§ 3004-a. National board for professional teaching standards
certification grant program. 1. Notwithstanding any inconsistent
provision of law, the commissioner shall establish the Albert Shanker
national board for professional teaching standards certification grant
program, to be used by the department to defray any costs incurred by an
eligible teacher, as that term is described in subdivision two of this
section and his or her sponsoring school district, where such eligible
teacher seeks national board certification from the national board for
professional teacher standards.

2. As used in this section, "eligible teacher" shall mean a New York
state tenured public school teacher who:

(a) is currently teaching in New York state;

(b) has graduated from an accredited college or university; and

(c) holds a valid New York state teaching certificate.

3. Under the provisions of this section and subject to the filing
requirement described in subdivision four of this section, a grant in an
amount of up to two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) shall be made
available from the Albert Shanker national board for professional
teaching standards certification grant program to each eligible teacher
to defray the expenses of certification by the national board for
professional teaching standards. Such sum may include the direct
reimbursement by the department to the eligible teacher's sponsoring
school district from the total grant award to cover the cost of hiring a
substitute teacher for up to three days or the duration of such eligible
teacher's approved leave, whichever is less.

4. The commissioner shall be responsible for promulgating any
regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section,
including:

(a) establishing within the department an application form and filing
deadline requirements to be utilized by eligible teachers applying for
the Albert Shanker national board for professional teaching standards
grant program;

(b) establishing a mechanism for processing and approving applications
within the department;

(c) establishing a mechanism to allocate grant awards to approved
eligible teachers; and

(d) establishing a mechanism to reimburse sponsoring school districts
for up to three days of approved leave as described in subdivision three
of this section.

5. An eligible teacher for whom the state pays a participation fee
shall be liable for repayment of the grant to the department if such
eligible teacher:

(a) does not complete the process; or

(b) completes the process, but does not teach in a New York state
public school for at least one full year after achieving national board
for professional teaching standards certification.

6. Repayment of the grant is not required:

(a) if the certification process is not completed or if the eligible
teacher fails to teach for one full year after completion due to his or
her death or disability or some other extenuating circumstances as may
be recognized by the board of regents; or

(b) if the eligible teacher completes the process but does not achieve
certification.