1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 1544 By: Moore |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 1-116, which relates to positions in the |
8| school system; modifying definition; adding a |
| definition for athletic trainer; and providing an |
9| effective date. |
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12|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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13| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1-116, is |
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14|amended to read as follows: |
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15| Section 1-116. As used in this title: |
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16| 1. "Teacher" means any person who is employed to serve as |
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17|district superintendent, principal, supervisor, a counselor, |
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18|librarian, school nurse, athletic trainer, or classroom teacher or |
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19|in any other instructional, supervisory or administrative capacity. |
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20|The person shall not be deemed qualified unless the person holds a |
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21|valid certificate issued by and in accordance with the rules of the |
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22|State Board of Education or the rules of the State Board of Career |
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23|and Technology Education, to perform the particular services for |
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24|which the person is employed; |
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1| 2. "Superintendent" or "superintendent of schools" means the |
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2|executive officer of the board of education and the administrative |
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3|head of the school system of a district maintaining an accredited |
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4|school, provided the person holds an administrator's certificate |
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5|recognized by the State Board of Education; |
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6| 3. "Principal" means any person other than a district |
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7|superintendent of schools having supervisory or administrative |
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8|authority over any school or school building having two or more |
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9|teachers. A teaching principal shall be a principal who devotes at |
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10|least one-half (1/2) the time school is in session to classroom |
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11|teaching. Teaching principals shall be required to hold |
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12|administrative certificates; |
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13| 4. "Teachers" means, for purposes of complying with the State |
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14|Aid Law and other statutes, but not any other provision of law, |
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15|which apportion money on the basis of teaching units or the number |
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16|of teachers employed or qualified, all persons holding proper |
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17|certificates and connected in any capacity with the instruction of |
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18|pupils; |
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19| 5. "Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in a |
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20|local school to serve as a classroom teacher under the guidance and |
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21|assistance of a mentor teacher or teachers; |
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22| 6. "Student teacher" means any student who is enrolled in an |
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23|institution of higher learning approved by the State Board of |
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24|Education for teacher training and who is jointly assigned by the |
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1|institution of higher learning and a board of education of a school |
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2|district to perform practice teaching under the direction of a |
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3|regularly employed and certified teacher. A student teacher, while |
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4|serving an internship under the supervision of a certified teacher, |
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5|shall be accorded the same protection of the laws as that accorded |
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6|the certified teacher and shall be eligible to receive compensation |
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7|beginning on the first day of the internship for up to one full |
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8|school year; provided, however, that such compensation shall not be |
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9|considered compensation for purposes of teacher retirement or the |
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10|minimum salary schedule; |
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11| 7. "School nurse" means a person employed full time by a board |
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12|of education who is a registered nurse licensed by the Oklahoma |
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13|State Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education and is |
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14|certified the same as a teacher by the State Board of Education. |
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15|Provided, that any person who is employed as a full-time school |
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16|nurse in any school district in Oklahoma who is not registered on |
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17|July 2, 1971, may continue to serve in the same capacity; however, |
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18|such person shall, under rules adopted by the State Board of |
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19|Education, attend classes in nursing and prepare to become |
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20|registered. A school nurse employed by a board of education shall |
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21|be accorded the same protection of laws and all other benefits |
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22|accorded as a certified teacher; and |
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23| 8. "Athletic trainer" means a person employed full time by a |
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24|board of education who is a Certified Athletic Trainer with current |
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1|certification from the Board of Certification of the National |
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2|Athletic Trainers' Association and is also currently licensed to |
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3|practice in the state in accordance with the Oklahoma Board of |
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4|Medical Licensure and Supervision. An athletic trainer employed by |
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5|a board of education shall be accorded the same protection of laws |
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6|and all other benefits as a certified teacher; and |
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7| 9. "Support employee" means an employee who provides those |
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8|services which are not performed by certified teachers, principals, |
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9|superintendents or administrators and which are necessary for the |
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10|efficient and satisfactory functioning of a school district. |
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11| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. |
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13| 59-1-5354 EK 12/28/22 |
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