What's happening
This bill creates an incentive program offering tuition awards to students who commit to teaching or providing therapeutic support in New York special education schools.
Why it matters
Addresses a critical workforce shortage. by incentivizing students to enter and remain in special education teaching and therapeutic support roles, where there is often high turnover and difficulty in recruiting qualified professionals.
Ties tuition awards to a service commitment. recipients must work full-time for five years in New York special education schools, ensuring that the investment directly benefits students with disabilities and the state’s educational support infrastructure.
Imposes strict accountability. if recipients fail to fulfill their service or educational obligations, the award converts into a student loan with interest, adding a strong incentive to complete both the degree and the work commitment.
Expands support roles beyond teaching. the program recognizes the need for therapeutic professionals (like counselors, therapists, and social workers) in special education settings, broadening the impact to include comprehensive student support.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Incentives for Special Ed Teachers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
4 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4485
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 13, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RANZENHOFER, FELDER, FUNKE, HELMING, ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to incentive programs for teaching those with disabilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-i to read as follows:
§ 669-i. New York state teaching those with disabilities incentive program. 1. Eligibility. Notwithstanding subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one of this part, undergraduate and/or graduate students who are matriculated in an approved undergraduate or graduate program at degree granting institutions located within the state of New York leading to a career as a primary or secondary teacher in, or leading to a license to provide therapeutic support of students in, a school providing special education as defined in this section, shall be eligible for an award under this section, provided the applicant:
(a) signs a contract with the corporation agreeing to teach in the classroom or provide therapeutic services on a full-time basis for five years in a school providing special education as defined in this section located within New York; and
(b) complies with the applicable provisions of this article and all requirements promulgated by the corporation for the administration of the program.
2. Amount. Within amounts appropriated therefor, awards shall be granted to applicants that the corporation has certified are eligible to receive such awards. Up to five hundred awards may be made to new recipients annually. Such awards shall be made to recipients after the successful completion of each academic year, as defined by the corporation.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01796-01-9
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3. Duration. An award shall entitle the recipient to annual payments for not more than four academic years of full-time undergraduate study and one academic year of full-time graduate study leading to certification as a classroom teacher or a license to provide therapeutic care in a school providing special education as defined in this section.
4. Conditions. Recipients shall receive an annual payment for the successful completion of an academic year, equal to the annual tuition charged to state resident students attending an undergraduate program full-time at the state university of New York, or actual tuition charged, whichever is less.
5. Recipient. The corporation shall convert to a student loan the full amount of the award given pursuant to this section, plus interest, according to a schedule to be determined by the corporation if:
(a) two years after the completion of the degree program and receipt of initial certification it is found that a recipient is not teaching or providing therapeutic services in a school providing special education as defined in this section located within New York state on a full-time basis; or
(b) a recipient has not taught or provided therapeutic services in a school providing special education as defined in this section located within New York state on a full-time basis for five of the seven years after the completion of the degree program and receipt of initial certification or license; or
(c) a recipient fails to complete his or her degree program or changes majors to an undergraduate degree program other than in primary or secondary education or other therapeutic service in a school providing special education as defined in this section; or
(d) a recipient fails to receive or maintain their teaching certificate or license to provide therapeutic treatment in New York state; or
(e) a recipient fails to respond to requests by the corporation for the status of his or her academic or professional progress. The terms and conditions of this subdivision shall be deferred for any interruption in undergraduate or graduate study or employment as established by the rules and regulations of the corporation. Any obligation to comply with such provisions as outlined in this section shall be cancelled upon the death of the recipient. Notwithstanding any provisions of this subdivision to the contrary, the corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the waiver or suspension of any financial obligation which would involve extreme hardship.
6. Authorization. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this section, including the criteria for the provision of awards on a competitive basis and the rate of interest charged for repayment of the student loan.
7. Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
(a) "school providing special education" shall be defined as a school created by chapter eight hundred fifty-three of the laws of nineteen hundred seventy-six, a school created by a special act of the legislature for the purpose of providing education services to students who reside in child care institutions, state supported schools established by the legislature pursuant to section four thousand two hundred one of this chapter or state operated schools established pursuant to article eighty-seven of this chapter; and
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(b) "therapeutic support" shall be defined as counselling, clinical support, nursing, behavior therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy or social work.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to incentive programs for teaching those with disabilities
Purpose
To create a new incentive program to encourage elementary and secondary teachers and other professionals to work in schools providing special education for those with disabilities.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the Education Law to add a new section 669-i, the New York State Teaching Those With Disabilities Incentive Program.
This new program is modeled after the successful Math and Science Teach- ing Incentive Program. Within amounts appropriated, the program will grant up to five hundred awards to new recipients per year to eligible applicants. In return for annual payments for successful completion of an academic year, in the amount of the annual tuition charged to state residents attending undergraduate programs, or the actual tuition, students agree to teach at either the elementary or secondary level, or serve in other specified therapeutic treatment positions, for at least five years at specified schools. These schools include Special Act Schools, 853 Schools, 4201 Schools and state-operated schools formed pursuant to Article 87. As in the Math and Science Program, provision is made to convert these payments to school loans if the student fails to meet the requirements of the program.
Section 2: Effective date.
Justification
The schools identified in this legislation face enormous difficulties recruiting new teachers. The salaries that these schools can offer are often significantly lower that what a teacher or other professional might be offered in a public school system, constrained by reimbursement rate limitations. Working in these schools can be physically hazardous, and is always challenging. Clearly, the teachers and other professionals who work in these institutions are dedicated to the work they do, but it is very hard to recruit young teachers and other professionals with student loans to pay back to work at lower rates than they may find elsewhere. Schools report receiving no applications for certain posi- tions that can remain open for years. This bill will encourage more young people studying to be teachers and other professionals needed by these schools to consider and choose to teach and help the special students that these institutions serve.
Legislative history
2018 - S.7273 - HIGHER ED
Fiscal implications
To be determined. Program costs are based upon future appropriations.
Effective date
This act will take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.