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MINUTES OF THE

SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

    ROOM 415, STATE CAPITOL

FEBRUARY 6, 2012



Members Present:        Sen. Aaron Osmond, Chair
                Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard
                Sen. Karen W. Morgan
                Sen. Wayne L. Niederhauser
                Sen. Howard A. Stephenson
                Sen. Jerry Stevenson
                Sen. Daniel Thatcher        
                    
Staff Present:            Ms. Allison Nicholson, Policy Analyst
                Ms. Wendy Hill, Secretary
                    
A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

Chair Osmond called the meeting to order at 8:10 am.

H.B. 261 Dividing of School Districts Amendments (K. Sumsion)


Rep. Sumsion introduced and explained the bill.

MOTION:     Sen. Hillyard moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Niederhauser and Sen. Thatcher absent for the vote.

H.B. 15 Statewide Adaptive Testing (G. Hughes)

Sen. Stephenson introduced and explained the bill.

Spoke for the bill:        Dr. Larry Shumway, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
                Dr. Patti Harrington, Executive Director, Utah School Superintendents Association; and member, Utah School Boards Association            
                Ms. Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, President, Utah Education                  Association

Spoke to the bill:        Mr. Peter Cannon, Member (speaking for himself), Davis School      District Board of Education

Spoke against the bill:     Ms. Dalane England, Vice President of Issues, Utah Eagle Forum
                Ms. Kris Kimball, United Women's Forum

MOTION:     Sen. Hillyard moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Niederhauser absent for the vote.



S.B. 48 Mission of Public Education (P. Jones)

Sen. Jones introduced and explained the bill.

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

1.    Page 2, Lines 43 through 45 :    

             43          (a)
  recognizes that parents are a child's first teachers and are responsible for the education of their children;

    (b)  
encourages family engagement and adequate preparation so that students enter the

             44      public education system ready to learn; and
             45          
{   (b)   }        (c)       intends that the mission detailed in Subsection (2) be carried out through a


The motion passed unanimously.

Spoke for the bill:     Ms. Debra Roberts, Chair, Utah State Board of Education
            Dr. Larry Shumway, State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Spoke to the bill:    Ms. Dalane England, Vice President of Issues, Utah Eagle Forum
            
MOTION:     Sen. Morgan moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

S.C.R. 5 Concurrent Resolution Encouraging Parental Engagement in the Education of Children (P. Jones)

Sen. Jones introduced and explained the resolution.


MOTION:     Sen. Stephenson moved to amend the resolution as follows:

1.    Page 2, Line 28 :    

             28          
  WHEREAS, parents are a child's first teachers and are responsible for the education of their children;

    WHEREAS, Utah's constitutionally established and taxpayer funded public education system is created to support parents in their responsibility to educate their children;
      
WHEREAS, research shows that when parents play an active role, their children


2.    Page 2, Line 31 :    

             31          WHEREAS, parental engagement through an association or organization
{   is essential   }        can provide opportunities for collaboration, cooperation, and improvement of student outcomes       in


The motion passed unanimously.

Spoke for the resolution:    Ms. Gainell Rogers, President, Utah Parent Teacher Association

Spoke to the resolution:    Mr. Peter Cannon, Member (speaking for himself), Davis School      District Board of Education

Spoke against the resolution:    Ms. Judi Clark, Executive Director, Parents for Choice in      Education

MOTION:     Sen. Morgan moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard absent for the vote.

MOTION:     Sen. Morgan moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Hillyard absent for the vote.

Chair Osmond adjourned the meeting at 9:42 am.

    

Minutes were reported by Wendy Hill, Secretary.





___________________________________________
    
Sen. Aaron Osmond