SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6477
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Education, February 6, 2002
Title: An act relating to qualifications for public school principals and vice principals.
Brief Description: Changing qualifications for public school principals and vice principals.
Sponsors: 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: 1/31/02, 2/6/02 [DPS, DNPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6477 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Carlson, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Rasmussen and Regala.
Minority Report: Do not pass substitute.
Signed by Senator Finkbeiner.
Staff: Kelly Simpson (786‑7403)
Background: Under current law, public school principals and vice principals must hold both teacher and administrative certificates.
Educational staff associates (ESA's) are professional certificated school employees and include the following school staff positions: (1) occupational therapists; (2) physical therapists; (3) speech-language pathologists; (4) audiologists; (5) nurses; (6) social workers; (7) counselors; and (8) psychologists.
Summary of Substitute Bill: Public school principals and vice principals must be credentialed in one of the following two ways, both of which require holding valid administrative certificates: (1) they must hold or have held valid teacher certificates, or (2) they must hold or have held valid ESA certificates and they must demonstrate successful school-based experience in an instructional role with students. Additionally, principals and vice principals may not be employed if their certificates were revoked, suspended, or surrendered.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: Technical changes are made.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: Principal leadership at the school level is extremely important under a standards‑based K‑12 education system. Such leadership may come from areas other than the teaching ranks. This bill would expand the pool of principal and vice principal candidates without compromising standards. Additionally, this is a first‑step and the Professional Educator Standards Board can look into further expanding the pool of principal and vice principal candidates over time.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: Nancy Diaz-Miller, Professional Education Standards Board (pro); Lin Douglas, OSPI (pro); Kristin Bunce, Governor's Office (pro); Gary King, WEA (pro); Barbara Mertens, WASA (pro); Dan Steele, WA State School Directors' Assn. (pro); Rainer Houser, AWSP (pro).