The commissioner must establish a partnership preservice program, and participating school districts or open-enrollment charter schools must pay specified minimum compensation to teacher candidates and cooperating teachers.
Sec. 21.905. PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP ALTERNATIVE PRESERVICE PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner shall establish the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership Alternative Preservice Program as a partnership preservice program to enable qualified educator preparation programs, as determined by the commissioner, that meet the preservice alternative teacher preparation requirements under Section 21.04423 to form partnerships with school districts or open-enrollment charter schools to help prepare candidates for an intern with preservice experience certificate or standard certificate. (b) The program must be designed to: (1) meet the requirements of a partnership preservice program under Section 21.902; and (2) allow a teacher candidate to satisfy the preservice alternative teacher preparation requirements under Section 21.04423(1). (c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school participating in the alternative partnership preservice program shall use money received under Section 48.157(b)(3) to provide compensation to: (1) teacher candidates for preservice practice hours at the district or school in an amount of at least $3,000 for salary; and (2) cooperating teachers who are paired with teacher candidates at the district or school in an amount of at least $1,000. (d) In addition to the amount provided by Subsection (c)(1), a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide compensation to teacher candidates in any amount above the amount provided by that subdivision for salary using money received under Section 48.157 or from any other available source. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 2.17, eff. June 20, 2025.