(1) (a) The general assembly finds that:

(I) Colorado is committed to ensuring that its public schools are the best in the world;

(II) Ensuring that each classroom has a qualified, well-trained educator is critical to guaranteeing that Colorado's public education system remains competitive both nationally and internationally; and

(III) A shortage of educators in public schools across the state jeopardizes Colorado's ability to maintain the highest standards in education delivery.

(b) Therefore, the general assembly declares that it is important that the Colorado department of education and the Colorado department of higher education create a grow your own educator program to:

(I) Develop a pipeline for consistent recruitment and placement of educators in public schools across the state;

(II) Make the training and preparation options that are available to future educators relevant, accessible, and affordable statewide;

(III) Develop "homegrown" solutions to incentivize future educators to stay in the communities where they were raised;

(IV) Work with public schools to develop local solutions customized to the needs of individual communities;

(V) Facilitate partnerships that combine traditional educator preparation curricula with experiential education to give future educators opportunities to learn as teachers of record working directly in schools; and

(VI) Create a systematic approach to organizing and facilitating educator preparation and training that provides for the licensure of educators, thereby alleviating Colorado's educator shortage and enhancing the quality of education delivered in Colorado's public schools.

(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Charter school" means a charter school authorized by a school district pursuant to part 1 of article 30.5 of this title 22 or a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute pursuant to part 5 of article 30.5 of this title 22.

(b) "Program" means a grow your own educator program established pursuant to this section.

(c) "Teacher of record" means a person licensed pursuant to section 22-60.5-201 (1)(a.5).

(3) The department of education and the department of higher education shall create the framework for a grow your own educator program that, at a minimum, must include:

(a) Enrollment in an institution of higher education that participates in the program and completion of not less than the final thirty-six credit hours required by the participating institution of higher education to complete the program;

(b) Employment under a teacher of record license for a position for which no other qualified, licensed teacher has applied with a school district or charter school that determines that there is a critical teacher shortage;

(c) Payment by the school district or charter school of the educator's in-state tuition for no more than the final thirty-six credit hours required by the institution of higher education to complete the program, with the grant program limited to up to fifty new students participating annually;

(d) The requirement that the educator work in the same school district or charter school for three academic years after completion of the program, unless waived in whole or in part by the school district or charter school, as a condition of the school district's or charter school's payment of a portion of the educator's tuition for the program pursuant to subsection (3)(c) of this section; and

(e) The requirement that the institution of higher education attended by the teacher of record provide high-quality support and mentoring throughout the program, which support and mentoring may include, but is not limited to, support from preparation program faculty, quarterly classroom observations and feedback, periodic analysis of student data, and formal evaluations of teacher progress.

(4) A school district or charter school is authorized to enter into an agreement with one or more institutions of higher education to participate in the program pursuant to this section. At a minimum, the agreement must include the courses and number of credit hours that a student must complete before and while the student is a teacher of record with the school district or charter school, including the time and support the school district or charter school will provide the teacher of record to complete the course work, and any teacher preparation program or teacher support services provided to the student while the student is a teacher of record.

(5) A school district or charter school shall enter into an agreement with a student who participates as a teacher of record with the school district or charter school pursuant to the program that includes, but is not limited to, the following provisions:

(a) A requirement that the school district or charter school include the teacher of record in professional development, teacher mentorship, the school district or charter school's induction program, and other supports provided by the school district or charter school while the teacher of record completes the program and during the required three academic years of employment with the school district or charter school after completion of the baccalaureate degree;

(b) A requirement that the student apply for and receive a college opportunity fund stipend pursuant to part 2 of article 18 of title 23, if eligible, and any federal or state need-based or merit-based financial aid for which the student is eligible prior to the award of the baccalaureate degree; and

(c) A requirement that the school district or charter school pay the student's in-state tuition at the participating institution of higher education to complete the program, not to exceed thirty-six credit hours. The tuition payment must be repaid by the student to the school district or charter school, unless waived in whole or in part by the school district or charter school, if the student does not complete the program, does not complete the required three academic years of employment with the school district or charter school after completion of the program, or becomes ineligible for continued employment in the school district or charter school pursuant to state or federal law. For each academic year of employment after the student completes the program, the student is credited with repayment of twelve credit hours of the tuition paid by the school district or charter school on behalf of the student, regardless of whether the student completes the required three academic years of employment. The agreement must include the terms for repayment of the tuition payment, if applicable.

(6) (a) (I) The general assembly shall appropriate one million dollars to the department for grants that the department shall distribute directly to a school district or charter school that employs a student as a teacher of record during the program. Subject to available appropriations, grant funding is limited to up to fifty new students participating in the program annually. Any unexpended and unencumbered money from an appropriation made to the department for grants pursuant to this section remains available for expenditure by the department for grants in the next fiscal year withoutfurther appropriation. The school district or charter school shall use the grant to pay for the cost of up to thirty-six credit hours of the student's share of in-state tuition, as defined in section 23-18-102, less any amount received by the student in federal and state financial aid and college opportunity fund stipends, to the institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled.

(II) Each school district or charter school that employs a student as a teacher of record in the program shall annually provide to the department a list of participants for the fiscal year and the number of credit hours granted to each participant. Each school district in the state may hire no more than two students per year as teachers of record pursuant to the program. For purposes of this limit, district-authorized charter schools are considered part of the school district, and the state charter school institute and its authorized institute charter schools are considered a single district.

(b) In distributing grants, the department shall first prioritize grants to school districts or charter schools that employ a student who graduated from a Colorado high school and who commits to teaching in a community that is experiencing a teacher shortage in a grade level or content area, as determined by the department. The department shall then prioritize grants to school districts or charter schools that employ a student who commits to teaching in a rural school with a teacher shortage in a grade level or content area, as determined by the department.

(7) (a) No later than September 30 in any year in which a grant is awarded pursuant to the program, the department shall report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees, information relating to the program, which information must include, at a minimum:

(I) The number of grant applications received and the number of grants awarded, including the school districts or charter schools with whom the students are employed;

(II) The institutions of higher education attended by the students;

(III) The number of students who fulfill the program's three-year teaching commitment, unless waived in whole or in part by the school district or charter school, and the percentage retained by the school district or charter school beyond the three-year period; and

(IV) Demographic information relating to students who participate in the program to gauge the success at recruiting demographically underrepresented groups to the education profession.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 24-1-136 (11)(a)(I), the department shall report the information described in subsection (7)(a) of this section in each year grants are awarded pursuant to the program.

(8) (a) This section is repealed, effective September 1, 2023.

(b) Before its repeal, the department of regulatory agencies shall review the program in accordance with section 24-34-104.