Distributed via Email: May 2, 2014
LEGISLATURE RETURNS FOR FINAL MONTH
The Illinois General Assembly returned to the Capitol this week for the final charge towards the end of the spring legislative session. The scheduled adjournment date is May 31 and the legislative calendar shows scheduled session days for most every week day until the end of May. The majority of legislation has now “swapped houses” as those bills that began in the Senate are now being considered in the House of Representatives and those that started in the House are considered by the Senate. Expect a flurry of amendments and committee action for the next two weeks as the opposite chamber acts on many substantive issues while legislators in both chambers work to develop a Fiscal Year 2015 budget.
SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS ON PARCC AND COMMON CORE
In addition to hearing testimony and acting on individual pieces of legislation the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will be hearing subject matter testimony on Common Core and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Please consider testifying on Wednesday, May 7, 8:30 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Office Building in Springfield. You are encouraged to provide testimony on these programs and assessments being implemented in Illinois. If you would like to testify at the subject matter hearing, you must submit a witness slip online here.
Please contact Connie at ccrowder@iasb.com or one of the Alliance lobbyists and let us know if you plan to come to Springfield on Wednesday to testify.
COSTLY MANDATES SCHEDULED FOR HEARING
Several costly unfunded mandates will be heard in the House and Senate education committees next week. Please take a moment and contact the representatives and senators on the education committees and ask for a NO VOTE! An explanation of your current financial situation, the cuts you are facing and the staffing challenges you are experiencing will help legislators understand the impact of adopting new unfunded mandates.
Contact senators on the Senate Education Committee for these bills. You can reach them by following this link.
HB 3724 (Burke, D-Chicago) requires training on how to properly administer CPR and how to use an AED to be included in high school health education classes.
HB 5333 (Davis, M., D-Chicago) mandates new reporting requirements on teaching Black History, which is already law, and reported to ISBE through the compliance audit provided by your regional office of education.
HB 5397 (Mayfield, D-North Chicago) requires all public schools to use a physical fitness assessment and report fitness information to ISBE to assess student fitness indicators. Requires schools to integrate health-related fitness testing into the curriculum.
HB 5707 (Cassidy, D-Chicago) requires numerous new procedures and policies regarding bullying. A full description of the legislation can be seen here.
HB 5838 (Mitchell, C., D-Chicago) , as amended, under the alternative and optional education programs for truants and the IHOPE program, allows dropouts up to the age of 23 to stay in the program if the program is not conducted in the same public school facility as the regular education program.
Contact representatives on the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee for this bill. You can reach them by following this link.
SB 2793 ( Hutchinson, D-Chicago Heights) requires ISBE to annually prepare a report on student discipline in all school districts. The report shall include data on the issuance of out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and removals to alternative settings, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, gender, and age. ISBE shall require certain school districts identified to submit a school discipline improvement plan identifying the strategies the school district will implement to reduce the use of harsh disciplinary practices, which plan must be approved at a public school board meeting and posted on the school district's website. The schools identified will be required to post progress reports.
BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK
SB 3033 ( Frerichs, D-Champaign) creates an annual award incentive grant to school districts for each pupil in the school district who obtains a diploma if the school district has an industry-recognized certification program and the pupil successfully completed the program. It is subject to appropriation. The bill was approved by the Senate and was sent to the House for further consideration.
SB 3092 (Delgado, D-Chicago) amends the P-20 Longitudinal Education Data System Act regarding a student’s personally identifiable information. The bill was approved by the Senate was sent to the House for further consideration.
COMMITTEE ACTION THIS WEEK
SB 2710 (Cunningham, D-Chicago) requires non-public schools to abide by the same laws regarding school crisis response plans and required planning meetings. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 2747 ( Bivins, R-Dixon) creates the School Security and Standards Task Force within ISBE to study the security of schools, make recommendations, and draft minimum standards for use by schools to make them more secure. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 2934 ( Stadelman, D-Rockford) provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is authorized to make grants to various higher education institutions, public K-12 school districts, area vocational centers as designated by ISBE, inter-district special education cooperatives, regional safe schools, and nonpublic K-12 schools for safety and security improvements. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the House State Government Administration Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 2989 (Delgado) allows a psychologist who holds a valid Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) certificate and has such additional qualifications as may be required by ISBE to meet the definition of school psychologist. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 3106 (Connelly, R-Wheaton) amends the Local Records Act to require that a unit of local government or school district that maintains an Internet website shall post to its website for the current calendar year a mechanism for members of the public to electronically communicate with each individual elected official of that unit of local government or school district. The bill was approved by the House Counties and Townships Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 3113 ( Barickman, R-Bloomington) increases the debt limit under certain circumstances for Milford Township High School District 233. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
SB 3274 (Holmes, D-Aurora) allows a teacher who teaches physical education or health education in the public schools to meet the requirements for highly qualified status that apply to teachers who teach in core academic subjects pursuant to the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The bill was approved by the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.
HB 3695 (Dunkin, D-Chicago) allows one of the three years of mathematics that a pupil must successfully complete as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma to be an Advanced Placement computer science course. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 3700 ( Osmond, R-Gurnee) requires ISBE to distribute to school boards information on screening instruments available to identify students who exhibit potential indicators of dyslexia. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 3777 ( Mussman, D-Schaumburg) authorizes ISBE to make grants to special education cooperatives established by school districts for school maintenance projects. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4093 ( Beiser, D-Alton) amends the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act creating an offense of “aggravated participation in the manufacture of methamphetamine” if it is within 1000 feet of a school. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Criminal Law committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4262 (Fine, D-Glenview) removes a requirement that new teachers provide evidence of freedom from tuberculosis and, instead, states that they may be subject to additional health examinations, including screening for tuberculosis. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4440 (Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora) provides that not less than 14% (instead of 11%) of the Early Childhood Education Block Grant shall be used to fund programs for children ages 0-3, which percentage shall increase to at least 20% by Fiscal Year 2016 (instead of 2015). The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4522 (Chapa LaVia) allows two or more (instead of four or more) contiguous school districts with all or a portion of their territory located within the geographic boundaries of the same municipality to jointly operate, through an institution of higher education located in the municipality, a science and mathematics partnership school for serving some or all of grades kindergarten through 8 th grade. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4542 (Manley, D-Joliet) requires the Young Adults Heroin Use Task Force to conduct a study on the heroin use problem in grades 6 through 12 (instead of in high schools). The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4612 ( Sandack, R-Downers Grove) provides that any two or more school districts that share the same boundaries may combine transportation activities to achieve savings to these school districts as well as this state. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 4767 (Chapa LaVia) makes changes to the Alternative Route to Teacher Certification programs. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 5288 (Chapa LaVia) provides that school counseling services in public schools may be provided by school counselors or by individuals who hold a Professional Educator License with a school support personnel endorsement in the area of school counseling. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
HB 5330 (Chapa LaVia) requires the State Superintendent of Education to appoint a committee to review the tests administered by ISBE and national, statewide, and local assessments administered by school districts. The bill, supported by the Alliance, was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for further consideration.
BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Tuesday, May 6, 1:00 p.m., Room 400, State Capitol
SR 968 (Rose, R-Champaign) encourages the Illinois State Board of Education to work with school districts to inform all students with developmental disabilities and their parents that the Prioritization for Urgency of Needs for Services database is a resource that can assist them in obtaining services for their needs.
SR 994 (Sandoval, D-Cicero) urges the General Assembly to accelerate the improved outcomes for low-income, Latino, and African-American students by increasing this state's commitment to student access.
HB 3948 ( Golar, D-Chicago) makes changes to the Grow Your Own Teachers program to create new criteria for applicants to the program.
HB 5393 ( McAsey, D-Romeoville) , as amended, modifies the Educator Licensure Article of the School Code with respect to the Illinois Teaching Excellence Program. It removes language that provides that the monetary assistance and incentives that qualified educators are eligible for must be based on outlined priorities.
HB 5431 ( Sente, D-Lincolnshire) r equires that IHSA shall develop an online certification and training on concussion awareness that will be required for high school coaching personnel and athletic directors.
HB 5546 ( Nekritz, D-Buffalo Grove) for members of a regional board of school trustees, provides that, in single county educational service regions that have one or more unexpired terms to be filled at an election, the winner or winners of the unexpired term or terms shall be determined first and independently of those running for full terms.
HB 5588( Mautino, D-Spring Valley) removes several outdated, obsolete and duplicative provisions of laws governing schools.
HB 5892 ( Mussman) expands the use of EPI pens in schools.
HB 5967 ( Sosnowski, R-Rockford) provides that a school board shall provide free transportation for pupils residing at a distance of two miles (instead of one and one-half miles) or more from school.
HOUSE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 7, 8:30 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Office Building
SB 2945 (Harmon, D-Oak Park) requires the Illinois Purchased Care Review Board to approve the usual and customary rate or rates of certain out-of-state, non-public providers of special education programs.
SB 2972 ( Bertino-Tarrant, D-Plainfield) allows a superintendent endorsement to be affixed to the Professional Educator License who has had at least two years of experience in a general administrative position.
SB 3081 ( Biss, D-Evanston) makes changes to the Charter School Law, including providing that no renewal of a previously certified contract is effective unless and until ISBE certifies that the renewal is consistent with the law.
SB 3214 ( Syverson, R-Rockford) adds automated external defibrillators to first aid educational topics that may be included in a comprehensive health education program.
SB 3412 ( Steans, D-Chicago) requires ISBE to establish the academic standards that are to be applicable to students who are subject to state assessments and establishes the new process for standardized tests in grades 3-12.
SB 3554 (Morrison, D-Deerfield) adds one non-voting member to the Illinois Purchased Care Review Board. It requires the member to be an administrator of a private, nonpublic, special education school.
HR 543 (Kay, R-Glen Carbon) urges ISBE to delay the implementation of the new Common Core Standards and requests that ISBE and General Assembly work together to create a viable plan to provide funding to school districts that need improvements and modernizations to comply with the new Common Core Standards and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career's.
HR 966 ( Golar) shows continued support for Grow Your Own Illinois’ commitment to providing quality teachers from high-need communities.
HJR 62 (Mayfield) c reates the School Poverty Task Force to study sources of funding for poverty-stricken schools throughout the State.
This legislative report is written and edited by the lobbyists of the Illinois Association of School Boards to provide information to the members of the organizations that comprise the Statewide School Management Alliance.
Bill Text/Status: Illinois General Assembly www.ilga.gov
Alliance Legislative Reports are Cosponsored by IASB and:
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