Title: An act relating to bonuses for certain instructional staff certified by the national board for professional teaching standards.

Brief Description: Regarding bonuses for instructional staff certified by the national board for professional teaching standards.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Barlow, Moeller, Wood, O'Brien, Ormsby, Hasegawa, Green, Seaquist, Goodman, Roberts, Lantz, Sullivan, McIntire and Kelley).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/08, 97-0.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education:2/25/08, 2/27/08 [DP-WM, DNP, w/oRec].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Tom, Vice Chair; Eide, Hobbs, Kauffman, McDermott, Oemig and Rasmussen.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senators King, Ranking Minority Member; Holmquist.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senator Brandland.

Staff: Kimberly Cushing (786-7421)

Background: The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is a nonprofit organization comprised of teachers and other people interested in education. To be eligible for certification, the applicant must hold a bachelor's degree, have completed three full years of teaching/counseling experience, and possess a valid state teaching/counseling license. A NBPTS certificate is valid for ten years and may be renewed for additional ten-year periods by providing evidence that the teacher continues to meet the NBPTS standards.

In 2007 the Washington Legislature provided in statute that certificated instructional staff who have attained NBPTS certification will receive a $5,000 bonus each year they maintain the certification. The annual bonus increases by inflation. An additional bonus of $5,000 is available for individuals with NBPTS certification who teach in a high poverty school based on the school having over 70 percent of the students eligible for free or reduced price lunch (FRL).

Currently Washington has 1,807 NBPTS-certified teachers.

Summary of Bill: Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, the school poverty threshold of 70 percent FRL students for NBPTS-certified staff to receive an additional $5,000 bonus is reduced to at least 60 percent FRL students in middle schools and at least 50 percent FRL students in high schools.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction must adopt a standard definition of elementary school, middle school, and high school when implementing these provisions.

A null and void clause is included.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Substitute Bill: PRO: We are finding that teachers are increasingly interested in the National Board program. By adjusting the poverty levels it will better reflect actual levels in schools. Many schools are very close to the 70 percent cut off. In elementary schools, parents are primarily responsible for filling out the free and reduced-price lunch forms; this isn't the case in middle and high schools. The original purpose of legislation was to move National Board teachers to high poverty schools. We must keep accomplished teachers in these schools.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Lucinda Young, Washington Education Association; Michaela Miller, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Kelly Cannard, Vancouver School District.