_______________________________________________

                                          ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 6166

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senator Bailey

Read first time 1/13/88 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to the teacher assistance program; amending RCW 28A.67.240; adding new sections to chapter 28A.67 RCW; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 399, Laws of 1985 as amended by section 1, chapter 507, Laws of 1987 and RCW 28A.67.240 are each amended to read as follows:

          The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to establish and operate a teacher assistance program.  For the purposes of this section, the terms "mentor teachers," "beginning teachers," and "experienced teachers" may include any person possessing any one of the various certificates issued by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.70.005.  The program shall provide for:

          (1) Assistance by mentor teachers who will provide a source of continuing and sustained support to beginning teachers, or experienced teachers, or both, both in and outside the classroom.  A mentor teacher may not be involved in evaluations under RCW 28A.67.065 of a teacher who receives assistance from said mentor teacher under the teacher assistance program established under this chapter.  The mentor teachers shall also periodically inform their principals respecting the contents of training sessions and other program activities;

          (2) Stipends for mentor teachers and beginning teachers which shall ((not be deemed compensation for the purposes of salary lid compliance under RCW 28A.58.095:  PROVIDED, That stipends shall not be subject to the continuing contract provisions of this title)) be subject to RCW 28A.58.0951(4);

          (3) Workshops for the training of mentor and beginning teachers;

          (4) The use of substitutes to give mentor teachers, beginning teachers, and experienced teachers opportunities to jointly observe and evaluate teaching situations and to give mentor teachers opportunities to observe and assist beginning and experienced teachers in the classroom;

          (5) Mentor teachers who are superior teachers based on their evaluations, pursuant to chapter 28A.67 RCW, and who hold valid continuing certificates;

          (6) Mentor teachers shall be selected by the district.  If a bargaining unit, certified pursuant to RCW 41.59.090 exists within the district, classroom teachers representing the bargaining unit shall participate in the mentor teacher selection process; and

          (7) Periodic consultation by the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee with representatives of educational organizations and associations, including educational service districts and public and private institutions of higher education, for the purposes of improving communication and cooperation and program review((; and

          (8) A report to the legislature describing the results of the program to be delivered not later than December 31, 1987)).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.67 RCW to read as follows:

          School districts are encouraged to look to the teacher assistance program established under RCW 28A.67.240 as a model of professional collegiality under which experienced teachers can benefit from the assistance and support of a professional colleague.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.67 RCW to read as follows:

          The superintendent of public instruction shall submit to the legislature a biennial report on the teacher assistance program, including information about the number of mentor teacher and experienced teacher teams that have been funded and the number of unfunded requests for mentor teacher and experienced teacher teams.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The sum of one million thirty-eight thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, to the superintendent of public instruction to carry out the purposes of sections 1 through 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.