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A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing a teacher classroom support grant program;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
124D.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
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[124D.902] TEACHER CLASSROOM SUPPORT GRANT PROGRAM.
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Subdivision 1.
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Establishment; purpose.
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(a) The commissioner of education must
establish and administer a grant program that provides financial support to teachers and
specialized instructional support personnel.
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(b) The purpose of the grant program is to support:
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(1) teacher development through funding for microcredentials or professional
development courses from approved providers;
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(2) the purchase of classroom supplies, materials, or equipment needed to implement
the skills, strategies, or practices learned through a microcredential or other approved
professional development course;
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(3) classroom needs for new teachers;
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(4) teachers with materials to implement new curriculum and standards in reading, math,
and science; and
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(5) special project implementation, including projects related to English language learners,
READ Act professional development and classroom materials, and student mental health.
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Subd. 2.
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Eligible recipients.
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(a) Eligible grant award recipients include any teacher
licensed under Minnesota Statutes, sections 122A.18 or 122A.181 to 122A.184, and any
specialized instructional support personnel employed full-time by a school district or charter
school.
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(b) For purposes of this section, "specialized instructional support personnel" include
but are not limited to school counselors, school social workers, paraprofessionals, and school
library media specialists.
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Subd. 3.
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Administration; partner organizations.
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(a) The commissioner shall enter
into an agreement with one or more 501(c)3 partner organizations to administer the grant
program in this section.
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(b) A partner organization selected under this subdivision must have demonstrated
statewide experience operating a charitable, project-based platform that allows teachers to
propose classroom projects, receive donor-supported supplies, and manage fulfillment of
classroom needs.
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(c) Under the agreement, the partner organization must:
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(1) enable public school teachers to request classroom materials, instructional resources,
and professional development courses, including microcredentials;
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(2) distribute stipends to professional development providers;
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(3) review requests for compliance with established eligibility criteria;
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(4) provide item-level reporting and audit documentation;
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(5) deliver approved materials necessary to implement the credential directly to schools
or classrooms;
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(6) support classroom supplies for new teachers; and
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(7) support special projects described in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), clause (5).
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Subd. 4.
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Grant amounts.
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(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), an administering
partner organization shall not expend more than $600 per eligible recipient for supporting
the purposes described in subdivision 1.
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(b) An eligible grant award recipient may request support in excess of the limit in
paragraph (a). The administering partner organization may fulfill such a request only to the
extent that funds from nonstate sources are available.
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(c) Nothing in this subdivision prohibits an administering partner organization from
supplementing state funds with private donations.
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Subd. 5.
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Other contributions and business partnerships.
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(a) An administering partner
organization may solicit and receive contributions from businesses, nonprofit organizations,
philanthropic entities, and community partners to expand the reach of the grant program.
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(b) Contributions may be used to:
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(1) increase the total amount available for teacher stipends for microcredentials or
professional development;
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(2) fund classroom supplies, materials, or equipment needed to implement in the
classroom the skills, strategies, or practices learned through a microcredential or other
approved professional development course;
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(3) support classroom needs for new teachers;
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(4) support teachers with materials to support the implementation of new curriculum
and standards in reading, math, and science; and
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(5) support special project implementation, including projects related to English language
learners, English as a second language, READ Act professional development and classroom
materials, and student mental health.
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(c) The commissioner must allow an administering partner organization to structure
contribution programs so that private contributions are directed to specific grade levels,
content areas, geographic regions, or project categories, provided that all eligible teachers
and specialized instructional support personnel have access to the base state-funded program.
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(d) Contributions received under this subdivision are not state funds. An administering
partner organization must account for contributions separately from state appropriations.
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(e) Nothing in this section prohibits an administering partner organization from accepting
corporate or philanthropic contributions that exceed the value of the state grant amount.
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Subd. 6.
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Reporting.
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An administering partner organization that is awarded a grant under
this section must submit a written report to the commissioner by January 15 of each year
that includes the number of teachers and specialized instructional support personnel served,
the types of microcredentials and professional development supported, the types of classroom
projects funded, the value of contributions received under subdivision 5, and a summary of
the geographic distribution of grants.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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Sec. 2.
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APPROPRIATION.
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(a) $....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of education for the teacher classroom support grant program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 124D.902.
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(b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 16B.98, subdivision 14, up to three
percent of the appropriation in each year is available for grant administration.
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(c) This appropriation is available until June 30, 2027. Any unencumbered balance of
the appropriation must not be spent after June 30, 2027, and any remaining balance must
be canceled to the general fund.
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EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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