Special Session Final - 7/22/10
Only three amended bills passed
Special Session brings little change
The recently concluded legislative special session actually started in May as a response to losing the first round of Race to the Top (RTTT) funding and the hope of securing funding for the second round. The governor appeared before the State Board and challenged them to address school reform legislation needed in order to win RTTT funding in the second round. The WVBE responded with the report “It’s all about the kids” that included twenty-eight+ items.
The governor placed eight of those items on the call for the May special session – charter schools, health screening, hiring criteria, school teams, alternative certification, low performing schools, evaluations and incentive pay.
During the May session it appears the governor did very little to build consensus for his so called ‘reform agenda’. It also became apparent he did not have the support to pass his agenda through the legislature. Instead of allowing the bills to be defeated, he brought the parties together and created a work group. Even thought the deadline for the second round of RTTT funding had already passed, the governor was determined to go forward with an education reform special session in the future.
WVEA agreed to participate in the work group believing that we would be a true participant in the process and that we would be able to initiate true reform to improve our public schools instead of the unproven trends offered in response to the RTTT application.
Our hopes were soon dampened as it became clear the unions could not vote, offer amendments or propose new items in the work group. So rather than work to improve the legislation, the work group adopted bills that were very polarizing.
An opportunity for real input with an equal voice could have improved the legislation and fostered bills that were better positioned to pass. Unfortunately, after many days and hours spent discussing the legislation, the work group finished with bills that were similar to those originally introduced.
The work group did produce a number of good recommendations for the governor with the suggestion they be included in the special session. WVEA recommendations included: salary increases, alternative education programs for elementary and middle schools, reducing truancy, and others. However, with the exception of alternative education programs, the governor did not include our items in the call.
Fortunately, many members of the House Education Committee are or were actual education professionals, teachers, principals or support professionals. They recognized from the beginning the items proposed by the governor did not constitute real reform and would not lead to increased student achievement. They are people who are trained in education, child development and are teaching professionals.
It is unfortunate, however, the House members were labeled by the press, the governor, the Senate and others as problems in the process. Simply because you have a greater level of understanding and disagree with a concept does not mean you are stuck in the past or beholden to special interest as many have portrayed.
Quite the opposite is true. The House is the larger and more deliberative body of the legislature. They are closer and more accountable to their constituents due to their small regions and the fact they are up for election every two years.
It was also clear during this special session the governor had lost interest in his education agenda. He chose not to introduce a number of the items recommended by WVEA in the work group that would truly improve our schools. As a matter of fact, the education portion of the special session was completely overshadowed by the bill to fill the US Senate vacancy. The governor actually held a press conference to announce his candidacy for the vacancy as the House was upstairs debating his education agenda.
It is time to stop pointing fingers as to why bad legislation did not pass and look forward to the next legislative session in January. We must work throughout the fall to create the atmosphere and write legislation which will truly reform education in our state.
We know our members are dedicated to great schools. It is time to work together and make it happen!
1. 210/2010 Alternative Learning Centers creates uniform standards for all alternative learning centers (ALCs) and creates a pilot programs for five elementary schools and middle schools. $1 million was appropriated for the pilots.
2. 209/2009 Community School Pilot Program creates a special community school pilot program to be implemented at one public school for a five year period. The school, to be designated by the State Superintendent, will have significant enrollments of disadvantaged minority and under-achieving students. The school will work with community organizations, higher education and the State Board to develop and implement strategies that could be replicated in other schools with similar enrollment characteristics. All other provisions of the governor’s original bill - differential pay, career ladder, incentives based on student growth- were stricken from the bill.
3. 206/2006 School Teams and School Committees allows for the combining of certain school teams and committees to encourage greater collaboration.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 11 am
The House and Senate will not meet again until later this afternoon. Yesterday the House simply received the bills from the committee and adjourned. The full House is expected to take up the bills later today. Once the bills have passed the House they will be sent to conference committees (joint House and Senate members) to work out the differences between the House and Senate version of the bills.
WVEA expects some of the conference committees to begin work later this evening.
Monday, July 19, 2010 - 10 pm
Most of the day was spent in negotiations between the House, Senate and governor’s office over how to handle the Senate vacancy. The election bill was signed this evening. The filing period begins Tuesday and the primary election is scheduled for August 28th.
Since the Senate already passed the governor’s bills, the action today centered in the House Education Committee. The committee amended a number of bills:
205/2005 – school improvement and school districts – this bill did not pass House Education and is considered dead
209/2009 – incentive pay pilots to increase student achievement – was amended to remove the section of the bill dealing with incentive pay. The House version of the bill still contains the community outreach pilot that was included in the governor’s bill.
208/2008 – evaluations – the House Education Committee amended the bill to include an informal evaluation for those teachers with satisfactory evaluations and 4+ years of experience. A teacher cannot be declared unsatisfactory in an informal evaluation. They must be formally evaluated for an unsatisfactory evaluation to occur.
207/2007 – alternative schools - House Ed amended the bill to include $1 million in funding for the pilots.
The alternative certification bill for teachers and principals (210/2010) has been placed in a House Education subcommittee. A subcommittee meeting has not yet been scheduled.
The full House will meet again tomorrow at 4 pm. The education bills should be on the agenda.
Monday, July 19, 2010 - 4 pm
House reconvenes at 5 pm today
The governor introduced seven bills relating to education during the special session.
204/2004 – Health screenings for students
205/2005 – low performing schools/school districts
206/2006 – school teams and school committees
207/2007 – Alternative certification for teachers and principals
208/2008 – annual evaluations
209/2009 – salary incentives regarding increased academic achievement pilot projects
210/2010 – alternative schools in elem and middle school
The senate has passed all of the bills. In nearly each instance, the bill passed by the senate is the same version introduced by the governor. The House Education committee has made significant amendments to almost all of the bills.
Once passed by the full House, the bills will be sent to a conference committee in an effort to find language both houses can agree on.
Items not put on the call for the special session included: charter schools, salary increases, truancy, planning periods and hiring criteria.
Once the House passes the bills we will outline the changes in the House and Senate versions of the bills.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
In the Senate:
The Senate passed five education bills during this evening's floor session, suspending the constitutional rules requiring a bill be read on three separate days for each bill.
Senate Bill 2004 relates to compulsory comprehensive health screens for students, and Senate Bill 2006 relates to school committees and school teams. Senate Bill 2008 relates to annual professional personnel evaluations in public schools.
Senate Bill 2009 relates to pilot programs to increase academic achievement and Senate Bill 2010 relates to pilot programs for alternative schools in elementary and middle schools.
These bills will now advance to the House for consideration.
The Senate has adjourned until 1 p.m. on Monday.
In the House:
During this evening's floor session, the House received Senate messages that the Senate has passed Senate Bill 2003,which extends sunset provisions relating to foundation investments by MU and WVU, Senate Bill 2005, relating to improving performance of schools and school districts, and Senate Bill 2007, relating to alternative training and certification of principals and teachers. The House referred the bills to their respective committees for further consideration.
The House also received committee reports regarding House Bill 206, which encourages teacher collaboration through the establishment of alternative school-level decision-making bodies, and House Bill 210, which would provide uniformity in alternative schools and requiring a pilot program that will allow alternative schools in elementary and middle schools.
The following committees will meet tomorrow, July 19:
Education- 434M- 9 a.m.
Judiciary- 410M- 9 a.m.
Finance - 460M- 10 a.m.
July 12, 2010