2012 Wyoming Statutes
TITLE 21 - EDUCATION
CHAPTER 7 - TEACHERS AND EMPLOYEES
21-7-501. National certification incentive; certification fee reimbursement; consultants and mentors; certified teacher pay incentive reimbursement.

(a) The professional teaching standards board shall by rule establish a program under which school districts shall reimburse no more than fifty (50) teachers and certified or licensed service providers employed by Wyoming school districts the actual cost of receiving national certification, not to exceed the national certification fee established by the national board for professional teaching standards for the applicable year certification was received, provided:

(i) The teacher has completed at least three (3) years of teaching in the state of Wyoming;

(ii) The teacher or service provider, as applicable, was successful in receiving his national certification; and

(iii) The teacher agrees to mentor at least one (1) other teacher employed in the state of Wyoming through the national certification process.

(b) Upon verification by the professional teaching standards board that national certification is complete, the district which employs the teacher or service provider shall subject to the limit imposed under subsection (a) of this section, reimburse the teacher or service provider for the actual cost of the national certification fee.

(c) A school district may apply for an innovative program grant under W.S. 21-22-106(a)(iii) to recover amounts reimbursed to teachers and service providers under subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Teachers who accept reimbursement for their national certification costs under subsection (b) of this section shall serve as a mentor, under the supervision of the professional teaching standards board, for at least one (1) other teacher employed in the state of Wyoming through the national certification process. Teachers who accept reimbursement may also consent to be a consultant with local education agencies on staff development programs. Districts requesting consultation for staff development shall pay the consultant fees involved. No fee shall be charged for teachers seeking their own national certification.

(e) Repealed By Laws 2001, Ch. 193, 2.

(f) In addition to reimbursement of the cost of national board certification under subsection (b) of this section, and to promote employment of national board certified teachers by school districts, each district employing a national board certified teacher shall be reimbursed for payments to these teachers subject to the following:

(i) For each year the certificate is valid, the district provides each teacher employed by the district and holding certification by the national board for professional teaching standards a lump sum payment of four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) which is in addition to the teacher's annual salary as determined by the board, and which is paid to each certified teacher between December 1 and December 31 of the school year for which application is made under paragraph (ii) of this subsection;

(ii) Effective school year 2007-2008 and each school year thereafter, the teacher holding certification shall be employed by the district full-time as a teacher;

(iii) The district submits a report to the department of education in a manner, on a form and at times specified by department rule and regulation, documenting the number of national board certified teachers employed by the district, verifying payments to such teachers in accordance with paragraph (i) of this subsection;

(iv) From amounts appropriated by the legislature from the public school foundation program account for purposes of this subsection, the department of education shall distribute payments to eligible districts in accordance with this subsection on or before February 15 of the applicable school year, together with the district's foundation payment under W.S. 21-13-313(c), if applicable;

(v) Not later than December 31, 2007, and each December 31 thereafter, the department shall report to the joint education interim committee on district reports submitted under paragraph (iii) of this subsection and estimated distributions under this subsection to eligible districts for the applicable reporting period.