Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 206, sub-c. IV is enacted to read:

SUBCHAPTER IV

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

§4531.__Professional development for educators

The department shall require that each school administrative unit provide professional development to every educator that the school administrative unit employs.__For purposes of this section, "educator" means__an administrator, teacher or educational technician employed by a school administrative unit.

§4532.__Duties of school administrative unit

A school administrative unit shall develop a professional development plan that incorporates the professional development standards in section 4534.__A school administrative unit shall grant release time and contribute funds from each year's budget to provide professional development to every educator.__A school administrative unit that receives a grant pursuant to section 4533, subsection 2 shall expend the funds as directed by the department to achieve the professional development standards.

§4533.__Duties of department

To carry out the purposes of this section, the department shall:

1.__Inventory professional development efforts.__Inventory, monitor and publish a summary of professional development efforts that are performed in the State, including the status of professional development efforts and the impact of those efforts in each school administrative unit, and report the summary to the Legislature by January 1st of each odd-numbered year;

2.__Identify needs and award grants. Identify school administrative units that require additional funds to bring their professional development plans to the standards in section 4534.__ The department may award grants from the Maine Educators Professional Development Fund, established in section 4535, to a school administrative unit that requires additional funds for special professional needs or to meet professional development standards; and

3.__Coordinate support.__Seek and coordinate support from colleges and universities, industry, educational foundations and