Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act”.
Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act
A BILL
To modify the program of grants to support high-quality charter schools.
Sec. 2 Grants to support high-quality charter schools
Section 4303 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7221b) is amended—
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)(C), by striking “and” after the semicolon; and
in paragraph (2)—
by inserting “which may include assistance in locating and accessing a facility, and technical assistance in assessing financial options, prior to an eligible applicant receiving a subgrant under this section,” after “paragraph (1),”; and
by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(3) provide pre-charter planning subgrants (in amounts of no more than $100,000 per prospective applicant) to charter school developers that—
“(A) intend to submit an application—
“(i) to an authorized public chartering agency to operate a charter school; or
“(ii) to nonprofit or public entities for the provision of financial support to such developers;
“(B) are led by educators who—
“(i) have not less than 54 months of school-based experience (which may include experience in teaching in or administering after school or summer school programs); and
“(ii) have demonstrated leadership competencies and success with students, as determined by the State entity; and
“(C) have successfully completed the development of an initial plan for opening a charter school, as evidenced by a description of the educational needs of the community in which the proposed charter school will be located and how the proposed charter school will be suited to meet those needs.”
in subsection (c)(1)—
in subparagraph (A), by striking “90 percent” and inserting “82 percent”;
in subparagraph (B)—
by striking “not less than 7 percent” and inserting “not more than 10 percent”; and
by striking “and” after the semicolon;
by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); and
by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
“(C) reserve not more than 5 percent of such funds to carry out the activities described in subsection (b)(3); and”
in subsection (d)(1)(B), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection (b)(1)”;
in subsection (e)(2), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection (b)(1)”;
in subsection (f)(1)(A)(vi)—
in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting “under subsection (b)(1)” after “program”; and
in subclause (II), by striking “subgrant funds under this section” and inserting “subgrant funds under subsection (b)(1)”; and
in subsection (h), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “this section” and inserting “subsection (b)(1)”.