An Act to Improve and Expand Student Teaching Opportunities in
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1327
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SARGENT, RAFFERTY
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13803

Legislative Document
No. 1327
H.P. 862
House of Representatives, March 27, 2025
An Act to Improve and Expand Student Teaching Opportunities in 
Maine by Compensating Student Teaching
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SARGENT of York.
Cosponsored by Senator RAFFERTY of York and
Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, BRENNAN of Portland, CROCKETT of Portland, 
DODGE of Belfast, MITCHELL of Cumberland, MURPHY of Scarborough, ROEDER of 
Bangor, WARREN of Scarborough.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §13803 is enacted to read:
§13803.  Student teaching; compensation
1. Definitions.  For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, 
the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Cooperating teacher" means a teacher assigned to supervise, oversee or mentor a 
student teacher. 
B. "Educator preparation program" has the same meaning as in section 13001-A, 
subsection 9. 
C. "Student teacher" means a student enrolled in an educator preparation program at a 
postsecondary educational institution in the State who is gaining classroom experience 
with direct student engagement, including but not limited to tutoring, planning and 
implementing lesson plans and otherwise directly interacting with students on an 
individual basis or in a group setting under the supervision of a cooperating teacher.  
"Student teacher" does not include a student enrolled in an educator preparation 
program at a postsecondary educational institution in the State who is completing 
activities that are composed solely of observing classrooms or students. 
2. Compensation.  A postsecondary educational institution that operates an educator 
preparation program in the State shall compensate participants in accordance with this 
subsection.
A. A student teacher must be compensated with a stipend of a minimum of $500 per 
week for the duration of the student teaching assignment and must be reimbursed for 
travel or mileage to and from their assigned school.  
B. A cooperating teacher must be compensated with a stipend of a minimum of $500 
per month for each month spent supervising, overseeing or mentoring a student teacher.
3. Substitute teaching.  If a student teacher or cooperating teacher serves as a 
substitute teacher for a partial or full school day, the school administrative unit shall 
compensate the student teacher or cooperating teacher with the per diem substitute teacher 
rate for that day in addition to the stipends described in subsection 2.
4. Repayment.  If a student teacher that receives a stipend described in subsection 2, 
paragraph A becomes employed as a teacher at a private school or a school outside of the 
State upon graduation, the student teacher shall reimburse the State for the total amount the 
student teacher received as a student teaching stipend.
5. Funding.  The State shall appropriate, on an annual basis, from the General Fund 
sufficient funding to the University of Maine System for the compensation described in 
subsection 2.  The University of Maine System shall disburse funds directly to student 
teachers and cooperating teachers in accordance with subsection 2.
SUMMARY
This bill requires a postsecondary educational institution in the State to provide 
stipends to student teachers and the teachers who supervise them, referred to in the bill as 
cooperating teachers, in addition to mileage or travel reimbursement for student teachers.  
The bill also requires a school administrative unit to compensate a student teacher or 
cooperating teacher who serves as a substitute teacher for a partial or full school day in 
addition to the stipend.  If a student teacher becomes employed as a teacher at a private 
school or at a school outside of the State upon graduation, the student teacher is responsible 
for reimbursing the State the total amount the student teacher received as a stipend.  The 
bill provides that the State must provide funding to the University of Maine System for the 
cost of student teacher and cooperating teacher stipends.