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MINUTES OF HOUSE EDUCATION
STANDING COMMITTEE

February 12, 2007
Room W135, West Office Building, State Capitol Complex

MEMBERS PRESENT:    Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair
        Rep. Patrick Painter, Vice Chair
        Rep. Sylvia S. Andersen
        Rep. Brad L. Dee        
        Rep. Craig A. Frank
        Rep. James R. Gowans
        Rep. Kory M. Holdaway
        Rep. Bradley G. Last
        Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart        
        Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
        Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold
        Rep. LaWanna "Lou" Shurtliff
        Rep. Kenneth W. Sumsion    
        Rep. Stephen Urquhart
        
MEMBERS ABSENT:    Rep. Mark A. Wheatley    
            
STAFF PRESENT:    Constance C. Steffen, Policy Analyst
        Diane Obeshaw, Committee Secretary
        Dee S Larsen, Associate General Counsel

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


Chair Hughes called the meeting to order at 8:07 a.m.

MOTION:    Rep. Frank moved to approve the minutes of January 6, 2007. The motion passed     unanimously with Rep. Dee, Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Sumsion,     and Rep. Urquhart absent for the vote.

H.B. 323     Education Fund Conforming Amendments (Rep. R. Bigelow)

Rep. Bigelow introduced the bill which modifies the Utah Code to reflect changes necessary because of the creation of the Education Fund.

MOTION:    Rep. Lockhart moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed          unanimously with Rep. Dee, Rep. Last, Rep. Moss, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Sumision,     and Rep. Urquhart absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion     passed unanimously with Rep. Dee, Rep. Moss, Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Sumision,

    and Rep. Urquhart absent for the vote.

H.B. 381    Professional Excellence Programs (Rep. R. Menlove)


Rep. Menlove introduced the bill which creates programs designed to improve the quality of instruction and student achievement.

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

1.    Page 2, Line 54 :    

             54          

{   53A-6-113, Utah Code Annotated 1953   }


2.    Page 2, Line 57 :    

             57          53A-10-112, Utah Code Annotated 1953
 

    53A-10-113, Utah Code Annotated 1953  


3.    Page 3, Lines 73 through 81 :    

             73          
{   Section 2. Section 53A-6-113 is enacted to read:

             74          53A-6-113. Alternative preparation programs.
             75          The State Board of Education shall assist school districts and charter schools in meeting
             76      their staffing needs by providing:
             77          (1) information to school districts, charter schools, and the public on how a person may
             78      qualify for teaching through alternative preparation programs; and
             79          (2) support to participants in alternative preparation programs, including training,
             80      monitoring, and teacher evaluation.  
}

             81          Section
{   3   }        2       . Section 53A-6-801 is enacted to read:


4.    Page 4, Line 96 :    

             96          Section
{   4   }        3       . Section 53A-6-802 is enacted to read:


5.    Page 4, Line 111 :    

             111          Section
{   5   }        4       . Section 53A-10-103 is amended to read:


6.    Page 5, Line 132 :    

             132          Section
{   6   }        5       . Section 53A-10-104 is amended to read:


7.    Page 5, Line 137 :    

             137          Section
{   7   }        6       . Section 53A-10-108 is amended to read:


8.    Page 5, Line 150 :    

             150          Section
{   8   }        7       . Section 53A-10-111 is amended to read:


9.    Page 6, Line 156 :    

             156          Section
{   9   }        8       . Section 53A-10-112 is enacted to read:


10.    Page 6, Line 160 :    

             160      assistance in providing support to provisional educators.
 

    Section 9. Section 53A-10-113 is enacted to read:
    53A-10-113. Alternative preparation programs.
    (1) As used in this section, "alternative preparation program" means preparation for licensure in accordance with applicable law and rule through other than an approved preparation program as defined in Section 53A-6-103.
    (2) The State Board of Education shall assist school districts and charter schools in meeting their staffing needs by providing:
    (a) information to school districts, charter schools, and the public on how a person may qualify for teaching through alternative preparation programs; and
    (b) support to participants in alternative preparation programs, including training, monitoring, and teacher evaluation.

      

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.

Ray Timothy, Utah State Office of Education, addressed questions about the bill.

The following spoke in favor of the bill:
Marilyn Kofford, Utah PTA
Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association

Vic Arnold, Utah Education Association, commented on the bill.



MOTION:    Rep. Last moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed     unanimously with Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.


S.B. 56    Teacher Association Amendments (Sen. M. Madsen)

Sen. Madsen introduced the bill which relates to policies and procedures governing teacher associations.

Steve Peterson, Utah School Boards Association, commented on the bill.

The following spoke in support of the bill:
Laurie Full, Utah Council of Educators
Shauna Baird, American Federation of Teachers

The following spoke in opposition to the bill:
Geoff Leonard, Utah School Employees Association

Rep. Frank moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. Shurtliff, Rep. Holdaway, and Rep. Gowans voting in opposition. Rep. Holdaway and Rep. Shurtliff noted they have a conflict of interest with respect to the bill. Rep. Dee, Rep. Lockhart, and Rep. Moss were absent for the vote.

H.B. 318    Charter School Facilities Financing Act (Rep. S. Urquhart)

Rep. Urquhart introduced the bill which creates the State Charter School Financing Authority to provide financing for charter school facilities.

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

1.    Page 4, Lines 119 through 120 :    

             119          (3) may not be paid from funds other than
{   revenues,   } loan payments      {   ,   } or lease revenues

             120
{  
     relating to the project.   }
  received from a charter school or other funds pledged by a charter school.      

The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Lockhart, Rep. Moss, and Rep. Newbold absent for the vote.

Brian Allen, State Charter School Board, spoke in favor of the bill.


MOTION:    Rep. Last moved to pass the bill out favorably as amended. The motion passed     unanimously with Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.

H.B. 144    School District Superintendent Retention Elections (Rep. K. Sumsion)

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

1.    Page 1, Lines 13 through 15 :    

             13          .    requires school district superintendents to be subject to a retention election at the
             14      first general election held more than
{   two   }        fours       years after the superintendent was

             15      appointed and at
{   each   }        one       subsequent general election;


2.    Page 6, Lines 177 through 181 :    

             177          (1) (a) Each superintendent appointed for a school district in accordance with Section
             178      53A-3-301 is subject to an unopposed retention election at the first general election held more
             179      than
{   two   }        four       years after the superintendent was appointed.

             180          (b) After the first retention election, the superintendent shall be on the regular general
             181      election ballot for
{   an   }        a second       unopposed retention election      {   every general election year   }        four years after the retention election described in Subsection (1)(a)       .

    
  (c) A superintendent is only subject to the two retention elections described in Subsections (1)(a) and (b) at the same school district.      



The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Anderson, Rep. Lockhart and Rep. Moss absent for the vote.

Rep. Sumsion explained the bill requires retention elections for school district superintendents.

MOTION:    Rep. Holdaway moved to move to the next item on the agenda. The motion     passed with Rep. Hughes voting in opposition and Rep. Lockhart absent for the     vote.



H.B. 195    Higher Education Tuition Assistance Amendments (Rep. S. Wyatt)

Rep. Wyatt introduced the bill which amends the Utah Higher Education Tuition Assistance Program.

MOTION:    Rep. Painter moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed          unanimously with Rep. Dee and Rep. Lockhart absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Holdaway moved to place the bill on the consent calendar. The motion     passed unanimously with Rep. Dee and Rep. Lockhart absent for the vote.

MOTION:    Rep. Newbold moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:56 a.m. The motion passed     unanimously with Rep. Dee and Rep. Lockhart absent for the vote.








_____________________________
Rep. Gregory H. Hughes, Chair