SENATE BILL REPORT

                                    SB 5819

                            AS OF FEBRUARY 26, 1991

Brief Description:  Changing education provisions.

SPONSORS:Senator Metcalf.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Staff:  Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)

Hearing Dates:February 26, 1991

BACKGROUND:

Under current law, the term "basic education certificated instructional staff" is defined to include certificated instructional staff for basic education, secondary vocational education, general instructional support, and general support services.  The term may include persons such as classroom teachers, librarians, media specialists, school nurses and counselors, and instructional support staff -- anyone who is required to possess a certificate to be employed in the public schools.  Some of these persons do not provide classroom instruction to students.  It is suggested that reducing class sizes is an important step in efforts to achieve educational reform, and returning a number of certificated staff to the classroom would be one method of lowering class size.

Other educational reform measures suggested include requiring principals to spend time in the classroom, helping teachers maintain a safe learning environment, and providing students with classroom experience early in their teacher preparation program.  Other reforms include reducing paperwork at all levels of the educational system.

SUMMARY:

Certificated Instructional Classroom Teachers.  The term "basic educational certificated classroom teacher" is used instead of the term "basic education certificated instructional staff" in determining the ratio of students to teachers.  A basic education certificated instructional classroom teacher is defined as an instructional employee whose primary duty is the daily educational instruction of students and who possesses at least a provisional certificate.  Rather than just being required to maintain a ratio of instructional staff to students, districts are required to maintain a ratio of classroom teachers to students.

Students With Handicapping Conditions.  Handicapped students, spending four hours or more a day in a regular education classroom, are counted as one and one-half full-time equivalent students for the purpose of the allocation of state funds.

Student Discipline.  State Board of Education rules governing the substantive and procedural due process guarantees of students, shall protect the ability of students to learn, and staff to work, in safe environments free from inappropriate conduct or disruptions.  The rules shall provide staff with the ability to protect the learning environment to the maximum extent permissible under the Constitution and shall include providing for the removal of students from classes.

Principals.  Principals are required to spend 180 hours in every four-year period providing direct instructional service to students.  A principal who fails to meet this requirement loses his or her tenure as a principal and may be placed in a subordinate certificated position.

Paperwork Reduction.  School districts are required to establish committees, selected by district superintendents, consisting of teachers, administrators, parents, and members of the community to review paperwork requirements imposed by schools, school districts, the State Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Legislature.  Each committee periodically submits its recommendations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  The Superintendent considers the recommendations of the committees and reports to the Legislature on responses to those recommendations in odd-numbered years.

Teacher Preparation.  Before a student completes 45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours in a teacher preparation program, students are required to spend a minimum of 180 hours in an elementary, middle or high school classroom.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested February 21, 1991