Pay and support for nationally certified teachers

(a) There is established within the department the teacher national board certification incentive program to recognize and support exemplary teaching practice by supporting public school teachers who have achieved national board certification under the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The teacher national board certification incentive program shall provide: (1) A $5,000 bonus per year for each public school teacher who maintains current national board certification; (2) $1,500 upon completing all components of the certification program of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; (3) A reimbursement of the remainder of the national board certification application fee upon achievement of national board certification; and (4) An additional $5,000 bonus per year for each public school teacher who maintains current national board certification and who teaches at: (A) A school in a focus, priority, or superintendent's zone, or other similar designation, as determined by the department; (B) A school with a high turnover rate, as determined by the department; or (C) A hard-to-fill school, as determined by the department. (b) The incentive program shall include a mentoring component that encourages and enables national board-certified teachers to assist other teachers and share their teaching expertise.