N.Y. Education Law § 211-c: Distinguished educators

§ 211-c. Distinguished educators. The regents shall establish a

distinguished educator program that recognizes educational leaders who

have agreed to assist in improving the performance of low performing

school districts.

1. Building principals, superintendents of schools and teachers

including retirees and current employees of school districts, under

whose leadership schools have demonstrated consistent growth in academic

performance and other individuals who have demonstrated educational

expertise, including superior performance in the classroom, shall be

eligible for designation by the regents as distinguished educators.

Provided, however, individuals employed by for-profit entities shall not

be eligible for such recognition.

2. From the pool of distinguished educators designated by the regents

pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the commissioner shall

appoint distinguished educators who have expressed their willingness to

assist low performing districts in improving their academic performance.

To the extent practicable, the commissioner shall appoint distinguished

educators to assist districts with comparable demographics to the

schools or districts that are or were under such educator's leadership.

3. The commissioner may appoint a distinguished educator to a school

district;

a. when such district or a school within such district has failed to

achieve adequate yearly progress for four or more years;

b. as a member of a joint school intervention team pursuant to

paragraph b of subdivision two of section two hundred eleven-b of this

part.

4. The school district to which a distinguished educator is appointed

shall cooperate fully with an appointed distinguished educator.

5. An appointed distinguished educator shall assess the learning

environment of schools in the district, review or provide assistance in

the development and implementation of any district improvement plan

and/or any corrective action, restructuring, or comprehensive plan of

any school within the district to which the distinguished educator is

assigned. Such distinguished educator shall either endorse without

change or make recommendations for modifications to any such plan to the

board of education, trustees, or chancellor, in a school district in a

city of one million or more inhabitants, and the commissioner. Upon

receipt of any recommendations for modification, the board of education,

trustees, or chancellor shall either modify the plans accordingly or

provide a written explanation to the commissioner of its reasons for not

adopting such recommendations. The commissioner shall direct the

district to modify the plans as recommended by the distinguished

educator unless the commissioner finds that the written explanation

provided by the district has compelling merit.

6. Appointed distinguished educators shall be deemed ex-officio,

non-voting members of the board of education or trustees. In a school

district in a city of one million or more inhabitants, any such

distinguished educator shall be deemed an ex-officio, non-voting member

of the community district education council or the city board, as

applicable.

7. The reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the appointed

distinguished educators while performing their official duties shall be

paid by the school district.

8. If an appointed distinguished educator is employed by a school

district or charter school, it shall be the duty of the board of

education or trustees of such school district, the chancellor of a city

school district in a city of one million or more inhabitants, or the

board of trustees of such charter school to facilitate the efforts of

any such appointed distinguished educators in their employ by granting

reasonable leave requests and otherwise accommodating their efforts, to

the extent such efforts do not substantially interfere with the

educator's performance of his or her regular duties.