SECTION 89.1245. Staffing and Staff Development

(a) School districts shall take all reasonable affirmative steps to assign appropriately certified teachers to the required bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §29.061, concerning bilingual education and ESL program teachers. School districts that are unable to secure a sufficient number of appropriately certified bilingual education and/or ESL teachers to provide the required programs may request activation of the appropriate permits in accordance with Chapter 230 of this title (relating to Professional Educator Preparation and Certification).

(b) School districts that are unable to employ a sufficient number of teachers, including part-time teachers, who meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section for the bilingual education and ESL programs shall apply on or before November 1 for an exception to the bilingual education program as provided in §89.1207(a) of this title (relating to Bilingual Education Exceptions and English as a Second Language Waivers) or a waiver of the certification requirements in the ESL program as provided in §89.1207(b) of this title as needed.

(c) Teachers assigned to the bilingual education program and/or ESL program may receive salary supplements through bilingual education allotment funds as authorized by TEC, §48.105.

(d) School districts may compensate teachers and aides assigned to bilingual education and ESL programs for participation in professional development designed to increase their skills or lead to bilingual education or ESL certification.

(e) The commissioner of education shall encourage school districts to cooperate with colleges and universities to provide training for teachers assigned to the bilingual education and/or ESL programs.

(f) The Texas Education Agency shall develop, in collaboration with education service centers, resources for implementing bilingual education and ESL training programs. The materials shall provide a framework for:

(1) developmentally appropriate bilingual education programs for early childhood through the elementary grades;

(2) affectively, linguistically, and cognitively appropriate instruction in bilingual education and ESL programs in accordance with §89.1210(b)(1)-(3) of this title (relating to Program Content and Design); and

(3) developmentally appropriate programs for emergent bilingual students identified with multiple needs and/or exceptionalities.

Source Note: The provisions of this §89.1245 adopted to be effective September 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 5700; amended to be effective March 5, 1999, 24 TexReg 1383; amended to be effective April 18, 2002, 27 TexReg 3105; amended to be effective May 28, 2012, 37 TexReg 3822; amended to be effective July 15, 2018, 43 TexReg 4731; amended to be effective April 14, 2020, 45 TexReg 2415; amended to be effective August 9, 2023, 48 TexReg 4247