SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 5479

              As Passed Senate, February 6, 1998

Title:  An act relating to time periods for provisional status of certificated employees.

Brief Description:  Changing time periods for provisional status for certificated employees.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Benton, West, Hochstatter, Swecker, McDonald and Oke).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  2/13/97, 2/18/97 [DPS].

Passed Senate, 3/11/97, 47-2.

Passed Senate, 2/6/98, 28-19.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5479 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Hochstatter, Chair; Finkbeiner, Vice Chair; Johnson and Zarelli.

Staff:  Karen Carter (786-7424)

Background:  Ordinarily, teachers and other non-supervisory certificated staff are deemed "provisional" employees during the first two years of employment by a school district.  However, if the teacher or certificated employee is hired with two or more years of certificated work experience in another Washington State school district, they are provisional district employees only during the first year with the new district. District superintendents may exercise the option not to renew a teacher or non-supervisory certificated employee's contract, subject to appropriate notification of reasons and due process requirements, during their provisional year(s) with the district.

Summary of Bill:  Teachers and other non-supervisory certificated staff are provisional district employees during the first three years of employment.  An exception remains for new hires with two or more years certificated work experience in another Washington school district; their provisional employment status with the new district lasts one year.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  It can be difficult to evaluate a new hire=s teaching potential during their first two years in a classroom.  This bill provides options for both the teacher and the district to mutually evaluate the success of an employment placement.

Testimony Against:  Two years is plenty of time for a district to evaluate a teacher=s potential if administrators are diligent in working with new hires.  The bill does not guarantee notice or support for provisional staff whose performance needs improvement.

Testified:  Senator Benton, prime sponsor; Milt Dennison, Camas School District (pro); Dwayne Slate, School Directors (pro); Bob Maier, WEA (con); Barbara Mertens, WASA (pro).