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Stop Statewide Virtual Mega-School Effort; PREP on Horizon

 VIRTUAL BILL ON FAST TRACK. AASB NEEDS YOU TO CONTACT YOUR HOUSE MEMBERS IMMEDIATELY TO OPPOSE S.229 .The Senate Thursday approved a vendor-driven bill that would lead to virtual charter schools that would pull students and funding from all over the state. By a 19-8 vote, Senators approved S.229 (Brewbaker) to provide virtual school vendors a one-stop, easy way to collect state dollars.

Local boards are adopting policies under the 2015 law now as the law it will take effect in the 2016-17 school year. The current law allows students to enroll in ANY virtual school provided that the program is approved by local policy. Local school systems’ policies determine student eligibility and criteria that align with best practices to safeguard student success. The law imposes the same accountability required for traditional students.

S.229 would circumvent that law by considering any school a “local” school. Currently, a school system would contract with the virtual provider and provide protocol for participation, monitoring, test-taking and all of the supports and guidance that is critical for students to succeed. The local component is intentional. Local school systems are not prevented from offering any virtual program available and are encouraged to extend multiple choices for their students.

Local school leaders are in the midst of setting their policies and S.229would upend the deliberate consideration built into the 2015 law. Urge lawmakers to allow local school systems to implement their policies before making changes to the law.

Contact every House Member and urge a NO vote on S.229 (Brewbaker). Calls are needed today and over the weekend. We want to make sure lawmakers know about this issue before they return to Montgomery on Tuesday. You can find your legislators phone numbers by clicking here.

Especially contact the members of the House Education Policy committee, where the bill is pending. Those members are Representatives Terri Collins (Chair), Kerry Rich (Vice Chair), Oliver Robinson, Mack Butler, Barbara Drummond, Bob Fincher, Ed Henry, Barry Moore, Jim Patterson, Chris Pringle, Rod Scott, Patricia Todd and Phil Williams.

 

PREP Problems Persist

School leaders expected the Senate to take up S.316 (Marsh), the PREP bill, this week but learned changes are being discussed for floor action. AASB opposes the bill, which conflicts with and weakens the tenure reform enacted in the 2011 Students First Act. Additionally, school leaders oppose the prescriptive language for evaluations being included in the bill. AASB could support tenure reform to extend the probationary period for teachers from 3 to 5 years and limiting tenure rights to teachers, However, AASB opposes the bill approved by committee last week.

The 2011 tenure reform law clarified the process regarding reductions-in-force (RIF), which are layoffs caused by a loss of student enrollment or funding. The bill would expose RIFS to potential hearings for every action. Those hearings are not required under current law. The RIF change was a huge victory in 2011, and the bill is a definite step backward..

The state is implementing a revamped evaluation system, and many local school systems invested heavily in the model that uses multiple measures to determine student growth. School leaders oppose a legislatively mandated evaluation model that would supersede it with a specified value-added model. Other states are backing away from such models after being unable to validate their results and experiencing unintended, negative consequences after implementation.

Every senator will vote when the PREP bill goes to the Senate floor. Contact your senator to explain why school leaders are opposing S.316 (Marsh).

 

Waiting to Connect School Wi-Fi

H.41 (Chesteen), the Alabama Ahead Act, and H.227 (Poole), its $12 million supplemental funding, are literally lingering in a basket in the Senate chamber and need only for the Senate to take them out and ask for a vote to concur so the bills can become law. The House concurred last week after the governor returned the bills in original form having removed last-minute senate amendments from the bills.

Schools waiting for the law to be enacted are caught in the middle of a struggle within the Senate. The bills are being held because individuals want to find additional dollars for projects beyond the scope of the WIRED bill. Local school systems would be happy to have additional money for specific projects outlined in a separate bill that can pass on its own merits. School leaders oppose amending the current bills.

The House bills have enormous support from local schools and communities and there is no opposition. So it is unclear why the Senate has not allowed H.41/H.227 to move forward.

H.41/H.227 are specifically dedicated to providing high quality Wi-Fi in every public school classroom. Click HEREto see the financial impact by local school system per senate district.

Please ask your senator to CONCUR H.41 (Chesteen), and H.227 (Poole)and make it possible to deliver the good news of final passage to schools over spring break.

 

Suicide Prevention Training Required

The Senate this week approved S.11 (Allen) to require annual educator training in suicide prevention. Known as the “Jason Flatt Act,” the bill would require annual training in suicide awareness and prevention. As amended, it incorporates current Alabama law and names an advisory task force to make recommendations. The task force includes education associations and the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation, an Alabama foundation that provides training to young people to act as a resource to help other youth. The bill is pending in the House Education Policy committee.

 

Adjusting Funding for Students Enrollment

Senate committee this week approved S.341 (Pittman), a bill to change the funding formula determined by student count for each school system. The current system uses the count from the immediately preceding year, so any growth or loss of students is assessed in arrears. The bill proposes the formula be adjusted annually by the increase or decrease in enrollment in the preceding two school years.

Accounting for student growth or student loss would be a more accurate model to fund school systems for the number of students enrolled. Currently, school systems that experience rapid growth must rely on “current units,” which is a funding line item intended to provide that added assistance but which is rarely funded and never fully funded. The bills are pending full Senate consideration.

 

Cameras on Buses

The Alabama School Bus Safety Act, S.215 (Holley),would authorize local school boards to initiate and enforce school bus violations using automated technology and the cooperation of law enforcement. After review of the violation by law enforcement or trained technician, the owner of a vehicle that has been detected by the device as being involved in a school bus violation will receive a notice of a civil fine, not to exceed $300, in the mail.

Under existing law, school bus violations result in the payment of both a fine and certain court costs. This bill provides that court costs would only be assessed for contested cases. This bill passed in the House Judiciary Committee.

 

Bills of Interest

S.61 (Shelnutt) — Professional Association Access — would provide all professional educators associations the same level of access to public school employees. Approved by the House Ed Policy committee.

S.274 (Ward) — Educator-Student Training — would require one hour of annual training regarding appropriate and inappropriate interaction between educators and students and would require development of training to be implemented by the 2016-17 school year. Pending House floor action.

H.387 (Henry) — State Board Qualifications — would remove the restriction that a person cannot have been employed as a professional educator within five years before election to the state Board of Education. Approved by the House State Government Committee.

S.334 (Orr) — Dual Enrollment — would allowing eligible 11th and 12th grade students to take all courses at an eligible postsecondary institution and receive high school credit for the coursework. Approved by Senate committee on Finance and Taxation Education.

 

ETF Budget After Spring Break

The Senate Finance & Taxation Education Committee is expected to consider the House-approved budget following the legislative spring break scheduled March 28-April 1. The education pay raise will be on its agenda too.

 

Local Virtuals Mean “LOCAL”

The accountability and best practices built into the virtual school bill enacted in 2015 will be lost if S.229 (Brewbaker) is not stopped. National data shows allowing statewide open-enrollment at virtual schools is a bad idea. Ask your House members to OPPOSE S.229 (Brewbaker).

 

Need Senate To Concur

Lingering in the Senate are the two bills local schools need to make Wi-Fi happen. Urge your senator to CONCUR with H.41 (Chesteen) and H.227 (Poole)

 

2016 Legislative Session

14 Days Remain

 

 

Lissa Tucker, AASB Director of Governmental Relations

www.AlabamaSchoolBoards.org