Sec. 21.458. MENTORS

(a) Each school district may assign a mentor teacher to each classroom teacher who has less than two years of teaching experience in the subject or grade level to which the teacher is assigned. A teacher assigned as a mentor must:

(1) to the extent practicable, teach in the same school;

(2) to the extent practicable, teach the same subject or grade level, as applicable; and

(3) meet the qualifications prescribed by commissioner rules adopted under Subsection (b).

(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to administer this section, including rules concerning the duties and qualifications of a teacher who serves as a mentor. The rules concerning qualifications must require that to serve as a mentor a teacher must:

(1) complete a research-based mentor and induction training program approved by the commissioner;

(2) complete a mentor training program provided by the district; and

(3) have at least three complete years of teaching experience with a superior record of assisting students, as a whole, in achieving improvement in student performance.

(c) From the funds appropriated to the agency for purposes of this section, the commissioner shall adopt rules and provide funding to school districts that assign mentor teachers under this section. Funding provided to districts under this section may be used only for providing:

(1) mentor teacher stipends;

(2) scheduled time for mentor teachers to provide mentoring to assigned classroom teachers; and

(3) mentoring support through providers of mentor training.

(d) In adopting rules under Subsection (c), the commissioner shall rely on research-based mentoring programs that, through external evaluation, have demonstrated success.

Added by Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 5 , Sec. 4.07, eff. May 31, 2006. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 796 , Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.