• HB 1319 (briefing beginning at 7:22, testimony at 1:23:35), would reduce the frequency that classroom teachers with a professional certificate or a National Board Certificate and principals with a professional certificate, who previously received a performance rating of three or above, must receive a comprehensive summative evaluation. Representatives from WEA and OSPI, as well as two superintendents, were among those testifying in favor of this bill.
• HB 1341 (briefing beginning at :08, testimony at 46:45), would require the PESB to provide teachers with three options to become professionally certified: the ProTeach Portfolio, National Board Certification, or by earning 75 professional learning credits. Testifying in favor of this bill were representatives from the WSSDA and WEA, as well as a teacher, a principal and a superintendent. Testifying against this bill were representatives from PESB and the Washington Association for Colleges of Teacher Education.
• HB 1654 (briefing beginning at 9:23, testimony at 1:34:00), would provide the PESB with expected outcomes for alternative route programs and rulemaking authority with respect to program design. A representative from PESB testified in favor of this bill. Two superintendents testified with concerns about accessibility, affordability, and minimum requirements.
• HB 1732 (beginning at 1:38:05), would protect the confidentiality of PGPs. Representatives from the PESB, OSPI and WEA testified in favor of this bill.
• HB 1734 (briefing beginning at 18:18, testimony at 1:44:00), requires payments to school districts for substitutes needed for teachers and classified staff serving on PESB committees. A representative from PESB testified in favor of this bill.

• HB 1886, which would transfer numerous duties and responsibilities from the SBE to OSPI, got a floor vote in the house and passed 97-0. Per the Legislative Outlook from WSSDA, the bill "establishes a nine-member Legislative Task Force on K-12 Governance and Responsibilities and directs the Task Force to make recommendations regarding the appropriate roles and responsibilities of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education in the K-12 system and report them to the Legislature by November 15, 2017. For those following this bill, the current 'engrossed' version of the bill removed the original content of HB 1886 and replaced it with the Task Force work." It is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate EL&K12 Education committee on Thursday.

Odds and Ends

An editorial in the Spokesman Review has some interesting ideas about "smarter funding" for schools.

 

And, for a little weekend reading, you might be interested in President Trump's budget proposal, America First. Specific proposals for the Department of Education are on pp. 17-18. May we recommend not reading it right before bedtime.

 

Have a great weekend!