TEXAS AFT LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE--WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009   Corpus Christi AFT Steers Incentive Pay to Support Advanced Certification   The 2009 legislature made it a little easier for districts to do some sensible things with state incentive-pay grants, instead of pouring all their incentive dollars into bonuses tied to students' test scores. One example: HB 709, which specifically authorizes state incentive money to be used for stipends for classroom teachers who achieve certification through the national Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This provision, though not expressly tied to NBPTS, covers advanced certification from an organization that certifies at least 2,500 teachers in the United States each year based on meeting rigorous standards for accomplished teaching. National Board certification currently is the only program that satisfies these criteria.   With this legislative encouragement and other measures broadening the ability of districts to use state incentive-pay grants for teacher mentoring, Corpus Christi AFT has worked with Corpus Christi ISD to win a significant grant for professional development leading to National Board Certification. Funding will cover $750 of the $2,500-per-candidate fees for 40 teachers seeking NB Certification. (Candidates also are eligible for a federal subsidy of $1,250 apiece.) The state funding will support mentors ($500 per candidate mentored) and facilitators for the certification program, as well as their training. The state incentive-grant money also will support stipends of $1,500 for National Board Certified Teachers.   All in all, it adds up to a creative way to use state incentive money to improve teaching. And it's union-inspired and union-led, with Corpus Christi AFT providing the personnel and the professional development to make the program work. Congratulations to Corpus Christi AFT and in particular to Dr. Becky Palacios, the Corpus Christi AFT activist who put together the grant proposal.