HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2245

BYRepresentative Locke

Changing provisions relating to basic education salary allocations.

House Staff:Janet Peterson (786-7136)

BACKGROUND:

Beginning in 1992, new candidates for professional-level teaching certificates will be required to have a masters degree in teaching or a masters degree in the arts, sciences, and/or humanities.  Initial-level teaching certificates, which do not require a masters degree, are valid for two years with extensions possible for up to seven years.  The masters requirement does not apply to teachers who currently hold continuing (or professional-level) certificates.

During the 1987-89 biennium, the statewide schedule used to allocate funding for teachers' salaries has provided lower salary allocations for teachers with masters degrees than for teachers with 135 post-graduate quarter hour credits but no masters degree.

SUMMARY:

After January 1, 1992, no more than 90 post-graduate quarter hour credits may be counted to generate state funding for instructional staff salaries unless the employee has a masters degree or had previously been funded recognizing the higher number of credits.  This effectively closes off the current "BA+135" column on the statewide salary allocation schedule to any instructional staff who were not funded at that level prior to January 1, 1992.