SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 6478

 

As Passed Senate, February 15, 2002

 

Title:  An act relating to the professional educator standards board.

 

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to the professional educator standards board.

 

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Finkbeiner and Winsley; by request of Governor Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Board of Education and Professional Educator Standards Board).

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity:  Education:  1/31/02, 2/6/02 [DPS].

Passed Senate:  2/15/02, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

 

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6478 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Carlson, Finkbeiner, Hochstatter, Johnson, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Rasmussen and Regala.

 

Staff:  Heather Lewis-Lechner (786-7448)

 

Background:  The Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (WPESB) was created during the 2000 legislative session.  WPESB consists of 19 members whose four-year terms expire on May 31, 2004.  The law requires that seven specific groups be represented by those 19 members.  One of the purposes of WPESB is to oversee new basic skills and subject matter assessments, which will be required of all new teachers prior to certification.  Included in this mandate are the requirements that WPESB develop and implement subject knowledge tests beginning no later than September 1, 2002, and that passage of the subject knowledge test is required in order to receive an endorsement for certification beginning September 1, 2003.

 

Summary of Bill:  As the terms of the initial members of the WPESB expire, or vacancies to the board occur for the first time, the Governor must appoint or reappoint the members of the board to one-year to four-year staggered terms.  Once the one-year to three-year terms expire, all subsequent terms are for four years with the terms expiring on June 30 of the applicable year.  The terms are staggered in such a way that, where possible, the terms of members representing a specific group do not expire simultaneously.

 

Passage of the subject knowledge tests developed by the WPESB is required for teacher certification purposes starting September 1, 2005.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

 

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

 

Testimony For:  Changing the date of when the subject knowledge test is required for residency certification to 2005 is only fair to students who began completing their preparation programs under the old requirements.  The State Board of Education only adopted the new endorsement competencies this month and the new competencies will be required to be implemented by 2003.  The change from 2003 until 2005 will ensure that teachers have the opportunity and ability to learn and meet the new subject knowledge test requirement.  Regarding the members of the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, a representative of the support staff that works closely with the teachers should be added to the list of required groups.  Classified employees are often left out and should have some representation on this board.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  PRO:  Tom Chatlouhas, Prof. Educ. Standards Board; Kristin Bunce, Gov's Office; Lin Douglas, OSPI; Gary King, WEA; Doug Nelson, Randy Dorn, PSE.