Recognizing the future significance and challenge of educating a growing and highly diverse student population in Oklahoma common schools and acknowledging the underrepresentation of minority teachers among the state's professional education staff, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall have authority to establish the Minority Teacher Recruitment Center and staff and administer its work. Upon recommendations and advice from the Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee re-created pursuant to Section 1 of this act, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are hereby directed to work with the State Board of Education, the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation and other agencies, boards and education organizations in the interests of recruiting, retaining and placing minority teachers in the public schools of the State of Oklahoma. Such efforts shall include, but not be limited to:

1. The provision and coordination of support services to teacher training programs in state institutions of higher education, including the funding of grants for campus-based recruitment, retention and placement programs that assist minority students who intend to become teachers;

2. The establishment and development of recruiting programs for potential minority teachers, including pre-collegiate curricular courses that emphasize school success and the opportunity to investigate teaching as a career choice, future teacher clubs and collegiate programs designed to recruit students making transitions from other careers and other areas of study;

3. The hosting of conferences dealing with issues that effect minority teacher recruitment, retention, and placement;

4. The creation of activities in the public and private schools of Oklahoma which enhance the image of the teaching profession; and

5. The creation and development of placement services providing assistance to both minority educators and school districts seeking to hire qualified minority teachers.

Added by Laws 1989, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 52, emerg. eff. April 25, 1990. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 324, § 9, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1995, c. 322, § 27, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1997, c. 344, § 1, emerg. eff. June 9, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 139, § 2, eff. July 1, 1998.

NOTE: Laws 1998, c. 20, § 1 repealed by Laws 1998, c. 205, § 2 and Laws 1998, c. 412, § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1998.