SPONSOR:

Rep. Bush & Rep. S. Moore & Rep. K. Williams & Sen. Poore

Reps. Baumbach, Parker Selby; Sens. Hoffner, Sokola, Walsh

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 231

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE BASIC SALARY SCHEDULE FOR CERTAIN SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 1305, Title 14 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 1305. Basic salary schedule for teachers, nurses, principals, superintendents, and other school employees.

( l ) In addition to the base salary derived from subsections (a) and (b) of this section, an employee who has achieved certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or from an equivalent program approved by the State Board shall receive a salary supplement equal to 12% of the base salary so derived. An employee shall receive a salary supplement equal to 6% of base salary so derived for receiving any of the following national certifications:

(1) Certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) —speech pathologists and audiologists.

(2) Nationally certified school counselor. Nationally Certified School Counselor from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

(3) Music therapist—Board certified. certified from the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).

(4) Nationally certified school psychologist. Nationally Certified School Psychologist from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

(5) Nationally certified school nurse. Nationally Certified School Nurse from the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN).

(6) Nationally certified occupational therapist. Occupational Therapist Advanced Certification from the American Occupational Therapy Association or the Occupational Therapist Registered from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

(7) Nationally certified physical therapist. School-based physical therapists who have passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) as administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).

The Professional Standards Board, with the approval of the State Board of Education, may authorize stipends pursuant to this subsection in fiscal year 2000. The supplement shall be in the form of an additional salary amount spread evenly across an employee’s contract period similar to base salary. Funding for National Board certification described in this subsection is subject to an annual appropriation. The Department of Education shall provide for funding the supplement provisions of this subsection in its annual budget.

SYNOPSIS

This Act provides clarity on the type of certification and the accepted certifying agencies for increases over the basic salary schedule.