Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

FILED SENATE
                                                                                           Apr 6, 2021
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                 S.B. 582
                                      SESSION 2021           PRINCIPAL CLERK
     S                                                                    D
                               SENATE BILL DRS15243-MK-64
     Short Title:   High School Adjunct Instructors/CC Prep.                                     (Public)
     Sponsors:      Senators Burgin and Corbin (Primary Sponsors).
     Referred to:
                                     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT TO EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF ADJUNCT INSTRUCTORS IN HIGH
     SCHOOL AFTER RECEIVING ONE SEMESTER OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE
     COURSES IN TEACHER PREPARATION.
 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
             SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-157.1 reads as rewritten:
 "§ 115C-157.1. Adjunct CTE instructors.
     (a)     Adjunct Hiring Criteria. – The Except as provided in subsection (a1), the State Board
 of Education shall develop minimum criteria of relevant education or employment experience to
 qualify to contract as an adjunct instructor in each career and technical education career cluster.
 The criteria shall weigh work experience and industry recognized licenses or credentials over
 educational attainment level. The State Board shall make the minimum criteria available to local
 boards of education.
     (a1) Adjunct Instructors for High School Subject Areas. – An individual with a bachelor's
 degree or graduate degree who attends a community college and completes courses concentrating
 in teacher preparation for at least one semester shall be eligible to contract with a local board of
 education to teach high school–level courses in a career and technical education career cluster in
 the individual's area of specialized knowledge or work experience pursuant to this section.
     (b)     Contracting with Adjunct Instructors. – Notwithstanding Article 20 and Part 3 of
 Article 22 of this Chapter, a local board of education may contract with an individual to serve as
 an adjunct instructor who meets the adjunct hiring criteria established by the State Board of
 Education for a specific career and technical education career cluster. The local board of
 education may contract with an adjunct instructor on an annual or semester basis, subject to the
 following requirements:
             (1)     An adjunct instructor may be employed for no more than 20 hours per week
                     or no more than five full consecutive months of employment. An adjunct
                     instructor shall not be eligible to earn paid leave, participate in the Teachers'
                     and State Employees' Retirement System, or receive or purchase health
                     benefits through the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
             (2)     An adjunct instructor shall be subject to a criminal history check, to ensure
                     that the person has not been convicted of any crime listed in G.S. 115C-332.
             (3)     An adjunct instructor shall not be required to hold or apply for licensure as a
                     teacher.
             (4)     An adjunct instructor must complete preservice training in all of the following
                     areas prior to beginning instruction:
                     a.      The identification and education of children with disabilities.
                                    *DRS15243-MK-64*
     General Assembly Of North Carolina                                                      Session 2021
                     b.      Positive management of student behavior.
                     c.      Effective communication for defusing and deescalating disruptive or
                             dangerous behavior.
                     d.      Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint."
             SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-298.5 reads as rewritten:
 "§ 115C-298.5. Adjunct K-12 instructors in core academic subjects.
     (a)     Adjunct Hiring Criteria. Criteria for Faculty Members. – The State Board of
 Education shall develop minimum criteria of relevant education or employment experience for
 an individual who is currently employed at an institution of higher education as a faculty member
 to qualify that individual to contract as an adjunct instructor in specific core academic subjects
 in grades kindergarten through 12 and shall make such criteria available to local boards of
 education.
     (a1) Adjunct Instructors with Teacher Preparation. – An individual with a bachelor's
 degree or graduate degree who attends a community college and completes courses concentrating
 in teacher preparation for at least one semester shall be eligible to contract with a local board of
 education to teach high school–level courses in core academic subjects in the individual's area of
 specialized knowledge or work experience pursuant to this section.
     (b)     Contracting With Adjunct Instructors. – Notwithstanding any provisions in this
 Article to the contrary and Part 3 of Article 22 of this Chapter, a local board of education may
 contract with an individual to serve as an adjunct instructor who meets the adjunct hiring criteria
 established by the State Board of Education for specific core academic subjects. The local board
 of education may contract with an adjunct instructor on an annual or semester basis, subject to
 the following requirements:
             (1)     An adjunct instructor may be employed for less than 20 hours per week or for
                     less than six full consecutive months of employment. Adjunct instructors may
                     be classified as temporary full-time or part-time employees. Based on the
                     status as a temporary public school employee, an adjunct instructor shall not
                     be eligible to earn paid leave, participate in the Teachers' and State Employees'
                     Retirement System, or receive or purchase health benefits through the State
                     Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
             (2)     An adjunct instructor shall be subject to a criminal history check to ensure that
                     the person has not been convicted of any crime listed in G.S. 115C-332.
             (3)     An adjunct instructor shall not be required to hold or apply for licensure as a
                     teacher.
             (4)     If an adjunct instructor is not licensed as a teacher, the adjunct instructor shall
                     complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator
                     preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the
                     following areas prior to beginning instruction:
                     a.      The identification and education of children with disabilities.
                     b.      Positive management of student behavior.
                     c.      Effective communication for defusing and de-escalating disruptive or
                             dangerous behavior.
                     d.      Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint."
             SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with
 the 2021-2022 school year.
     Page 2                                                                            DRS15243-MK-64
Statutes affected: 
Filed: 115C-157.1, 115C-298.5
Edition 1: 115C-157.1, 115C-298.5
Edition 2: 115C-298.5
Ratified: 115C-298.5
SL 2021-48: 115C-298.5