Sec. 85.1. Definitions  


Latest version.
  • As used in section 3033 of the Education Law and in this Part:
    (a) Intern shall mean a person who:
    (1) is a full-time teacher with no greater than a 90 percent classroom instruction assignment employed by the governing body of a school district or board of cooperative educational services having an approved internship plan, and is in his or her first or second year of service in a particular license area or area of certificate title;
    (2) holds a valid provisional or permanent teacher's certificate or temporary emergency license issued by the Commissioner of Education, or a valid regular teaching license, temporary per diem certificate for a field in which no licensed person is available to teach, or the equivalent of a temporary emergency license issued by the city school district of the City of Buffalo, other than a certificate or license valid for supervisory or administrative service; and
    (3) has not participated in the mentor teacher-internship program in the previous year.
    (b) Mentor shall mean a teacher who is permanently certified in the same area of certificate title as the intern, or permanently licensed in the same license area as the intern, and who has demonstrated his or her mastery of pedagogical and subject matter skills, given evidence of superior teaching abilities and interpersonal relationship qualities, and has indicated willingness to participate by being a mentor in an approved mentor teacher-internship program. Each teacher designated as a mentor shall carry not more than a 90 percent classroom instruction assignment but at least a 60 percent classroom instruction assignment, except that a teacher may serve as a mentor on a full-time basis for not more than two school years out of five consecutive school years. In the event that a school district or board of cooperative educational services demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that an appropriately certified mentor is not available, a teacher permanently certified or licensed in a different area of certificate title or license area than that of the intern, may serve as a mentor. Service as a mentor shall not result in any change in the mentor's tenure area or areas, and shall not otherwise diminish or impair the tenure and seniority rights of the mentor teacher.