Bill > A05777

This bill establishes the Underrepresented Teachers of Tomorrow (UTT) teacher recruitment and retention program, designed to attract and retain underrepresented certified teachers in schools with teacher diversity challenges. The program creates a grant system for school districts to recruit teachers from specific educational partnership programs like My Brother's Keeper and Teacher Opportunity Corps, with grants awarded competitively based on teacher shortage magnitude, district fiscal capacity, and planned new teacher hiring. Eligible teachers can receive annual awards of up to $10,000 per year for up to four years (totaling $40,000), which can be used to reimburse educational costs like student loans. Teachers must commit to one year of service in an underrepresented school for each year they receive the award and must be first-time certified teachers in their school district. The bill requires school districts to maintain their existing local teacher recruitment efforts and prevents state funds from replacing local funding. The program includes accountability measures, such as a written service agreement with potential repayment requirements if service obligations are not met, and mandates an annual report to the governor and legislature analyzing the program's effectiveness in increasing teacher diversity in underrepresented schools.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5777