HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2269

                      As Passed House:

                        April 9, 1999

Title:  An act relating to the professional development program.

Brief Description:  Establishing the professional development program.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on  (Originally sponsored by Representatives H. Sommers and Huff).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  3/30/99, 4/5/99 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  4/9/99, 93-0.

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Establishes the teacher professional development program to improve teacher skills.

$Professional development program activities must be conducted on days outside the normal school calendar and are not part of basic education.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 31 members:  Representatives Huff, Republican Co-Chair; H. Sommers, Democratic Co-Chair; Alexander, Republican Vice Chair; Doumit, Democratic Vice Chair; D. Schmidt, Republican Vice Chair; Barlean; Benson; Boldt; Carlson; Clements; Cody; Crouse; Gombosky; Grant; Kagi; Keiser; Kenney; Kessler; Lambert; Linville; Lisk; McIntire; McMorris; Mulliken; Parlette; Regala; Rockefeller; Ruderman; Sullivan; Tokuda and Wensman.

Staff:  Jack Daray (786-7178).

Background:

School districts and the state provide extra time for instructional staff to plan curricula, receive training, and pursue other professional improvements.  This activity is commonly termed "in‑service training" and a state-funded version was known as "SLIG days".

Salary stipends for state, basic education formula, certificated instructional staff for in‑service training are provided as supplemental contracts, which are a statutory exception to the salary controls established by the Legislature in RCW 28A.400.20.  The details of the basic education salary allocations are provided in the statewide salary allocation schedule in the Appropriations Act.

Supplemental contracts are not part of basic education, are limited to one year, and are not to be considered part of the basic education obligation of the state.

In‑service training is sometimes provided on days school is in session, and substitute teachers are used to replace the instructional staff participating in the training.

Summary of Bill:

An in‑service program of professional development is established to improve the skills of instructional staff to educate students consistent with the learning requirements necessary to meet the standards of the state essential academic learning requirements.

The professional development program must be provided outside the normal "classroom" school year.

State funds provided for the program are not part of the salaries considered on the state salary schedule for basic education, and the program is not within the state's obligation for funding basic education.

The program terminates at the end of the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect on July 1, 1999.

Testimony For:  Training time is needed outside classroom days for teacher professional development; the training detailed in the bill is the next step in the professionalization of teaching.  The funding should be sufficient for payment of full per diem compensation costs and should be integrated into the state salary schedule.  The sunset provision of the bill should be removed because there is a need for this kind of program beyond the end of the next biennium.  There may be a technical problem with the way the new conditions on the supplemental contract language is worded in the bill; use of "or" rather than "and" would clarify any potential ambiguity.   

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (In support) Karen Davis, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Judy Hartmann, Tacoma Public Schools.

(Concerns)  Bob Maier, Washington Education Association.