Substitute Senate Bill No. 1513 seeks to enhance the recruitment and support of aspiring educators in Connecticut by establishing a new scholarship program and modifying existing frameworks. The bill repeals the current diversity scholarship program and introduces the Aspiring Educators Scholarship Program, which offers annual scholarships of up to $10,000 to graduates of public high schools in Connecticut enrolled in teacher preparation programs. It also redefines key terms, replacing "diverse" and "minority" with "aspiring educator," and outlines the responsibilities of the newly established Talent Office within the Department of Education to manage these initiatives. The bill mandates the development of recruitment plans by local boards of education and requires annual reporting on the effectiveness of these programs.

Additionally, the bill establishes the Aspiring Educator Policy Oversight Council and the Aspiring Educator Workforce Task Force, both aimed at improving the recruitment and retention of aspiring educators, particularly from underrepresented groups. It modifies the criteria for identifying teacher shortages to include population subgroups and introduces an educator apprenticeship initiative to provide practical experience. The bill also emphasizes the importance of collecting demographic data on educator applicants and streamlining the certification process. Overall, the legislation aims to create a more inclusive and effective pathway for aspiring educators, addressing teacher shortages and enhancing the quality of education in Connecticut.

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
APP Joint Favorable Substitute: 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
File No. 851: 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