| 1 | 1 | | 81R7046 CAS-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Weber H.B. No. 4015 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to reducing the written information that public school |
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| 8 | 8 | | educators can be required to provide. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 7.060(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The commissioner shall adopt a policy that limits |
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| 13 | 13 | | written reports and other paperwork that a principal or classroom |
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| 14 | 14 | | teacher may be required by the agency to complete. The policy must |
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| 15 | 15 | | include a provision that any rule adopted by the commissioner must |
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| 16 | 16 | | state whether the rule requires a principal or classroom teacher to |
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| 17 | 17 | | complete a written report or other paperwork. |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Section 11.164, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 19 | 19 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 20 | 20 | | follows: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (a) The board of trustees of each school district shall |
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| 22 | 22 | | limit redundant requests for information and the number and length |
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| 23 | 23 | | of written reports that a classroom teacher is required to prepare. |
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| 24 | 24 | | A classroom teacher may not be required to prepare any written |
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| 25 | 25 | | information other than: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) any report concerning the health, safety, or |
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| 27 | 27 | | welfare of a student; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) a report of a student's grade on an assignment or |
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| 29 | 29 | | examination; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) a report of a student's academic progress in a |
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| 31 | 31 | | class or course to the extent required in carrying out Section |
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| 32 | 32 | | 28.022; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) a report of a student's grades at the end of each |
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| 34 | 34 | | grade reporting period; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) a textbook report; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (6) a unit or weekly lesson plan that outlines, in a |
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| 37 | 37 | | brief and general manner, the information to be presented during |
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| 38 | 38 | | each period at the secondary level or in each subject or topic at |
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| 39 | 39 | | the elementary level; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (7) an attendance report; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (8) any report required for accreditation review; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (9) any information required by a school district that |
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| 43 | 43 | | relates to a complaint, grievance, or actual or potential |
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| 44 | 44 | | litigation and that requires the classroom teacher's involvement; |
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| 45 | 45 | | or |
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| 46 | 46 | | (10) any information specifically required by law, |
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| 47 | 47 | | rule, or regulation. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (a-1) For purposes of this section, preparation of written |
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| 49 | 49 | | information includes the submission or compilation of information |
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| 50 | 50 | | using a computer program, Internet website, or other electronic |
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| 51 | 51 | | method. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. Section 39.075(b-1), Education Code, is amended |
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| 53 | 53 | | to read as follows: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (b-1) The commissioner may authorize special accreditation |
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| 55 | 55 | | investigations to be conducted in response to repeated complaints |
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| 56 | 56 | | submitted to the agency concerning imposition of excessive |
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| 57 | 57 | | paperwork requirements on classroom teachers. The commissioner |
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| 58 | 58 | | shall establish and publicize among classroom teachers and any |
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| 59 | 59 | | other appropriate persons a process by which complaints can be made |
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| 60 | 60 | | concerning imposition of excessive paperwork requirements on |
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| 61 | 61 | | classroom teachers. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 4. Not later than January 31, 2010, the |
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| 63 | 63 | | commissioner of education shall adopt a policy as required by |
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| 64 | 64 | | Section 7.060(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act. A |
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| 65 | 65 | | provision that is included in the policy to comply with Section |
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| 66 | 66 | | 7.060(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to a |
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| 67 | 67 | | rule adopted by the commissioner of education on or after the date |
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| 68 | 68 | | the provision takes effect. |
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| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 5. Not later than January 31, 2010, the |
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| 70 | 70 | | commissioner of education shall establish and publicize, as |
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| 71 | 71 | | required by Section 39.075(b-1), Education Code, as amended by this |
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| 72 | 72 | | Act, a process by which complaints can be made concerning |
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| 73 | 73 | | imposition of excessive paperwork requirements on classroom |
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| 74 | 74 | | teachers. |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 76 | 76 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 77 | 77 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 78 | 78 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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