H-1260              _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 946

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Betrozoff, Walker, Ebersole, Ferguson, P. King, May, Brough, Schoon, Silver, Taylor, Miller and D. Sommers

Read first time 2/16/87 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to teacher excellence; adding a new section to chapter 28A.03 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     It is important that the value of experienced and superior teachers be recognized and that the knowledge and experience of these individuals be passed on to benefit other teachers and students.  In an attempt to recognize these valuable individuals the Washington master teacher recognition program is created.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish an annual award to recognize master teachers.  Annually one master teacher shall be recognized from each congressional district of the state.

         (2) A master teacher shall be an individual with five years or more of teaching experience who has received outstanding annual evaluations and has been nominated by the principal, other teachers, and parents from the school in which he or she works.

          (3) Nominations for the master teacher recognition program shall be received by the superintendent of public instruction no later than February 1 of each school year.  The nominations shall be evaluated by an advisory committee composed of a member of the state board of education and representatives from the following groups:  School district superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, and at least one high school student who shall make recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction for the selection of the master teachers.

          (4) Nominations shall be evaluated to select individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to education, new or innovative techniques of instruction or methods of dealing with a problem common to other teachers, or demonstration of good teaching techniques.

          (5) Each of the teachers selected as a Washington state master teacher shall receive the opportunity for up to one year of paid leave to do demonstration teaching, staff development, advanced class work, or any other such activity designed to enhance further personal development or allow others the benefits of their expertise.  School districts shall be reimbursed by the superintendent of public instruction for salary and benefits.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The sum of five hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.