§3403.  Minimum requirements for teacher certification; authorization for supplemental compensation

A.  Montessori teachers having the requirements set forth below shall be certified by the appropriate Montessori organization as follows:

(1)  A "Class A" teacher shall have a certification from either the American Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale, the St. Nicholas Training Course of London, or the Montessori World Education Institute, or any other Montessori training course jointly approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Montessori Association, plus a baccalaureate degree and at least one year of teaching experience in a Montessori school.

(2)  A "Class B" teacher shall have a certification from either the American Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale, the St. Nicholas Training Course of London, or the Montessori World Education Institute, or any other Montessori training course jointly approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Montessori Association, plus at least one year of teaching experience in a Montessori school.

(3)  A "Class C" teacher shall have a certification from either the American Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale, the St. Nicholas Training Course of London, or the Montessori World Education Institute, or any other Montessori course jointly approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana Montessori Association.

B.  A teacher who teaches a junior class shall have Montessori certification for the age levels which he teaches and a baccalaureate degree.

C.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person teaching in a Montessori school who receives a salary paid by the government of France may receive additional compensation paid by the employing school out of funds available to the school for such purpose whether such funds are part of its normal operating budget or are provided by its parent organization or any local, state, or federal educational organization or foundation. The school may compensate the person up to the amount of the difference in salary paid such person by the government of France and the average salary of a teacher in a public school in Louisiana with comparable qualifications and experience.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 290, §1.  Amended by Acts 1982, No. 400, §1, eff. July 20, 1982; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 56, §1, eff. April 17, 2000.