Legislative Update #14
 
 
… for the week ending April 14, 2007 14 weeks down, and one to go – the 2007 session of the 60th Washington legislature is in its final week. All bills had to have cleared both chambers of the legislature by close of business Friday, or they are dead for the session – except those “necessary to implement the budget.” As such, there’s a much smaller universe of legislation. If the last chamber to address a bill made changes, then the bill goes back to its original chamber for concurrence in the amendment or amendments. The original chamber can either concur in the amendments, or refuse to accept the amendments and ask the other body to recede from them. If the other body refuses that request, they go to conference to come up with a final bill. Among the bills approved by the Senate this past week were: • HJR 4204, sending a constitutional amendment to the ballot to change the standard for approval of school levies to a simple majority of those who vote; • HB 2262, providing bonuses in statute for teachers with national board certification; • HB 1906, addressing changes in math and science education; and • HB 1670, establishing school counselors in statute. Among the House-approved bills were: • SB 5955, revising teacher preparation standards; • SB 5627 to set up a review of basic education funding; • SB 6023, delaying WASL graduation requirements; • SB 5843, setting up educational data systems; and • SB 5841, titled “Enhancing student learning opportunities and achievement.” 5955 is THE major bill affecting WACTE members and programs. And while it began without mention of colleges / schools of education, we were able to have it amended so WACTE is included. The bill: • Establishes a public-private partnership to implement the Washington State Leadership Academy. • Directs adoption of new standards for teacher certification in mathematics and a uniform professional teaching certificate assessment. • Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and Educational Service Districts to create a partnership to deliver professional development. • Creates a three-tiered support system involving grants, performance agreements, and intensive intervention for school districts to improve mathematics, science and targeted secondary reading through professional development. • Creates a Recruiting Diverse Washington Teachers Program. WACTE is included in the group shaping and steering the Leadership Academy. And members will be expected to host “future teacher camps” on campus to help recruit diverse students to the teaching profession. WACTE is already participating in the adoption of new certification standards for math, and discussions continue over including WACTE institutions in the delivery of professional development (currently through ESD’s). 1906 addresses changing math and science standards and curriculum; establishes advisory panels; sets up after school mathematics support programs; authorizes math and science instructional coaches; creates two new alternative routes to certification – the pipeline for para-educators and the retooling to teach math and science conditional scholarships; re-codifies all alternative routes under one section of RCW; mandates revision of the math placement test for public colleges/universities and allows that test to be given in high school; permits career and technical education in middle schools; sets up a statewide coordinator for math, science and technology education; mandates new ealr’s and gle’s in technology; and sets up an exploration of the need for new teacher preparation programs in math, science and technology. The list of bills still in play can be found at https://dlr.leg.wa.gov/user/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fbilltracking%2fdefault.aspx (both the user name and password are wacte07). We’ll have a complete wrap up of legislative action next weekend, and a couple of sessions at the WACTE conference at Eastern Washington University on April 25 and 26. And we’re very interested in how you prefer to receive information. So, we’ve set up a survey about your communication preferences. Please go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=777813664777 and take the two – minute survey. Thanks. https://dlr.leg.wa.gov/user/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fbilltracking%2fdefault.aspxhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=777813664777shapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Legislative Update 2007 #14