MINUTES OF THE

HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 30, House Building

February 17, 2015

Members Present:                Rep. Brad G. Last, Chair

                                                Rep. V. Lowry Snow, Vice Chair

                                                Rep. LaVar Christensen

                                                Rep. Steve Eliason

                                                Rep. Justin L. Fawson

                                                Rep. Eric K. Hutchings

                                                Rep. David E. Lifferth

                                                Rep. Daniel McCay

                                                Rep. Carol Spackman Moss

                                                Rep. Michael E. Noel

                                                Rep. Marie H. Poulson

Members Excused:               Rep. Francis D. Gibson

                                                Rep. Gregory H. Hughes

Members Absent:                 Rep. Kim Coleman                                          

Staff Present:                        Ms. Tiffany Stanley, Policy Analyst

                                                Ms. Linda Service, Committee Secretary

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

Chair Last called the meeting to order at 4:18 p.m.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to approve the minutes of the February 12, 2015 meeting. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Christensen, Rep. Eliason, Rep. Hutchings, and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

H.B. 293         Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Program Amendments (Rep. V. Peterson)

Rep. Peterson explained the bill to the committee.

Dr. Sydnee Dickson, Deputy Superintendent, State Office of Education, spoke to the bill.

MOTION:     Rep. Moss moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Christensen, Rep. Eliason, Rep. Hutchings, and Rep. Noel absent for the vote.

H.C.R. 7         Concurrent Resolution Urging Development of Methods to Minimize Excessive Testing and its Negative Impacts on the Schoolchildren of Utah (Rep. M. Poulson)

Rep. Poulson explained the resolution to the committee.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to amend the resolution as follows:

1.    Page 1, Lines 20 through 21:   

20school boards, {  the Utah Parent Teacher Association  }  parents  , and {  the Utah Education

21Association  }  teachers  , to study methods and protocols related to testing that, given the current

2.    Page 2, Line 40:  

40   WHEREAS,  parents and  educators care about how students learn and should be held responsible

3.    Page 3, Line 80:  

80boards, {  the Utah Parent Teacher Association  }  parents  , and {  the Utah Education Association  }  teachers  to study and

4.    Page 3, Lines 84 through 85:   

84Utah State Board of Education, with the participation of Utah's local school boards, {  the Utah

85Parent Teacher Association  }  parents  , and {  the Utah Education Association  }  teachers  , study methods and protocols

5.    Page 4, Lines 99 through 100: 

99Board of Education {  ,  }  and  each of Utah's local public school boards {  , the Utah Parent Teacher

100Association, and the Utah Education Association  } .

The motion passed with Rep. Hutchings and Rep. Moss voting in opposition to the motion and Rep. Eliason absent for the vote.

Spoke for the resolution:        Ms. Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, teacher

                                               Ms. Mindy Layton, Granite Education Association teacher

                                               Ms. Ann Florence, citizen

                                               Ms. Deon Turley, Utah PTA

Spoke to the resolution:          Ms. Tami Pyfer, Education Advisor, Governor's Office

                                               Dr. Sydnee Dickson, Deputy Superintendent, State Office of                                                Education

                                               Ms. Kristi Swett, Utah School Boards Association

                                               Ms. Heather Gardner, teacher and parent

                                               Mr. Don Paver, Davis Education Association

                                               Mr. Peter Cannon, citizen

MOTION:     Rep. Poulson moved to pass the resolution out favorably. The motion passed with Rep. McCay voting against the motion and Rep. Eliason absent for the vote.         

H.B. 282         Online Education Program Amendments (Rep. B. Daw)

H.B. 282 was not considered.

MOTION:     Rep. McCay moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Rep. Eliason absent for the vote. Chair Last adjourned the meeting at 5:31 p.m.  

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Rep. Brad Last, Chair