Maryland HB 551: Primary and Secondary Education - Public School Employees - Salaries

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0551*

HOUSE BILL 551
F1 5lr2275
HB 789/24 – W&M CF 5lr2973
By: Delegate Feldmark
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
Assigned to: Ways and Means

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Primary and Secondary Education – Public School Employees – Salaries 2

FOR the purpose of altering the minimum salary for and establishing certain salary 3
increases for certain public school employees; and generally relating to the salaries 4
of public school employees. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Education 7
Section 6–401(a), (e), and (f) and 6–1001(a), (c), and (e) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 6–408 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Education 18

6–401. 19

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 20

(e) (1) “Public school employee” means a certificated professional individual 21
who is employed by a public school employer or an individual of equivalent status in 22
Baltimore City, except for a county superintendent or an individual designated by the 23

2 HOUSE BILL 551

public school employer to act in a negotiating capacity as provided in § 6–406(c) of this 1
subtitle. 2

(2) In Montgomery County, “public school employees” include: 3

(i) Certificated and noncertificated substitute teachers employed by 4
the public school employer for at least 7 days before March 1 of the school fiscal year ending 5
June 30, 1978, and each year after; and 6

(ii) Home and hospital teachers employed by the public school 7
employer for at least 7 days before March 1 of the school fiscal year ending June 30, 2000, 8
and each year after. 9

(3) In Baltimore County, “public school employee” includes a secondary 10
school nurse, an elementary school nurse, and a special school nurse. 11

(4) In Frederick County, “public school employee” includes a social worker 12
employed by a public school employer. 13

(5) In Prince George’s County, “public school employee” includes home and 14
hospital teachers and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors. 15

(6) In Baltimore County, Calvert County, Charles County, and Garrett 16
County, “public school employee” includes Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) 17
instructors. 18

(7) In Carroll County, “public school employee” includes: 19

(i) A registered nurse; 20

(ii) Supervisory noncertificated employees as defined under § 21
6–501(i) of this title; and 22

(iii) Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors. 23

(8) In Dorchester County, “public school employee” includes supervisory 24
noncertificated employees as defined under § 6–501(i) of this title. 25

(f) “Public school employer” means a county board of education or the Baltimore 26
City Board of School Commissioners. 27

6–408. 28

(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 29
INDICATED. 30

HOUSE BILL 551 3

(2) “ALTERNATIVE HIGH–QUALITY EDUCATOR CREDENTIAL” MEANS 1
A NON–NBC CERTIFICATION OR CREDENTIAL: 2

(I) AWARDED TO AN EDUCATOR FOR MEETING HIGH–QUALITY 3
STANDARDS ON AN ASSESSMENT IN A PROFESSIONAL FIELD OR SPECIALTY THAT 4
DOES NOT HAVE NBC STANDARDS; AND 5

(II) THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED JOINTLY BY THE STATE BOARD 6
AND THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND TEACHER EDUCATION BOARD. 7

(3) “NBC” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 6–1001 OF THIS TITLE. 8

(4) (I) “QUALIFIED EDUCATOR” MEANS A PUBLIC SCHOOL 9
EMPLOYEE WHO PROVIDES DIRECT INSTRUCTION OR SERVICES TO STUDENTS IN A 10
PUBLIC SCHOOL. 11

(II) “QUALIFIED EDUCATOR” DOES NOT INCLUDE A TEACHER, 12
AS DEFINED IN § 6–1001 OF THIS TITLE. 13

(B) BEGINNING JULY 1, 2026, THE MINIMUM SALARY FOR ALL PUBLIC 14
SCHOOL EMPLOYEES SHALL BE $60,000. 15

(C) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION, BEGINNING JULY 1, 16
2025, SALARY INCREASES FOR QUALIFIED EDUCATORS SHALL, AT A MINIMUM, 17
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: 18

(1) FOR AN INITIAL AWARD OF AN NBC OR ALTERNATIVE 19
HIGH–QUALITY EDUCATOR CREDENTIAL – $10,000 SALARY INCREASE; AND 20

(2) FOR A QUALIFIED EDUCATOR ASSIGNED TO A LOW–PERFORMING 21
SCHOOL AS IDENTIFIED BY THE COUNTY BOARD – $7,000 SALARY INCREASE. 22

(D) (1) IF A QUALIFIED EDUCATOR IS ELIGIBLE FOR MORE THAN ONE 23
SALARY INCREASE UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION, THE QUALIFIED 24
EDUCATOR SHALL RECEIVE ALL SALARY INCREASES THAT APPLY. 25

(2) A QUALIFIED EDUCATOR WHO RECEIVES A SALARY INCREASE 26
UNDER SUBSECTION (C)(2) OF THIS SECTION FOR TEACHING AT A 27
LOW–PERFORMING SCHOOL MAY NOT LOSE THAT SALARY INCREASE WHILE 28
TEACHING AT THE SCHOOL EVEN IF THE SCHOOL CEASES TO BE LOW–PERFORMING. 29

(E) THE QUALIFIED EDUCATOR SALARY INCREASES DESCRIBED UNDER 30
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS