256.34 Fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program.

1. The department shall establish a fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program under a contract with an Iowa-based nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; has membership from the six state fine arts organizations representing kindergarten through grade twelve general music, choral music, instrumental music, visual arts, and drama and theater arts educators; and has administered a federally funded statewide fine arts mentoring program since 2006.

2. Program criteria shall include a required match of one dollar provided by the organization contracting to deliver services under subsection 1 for each dollar provided to the organization by the department. Moneys in the fund established under subsection 6 shall not be disbursed until the department receives evidence that the organization meets or will meet the match requirement.

3. The program provided under contract by the nonprofit organization shall provide for all of the following:

a. Activities and consultation in support of beginning fine arts teachers employed in Iowa’s school districts, including but not limited to guidance in the classroom and at meetings, and resources of materials, time, and financial scholarship for state conferences that will support a beginning fine arts teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom.

b. Coordination of retired and currently employed experienced fine arts mentor educators with beginning fine arts educators.

c. Materials and advice specifically designed to prepare beginning fine arts teachers for success in the fine arts classroom and to prepare kindergarten through grade twelve students for school district fine arts performances and festivals.

4. The nonprofit organization under contract with the department under this section shall provide quarterly reports detailing the organization’s compliance with the requirements of subsection 3 and the expenditures of moneys for purposes of the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program.

5. The director of the department may for good cause suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a contract entered into in accordance with the provisions of this section.

6. There is established in the state treasury a fine arts beginning teacher mentoring fund that is under the control of and administered by the department of education. The department may accept gifts, grants, bequests, and other private contributions, as well as state or federal funds, and shall deposit the moneys in the fund to be used for purposes of the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the department and shall be used for the purposes of this section. Moneys in the fund may be used to reimburse mentors for business travel expenses incurred in the performance of a mentor’s duties at a rate not to exceed the current rate of reimbursement allowed under the standard method for computation of business travel expenses pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code. The department shall not commingle federal, state, and private funds within the fund. Moneys appropriated for the program shall supplement, not supplant, moneys appropriated for purposes of the beginning teacher mentoring and induction program created under section 284.5. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding fiscal year. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest earned on moneys in the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring fund shall be credited to the fund.

2016 Acts, ch 1132, §7

Referred to in §284.13