Assistant teachers; provide annual salary supplement to those in "C", "D" and "F" school districts.

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To: Education;
Appropriations A
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Scott

HOUSE BILL NO. 184

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-21-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
PROVIDE AN ANNUAL SALARY SUPPLEMENT TO ASSISTANT TEACHERS EMPLOYED 2
BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS RATED "C", "D" OR "F" UNDER THE ACCOUNTABILITY 3
SYSTEM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 37-21-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
37-21-7. (1) This section shall be referred to as the 8
"Mississippi Elementary Schools Assistant Teacher Program," the 9
purpose of which shall be to provide an early childhood education 10
program that assists in the instruction of basic skills. The 11
State Board of Education is authorized, empowered and directed to 12
implement a statewide system of assistant teachers in kindergarten 13
classes and in the first, second and third grades. The assistant 14
teacher shall assist pupils in actual instruction under the strict 15
supervision of a licensed teacher. 16
(2) (a) Except as otherwise authorized under subsection 17
(7), each school district shall employ the total number of 18
assistant teachers funded under subsection (6) of this section. 19
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The superintendent of each district shall assign the assistant 20
teachers to the kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade 21
classes in the district in a manner that will promote the maximum 22
efficiency, as determined by the superintendent, in the 23
instruction of skills such as verbal and linguistic skills, 24
logical and mathematical skills, and social skills. 25
(b) If a licensed teacher to whom an assistant teacher 26
has been assigned is required to be absent from the classroom, the 27
assistant teacher may assume responsibility for the classroom in 28
lieu of a substitute teacher. However, no assistant teacher shall 29
assume sole responsibility of the classroom for more than three 30
(3) consecutive school days. Further, in no event shall any 31
assistant teacher be assigned to serve as a substitute teacher for 32
any teacher other than the licensed teacher to whom that assistant 33
teacher has been assigned. 34
(3) Assistant teachers shall have, at a minimum, a high 35
school diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma equivalent, 36
and shall show demonstratable proficiency in reading and writing 37
skills. The State Department of Education shall develop a testing 38
procedure for assistant teacher applicants to be used in all 39
school districts in the state. 40
(4) (a) In order to receive funding, each school district 41
shall: 42
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(i) Submit a plan on the implementation of a 43
reading improvement program to the State Department of Education; 44
and 45
(ii) Develop a plan of educational accountability 46
and assessment of performance, including pretests and posttests, 47
for reading in Grades 1 through 6. 48
(b) Additionally, each school district shall: 49
(i) Provide annually a mandatory preservice 50
orientation session, using an existing in-school service day, for 51
administrators and teachers on the effective use of assistant 52
teachers as part of a team in the classroom setting and on the 53
role of assistant teachers, with emphasis on program goals; 54
(ii) Hold periodic workshops for administrators 55
and teachers on the effective use and supervision of assistant 56
teachers; 57
(iii) Provide training annually on specific 58
instructional skills for assistant teachers; 59
(iv) Annually evaluate their program in accordance 60
with their educational accountability and assessment of 61
performance plan; and 62
(v) Designate the necessary personnel to supervise 63
and report on their program. 64
(5) The State Department of Education shall: 65
(a) Develop and assist in the implementation of a 66
statewide uniform training module, subject to the availability of 67
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funds specifically appropriated therefor by the Legislature, which 68
shall be used in all school districts for training administrators, 69
teachers and assistant teachers. The module shall provide for the 70
consolidated training of each assistant teacher and teacher to 71
whom the assistant teacher is assigned, working together as a 72
team, and shall require further periodic training for 73
administrators, teachers and assistant teachers regarding the role 74
of assistant teachers; 75
(b) Annually evaluate the program on the district and 76
state level. Subject to the availability of funds specifically 77
appropriated therefor by the Legislature, the department shall 78
develop: (i) uniform evaluation reports, to be performed by the 79
principal or assistant principal, to collect data for the annual 80
overall program evaluation conducted by the department; or (ii) a 81
program evaluation model that, at a minimum, addresses process 82
evaluation; and 83
(c) Promulgate rules, regulations and such other 84
standards deemed necessary to effectuate the purposes of this 85
section. Noncompliance with the provisions of this section and 86
any rules, regulations or standards adopted by the department may 87
result in a violation of compulsory accreditation standards as 88
established by the State Board of Education and the Commission on 89
School Accreditation. 90
(6) (a) Each school district shall be allotted sufficient 91
funding under the total funding formula provided in Sections 92
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37-151-200 through 37-151-215 for the purpose of employing 93
assistant teachers. No assistant teacher shall be paid less than 94
the amount he or she received in the prior school year. No school 95
district shall receive any funds under this section for any school 96
year during which the aggregate amount of the local contribution 97
to the salaries of assistant teachers by the district shall have 98
been reduced below such amount for the previous year. 99
(b) For assistant teachers, the minimum annual salary 100
shall be as follows: 101
(i) 2022-2023 and Subsequent Years Minimum 102
Salary.............................................$17,000.00; and 103
* * * 104
(ii) In each school district that is assigned a 105
"C", "D" or "F" rating under the accountability system, the 106
minimum annual salary prescribed in subparagraph (i) of this 107
paragraph will be increased by an amount equal to One Thousand 108
Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for each assistant teacher 109
employed by the district. If the school district subsequently is 110
assigned an accountability rating higher than "C", the salary 111
supplement required under this subparagraph will continue to be 112
provided to assistant teachers, notwithstanding the improved 113
accountability rating. 114
(c) The assistant teachers shall not be restricted to 115
working only in the grades for which the funds were allotted, but 116
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ST: Assistant teachers; provide annual salary
supplement to those in "C", "D" and "F" school
districts.
may be assigned to other classes as provided in subsection (2)(a) 117
of this section. 118
(7) (a) As an alternative to employing assistant teachers, 119
any school district may use the funding provided under subsection 120
(6) of this section for the purpose of employing licensed teachers 121
for kindergarten, first-, second- and third-grade classes; 122
however, no school district shall be authorized to use the funding 123
for assistant teachers for the purpose of employing licensed 124
teachers unless the district has established that the employment 125
of licensed teachers using such funds will reduce the 126
teacher:student ratio in the kindergarten, first-, second- and 127
third-grade classes. All state funds for assistant teachers shall 128
be applied to reducing teacher:student ratio in Grades K-3. 129
It is the intent of the Legislature that no school district 130
shall dismiss any assistant teacher for the purpose of using the 131
assistant teacher funding to employ licensed teachers. School 132
districts may rely only upon normal attrition to reduce the number 133
of assistant teachers employed in that district. 134
(b) Districts meeting the highest levels of 135
accreditation standards, as defined by the State Board of 136
Education, shall be exempted from the provisions of subsection (4) 137
of this section. 138
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 139
and after July 1, 2026. 140