The Department of Education shall invite the Maine Education Association and the Maine Federation of Teachers to appoint teachers and educational technicians for service on this advisory committee, and those organizations must be represented in proportion to the number of members in each organization in the public schools in the State. The Department of Education shall invite other education stakeholder organizations to nominate additional members for service on this advisory committee. The Commissioner of Education may appoint individuals from among those nominated by education stakeholder organizations to serve on the advisory committee but may appoint only a minority of members. The advisory committee shall present a report on its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than December 15, 2003.

Sec. 4. Database of accredited programs available to assist educators with meeting educator quality requirements. The Department of Education shall assist educators and local school systems covered by the educator quality requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, by compiling and publishing on its publicly accessible site on the Internet a database of programs accredited or recommended to assist educators in meeting the educator quality requirements. The site must also provide information about professional development funding, grants and other resources available to assist in meeting the requirements.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Department of Education to provide Maine educators with a range of options for demonstrating their proficiency and to assist Maine educators in meeting the requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The bill requires the Department of Education to adopt or amend rules for the program of technical assistance.