HOUSE BILL REPORT
SSB 6478
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: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Finkbeiner and Winsley; by request of Governor Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Board of Education and Professional Educator Standards Board).
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Education: 2/20/02, 2/21/02 [DP].
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Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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$Staggers the terms of the next set of members of the Professional Educator Standards Board. |
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$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.
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 10 members: Representatives Quall, Chair; Haigh, Vice Chair; Talcott, Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, 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.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not Requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This legislation will stagger the terms of the members of the PESB, ensuring that all the expertise and history brought by the members are not lost to the board at one time. It also delays the date by which passing a content level test will be required of new teachers. The PESB will still make the tests available at the earliest possible opportunity, but new teachers will not be required to pass them until 2005. The date delay would align the testing requirement with State Board of Education rules on competency based endorsements for students enrolled in teacher preparation programs.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Jennifer Wallace, Professional Educator Standards Board; Laura Kohn, Governor=s Office; Gary King, Washington Education Association; Rainer Houser, Association of Washington School Principals; and Robert Butts, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.