Section 44390.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that over the next five years, as many as 50 percent of the classroom teachers in many urban school districts with large percentages of minority pupils will be eligible for retirement. The Legislature further finds and declares that in many school districts there are a number of classified employees, particularly minority group members, who are enrolled in, who have been enrolled in, or who would be interested in enrolling in, a teacher training program leading to a teaching credential if they were provided assistance in applying for admission and financial aid for that purpose.

The Legislature also finds and declares that educational paraprofessionals who serve pupils in the public schools provide valuable instructional services to public school pupils. A program to enhance instructional competencies and to prepare school paraprofessionals to become teachers would result in improved services in terms of their role in the instructional program in the classroom.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 758, Sec. 26. Effective January 1, 1996.)