HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2190

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to extending by three years the date when new teachers must obtain masters' degrees.

Brief Description:  Extending by three years the date when new teachers must obtain masters' degrees.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Peery, Holland, Broback, Jacobsen, Edmondson, Vance, Ferguson, Winsley, Miller, Mitchell, Mielke, Fuhrman, Forner, Spanel, Brough, Schmidt, Sheldon, P. Johnson, Tate, Pruitt, Prentice, Rasmussen and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Education, April 4, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 18 members:  Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Brough, Ranking Minority Member; Vance, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Betrozoff; Broback; Brumsickle; Cole; Dorn; Holland; P. Johnson; Jones; Neher; Orr; Phillips; Rasmussen; Roland; and H. Sommers.

Staff:  Robert Butts (786-7111).

Background:  As part of a major legislative education reform proposal, the 1987 Legislature approved a measure that will require after August 31, 1992, that new teachers obtain a master's degree prior to obtaining a continuing certificate. At the time, several recently published national studies recommended that teachers be required to obtain a master's degree as a way to enhance the status of teaching as a profession.

The master degree may be in teaching, arts, sciences, and/or the humanities, and will replace the current education requirement that teachers obtain 45 post-BA quarter credits prior to obtaining their continuing certificate.  As implemented by the rules of the State Board of Education, teachers will have seven years to obtain a master's degree after obtaining an initial certificate.  Teachers who have a continuing certificate on August 31, 1992, are not required to obtain a master's degree.

Teachers and others have expressed concerns that the cost of obtaining a master's degree is high, and that master degree programs are not accessible or convenient for many teachers, especially those teachers in rural areas.

Summary of Bill:  The effective date of the requirement that teachers obtain a master's degree to be eligible for a continuing teaching certificate is postponed from August 31, 1992, until August 31, 1995.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The three-year postponement of the master's requirement will allow policy makers to examine the many issues surrounding teacher preparation, including the master's degree requirement.

Testimony Against:  Instead of postponing the master's degree requirement, it should be repealed.  The requirement places undue financial pressure and stress on young teachers, and unnecessary burdens on the educational system.  Delaying its implementation will create great uncertainty for education students and new teachers.

Witnesses:  Mary McKnew, Governor's Office (in favor); Ted Andrews, SPI (in favor); Bob Maier, Washington Education Association (in favor); and Senator Ann Anderson (opposed).