General Assembly Governor's Bill No. 6358
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 2991
*02991__________*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
REP. SHARKEY, 88th Dist. REP. ARESIMOWICZ, 30th Dist. SEN. WILLIAMS, 29th Dist. SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.
General Assembly
Governor's Bill No. 6358
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 2991
*02991__________*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
REP. SHARKEY, 88th Dist.
REP. ARESIMOWICZ, 30th Dist.
SEN. WILLIAMS, 29th Dist.
SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist.
AN ACT UNLEASHING INNOVATION IN CONNECTICUT SCHOOLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 10-266aa of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(e) Once the program is in operation in the region served by a regional educational service center pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the Department of Education shall provide an annual grant to such regional educational service center to assist school districts in its area in administering the program and to provide staff to assist students participating in the program to make the transition to a new school and to act as a liaison between the parents of such students and the new school district. Each regional educational service center shall determine which school districts in its area are located close enough to a priority school district to make participation in the program feasible in terms of student transportation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, provided any student participating in the program prior to July 1, 1999, shall be allowed to continue to attend the same school such student attended prior to said date in the receiving district until the student completes the highest grade in such school. [Each regional educational service center shall convene, annually, a meeting of representatives of such school districts in order for such school districts to report, by March thirty-first, the number of spaces available for the following school year for out-of-district students under the program. Annually, each regional educational service center shall provide a count of such spaces to the Department of Education by April fifteenth.] If there are more students who seek to attend school in a receiving district than there are spaces available, the regional educational service center shall assist the school district in determining attendance by the use of a lottery or lotteries designed to preserve or increase racial, ethnic and economic diversity, except that the regional educational service center shall give preference to siblings and to students who would otherwise attend a school that has lost its accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges or has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. The admission policies shall be consistent with section 10-15c and this section. No receiving district shall recruit students under the program for athletic or extracurricular purposes. Each receiving district shall allow out-of-district students it accepts to attend school in the district until they graduate from high school.
Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 10-10a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(g) Local and regional boards of education and preschool programs which receive state or federal funding shall participate, in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, in the state-wide public school information system described in subsection (b) of this section. Participation for purposes of this subsection shall include, but not be limited to, reporting on (1) student experiences in preschool by program type and by numbers of months in each such program, and (2) the readiness of students entering kindergarten. [and student progress in kindergarten.] Such reporting shall be done by October 1, 2007, and annually thereafter.
Sec. 3. (Effective from passage) (a) For the school years commencing July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, the local or regional board of education for a high performing school district may apply, on a form provided and in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Education, to the State Board of Education for a waiver of any of the provisions of the general statutes described in subsection (b) of this section. Such waiver shall be limited to those provisions of the general statutes described in subsection (b) of this section and authorized by the state board. An application submitted by a local or regional board of education under this section shall include a demonstration of collaboration with key stakeholders, including representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees, chosen pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes. For purposes of this section, "high performing school district" means a school district that is (1) among the fifteen school districts with the highest absolute district performance index, as defined in section 10-262u of the general statutes, for the school year commencing July 1, 2012, (2) among the five school districts with the greatest rate of progress in district performance index during the school years commencing July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2012, inclusive, or (3) among the five school districts with the greatest decrease in the achievement gap for students who are eligible for free or reduced price lunches pursuant to federal law and regulation, as measured by the district performance index for such students during the school years commencing July 1, 2010, to July 1, 2012, inclusive.
(b) The state board may authorize, upon recommendation from the commissioner and receipt of an application pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, up to ten high performing school districts in the school year commencing July 1, 2013, and up to an additional ten high performing school districts in the school year commencing July 1, 2014, to waive the provisions of the following for a period of up to three school years:
(1) The provisions of section 10-15 of the general statutes relating to the minimum number days of actual school sessions during the school year, except that the state board shall not waive the minimum number of actual school hours during the school year;
(2) The provisions of section 10-16 of the general statutes relating to the minimum number of actual school days of actual school sessions during the school year, the length of the school year and the length of the school day, except that the state board shall not waive the minimum number of actual school hours during the school year;
(3) The provisions of subsection (a) of section 10-16b of the general statutes relating to the subject matter offered as part of the program of instruction in the public schools; and
(4) The provisions of subsections (b) and (c) of section 10-221a of the general statutes relating to graduation requirements, including the number of credits and subject matter of such credits.
Sec. 4. (Effective from passage) (a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2013, the Department of Education shall administer a teaching profession initiative pilot program. The department may waive the provisions of chapter 166 of the general statutes relating to professional certification and employment for a school district participating in the teaching profession initiative pilot program. The department shall designate the period for which such professional certification provisions may be waived and may extend such waiver by providing written notice of such extension to a participating school district. The teaching profession initiative pilot program shall provide oversight and funding to participating school districts. Not later than June 1, 2013, the Commissioner of Education shall, within available appropriations, select, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, not more than three school districts to participate in the teaching profession initiative pilot program.
(b) A local or regional board of education and the representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees, chosen pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes, for such school district may apply, in accordance with guidelines recommended by the commissioner and adopted by the State Board of Education, to participate in the teaching profession initiative pilot program, provided such board and such representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees reach an agreement on innovations, as described in subsection (c) of this section. An application submitted under this subsection shall include the agreement on innovations. If such agreement on innovations includes a proposal to seek a waiver of the provisions of chapter 166 of the general statutes, as described in subsection (a) of this section, then an application shall set forth the alternative means to professional certification that will ensure that any person hired by the school district under the teaching profession initiative pilot program is qualified to teach.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of any applicable collective bargaining agreement, the superintendent of schools for the school district that is participating in the teaching profession initiative pilot program, and the representatives of the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees, chosen pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes, shall collaborate and may reach an agreement on innovations to attract, develop and retain high quality teachers and administrators. An agreement on innovations may include, but not be limited to, (1) the establishment of a local professional standards board that may authorize the waiver of certification requirements for teachers and administrators and develop and implement additional innovations in the school district; (2) recruitment of high quality teacher and administrator candidates and development of selection criteria for such candidates in the school district; (3) career lattices that offer professional advancement in recognition, responsibilities and compensation; (4) criteria to supplement the standards established by the department for the issuance of a distinguished educator designation, pursuant to section 10-145s of the general statutes; and (5) any other innovations designed to attract, develop, retain, recognize and reward high quality teachers and administrators.
(d) A school district participating in the teaching profession initiative pilot program that has reached an agreement on innovations, as described in subsection (c) of this section, may submit a proposal to the state board for funding to implement such agreement. Upon the recommendation of the commissioner, the state board may approve such proposal for funding and such funding shall be provided to the school district to implement the provisions of such agreement without any further approval of the local or regional board of education for such school district.
(e) (1) Any person hired as a teacher or an administrator by a local or regional board of education under a waiver from the provisions of chapter 166 of the general statutes relating to professional certification and employment pursuant to the teaching profession initiative pilot program shall (A) become a member of the exclusive bargaining representative of the administrators' unit or the teachers' unit chosen pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes, and (B) be evaluated under the teacher evaluation and support program, pursuant to section 10-151b of the general statutes, for the school district.
(2) Any person hired as a teacher or an administrator by a local or regional board of education under a waiver from the provisions of chapter 166 of the general statutes relating to professional certification and employment pursuant to the teaching profession initiative pilot program and who successfully completes the assignment, as may be defined by the local professional standards board established pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section, for which such person was hired under the teaching profession initiative pilot program shall (A) be issued a provisional educator certificate by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-145b of the general statutes, (B) be a teacher, as defined in section 10-151 of the general statutes, and (C) participate in the state teachers' retirement system under chapter 167a of the general statutes.
(f) The department may seek and accept funding from private sources to implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 5. Subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 10-1 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(4) On and after July 1, 2012, the State Board of Education shall consist of [fourteen] thirteen members, (A) at least two of whom shall have experience in manufacturing or a trade offered at the technical high schools or be alumni of or have served as educators at a technical high school, (B) at least one of whom shall have experience in agriculture or be an alumni of or have served as an educator at a regional agricultural science and technology education center, and (C) two of whom shall be nonvoting student members.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2013 10-266aa(e)
Sec. 2 July 1, 2013 10-10a(g)
Sec. 3 from passage New section
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage 10-1(a)(4)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2013
10-266aa(e)
Sec. 2
July 1, 2013
10-10a(g)
Sec. 3
from passage
New section
Sec. 4
from passage
New section
Sec. 5
from passage
10-1(a)(4)
Statement of Purpose:
To implement the Governor's budget recommendations.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]