H-2919.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2183

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      53rd Legislature     1994 Regular Session

By Representatives Karahalios, Foreman, Kessler, Grant, Thomas, Rust, Cothern, Quall, J. Kohl, Lemmon, Dorn, Chappell, Eide, Roland, Brough, Carlson, Long, Pruitt, Johanson, Sehlin, Springer, Morris, Cooke, Jones and Patterson

Prefiled 01/07/94.  Read first time 01/10/94.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Creating a student conduct task force.

    AN ACT Relating to a student conduct task force; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that classroom teachers and parents are expressing increasing  concern about the growing number of disruptive students in public school classrooms, and the legal and other barriers that make it difficult to deal effectively with these students.  These disruptive students often require an extraordinary amount of attention and energy, which means that nondisruptive students often receive less attention and assistance.  It is the intent of the legislature to identify laws, rules, and practices that make it difficult for educators to manage their classrooms and schools effectively, and to take appropriate actions to make schools more conducive to learning.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) A task force on student conduct is created.  The purpose of the task force is to identify laws, rules, and practices that make it difficult for educators to manage their classrooms and schools effectively.  Based on these findings, the task force shall make recommendations to the legislature, the state board of education, the superintendent of public instruction, school districts, institutions of higher education, and others regarding actions that could be taken to reduce the problems generated by disruptive students and thereby make schools more conducive to learning.

    (2) Members of the task force and the chair shall be appointed by the superintendent of public instruction, and shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of parents, elementary teachers, secondary teachers, middle/junior high school vice-principals, senior high school vice-principals, classified employees, and special education educators.

    (3) Staffing for the task force shall be the responsibility of the superintendent of public instruction.  Personnel from the office of the superintendent may staff the task force, or the superintendent may enter into a contract with a public or private entity.

    (4) The findings and recommendations of the task force shall be submitted to the entities identified in subsection (1) of this section by November 1, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act shall expire December 31, 1995.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of . . . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.

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