Week in Review: February 16-20

< Back to blog archive
Posted by Jerry Bender

Week in Review: February 16-20
House Education

Prior to the first major cutoff date of the 2015 legislative session, 32 bills moved out of the House Education Committee. Five bills that continue to churn through the process important to principals include:

HB 1785 – Eliminating the certificate of academic achievement as a requirement for high school graduation.

HB 2023 – Changing the deadline for notices of non-renewal of contracts for certificated school employees.

HB 1240 – Concerning restraint or isolation of students in public schools.

HB 1541 – Implementing strategies to close the educational opportunity gap.

HB 1142 – Modifying school district authority with respect to student parking.

One of the bills that is not currently alive is HB 1941, which would have allowed bond issues to pass with a simple majority vote rather than the current 60% requirement.

Monday, the House Education Committee held a public hearing on seven bills impacting principals.

HB 1947 – Establishing a comprehensive plan to expand learning opportunities and improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities or special needs using multiple strategies and statewide partnerships. AWSP signed in support of the bill.

HB 1971 – Concerning charter schools.

HB 1974 – Creating a pilot program to implement regional school safety and security centers. AWSP signed in support of the bill.

HB 2023 – Changing the deadline for notices of non-renewal of contracts for certificated school employees. AWSP signed in support of the bill.

HB 2037 – Requiring mental health assessments for K–12 students who were removed from school due to violence or mental health issues. AWSP signed in pro with concerns about the bills fiscal impact.

HB 1941 – Providing for a simple majority of voters voting to authorize school district bonds at general elections. AWSP signed in support of the bill.

HJR 4210 – Amending the Constitution to provide for a simple majority of voters voting to authorize school district bonds at general elections. AWSP signed in support.

Tuesday, 12 bills moved out of the Committee while eight waited until Thursday for action. Those moving forward included:

HB 1149 – Providing for educational data on students from military families.

HB 1240 – Concerning restraint or isolation of students, including students with disabilities, in public schools.

HB 1541 – Implementing strategies to close the educational opportunity gap, based on the recommendations of the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee.

HB 1546 – Concerning dual credit opportunities provided by Washington state’s public institutions of higher education.

HB 1591 – Concerning high school and beyond plans.

HB 1666 – Making the results on the statewide assessments available as norm-referenced results and as student growth percentiles.

HB 1682 – Improving educational outcomes for homeless students through increased in-school guidance supports, housing stability, and identification services.

HB 1714 – Concerning the achievement index rating system.

HB 1760 – Providing students with skills that promote mental health and well-being and increase academic performance.

HB 1783 – Expanding dual language and bilingual instruction for early learners through secondary students.

HB 1790 – Clarifying the authority of a nurse working in a school setting.

HB 1804 – Concerning the confidentiality of educator professional growth plans.

Thursday morning, the House Education held an executive session and moved 21 bills forward to either the Rules Committee or the Ways & Means Committee. Fifteen of the votes were either unanimous or with two or fewer nonconforming voting. The bills that were the most controversial were:

HB 1562 – Requiring posting of allergen information in public schools. (Sullivan) 11–10

HB 1785 – Eliminating the certificate of academic achievement as a requirement for high school graduation. (Reykdal) 14 – 7

HB 2048 – Concerning the division of large first-class school districts. (Santos) 16–5

HB 1771 – Confirming that the professional educator standards board is an authorized representative of the state educational agencies. (Gregory) 17–4

HB 1947 – Establishing a comprehensive plan to expand learning opportunities and improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities or special needs using multiple strategies and statewide partnerships. (Pollet) 18–3

HB 1492 – Addressing technology literacy. (Magendanz) 18–3

The following bills all moved on with little discussion, amendments, or no votes:

HB 1813 – Expanding computer science education. (Hansen/Robin Hammond)

HB 1855 – Waiving local graduation requirements for certain students. (Caldier)

HB 1864 – Supporting evidence-based strategies to promote high school graduation. (Kilduff)

HB 1900 – Defining the role of the school counselor, social worker, and psychologist. (Ortiz-Self)

HB 1142 – Modifying school district authority with respect to student parking. (Wilcox)

HB 1345 – Adopting a definition and standards of professional learning. (Lytton) 

HB 1408 – Concerning the development of a definition and model for “family engagement coordinator” and other terms used interchangeably with it. (Ortiz-Self) 

HB 1568 – Concerning dropout prevention through engaging youth in farming. (Reykdal) 

HB 1570 – Creating flexibility for the educator retooling conditional scholarship program. (Gregory)

HB 1770 – Changing explicit alternative routes to teacher certification program requirements to expectations for program outcomes. (Bergquist)

HB 1865 – Concerning visual screening in schools. (Magend