MINUTES OF THE

SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

210 Senate Building, Utah State Capitol Complex

February 4, 2014

 

Members Present:     Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair

                                    Sen. Patricia W. Jones

                                    Sen. Mark B. Madsen

                                    Sen. Aaron Osmond

                                    Sen. Howard A. Stephenson

 

Members Excused:    President Wayne L. Niederhauser

 

Members Absent:      Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson

                                    Sen. Stephen H. Urquhart

 

Staff Present:             Ms. Tiffany Stanley, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Lorna Wells, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Reid called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m.

 

S.B.  34           Governance of the Utah Education and Workforce Alliance (H. Stephenson)

 

Sen. Stephenson explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

                                                Brad Asay, President, American Federation of Teachers

 

Spoke against the bill:             Sara Jones, Utah Education Association

 

No action was taken on the bill.

 

S.B. 37                        Statewide Online Education Program Revisions (D. Thatcher)

 

Sen. Thatcher explained the bill to the committee.

 

Sen. Thatcher distributed "Public Education Online."

 

MOTION:      Sen. Osmond moved to amend the bill as follows: 

1.                  Page 1, Lines 15 through 17: 


             15 ▸      requires a local education agency that enrolls eligible students to distribute the

             16        notice as a full page   {at the front of}    in a prominent location in   its registration materials and publish the notice in

17                 a prominent location on its website.


 

2.         Page 2, Line 54 through Page 3, Line 62:     


             54              (3)  The State Board of Education shall develop a notice about the Statewide Online

             55        Education Program that includes:

             56        (a)  a description of the Statewide Online Education Program, including its purposes;

             57        (b)  information on who is eligible to enroll; and

             58        (c)  information on how an eligible student may enroll, including how to enroll through

                                   59      an online course provider directly  and any other available enrollment method  .

                                   60           (4)  An LEA that enrolls eligible students shall distribute the notice described in

                                   61      Subsection (3) as a full page   {at the front of}    in a prominent location in   the LEA's                       registration materials and publish the

                                   62      notice in a prominent location on the LEA's website.

 

 

The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Madsen absent for the vote.

 

Spoke in favor of the bill:       Margaret Dzierzon, on-line student

                                                Jackie Warren, parent

                                                Peter Cannon, Member of Davis School Board

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

Spoke against the bill:             Judy Clark, Executive Director, Parents for Choice in Education

                                                Ben Horsley, Granite School District Liaison

 

MOTION:      Sen. Osmond moved to proceed to the next agenda item. The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 103 Local Control of Classroom Time Requirements (A. Osmond)

 

MOTION:      Sen. Osmond moved to replace S.B. 103 with 1st Sub. S.B. 103. The motion passed unanimously. 

 

Sen. Osmond explained the bill to the committee.

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Martell Menlove, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

                                                Sara Jones, Utah Education Association

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Kayleen Whitelock, Member of Jordan School Board

 

Spoke against the bill:             Jeff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association

 

MOTION:      Sen. Madsen moved to pass 1st Sub. S.B. 103 out favorably. The motion passed unanimously. 

 

Chair Reid announced that S.B. 43 and S.B. 150 would be heard next week.

 

MOTION:      Sen. Jones moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously.

 

 

Chair Reid adjourned the meeting at 10:00 a.m.

 

 

 

 

________________________

Sen. Stuart C. Reid, Chair