2673
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 24, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  FERNANDEZ, JACKSON, LIU -- 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 establishing the "New
   York Teach Program" conditional tuition waiver

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and be cited as the
 "New York Teach Program".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  679-k  to
 read as follows:
   §  679-K.  NEW  YORK  TEACH  PROGRAM.  1. PURPOSE. THE PRESIDENT SHALL
 ESTABLISH A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER FOR ACCELERATED  FIVE-YEAR  BACH-
 ELOR'S  AND  MASTER'S PROGRAM IN EDUCATION FOR ELIGIBLE PUBLIC UNIVERSI-
 TIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS SERVING UNDER-
 SERVED DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
   2. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS SECTION, APPLICANTS SHALL (A) BE ACCEPTED IN AN  ACCELERATED
 FIVE-YEAR  BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM AT A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
 IN THE STATE; (B) SIGN A CONTRACT TO AGREE TO TEACH  AT  THEIR  ASSIGNED
 HARD  TO STAFF CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR AT LEAST FOUR YEARS AFTER GRADU-
 ATION; (C) COMPLETE THE ACCELERATED FIVE-YEAR  BACHELOR'S  AND  MASTER'S
 DEGREE  PROGRAM WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF ENROLLMENT; (D) BE A NEW YORK STATE
 RESIDENT; AND (E) MAINTAIN A MINIMUM 3.0 GRADE POINT  AVERAGE  FOR  EACH
 ACADEMIC YEAR ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
   3. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM (A) "ELIGI-
 BLE  PUBLIC  UNIVERSITIES"  SHALL  MEAN  A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK
 STATE WITH BOTH A BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION; (B) "HARD
 TO STAFF CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS" SHALL MEAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS  IN  A  CITY
 THAT  HAVE  A SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS, AS DESIGNATED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND
 (C) "ACCELERATED FIVE-YEAR BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S PROGRAM"  SHALL  MEAN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06179-01-3

 S. 2673                             2
 
 AN  ACADEMIC  COURSE  OF  STUDY WHICH ALLOWS A STUDENT TO COMPLETE THEIR
 BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREES IN EDUCATION IN FIVE ACADEMIC YEARS.
   4.  PRIORITY.  PRIORITY  FOR  THIS CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER SHALL BE
 GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AS DETERMINED  BY
 THE CORPORATION.
   5. WAIVER AMOUNT DETERMINATION. THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT FIVE THOU-
 SAND  CONDITIONAL  WAIVERS  PURSUANT  TO THIS SUBDIVISION IN EACH OF THE
 FIRST TEN ACADEMIC YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION.
 UPON  COMPLETION  OF  THE TEN ACADEMIC YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION, THE CORPORATION SHALL STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF  THIS
 TUITION  WAIVER  PROGRAM.  SUCH  STUDY SHALL INCLUDE THE SUCCESS RATE OF
 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING TEST SCORES FOR THE STUDENTS TAUGHT  BY  PROGRAM
 PARTICIPANTS  AND  SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR REVIEWS OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.
 UPON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY, THE CORPORATION SHALL DETERMINE THE NUMBER
 OF CONDITIONAL WAIVERS THAT SHALL BE GRANTED IN THE ACADEMIC YEARS THER-
 EAFTER.
   6. ASSIGNMENT OF GRADUATES. PRIOR TO GRADUATION, THE CORPORATION SHALL
 ASSIGN STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER TO A
 HARD TO STAFF CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE ASSIGNMENT SHALL BE MADE  PURSU-
 ANT TO THE NEED FOR TEACHERS AT SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE STUDENT SHALL
 BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  APPEAL  THE  ASSIGNED  DISTRICT AND REQUEST A SPECIFIC
 PLACEMENT IN THE CASE OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO, AN ILLNESS IN THE STUDENT'S FAMILY.
   7.  FAILURE  TO COMPLY. THE CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER SHALL BE VOIDED
 BY THE CORPORATION, AND SUCH PERSON SHALL OWE THE TUITION AMOUNT FOR THE
 FIVE-YEAR ACCELERATED PROGRAM TO THE  CORPORATION  IN  THE  FORM  OF  AN
 EDUCATIONAL  LOAN  IN  THE  EVENT  A  PERSON  RECEIVING THIS CONDITIONAL
 TUITION WAIVER FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF  (A)  COMPLETING
 THE  DEGREE  PROGRAM  IN  FIVE  ACADEMIC YEARS; OR (B) TEACHING IN THEIR
 ASSIGNED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR FOUR YEARS.
   8. TRANSFER. A STUDENT RECEIVING A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSUANT
 TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO TRANSFER  BETWEEN  ELIGIBLE  PUBLIC
 UNIVERSITIES  WITHOUT  BEING  DISQUALIFIED  FROM THE CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVER PROGRAM. AN ELIGIBLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SHALL ALLOW A STUDENT WITH
 A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  TO  TRANSFER  ANY
 CREDITS EARNED AT A DIFFERENT ELIGIBLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.
   9.  OTHER  FINANCIAL  AID.  A  STUDENT RECEIVING A CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE DISALLOWED  FROM  RECEIVING
 ANY  OTHER  AWARDS,  AID, OR SCHOLARSHIPS. THE WAIVER SHALL APPLY TO THE
 REMAINING TUITION BALANCE AFTER ANY SUCH AWARDS,  AID,  OR  SCHOLARSHIPS
 ARE APPLIED TO THE TUITION BALANCE.
   10. RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE
 RULES AND REGULATIONS AND MAY PROMULGATE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS NECESSARY
 FOR  THE  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. IN THE EVENT
 THAT THERE ARE MORE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE SAME PRIORITY,  AS  PROVIDED
 IN  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  THIS SECTION, THAN THERE ARE REMAINING CONDI-
 TIONAL TUITION WAIVERS, THE CORPORATION SHALL PROVIDE IN REGULATION  THE
 METHOD  OF DISTRIBUTING THE REMAINING NUMBER OF SUCH CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVERS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE A LOTTERY OR OTHER FORM OF RANDOM SELECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S2673

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

co-Sponsors

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S2673

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Nathalia Fernandez

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

co-Sponsors

Robert Jackson

John C. Liu

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Details

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2023-S2673 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments