A plan authored by state Rep. Pamela Hornberger, R-Chesterfield Township, to compensate mentor teacher and student teachers has been approved by the House Education Committee.

House Bill 6013 creates a grant program that allows school districts, intermediate school districts and public schools to apply for funding to pay mentor teachers and student teachers. Each mentor teacher would receive a stipend of $1,000 for the school year. Student teachers would receive $90 for each school day of work conducted by the student teacher.

“Student teachers are apprentices in the education field and should be compensated just as apprentices in other fields are,” said Hornberger, a former public school teacher. “Providing this stipend to them will ensure our students continue to receive a quality education from good teachers.”

The plan moves to be considered by the full House.

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