Section 20-2-833. Additional payments to supervisors of student teachers

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

   (1) "Student teaching" means the full-time component of a teacher education program in which a student preparing for the education profession is jointly assigned by a teacher education institution and a school system, state operated school, or school operated by the United States Department of Defense on a military reservation for classroom experience and which is designated in a teacher education program approved by the Professional Standards Commission as student teaching or internship.

   (2) "Supervising teacher" means a public school teacher who is employed by a local board of education, state operated school, or school operated by the United States Department of Defense on a military reservation and who is designated to provide professional supervisory services in the supervision of a specific student teacher.

   (3) "Supervising teacher services certificate" or "teacher support specialist certificate" means a supplementary certificate available from the Professional Standards Commission to persons who have completed a supervising teacher or teacher support specialist program approved by the commission.

(b) The Professional Standards Commission shall establish minimum requirements to be met by each supervising teacher or teacher support specialist.

(c) The Department of Education shall make payments to supervising teachers or teacher support specialists for each quarter or semester in which services are provided by such personnel as determined by the Professional Standards Commission and in the following amounts:

   (1) A teacher who meets the minimum requirements established pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section and holds a valid supervising teacher or teacher support specialist certificate shall receive $750.00 for each such quarter or semester; and

   (2) A teacher who meets the minimum requirements established pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section but does not hold a valid supervising teacher or teacher support specialist certificate shall receive $50.00 for each such quarter or semester.

(d) Payments made under this Code section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any compensation otherwise payable to supervising teachers or teacher support specialists. Such payments shall be made from funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Department of Education. In the event that in any fiscal year sufficient funds are not appropriated or available to make the full amount of all payments provided for in this Code section, the payment to each supervising teacher or teacher support specialist shall be reduced pro rata.

Code 1981, § 20-2-833, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 727, § 1; Ga. L. 1987, p. 3, § 20; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1354, § 5; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1546, § 8; Ga. L. 2001, p. 4, § 20.