§ 3033. New York state mentor teacher-internship program. 1. Boards of education and boards of cooperative educational services are hereby authorized to participate in the New York state mentor teacher-internship program in accordance with the provisions of this section.

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2. Each board of education or board of cooperative educational services which applies for funds under this § of the civil service law. The plan shall be developed in accordance with this section and regulations of the commissioner. The board of education or board of cooperative educational services shall submit an application and plan by May first of the current year for approval by the commissioner; provided however for the nineteen hundred ninety-seven–ninety-eight school year, such plan may be submitted by November first, nineteen hundred ninety-seven.

3. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational services which determines to participate in the program shall select persons eligible to serve as mentor teachers from a list of persons who have demonstrated their mastery of pedagogical and subject matter skills, given evidence of superior teaching abilities and interpersonal relationship qualities, and who have indicated their willingness to participate in such program. Such list of persons eligible to serve as mentor teachers shall be developed by a selection committee composed of certified or licensed personnel employed by the school district or the board of cooperative educational services, a majority of whom shall be classroom teachers chosen by the certified or recognized teachers employee organization. The assignment of particular mentor teachers and teacher interns to work together shall be made by the superintendent of the participating district or district superintendent of the participating board of cooperative educational services. Each person designated as a mentor teacher shall continue to provide classroom instruction for at least sixty percent of the time spent in performance of such individual's duties during the school year or such person may so serve on a full-time basis for not more than two school years out of five consecutive school years, provided that such service as a mentor teacher shall not diminish or impair the tenure and seniority rights of the mentor teacher.

4. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational services which determines to participate in the mentor teacher-internship program shall require those first or second year eligible teachers which it chooses to include in the program to perform their duties under the guidance of a mentor teacher, and shall ensure that such teacher intern and mentor carry no more than a ninety percent classroom instruction assignment in order to allow such teacher intern time to receive special assistance from a mentor teacher. In order to participate as a teacher intern in a mentor teacher-internship program, a first or second year teacher shall hold a provisional or permanent teaching certificate, temporary emergency license, regular license, or temporary per diem certificate for a field in which no licensed person is available to teach and shall not have participated in such program in the previous year.

5. A school district or board of cooperative educational services participating in an approved mentor teacher-internship program in the current year shall be eligible for aid including but not limited to costs related to release time of the intern and mentor teacher up to ten percent of the mentor teacher's salary and up to ten percent of the teacher intern's salary respectively in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision. To receive such assistance, a school district or board of cooperative educational services must file a claim with the commissioner by October first of the current school year in a form prescribed by the commissioner which shall include the actual salary of each program participant as of September fifteenth of such year. The commissioner shall pay one-half of the amount of such assistance by January fifteenth of each year and shall pay the remaining amount based upon a final report filed by the school district by August fifteenth of each year.

6. Each board of education and board of cooperative educational services which participates in the program shall file a report with the commissioner on or before August first of each school year concerning compliance with the requirements of the program during the preceding school year. Such report shall be in such form and in such manner as the commissioner may require. The commissioner shall evaluate such programs and file a report with the legislature on or before December first, nineteen hundred eighty-seven.