HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2414

 

 

 

As Reported by House Committee On:  

Education

 

Title:  An act relating to the professional educator standards board.

 

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to the professional educator standards board.

 

Sponsors:  Representatives Haigh, Anderson, Quall, Talcott, Tokuda, McIntire, Kenney, Chase and Schual‑Berke; by request of Governor Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Board of Education and Professional Educator Standards Board.

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity: 

Education:  1/30/02, 2/5/02 [DPS].

 

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Staggers the terms of the next set of members of the Professional Educator Standards Board.

$Delays by two years the date by which new teachers must pass subject matter tests in order to be endorsed to teach particular subjects or grade levels.

 

 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

 

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Quall, Chair; Haigh, Vice Chair; Talcott, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Cox, McDermott, Rockefeller, Santos, Schindler, Schmidt and Upthegrove.

 

Staff:  Susan Morrissey (786‑7111).

 

Background:

 

The 2000 Legislature created the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to advise the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) on educator preparation and certification issues.  The PESB provides advice on educator recruitment, hiring, preparation, certification, mentoring and support, professional growth, retention, governance, assessment, and evaluation.

 

The PESB is also responsible for the development, pilot testing, and implementation of a basic skill assessment for students entering educator preparation programs and of subject matter assessments for new teachers.  The board will make the subject matter assessments available for pilot testing and use by September 1, 2002.  Beginning September 1, 2003, successful completion of the subject matter assessments will be required before new teachers may be endorsed to teach various subjects and grade levels.

 

The PESB is composed of 19 voting members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.  The SPI serves as a nonvoting member of the board.  The voting members serve four year terms, and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms.  The members also represent different types of educators and interests.  Seven of the members are public school teachers and one member is a private school teacher.  Four members are school administrators, three represent higher education, two are educational staff associates, one is a parent, and one is a member of the public.

 

In 2000 the Governor appointed the first members of the PESB to four year terms.  The Senate has confirmed 18 of the board's initial appointees.

 

 

Summary of  Substitute Bill:

 

Once the terms of the initial appointed members of the PESB expire or are vacated, the Governor will appoint the next set of members to one-year to four-year staggered terms.  All terms thereafter will be four-year terms ending on June 30 of the applicable year.  The Governor will try to stagger the terms so that the terms of members representing a specific group do not expire at the same time.  Members cannot serve more than two consecutive full four-year terms.

 

The date by which new teachers must pass subject matter tests in order to be endorsed to teach particular subjects or grade levels is postponed from September 1, 2003 to September 1, 2005.

 

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

 

The terms of the initial members of the board will not be staggered.  Instead, the terms of the next round of appointees will be staggered.  The date that appointments end is clarified.  The number of consecutive full terms a member may serve is clarified to be four-year terms.

 

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

 

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

 

Testimony For:  The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) has done incredible work in a very short time to bring focus to the preparation and certification of teachers and other educational professionals.  The members of the board bring a depth of knowledge to these issues that will be difficult to replace once the four year terms of the members expire.  This legislation will stagger the terms of the board members, ensuring that all the expertise and history brought by the members are not lost to the board at one time.  While the terms should be staggered, the composition of the board should remain unchanged until board members have had an opportunity to consider a new structure.

 

(Concerns with substitute bill) The composition of the board should be modified to include at least one representative of classified instructional staff.  These paraprofessionals are essential partners in the learning process and have new educational requirements as a result of the 2001 changes to the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Jennifer Wallace, Professional Educator Standards Board; Kristin Bunce, Governor=s Office; Doug Nelson, Public School Employees of Washington; and Gary King, Washington Education Association.