General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1513 proposes the establishment of a new scholarship program for aspiring educators in Connecticut, replacing the previous diversity scholarship initiative. The program, administered by the Talent Office within the Department of Education, will offer annual scholarships of up to $10,000 to eligible candidates who graduated from public high schools in the state and are enrolled in teacher preparation programs at four-year institutions. The bill emphasizes recruitment from underrepresented subgroups in the teaching profession and those in teacher shortage areas, while also mandating the incorporation of clinical experience in teacher preparation curricula. Additionally, the legislation introduces the Aspiring Educator Workforce Task Force to study educator shortages and develop strategies to address them, alongside the creation of an Aspiring Educator Policy Oversight Council to provide ongoing guidance and recommendations.

The bill also includes provisions for local and regional boards of education to hire aspiring educators, requiring them to employ at least 250 new aspiring educators annually, with a target of 30% being men. It emphasizes implicit bias training for hiring personnel and mandates the collection of demographic data on applicants. Furthermore, the Talent Office is tasked with assessing the effectiveness of recruitment programs and conducting annual surveys starting in 2026. The legislation aims to create a more inclusive pathway for aspiring educators, ultimately improving educational outcomes in Connecticut. Key changes include the replacement of terms like "minority teacher" with "aspiring educator" and the establishment of new sections in current law, effective July 1, 2025, to enhance educational policies without deleting existing legal language.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 10-156ii, 10-8b, 10-146j, 10-156aa, 10-156bb, 10-156cc, 10-156dd, 10-156ee, 10-156ff, 10-156gg, 10-156jj, 10-145p, 10-145t, 10-145w, 10-155d, 10-155l
ED Joint Favorable Change of Reference: 10-156ii, 10-8b, 10-146j, 10-156aa, 10-156bb, 10-156cc, 10-156dd, 10-156ee, 10-156ff, 10-156gg, 10-156jj, 10-145p, 10-145t, 10-145w, 10-155d, 10-155l