North Carolina SB 643: Expand and Enhance the Teaching Fellows Program.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 643

Short Title: Expand & Enhance the Teaching Fellows Program. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Lowe and Salvador (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S643-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO EXPAND AND ENHANCE THE NORTH CAROLINA TEACHING FELLOWS 2
PROGRAM. 3
Whereas, the pursuit of teaching is the pursuit of excellence, and excellent teachers 4
are not just born, they are developed, equipped, trained, and valued; and 5
Whereas, all students in North Carolina deserve to be taught by excellent teachers; 6
and 7
Whereas, the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program has an important legacy in 8
North Carolina, providing the best and brightest students the opportunity to have a place of 9
influence and distinction by elevating them to a vital role – the role of a teacher; and 10
Whereas, based on the sorely inadequate and regularly declining enrollment in teacher 11
preparation programs and an accelerating teacher turnover rate, North Carolina is facing an 12
overwhelming teacher shortage across the State, especially in rural counties; and 13
Whereas, the teacher shortage is a growing crisis for our entire educational system as 14
well as the future of our State; and 15
Whereas, to solve this problem and provide stable, talented, motivated, and excellent 16
teachers in our classrooms, we need to continue to rebuild the North Carolina Teaching Fellows 17
Program; Now, therefore, 18
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 19
SECTION 1.(a) Part 3 of Article 23 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes reads as 20
rewritten: 21
"Part 3. North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program. 22
"§ 116-209.60. Definitions. 23
The following definitions apply in this Part: 24
(1) Commission. – The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission. 25
(2) Director. – The Director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program. 26
(3) Forgivable loan. – A forgivable loan made under the Program. 27
(4) Program. – The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program. 28
(5) Public school. – An elementary or secondary school located in North Carolina 29
that is governed by a local board of education, charter school board of 30
directors, regional school board of directors, or University of North Carolina 31
laboratory school board of trustees. 32
(5a) Qualifying licensure area. – A teacher licensure area in one of the following 33
subjects: 34
a. Either of the following, as identified pursuant to G.S. 116-209.62(h): 35
1. Special education. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 643-First Edition
2. Stem. 1
b. Elementary education (K-6). 2
(5b) Qualifying teacher. – A teacher in a North Carolina public school who meets 3
the following criteria: 4
a. Received a forgivable loan under the Program. 5
b. Graduated within 10 years from an educator preparation program 6
leading to teacher licensure, excluding any authorized deferment for 7
extenuating circumstances. 8
c. Serves as a teacher in a qualifying licensure area. 9
(6) STEM. – Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 10
(7) Trust Fund. – The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program Trust Fund. 11
... 12
"§ 116-209.62. North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program established; administration. 13
(a) Program. – There is established the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program to be 14
administered by the System Office of The University of North Carolina, in conjunction with the 15
Authority and the Commission. The purpose of the Program is to recruit, prepare, and support 16
students residing in or attending institutions of higher education located in North Carolina for 17
preparation as highly effective teachers in qualifying licensure areas in the State's public schools. 18
The Program shall be used to provide a forgivable loan to individuals interested in preparing to 19
teach in the public schools of the State in qualifying licensure areas.State. 20
(b) Trust Fund. – There is established the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program 21
Trust Fund to be administered by the Authority, in conjunction with the System Office of The 22
University of North Carolina. All funds (i) appropriated to, or otherwise received by, the Program 23
for forgivable loans and other Program purposes, (ii) received as repayment of forgivable loans, 24
and (iii) earned as interest on these funds shall be placed in the Trust Fund. The purpose of the 25
Trust Fund is to provide financial assistance to qualified students for completion of teacher 26
education and licensure programs to fill qualifying licensure areaspositions in the public schools 27
of the State. 28
(c) Uses of Monies in the Trust Fund. – The monies in the Trust Fund may be used only 29
for (i) forgivable loans granted under the Program, (ii) administrative costs associated with the 30
Program, including recruitment and recovery of funds advanced under the Program, (iii) 31
mentoring and coaching support to forgivabl