HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 457
BYRepresentatives Peery, Ebersole, P. King, Wang, Holm, Valle, Sutherland, Cole, Appelwick, Pruitt, Hine, Rayburn, Unsoeld and Spanel; by request of Governor Gardner
Providing for the improvement of teachers and schools.
House Committe on Education
Majority Report: Do pass (14).
Signed by Representatives Ebersole, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Appelwick, Cole, Cooper, Holm, P. King, Peery, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Rust, Todd and Valle.
Minority Report: Do not pass (7).
Signed by Representatives Betrozoff, Fuhrman, Holland, Schoon, L. Smith, Taylor and Walker.
House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)
Rereferred House Committee on Ways and Means
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (21)
Signed by Representatives Grimm, Chair; Bristow, Vice Chair; Allen, Appelwick, Basich, Belcher, Braddock, Brekke, Ebersole, Grant, Hine, Locke, Madsen, McMullen, Niemi, Peery, Rust, Sayan, H. Sommers, Sprenkle and Valle.
Minority Report: Do not pass. (9)
Signed by Representatives Fuhrman, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Schoon, Silver, L. Smith, Taylor and B. Williams.
House Staff: Janet Peterson (786-7143)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS MARCH 7, 1987
BACKGROUND:
During the last four years considerable attention has been paid to improving the quality of education both at the state and national level. Encouraging innovative methods of instruction has been one of the primary recommendations of many of these studies. Such innovation has been suggested in the training of children as well as in the preparation and continuing development of teachers.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: Schools for the Twenty-First Century
The legislature shall create a pilot program for the schools for the twenty-first century. No more than twenty school projects shall be selected to participate in this program. Interested districts should submit an application outlining their plan to develop new methods and procedures to meet the needs of their students, a commitment by all parties to work together, a budget, funding sources, technical resources desired, provide for extending the school year for staff up to ten days, an evaluation component, and justifications for waivers of statutes and regulations during the first two years of the project. Applications shall be submitted no later than March 15, 1988. Funds shall be awarded by May lst of each year, with the projects to begin in the 1988- 89 school year. Projects may run for six years. No waiver of rules will be allowed for rules effecting health, safety, civil rights or the rights of the handicapped. Projects shall take place in a diversity of school districts.
A Board of Schools for the Twenty-First Century Program shall be created composed of the governor, three persons appointed by the governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and two persons appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Appointed members shall serve for a term of six years. The board shall review and select projects for participation in the pilot programs and monitor and evaluate the projects. The board shall report to the legislature on January 15, 1989, on the progress of the program and biennially thereafter.
To request a waiver of rules and regulations from the board for the Twenty-First Century School Project, a school must contact the Board which must request the waiver from the State Board of Education.
Teacher Preparation
The legislature intends to enhance the education of children by improving the quality of teaching. A Masters in Teaching degree program shall be developed. All persons who apply to the Master of Teaching program after September 1, 1990, shall have an undergraduate degree in arts, humanities or sciences. All persons applying for initial certification after September 1, 1992, will be required to have completed a Masters in Teaching degree. Persons not yet finished with a Masters in teaching program may receive a temporary certificate under a one-year waiver of the Masters requirement, renewable once.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State Board of Education, based on their responsibilities for degree planning and approval, and teacher certification responsibilities, shall work together to develop a professional teacher preparation degree. This shall be a graduate level degree program. All candidates for the Masters in Teaching degree shall complete a full time paid internship for one semester. The internship shall be supervised by a mentor teacher, mentor principal, and a faculty member from the institution attended by the intern. Candidates entering the Masters in Teaching degree program with an advanced degree shall be given credit for advanced course work already completed. Consideration should also be given to the development of national certification standards.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and State Board of Education shall work with public and private higher education institutions in the development of programs for principals. These programs shall address the issues of changing management training practices, including emphasis on building based decision making and providing opportunities for teachers to exercise independent judgment. The program shall also develop a collaborative method for the selection of persons to attend principal preparation, recruitment to reflect racial, ethnic and gender composition of the school population, and provision of funds for a paid internship for principals for one semester under the supervision of a mentor principal and faculty from the higher education institution.
A mentor teacher and principal program shall also be developed including procedures for selection, evaluation, and support resources for persons supervising Masters in Teaching degree candidate internships. Mentor teachers and principals shall be paid a stipend based on funds appropriated for this purpose.
The State Board of Education shall adopt certification policies to implement the Master in Teaching requirement and continuing education requirements for teachers.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board and State Board of Education shall develop recommended legislation regarding the Masters in Teaching degree program. These recommendations should be reported to the legislature by February 1, 1989. The report shall include recommendations on graduate scholarships for recruitment and undergraduate work study programs for prospective teachers.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction, beginning in the 1991-92, school year shall advise the governor and legislature on the estimated number of funded teacher internships required to meet the state's needs.
Staff Development
School district in-service training programs should be developed at the building level.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The application deadline for the 21st century schools pilot program is changed from December 31, 1987, to March 15, 1988. Districts shall be notified of their annual grant awards before May 1st of the prior school year.
The Masters requirement for teaching may be waived twice, for one year at a time, for persons who are in the process of pursuing a Masters in Teaching degree. The internship requirement is for one semester rather than one year, and specific salary provisions for teacher interns are deleted.
Fiscal Note: Requested March 7, 1987.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Education) Marc Tucker, Executive Director, Carnegie Foundation, Forum on Education and the Economy; M. Stephen Lilly, Chairman of the Interinstitutional Committee of Deans of Education, and Dean, College of Education, Washington State University; Frank Brouillet, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Monica Schmidt, Executive Director, State Board of Education; Tom Parker, Assistant Vice President, Washington Friends of Education; Mike Fitzgerald, Washington State Economic Development Council; Lavonne Denet, Principal, Montlake Elementary School, Seattle; Jean Hertsky, Superintendent, Kitsap Schools; Bob Maier, Washington Education Association; Judy Neumier-Martinson, Kent School District; Lillian Cady, Dean, Education Division, Saint Martin's College, and Washington Council of Deans and Directors; Nick Johnson, Griffin School District; Catherine Watters, Citizen's Education Center Northwest.
Substitute: (Ways & Means) None Presented.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Education) Chris Shardelman, self.
Substitute: (Ways & Means) Carl Fynboe, Washington Federation of Independent Schools.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Education) It is important that schools have the flexibility to meet the needs of a changing society. The schools for the twenty-first century pilot programs provide support for the idea of building-based management and cooperation between teachers, principals, administrators, and parents.
The Masters in Teaching program would aid in the recognition of teaching as a profession and assure that teachers are well rounded individuals with sufficient knowledge of their subject matter to train children for the future. There is some concern, however, whether an individual should acquire the Master degree prior to beginning teaching, or at the level of applying for continuing certification.
It is essential that teachers receive continued in-service training to encourage and aid in continued professional development.
Substitute: (Ways & Means) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Education) Schools for the future is too expensive.
Substitute: (Ways & Means) The Masters requirement will impact private schools without providing additional funds.