2023 Regular Session

ByRepresentatives Harris, Stonier, and Macri

Read first time 02/14/23.Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to certificated teacher compensation at the Washington state center for deaf and hard of hearing youth and the state school for the blind; amending RCW 72.40.028; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that the Washington state center for deaf and hard of hearing youth and the state school for the blind each provide unique services to students in Washington state.

(2) The legislature finds that certificated staff at the Washington state center for deaf and hard of hearing youth and the state school for the blind regularly provide the type of enrichment services identified in RCW 28A.150.276.

(3) It is the intent of the legislature that the certificated staff at the Washington state center for deaf and hard of hearing youth and the state school for the blind be compensated commensurate to certificated staff in the school district in which the two state schools are located.

Sec. 2. RCW 72.40.028 and 2019 c 266 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

All teachers employed by the Washington center for deaf and hard of hearing youth and the state school for the blind shall meet all certification requirements and the programs shall meet all accreditation requirements and conform to the standards defined by law or by rule of the Washington professional educator standards board or the office of the state superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent and the director, by rule, may adopt additional educational standards for their respective facilities. Salaries of all certificated employees shall be ((based on the statewide average salary set forth in RCW 28A.150.410, adjusted by the regionalization factor that applies to the school district in which the program or facility is located))set so as to conform and be contemporary with the average total salary paid to other certificated employees of similar background and experience in the school district in which the program or facility is located, based on school district salary data reported annually to the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent and the director may provide for provisional certification for teachers in their respective facilities including certification for emergency, temporary, substitute, or provisional duty.