GENERAL STATUTE

115C-296.2 NATIONAL BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS CERTIFICATION


(a) The State's goal is to provide opportunities and incentives for good teachers:

  1. to become excellent teachers and
  2. to retain them in the teaching profession.

To attain this goal, the State shall support the efforts of teachers to achieve national certification by:

  1. providing approved paid leave time for teachers participating in the process,
  2. paying the participation fee, and
  3. paying a significant salary differential to teachers who attain national certification


(b) Definitions:

  1. A "North Carolina public school" is
    1. a school operated by
      1. a local board of education
      2. the Department of Health and Human Services
      3. the Department of Correction
      4. the Office of Juvenile Justice or
      5. The University of North Carolina;
    2. a school affiliated with The University of North Carolina; or
    3. a charter school approved by the State Board of Education.
  2. A "teacher" is a person who:
    1. Either:
      1. Is certified to teach in North Carolina; or
      2. Holds a certificate or license issued by the State Board of Education that meets the professional license requirement for NBPTS certification;
    2. Is a State-paid employee of a North Carolina public school;
    3. Is paid on the teacher salary schedule; and
    4. Spends at least seventy percent (70%) of his or her work time;
      1. In classroom instruction, if the employee is employed as a teacher. Most of the teacher's remaining time shall be spent in one or more of the following: mentoring teachers, doing demonstration lessons for teachers, writing curricula, developing and leading staff development programs for teachers; or
      2. In work within the employee's area of certification or licensure, if the employee is employed in an area of NBPTS certification other than direct classroom instruction.


(c) The State shall pay the NBPTS participation fee for all teachers participating in the NBPTS program who:

  1. 1. Have completed three full years of teaching in a North Carolina public school; and
  2. Have
    1. not previously received State funds for participating in any certification area in the NBPTS program,
    2. repaid any State funds previously received for the NBPTS certification process, or
    3. received a waiver of repayment from the State Board of Education


(d) A teacher who does not complete the process shall repay the certification fee to the State. Repayment is not required if a teacher does not complete the process due to the death or disability of the teacher. The SBE may waive the repayment requirement if it finds that the teacher was unable to complete the process due to:

  1. the illness of the teacher,
  2. the death or catastrophic illness of a member of the teacher's immediate family,
  3. parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or
  4. other extraordinary circumstances.


(e) A teacher who does not teach for a year in a North Carolina public school after completing the process shall repay the certification fee to the State. Repayment is not required if a teacher does not teach in a North Carolina public school for at least one year after completing the process due to the death or disability of the teacher. The SBE may extend the time before which a teacher must either teach for a year or repay the participation fee if it finds that the teacher is unable to teach the next year due to:

  1. the illness of the teacher,
  2. the death or catastrophic illness of a member of the teacher's immediate family,
  3. parental leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or
  4. other extraordinary circumstances.