BILL REQ. #:  H-1572.1 

Read first time .   Referred to .

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, Washington state supports, believes in, and pursues the goal of the No Child Left Behind Act, which is that all students will achieve at high levels; and
     WHEREAS, The state welcomes the additional support the No Child Left Behind Act has brought to focus on quality education and the improvements needed to reach all children; and
     WHEREAS, One of the key goals of the No Child Left Behind Act was to place a "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom to ensure academic success of students; and
     WHEREAS, The No Child Left Behind Act defines a highly qualified teacher as one who holds at least a bachelor's degree and has demonstrated subject matter competence in each academic subject area in which the teacher teaches; and
     WHEREAS, There are growing numbers of teacher shortage areas, especially in high need technical fields; and
     WHEREAS, Career and technical education teachers are often hired from industries in which a bachelor's degree is not the preferred level of certification; and
     WHEREAS, The Washington State Legislature passed legislation in 2006 that allows for credit for core academic subjects learned through career and technical education, but if the teacher does not have a bachelor's degree, the district must report them to parents as "not highly qualified"; and
     WHEREAS, The current definition of "highly qualified" places career and technical education industry teachers at a disadvantage in school districts; and
     WHEREAS, Career and technical education teachers from industry are in fact "highly qualified" to provide students with both the academic and technical education they need to be successful;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress make a positive change in the definition of highly qualified teachers under the No Child Left Behind Act to include career and technical teachers who come to the teaching profession directly from industry.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.