An Act To Improve the Quality of Teachers
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1370
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MILLETT, HUBBELL, BAKER, BREEN, JOHNSON, KATZ, DAUGHTRY, KORNFIELD, MAKER, POULIOT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13012, 20-A MRSA §13015, 20-A MRSA §13016, 20-A MRSA §13406, 20-A MRSA §13407, 20-A MRSA §15689, 20-A MRSA §15689-A

Legislative Document 
No. 1370 
S.P. 502 
In Senate, April 28, 2015 
An Act To Improve the Quality of Teachers 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative HUBBELL of Bar Harbor and 
Senators: BAKER of Sagadahoc, BREEN of Cumberland, JOHNSON of Lincoln, KATZ of 
Kennebec, Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, KORNFIELD of Bangor, MAKER of 
Calais, POULIOT of Augusta. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §13012, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 635, Pt. B, 
§4, is further amended to read: 
2-A.  Qualifications.  State board rules governing the qualifications for a provisional 
teacher certificate must require that a certificate may only be issued to an applicant who 
meets the requirements of subsection 2-B, has successfully completed a student teaching 
practicum experience of at least one academic year in duration, which must have begun 
during the applicant's sophomore year, and a student teaching experience of at least 15 24 
weeks during the applicant's senior year and: 
A.  For elementary school, has met academic and preprofessional requirements 
established by the state board for teaching at the elementary school level and has 
graduated with a grade point average of at least 3.0 based on a 4.0 grade point system 
from an accredited, degree-granting educational institution upon completion of: 
(1)  A bachelor's degree from a 4-year accredited college or university; 
(2)  A 4-year program in liberal arts and sciences; or 
(3)  An approved 4-year teacher preparation program and has majored in the 
subject area to be taught or an interdisciplinary program in liberal arts; 
B.  For secondary school, has met academic and preprofessional requirements 
established by the state board for teaching at the secondary school level and has 
graduated with a grade point average of at least 3.0 based on a 4.0 grade point system 
from an accredited, degree-granting educational institution upon completion of: 
(1)  A bachelor's degree from a 4-year accredited college or university; 
(2)  A 4-year program in liberal arts and sciences; or 
(3)  An approved 4-year teacher preparation program and has majored in the 
subject area to be taught; 
C.  Is otherwise qualified by having met separate educational criteria for specialized 
teaching areas, including, but not limited to, special education, home economics, 
agriculture, career and technical education, art, music, business education, physical 
education and industrial arts, as established by the state board for teaching in these 
specialized areas; or 
D.  Has completed 6 credit hours of approved study within 5 years prior to 
application, has met entry-level standards and has held either a professional teacher 
certificate that expired more than 5 years prior to the application date or a provisional 
teacher certificate issued prior to July 1, 1988 that expired more than 5 years prior to 
the application date. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §13015, sub-§3, ¶¶C and D, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 
845, §4, are amended to read: 
C.  A description of the duties of the master teacher responsible for the design and 
coordination of a teacher action plan; and 
D.  A description of any current or planned linkages the support system has or will 
have with institutions of higher education, department personnel and members of the 
public in the operation of its support system.; and 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §13015, sub-§3, ¶E is enacted to read: 
E.  For provisional teachers during each year of their probationary period: 
(1)  Observations of classroom instruction of a minimum of 4 classes; and 
(2)  Formative feedback and continuous improvement conversations throughout 
the school year. 
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §13016, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5.  Master's degree.  Notwithstanding subsections 1, 2 and 3, an individual who has 
not completed a master's degree program and who is issued a teacher certificate in 
accordance with this chapter on or after July 1, 2015 may not renew the teacher certificate 
or be issued another certificate under this section unless the individual completes a 
master's degree program within 5 years of being employed as a teacher in the State. 
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §13406, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 635, §6, is repealed. 
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §13407 is enacted to read: 
§13407.  Minimum salaries beginning in 2016-2017 
Each school administrative unit shall establish a minimum salary of $40,000 for 
certified teachers for the school year starting after June 30, 2016 and in each subsequent 
school year.  Each school administrative unit shall provide to the department on or before 
October 1st the number of teachers eligible for incremental salary increases as defined in 
section 15689, subsection 7-A, paragraph A. 
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §15689, sub-§7-A is enacted to read: 
7-A.  Adjustment for minimum teacher salary.  Beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 
and in each subsequent fiscal year, the commissioner shall, in accordance with this 
subsection, increase the state share of the total allocation to a qualifying school 
administrative unit by an amount necessary to achieve the minimum salary for certified 
teachers established in section 13407. 
A.  As used in this subsection, unless the context otherwise indicates, the term 
"qualifying school administrative unit" means a school administrative unit that the 
commissioner determines to have a locally established salary schedule with a 
minimum teacher salary of less than $40,000 in school year 2015-2016.  As used in 
this subsection, unless the context otherwise indicates, "incremental salary increases" 
means the incremental increases in the salaries of teachers employed by a qualifying 
school administrative unit in school year 2015-2016 necessary to meet the minimum 
salary requirements of section 13407 in fiscal year 2016-17 and thereafter. 
B.  The commissioner shall allocate the funds appropriated by the Legislature in 
fiscal year 2017-18 and each subsequent fiscal year in accordance with the following. 
(1)  The amount of increased funds provided to qualifying school administrative 
units under this subsection must be the amount necessary to fund the incremental 
salary increases. 
(2)  The number of teachers eligible for incremental salary increases in a 
qualifying school administrative unit for a fiscal year must be based on the local 
staff information supplied to the department pursuant to section 13407 in that 
fiscal year. 
(3)  The increased funds provided under this subsection must be issued to the 
qualifying school administrative units as an adjustment to the state school 
subsidy for distribution to the teachers.  Qualifying school administrative units 
must use the payments provided under this subsection to provide salary 
adjustments to those teachers eligible for incremental salary increases.  The 
department shall collect the necessary data to allow the funds to be included in 
the qualifying school administrative unit's monthly subsidy payments beginning 
no later than February 1st of each fiscal year. 
C.  The amounts required to meet the employer's share of teacher retirement costs 
attributable to payments in fiscal year 2017-18 pursuant to Title 5, section 17154 and 
each subsequent fiscal year under this subsection must be paid by the commissioner 
to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System in the appropriate year.  As used 
in the paragraph, "teacher" has the same meaning as in Title 5, section 17001, 
subsection 42. 
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §15689-A, sub-§25 is enacted to read: 
25.  Salary supplements for approved support systems for teacher certification.  
The commissioner shall pay the costs attributable to the involvement of classroom 
teachers in the operation of a school administrative unit's support system approved in 
accordance with the provisions of section 13015. The amount of the payments must be 
equal to the classroom teacher's per diem salary rate multiplied by the number of days the 
classroom teacher is involved in the operation of an approved support system. 
Sec. 9.  Qualifying scores for initial teacher certification.  No later than July 
1, 2016, the Department of Education shall increase the qualifying scores for the 
standardized qualifying examinations for applicants for initial teacher certification as set 
forth in its Rule Chapter 13:  Qualifying Examinations for Teachers, Educational 
Specialists and Administrators to bring them into closer accord with the qualifying scores 
for the standardized qualifying examinations for initial teacher certification established by 
other states. 
Sec. 10.  Costs.  The Department of Education shall determine the amount of state 
funds necessary to meet the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, 
section 15689, subsection 7-A and shall report that amount to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education no later than December 15, 2015.  The committee shall report 
out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature to provide the necessary 
funding. 
Sec. 11.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE 
Student Financial Assistance Programs 0653 
Initiative:  Provides funding to pay the costs of doubling the amount of loans awarded to 
eligible students from the Educators for Maine Program. 
SUMMARY 
This bill proposes to improve teacher quality in the State by amending the current 
statutes related to programs involving teacher preparation, support systems for 
provisional teachers, teacher certification, teacher salaries and college loans for students 
enrolled in a program of study leading to certification as a teacher.  The bill includes the 
following provisions. 
1.  It expands the student teaching experience and specifics an academic achievement 
level necessary for applicants to qualify for a provisional teaching certificate. 
2.  It strengthens the support systems required to provide assistance for provisional 
teachers during each year of their probationary period. 
3.  It directs the Commissioner of Education to pay salary supplements to classroom 
teachers who are involved in the operation of a school administrative unit's support 
system approved in accordance with the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
20-A, section 13015. 
4.  It provides that an individual who has not completed a master's degree program 
and who is issued a teacher certificate in accordance with Title 20-A, chapter 502 on or 
after July 1, 2015 may not receive a renewed certificate or a new teaching certificate 
unless the individual completes a master's degree program within 5 years of being 
employed as a teacher in the State. 
5.  It increases the minimum salaries for certified teachers to $40,000 beginning in 
the 2016-2017 school year and includes state funding for the incremental costs of meeting 
this minimum as part of the school funding formula. 
6.  It requires the Department of Education to increase the qualifying scores for the 
standardized qualifying examinations for applicants for initial teacher certification in its 
Rule Chapter 13:  Qualifying Examinations for Teachers, Educational Specialists and 
Administrators no later than July 1, 2016. 
GENERAL FUND 
2015-16
2016-17
All Other 
$250,000
$250,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$250,000
$250,000
7.  It provides additional appropriations for the Educators for Maine Program within 
the Finance Authority of Maine in order to double the annual investment of state loan 
funds awarded to eligible students.