2023 New York Laws › EDN - Education › Title 1 - General Provisions › Article 5 - University of the State of New York › Part 1 - General Organization › 211-C - Distinguished Educators.

§  211-c.  Distinguished  educators.  The  regents  shall  establish a
  distinguished educator program that recognizes educational  leaders  who
  have  agreed  to  assist  in improving the performance of low performing
  school districts.
1.  Building  principals,  superintendents  of  schools  and  teachers
  including  retirees  and  current  employees  of school districts, under
  whose leadership schools have demonstrated consistent growth in academic
  performance and other  individuals  who  have  demonstrated  educational
  expertise,  including  superior  performance  in the classroom, shall be
  eligible for designation by  the  regents  as  distinguished  educators.
  Provided, however, individuals employed by for-profit entities shall not
  be eligible for such recognition.
2.  From the pool of distinguished educators designated by the regents
  pursuant to subdivision one of  this  section,  the  commissioner  shall
  appoint  distinguished educators who have expressed their willingness to
  assist low performing districts in improving their academic performance.
  To the extent practicable, the commissioner shall appoint  distinguished
  educators  to  assist  districts  with  comparable  demographics  to the
  schools or districts that are or were under such educator's leadership.
3. The commissioner may appoint a distinguished educator to  a  school
  district;
a.  when  such district or a school within such district has failed to
  achieve adequate yearly progress for four or more years;
b. as a member  of  a  joint  school  intervention  team  pursuant  to
  paragraph  b  of subdivision two of section two hundred eleven-b of this
  part.
4. The school district to which a distinguished educator is  appointed
  shall cooperate fully with an appointed distinguished educator.
5.  An  appointed  distinguished  educator  shall  assess the learning
  environment of schools in the district, review or provide assistance  in
  the  development  and  implementation  of  any district improvement plan
  and/or any corrective action, restructuring, or  comprehensive  plan  of
  any  school  within  the district to which the distinguished educator is
  assigned. Such  distinguished  educator  shall  either  endorse  without
  change or make recommendations for modifications to any such plan to the
  board  of  education, trustees, or chancellor, in a school district in a
  city of one million or more  inhabitants,  and  the  commissioner.  Upon
  receipt of any recommendations for modification, the board of education,
  trustees,  or  chancellor  shall  either modify the plans accordingly or
  provide a written explanation to the commissioner of its reasons for not
  adopting  such  recommendations.  The  commissioner  shall  direct   the
  district  to  modify  the  plans  as  recommended  by  the distinguished
  educator unless the commissioner  finds  that  the  written  explanation
  provided by the district has compelling merit.
6.  Appointed  distinguished  educators  shall  be  deemed ex-officio,
  non-voting members of the board of education or trustees.  In  a  school
  district  in  a  city  of  one  million  or  more  inhabitants, any such
  distinguished educator shall be deemed an ex-officio, non-voting  member
  of  the  community  district  education  council  or  the city board, as
  applicable.
7. The reasonable and necessary expenses  incurred  by  the  appointed
  distinguished  educators while performing their official duties shall be
  paid by the school district.
8. If an appointed distinguished educator  is  employed  by  a  school
  district  or  charter  school,  it  shall  be  the  duty of the board of
  education or trustees of such school district, the chancellor of a  city
  school  district  in  a  city of one million or more inhabitants, or the
  board of trustees of such charter school to facilitate  the  efforts  of

  any  such  appointed distinguished educators in their employ by granting
  reasonable leave requests and otherwise accommodating their efforts,  to
  the  extent  such  efforts  do  not  substantially  interfere  with  the
  educator's performance of his or her regular duties.