§ 3033. New York state mentor teacher-internship program. 1. Boards
of education and boards of cooperative educational services are hereby
authorized to participate in the New York state mentor
teacher-internship program in accordance with the provisions of this
section.

2. Each board of education or board of cooperative educational
services which applies for funds under this section shall prepare a plan
for implementation of a mentor teacher-internship program consistent
with article fourteen of the civil service law. The plan shall be
developed in accordance with this section and regulations of the
commissioner. The board of education or board of cooperative educational
services shall submit an application and plan by May first of the
current year for approval by the commissioner; provided however for the
nineteen hundred ninety-seven--ninety-eight school year, such plan may
be submitted by November first, nineteen hundred ninety-seven.

3. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational
services which determines to participate in the program shall select
persons eligible to serve as mentor teachers from a list of persons who
have demonstrated their mastery of pedagogical and subject matter
skills, given evidence of superior teaching abilities and interpersonal
relationship qualities, and who have indicated their willingness to
participate in such program. Such list of persons eligible to serve as
mentor teachers shall be developed by a selection committee composed of
certified or licensed personnel employed by the school district or the
board of cooperative educational services, a majority of whom shall be
classroom teachers chosen by the certified or recognized teachers
employee organization. The assignment of particular mentor teachers and
teacher interns to work together shall be made by the superintendent of
the participating district or district superintendent of the
participating board of cooperative educational services. Each person
designated as a mentor teacher shall continue to provide classroom
instruction for at least sixty percent of the time spent in performance
of such individual's duties during the school year or such person may so
serve on a full-time basis for not more than two school years out of
five consecutive school years, provided that such service as a mentor
teacher shall not diminish or impair the tenure and seniority rights of
the mentor teacher.

4. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational
services which determines to participate in the mentor
teacher-internship program shall require those first or second year
eligible teachers which it chooses to include in the program to perform
their duties under the guidance of a mentor teacher, and shall ensure
that such teacher intern and mentor carry no more than a ninety percent
classroom instruction assignment in order to allow such teacher intern
time to receive special assistance from a mentor teacher. In order to
participate as a teacher intern in a mentor teacher-internship program,
a first or second year teacher shall hold a provisional or permanent
teaching certificate, temporary emergency license, regular license, or
temporary per diem certificate for a field in which no licensed person
is available to teach and shall not have participated in such program in
the previous year.

5. A school district or board of cooperative educational services
participating in an approved mentor teacher-internship program in the
current year shall be eligible for aid including but not limited to
costs related to release time of the intern and mentor teacher up to ten
percent of the mentor teacher's salary and up to ten percent of the
teacher intern's salary respectively in accordance with the provisions
of this subdivision. To receive such assistance, a school district or
board of cooperative educational services must file a claim with the
commissioner by October first of the current school year in a form
prescribed by the commissioner which shall include the actual salary of
each program participant as of September fifteenth of such year. The
commissioner shall pay one-half of the amount of such assistance by
January fifteenth of each year and shall pay the remaining amount based
upon a final report filed by the school district by August fifteenth of
each year.

6. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational
services which participates in the program shall file a report with the
commissioner on or before August first of each school year concerning
compliance with the requirements of the program during the preceding
school year. Such report shall be in such form and in such manner as
the commissioner may require. The commissioner shall evaluate such
programs and file a report with the legislature on or before December
first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven.