An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program for Teachers
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1781
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: ALFOND, RICHARDSON, JACKSON, PATRICK, CAIN, LOVEJOY, NELSON, RANKIN, TUTTLE
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13013-A

Legislative Document 
No. 1781 
S.P. 618 
In Senate, January 19, 2012 
An Act To Restructure the National Board Certification Program 
for Teachers 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
JOSEPH G. CARLETON, JR. 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative RICHARDSON of Carmel and 
Senators: JACKSON of Aroostook, PATRICK of Oxford, Representatives: CAIN of Orono, 
LOVEJOY of Portland, McCLELLAN of Raymond, NELSON of Falmouth, RANKIN of 
Hiram, TUTTLE of Sanford. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §13013-A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 58, §3 and c. 240, Pt. 
D, §§1 and 2, is further amended to read: 
§13013-A.  Salary supplements for national board-certified teachers 
1.  Department of Education salary supplement.  Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, the Department of Education shall provide a public school teacher who 
has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or 
its successor organization, as of July 1, 2006 2012 or thereafter with an annual national 
board certification salary supplement of $3,000 $2,000 for the life of the certificate.  The 
salary supplement supplements under this subsection and subsection 1-A must be added 
to the teacher's base salary and must be considered in the calculation for contributions to 
the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.  If a nationally certified teacher 
becomes no longer employed as a classroom teacher in the field of that teacher's national 
certification, the supplement ceases supplements cease. 
1-A.  School administrative unit salary supplement.  Beginning with the 2012-
2013 school year, a school administrative unit shall provide an additional annual national 
board certification salary supplement of at least $1,000 for national board-certified 
teachers who are eligible to receive the salary supplement pursuant to subsection 1.  
School administrative units must provide this additional annual national board 
certification salary supplement from the state subsidy allocated to the school 
administrative unit pursuant to chapter 606-B. 
2.  Local filing; certification.  On or before October 15th annually, the 
superintendent of schools of a school administrative unit or the chief administrative 
officer of a career and technical education region shall file with the commissioner a 
certified list of national board-certified teachers eligible to receive the salary supplement 
supplements pursuant to subsection subsections 1 and 1-A. 
3.  Payment.  The department and the school administrative units shall provide the 
salary supplement supplements under this section to eligible teachers no later than 
February 15th of each year. 
4.  Expend funds.  A school administrative unit may expend funds received from the 
department through the salary supplement supplements under subsection 1 this section 
without calling for a special meeting of the local legislative body. 
5.  Payment of application fees.  Beginning in school year 2012-2013, up to 10% of 
the per-pupil amount for professional development calculated pursuant to section 15680 
and allocated to a school administrative unit must be awarded to provide payment of the 
application fees for teachers who are seeking to attain certification from the National 
Board for Professional Teaching Standards, or its successor organization, during the year 
of allocation.  If a school administrative unit fails to award 10% of the per-pupil amount 
for professional development allocated to the school administrative unit to provide 
payment of the application fees pursuant to this subsection within the year of allocation, 
the commissioner may withhold from the professional development allocation to the 
school administrative unit calculated pursuant to section 15680 for the subsequent school 
year that amount of the professional development allocation that the school 
administrative unit failed to provide for payment of application fees unless the 
commissioner determines that the school administrative unit made a good faith effort to 
promote the availability of professional development funds to pay the application fees for 
teachers interested in attaining national board certification. 
SUMMARY 
This bill restructures the incentive established for teachers who attain certification 
from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  The bill provides that, 
beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the payment of the $3,000 annual salary 
supplement awarded to national board-certified teachers must be provided with funds 
from the Department of Education and the state subsidy allocated to the school 
administrative unit that employs the teacher.  The bill also establishes an incentive to 
encourage teachers to apply for national board certification.  The bill provides that, 
beginning with school year 2012-2013, up to 10% of the per-pupil amount for 
professional development allocated to a school administrative unit must be awarded to 
provide payment of the application fees for teachers employed by the school 
administrative unit who apply for national board certification during the year of 
allocation.  If a school administrative unit fails to use the full 10% of the per-pupil 
amount to pay for application fees, the Commissioner of Education may withhold from 
the next year's allocation the unused amount.