(a) There is created as an agency of state government the South Carolina Educator Improvement Task Force composed of thirteen members. The State Superintendent of Education with the advice and consent of the State Board of Education shall appoint six members, one of whom may be himself, one of whom must be a public school teacher and one of whom must be a public school administrator. The Governor shall appoint seven members, one from each congressional district and not less than two of whom must be employed at state institutions of higher education and not less than one of whom is a member of a local school board. A vacancy must be filled in the manner of the original appointment. The members shall receive per diem, mileage, and subsistence as provided by law for members of state boards, committees, and commissions to be paid from funds appropriated for the operation of the State Department of Education. Every consideration must be given to insure appropriate racial balance in appointments.

(b) The Task Force shall organize by electing such other officers as it deems necessary. Bylaws may be adopted by a majority vote as deemed necessary.

(c) The powers and duties of the Task Force shall be as follows:

(1) Employ as director of the special project a person who has specific skills and experience to carry out the requirements of this chapter.

(2) Exercise supervision over the special project to insure that the intent of this chapter is carried out.

(3) Seek input from the public and other state agencies concerning the implementation of this chapter.

(4) Confer periodically with the State Board of Education and submit a final report to the Board concerning the implementation of this chapter. The report shall include a plan for the implementation of the responsibilities assigned to the Task Force by this chapter. The Board shall approve or disapprove the implementation plan within forty-five days. If the Board disapproves the plan, it shall submit the reasons for disapproval to the Chairman of the Task Force within fifteen days, and the Task Force shall, after consideration of the reasons for the disapproval, submit a revised implementation plan or the original plan with justification therefor to the State Board of Education within thirty days. If the Board then disapproves the original or revised plan, the Chairman of the Task Force and the Chairman of the Board shall within thirty days call a joint meeting and a majority vote of the Board and Task Force shall determine the plan to be implemented.

(5) Report to the Governor, the State Board of Education, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and the Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee by March 1, 1980, and annually thereafter, on the status of the implementation of this chapter. The annual report shall include any recommendations for legislative or executive action to facilitate achieving the intent of this chapter.

(6) Provide advice to the Board of Education and Commission on Higher Education concerning actions that may be needed to upgrade teacher training programs or otherwise facilitate progress toward achieving the intent of this chapter. Such advice shall include a determination of the minimum financial support per provisional and annual contract teacher that should be provided to local school districts by the General Assembly to compensate the districts for the additional duties imposed upon them by the provisions of this chapter.

(d) The Task Force shall terminate July 1, 1982, and may be extended only by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the House present and voting and two-thirds of the members of the Senate present and voting. If any of the implementation dates set forth in this chapter are extended by the General Assembly, the termination date of the Task Force may be extended for the same length of time by a majority vote of the members of the House and a majority vote of the members of the Senate.

HISTORY: 1979 Act No. 187 Section 5; 1991 Act No. 248, Section 6; 2012 Act No. 279, Section 27, eff June 26, 2012.

Effect of Amendment

The 2012 amendment rewrote subsection (a).