Title: An act relating to including a classified employee on the Washington professional educator standards board.

Brief Description: Including a classified employee on the Washington professional educator standards board.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Zarelli, McAuliffe, Schmidt, Eide, Benton, Carlson, Keiser, Mulliken, Kohl-Welles, Stevens, Winsley, Hale, Roach and Poulsen).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Replaces the public member of the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board with a paraeducator.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Quall, Chair; McDermott, Vice Chair; Talcott, Ranking Minority Member; Tom, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Cox, Haigh, Hunter, McMahan, Rockefeller and Santos.

The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) was created by the 2000 Legislature to provide advice and recommendations on issues affecting education professionals to the State Board of Education (SBE), Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), the Governor and Legislature. The issues include recruitment, hiring, preparation, certification, mentoring, professional growth, retention, governance, assessment, and evaluation. In addition, the PESB oversees new basic skills and subject matter assessments to be required of all new teachers prior to state certification. Finally, the PESB brings greater public focus and attention to the education professions.

The 2001 Legislature added a responsibility to implement three alternative routes to certify educators.

The PESB is composed of the SPI and 19 members appointed by the Governor to four-year staggered terms. The chair of the PESB is appointed by the Governor from amongst the teachers and principals on the PESB. Of the 19 appointed members, eight are teachers, seven from public schools and one representing private schools. Four members are school administrators, two of whom are public school principals, one principal from a private school and one superintendent. Two members are educational staff associates, and three represent college and university educator preparation programs. One member is a parent and one represents the public. Most of the members of the PESB who represent K-12 and higher education are also required to meet additional qualifications.

The Governor will appoint to the PESB a classified employee who assists in public school instruction. The employee must have at least three years of public school experience in the paraeducator role and must be currently serving in that capacity. The paraeducator will replace the public member of the PESB.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The House and Senate have each shown support for this concept by unanimously passing companion bills. The approach proposed in the Senate version of the legislation will have no fiscal impact since the paraeducator would fill a currently vacant position on the PESB.

(With concerns) There are 26 similar boards around the country and none them include a paraeducator. Paraeducators have issues, but the PESB is not the right venue for them. Paraeducators belong at the table but not at this table.

Testimony Against: The PESB was created to bring greater focus to the education professions. Paraeducators have urgent needs for training and skills. Their needs are exacerbated by the standards movement and the new federal law. However, having the PESB address the issues is not an effective way to meet the very real needs of paraeducators .