HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1659

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to the recruitment, preparation, and continuing education of vocational agriculture teachers.

Brief Description:  Establishing the Washington state vocational agriculture teacher recruitment program.

Sponsors:  Representatives Clements, Doumit, Schoesler, D. Sommers, Grant, Johnson, Tokuda and Ogden.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education:  2/13/97, 2/18/97 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Johnson, Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Linville; Quall; Smith; Sterk; Sump; Talcott and Veloria.

Staff:  Bronwyn Mauldin (786-7093).

Background:  The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) coordinates vocational agriculture education programs in secondary schools.  OSPI recruits, certifies, and places vocational agriculture teachers and administrators in those programs. 

In 1995 the Legislature created the Washington State Vocational Agriculture Teacher Recruitment Program, but did not fund the program.

Summary of Bill:  The Washington State Vocational Agriculture Teacher Recruitment Program is established.  The program must be designed by the State Board of Education in consultation with representatives of public and private entities working in the agricultural industry in Washington.  The purpose of the program is to encourage students in grades 9-12 and adults who have entered other occupations to become vocational agriculture teachers. 

The program has six major components.  These include encouraging students in grades 9-12 to prepare to study vocational agriculture at an institution of higher learning, providing information on how skills learned in other occupations and professions can be applied to vocational agriculture teaching, and providing opportunities for underrepresented populations to participate in activities related to vocational agriculture.

Appropriation:  The sum of $49,500, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1999, from the general fund to the State Board of Education.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 5, 1997.

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

Testimony For:  There are not enough vocational agriculture teachers to meet the growing demand from students.  Demand is growing in part because of the addition of natural resources issues to the vocational agriculture curriculum.  It is better to train Washington residents to take those teaching positions rather than to bring in people from other states to teach vocational agriculture.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Clements, prime sponsor; Kathleen Lopp, Washington Vocational Association; Tim Schneider, teacher; Hillary Fuek, Future Farmers of America student; and Dorene Mykol, State Board of Education.