Section 19B. There shall be an incoming teacher signing bonus program to be administered by the department of education for the purpose of encouraging the best and brightest candidates to teach in the public schools. The goal of such program shall be to encourage high achieving candidates to enter the profession who would otherwise not consider a career in teaching. Funding for such program shall be subject to the provisions of section 35S of chapter 10.
The board of education shall promulgate regulations, where necessary, for the effective implementation of such program. Such regulations shall include the following provisions:
(1) On an annual basis, the department of education shall select the best and brightest teaching prospects based on objective measures such as test scores, grade point average or class rank and such other criteria as the department may determine. The department shall establish a system for receiving a limited number of recommendations for outstanding candidates for such bonuses from institutions of higher education across the nation. In selecting bonus recipients, the department shall consider such recommendations.
(2) In a given year, the department may target awards to attract teachers for those subject matter areas most needed in the commonwealth; provided, however, that such subject matter areas shall be included in the core subjects as described in section 1D of chapter 69.
(3) In a given year, the department shall award bonuses only to those deserving candidates rather than providing a set number of bonuses.
(4) Recipients shall receive a $20,000 signing bonus over at least three years with at least $8,000 distributed in the first year of the bonus.
(5) Such recipients shall be eligible for each year's bonus payment only if they are certified to teach in the commonwealth and are employed as a teacher by a public school in the commonwealth.
(6) The department shall select and notify bonus recipients by April 1 of each year. Eligible recipients shall receive their annual bonus payments by the subsequent October 1 of each year.
(7) The name of an individual recipient of such bonus shall remain confidential unless recipient waives such confidentiality in writing.
(8) The department shall aggressively market the existence of the program to encourage the best and brightest candidates in the nation to come to the commonwealth to teach. Such marketing shall focus on candidates who would otherwise not consider a career in teaching.
(9) The program shall set forth an outreach plan to attract underrepresented populations to the teaching profession.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part I - Administration of the Government
Title II - Executive and Administrative Officers of the Commonwealth
Chapter 15a - Public Education
Section 3a - Statewide Educational Technology Plan; Goals; Development and Implementation
Section 4 - Board of Higher Education; Membership
Section 5 - Public Institutions of Higher Education System
Section 5a - Governor Foster Furcolo Community Colleges
Section 7 - Mission Statements; Development, Approval and Adoption
Section 7a - Board of Higher Education; Performance Measurement System
Section 9 - Powers and Duties of Council
Section 9a - American Sign Language
Section 9b - Needs-Based Financial Assistance Program; Scholarships; Guidelines
Section 13 - Hefa; Sale or Lease of Buildings, Lands or Other Property; Proceeds
Section 15c - Expenditures and Revenues; Management and Accounting Reporting System
Section 15d - Personnel Administrative Reporting and Information System
Section 15f - Community College Workforce Training Incentive Program
Section 15g - Stackable Credentials
Section 16 - Scholarship Programs; Guidelines
Section 17 - Teaching Learning Corps Program
Section 19 - Tuition and Fee Waiver Program; Guidelines; Annual Report
Section 19a - Student Loan Repayment Program; Guidelines; Expenses for Administration
Section 19b - Teacher Signing Bonus Program; Regulations
Section 19c - Master Teacher Corps Program; Regulations
Section 19d - Scholarship Program Known as Tomorrow's Teachers Program; Guidelines
Section 19e - Principal and Superintendent Recruitment Program
Section 20 - Educational Opportunities Information Center
Section 22 - Board of Trustees of Community Colleges or State Universities; Powers and Duties
Section 22a - Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center; Establishment; Powers and Duties of Board
Section 23 - Board of Trustees; Estimate for Institution's Ordinary Maintenance and Revenues
Section 24 - Board of Trustees; Authorized Purchases
Section 24a - Cooperative Purchasing; Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium
Section 25 - Refusal to Elect and Contract With Blind Teaching Candidates
Section 26 - Summer Sessions; Evening Classes
Section 27 - Dormitories; Nonsmoking Rooms; Rules and Regulations
Section 29 - Definitions; Use of Student Fee Funds for Legislative Agents' Costs
Section 31 - Administrative Expenses; Determination of Qualifying Expenditures
Section 32 - Student Assessment System
Section 33 - Report Assessing Overall Faculty Productivity and Teacher Effectiveness
Section 34 - Benchmark Study of Public Higher Education System
Section 35 - Professional Development Schools Grant Program
Section 38 - Military Recruiters; On-Campus Recruiting
Section 39 - Secondary Education Students Qualified to Enroll in Higher Education Institutions
Section 40 - Optional Retirement System; Providers; Regulations; Participation; Funds
Section 41 - Fees for Approval of Articles or Certificates; Revenue
Section 45 - Establishment and Implementation of Comprehensive Training Program