(a) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 9-8-203

  • Fund: means the Tennessee educator liability fund. See Tennessee Code 9-8-203
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) “Fund” means the Tennessee educator liability fund;
(2) “Student teacher” means an individual enrolled as a student in an institution of higher education approved by the state board of education for teacher training, who is jointly assigned by the institution of higher education and either a local board of education or a charter school to teach under the direction of a licensed teacher employed by the local board of education or the charter school;
(3) “Teacher”:

(A) Means any individual employed by a local board of education in a position that requires a license issued by the department of education for service in public elementary and secondary schools of this state, supported, in whole or in part, by local, state, or federal funds; and
(B) Includes an individual employed at a public charter school in a position that requires a license issued by the department of education for service in a public elementary and secondary school of this state.
(b) For the purposes of this part, teachers and student teachers shall not be considered “state employees” as defined in § 8-42-101.