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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE

February 25, 2008
Room 445C, State Capitol Building

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sylvia S. Andersen        
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. James R. Gowans
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart        
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
        Rep. LaWanna "Lou" Shurtliff
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion    
        Rep. Mark A. Wheatley

MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Brad Dee
        Rep. Brad Last
        Rep. Stephen H. Urquhart    
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Linda Service, Committee Secretary
        Dee S Larsen, Associate General Counsel

Note: List of visitors and copy of handouts are filed with committee minutes.


Rep. Hughes, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:24 p.m.

MOTION: Rep. Painter moved to approve the minutes of February 22, 2008. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Gowans, Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Lockart, and Rep. Newbold were absent for the vote.

1st Sub. S.B. 36    Charter and Online Schools - Participation in Extracurricular Activities (Sen. M. Madsen)

Sen. Madsen introduced the bill which addresses the eligibility of charter school students and students who participate in online education programs to participate in extracurricular activities.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Lincoln Fillmore, Director, Utah Association of Charter Schools
    Alicia Davis, student, Karl Maeser Preparatory Academy
    Darren Beck, Director, Rockwell Charter High School
    Brian Allen, State Charter School Board


    Juanita Hansen, Ranches Academy

Bart Thompson, Association Director, Utah High School Activities Association, stated the association is neutral on the bill.

MOTION: Rep. Anderson moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Gowans was absent for the vote.

S.B. 91    Benefits to American Board Certified Teachers (Sen. M. Madsen)

Sen. Madsen introduced the bill which creates a grant program to minimize the expenses of teachers to obtain the American Board Distinguished Teacher certification and to provide additional compensation to teachers who obtain that certification. Richard Nelson, Utah Technology Council, assisted in presenting the bill.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Dave Saba, American Board Certified Teachers Association
    Richard Nelson, Utah Technology Council

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 3, Lines 59 through 64 :    

             59          (5) (a) To receive grant monies to provide additional compensation to licensed teachers
             60      who obtain the American Board Distinguished Teacher certification, a school district or charter
             61      school
{   shall   }        may       provide $1,500 in matching funds for each teacher.

             62          (b) (i) A school district or charter school
{   that provides matching funds as provided in

             63      Subsection (5)(a)  
}
shall receive grant monies in the amount of $1,500 for each American Board
             64      Distinguished Teacher, except as provided in Subsection (5)(b)(ii).
The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Gowans and Rep. Lockhart were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Anderson moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Shurtliff voting in opposition. Rep. Lockhart was absent for the vote.

H.B. 345    Minimum Age for Public Education Enrollment Amendments (Rep. E.

Hutchings)

Rep. Hutchings introduced the bill which provides an exception to the minimum age for public education enrollment.

Larry Shumway, State Board of Education, suggested the bill be modified.
Tamara Lowe, Utah School Boards Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to amend the bill as follows:

Page 3, Line 65: After "above" insert "for a minimum of four weeks"

The motion failed with Rep. Gowans, Rep. Holdaway, Rep. Moss, Rep. Shurtliff, and Rep. Wheatley voting in favor of the motion. Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Newbold moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 3, Lines 63 through 65 :    

             63          (b) A board may enroll a child in school who is not at least five years of age before
             64      September 2 of the year in which admission is sought if the child

  was       previously        enrolled and       attended a public

             65      school in kindergarten or above as a resident in another state.
The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed with Rep. Gowans, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Wheatley voting in opposition. Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.

H.B. 488    Kindergarten Program Amendments (Rep. K. Morgan)

Rep. Morgan introduced the bill which modifies provisions of the voluntary extended-day kindergarten program. Brenda Hale, State Board of Education, assisted in presenting the bill.

MOTION: Rep. Shurtliff voted to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation and urged the sponsor to prepare an amendment for the floor to clarify the intent of the bill. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart was absent for the vote.

H.B. 414    Recycling Amendments (Rep. T. Cosgrove)


Rep. Cosgrove introduced the bill which requires certain entities to participate in single stream recycling.

Tamara Lowe, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School Superintendents Association, expressed concern about the bill.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Debi Wilde, Grant Elementary parent
    Kyler Wilde, student at Grant Elementary
    Dylan Wilde, student at Grant Elementary
    Jim Rusnell, Waste Management of Utah
    Kelly Knudsen, recycling business
    
The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
    Jonathan Girard

MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 1, Line 9 :    

             9          This bill
{   requires   }        allows       certain entities to participate in single stream recycling.


2.    Page 1, Line 13 :    

             13          .    
{   requires   }        allows       a state agency, school district, or charter school located in a first or second


3.    Page 2, Line 31 :    

             31          (2) A school district or charter school located in a first or second class county
{   shall   }        may       :


4.    Page 3, Line 62 :    

             62          (2) A state agency
{   shall   }        may       :

The motion passed with Rep. Moss voting in opposition. Rep. Lockhart was absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart was absent for the vote.
    
H.B. 84    Compensation of Educators with National Board Certification (Rep. C. Moss)



Rep. Moss introduced the bill which creates a program to provide additional compensation for teachers who obtain National Board certification. Sharon Gallagher-Fisbaugh. a national board certified teacher, and Nancy Schwartz, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, assisted in presenting the bill.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
    Tracey Slinger, National Board certified teacher
    Margaret Pratt, National Board certified teacher
    Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association and Utah School      Superintendents Association

MOTION: Rep. Anderson moved to amend the bill as follows:

1.    Page 1, Lines 17 through 18 :    

             17          .    
{   requires   }        allows       school districts and charter schools to provide matching funds to qualify for

             18      the program; and

2.    Page 2, Lines 44 through 46 :    

             44          (4)
{   To participate in the program, a   }        A       school district or charter school      {   shall   }        may       provide local

             45      matching funds for the program in an amount equal to the state program monies provided to
             46      that school district or charter school.

3.    Page 2, Lines 47 through 50 :    

             47          (5) The State Board of Education shall distribute money appropriated by the
             48      Legislature to school districts and charter schools to pay $1,500 for additional compensation
             49      for teachers who obtain National Board certification
{   , subject to the additional $1,500 local

             50      match  
}
.
The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to pass the bill out as amended with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Sumsion were absent for the vote.


H.B. 419    Public School Textbook Evaluation Amendments (Rep. G. Froerer)

Rep. Froerer introduced the bill which modifies requirements relating to public instructional materials.

Larry Shumway addressed committee members' questions.

The following spoke in suppport of the bill:
    Rulon Gill
    Mont Evans

MOTION: Rep. Frank moved to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart, Rep. Sumsion, and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.

The following bills were not heard:

H.B. 418    Physician Education Admissions (Rep. B. Last)
H.B. 471    Educator Compensation Modifications (Rep. G. Hughes)
H.B. 91    Center for the School of the Future Incentives (Rep. J. Draxler)

MOTION: Rep. Holdaway moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:25 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. Rep. Lockhart, Rep. Sumsion, and Rep. Painter were absent for the vote.







    


_____________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair