A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to expand the availability of Adjunct instructors in high school after receiving one semester of community college courses in teacher preparation.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑157.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑157.1.  Adjunct CTE instructors.
(a)	Adjunct Hiring Criteria. – Except as provided in subsection (a1), the State Board of Education shall develop minimum criteria of relevant education or employment experience to qualify to contract as an adjunct instructor in each career and technical education career cluster. The criteria shall weigh work experience and industry recognized licenses or credentials over educational attainment level. The State Board shall make the minimum criteria available to local boards of education.
(a1)	Adjunct Instructors for High School Subject Areas. – An individual with a bachelor's degree or graduate degree who attends a community college and completes courses concentrating in teacher preparation for at least one semester shall be eligible to contract with a local board of education to teach high school–level courses in a career and technical education career cluster in the individual's area of specialized knowledge or work experience pursuant to this section.
(b)	Contracting with Adjunct Instructors. – Notwithstanding Article 20 and Part 3 of Article 22 of this Chapter, a local board of education may contract with an individual to serve as an adjunct instructor who meets the adjunct hiring criteria established by the State Board of Education for a specific career and technical education career cluster. The local board of education may contract with an adjunct instructor on an annual or semester basis, subject to the following requirements:
(1)	An adjunct instructor may be employed for no more than 20 hours per week or no more than five full consecutive months of employment. An adjunct instructor shall not be eligible to earn paid leave, participate in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, or receive or purchase health benefits through the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
(2)	An adjunct instructor shall be subject to a criminal history check, to ensure that the person has not been convicted of any crime listed in G.S. 115C‑332.
(3)	An adjunct instructor shall not be required to hold or apply for licensure as a teacher.
(4)	An adjunct instructor must complete preservice training in all of the following areas prior to beginning instruction:
a.	The identification and education of children with disabilities.
b.	Positive management of student behavior.
c.	Effective communication for defusing and deescalating disruptive or dangerous behavior.
d.	Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑298.5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 115C‑298.5.  Adjunct K‑12 instructors in core academic subjects.
(a)	Adjunct Hiring Criteria for Faculty Members. – The State Board of Education shall develop minimum criteria of relevant education or employment experience for an individual who is currently employed at an institution of higher education as a faculty member to qualify that individual to contract as an adjunct instructor in specific core academic subjects in grades kindergarten through 12 and shall make such criteria available to local boards of education.
(a1)	Adjunct Instructors with Teacher Preparation. – An individual with a bachelor's degree or graduate degree who attends a community college and completes courses concentrating in teacher preparation for at least one semester shall be eligible to contract with a local board of education to teach high school–level courses in core academic subjects in the individual's area of specialized knowledge or work experience pursuant to this section.
(b)	Contracting With Adjunct Instructors. – Notwithstanding any provisions in this Article to the contrary and Part 3 of Article 22 of this Chapter, a local board of education may contract with an individual to serve as an adjunct instructor who meets the adjunct hiring criteria established by the State Board of Education for specific core academic subjects. The local board of education may contract with an adjunct instructor on an annual or semester basis, subject to the following requirements:
(1)	An adjunct instructor may be employed for less than 20 hours per week or for less than six full consecutive months of employment. Adjunct instructors may be classified as temporary full‑time or part‑time employees. Based on the status as a temporary public school employee, an adjunct instructor shall not be eligible to earn paid leave, participate in the Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System, or receive or purchase health benefits through the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees.
(2)	An adjunct instructor shall be subject to a criminal history check to ensure that the person has not been convicted of any crime listed in G.S. 115C‑332.
(3)	An adjunct instructor shall not be required to hold or apply for licensure as a teacher.
(4)	If an adjunct instructor is not licensed as a teacher, the adjunct instructor shall complete preservice training, which may be offered through an educator preparation program or by a local school administrative unit, in all of the following areas prior to beginning instruction:
a.	The identification and education of children with disabilities.
b.	Positive management of student behavior.
c.	Effective communication for defusing and de‑escalating disruptive or dangerous behavior.
d.	Safe and appropriate use of seclusion and restraint."
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with the 2021‑2022 school year.