February 24, 2016
                     
Table of Contents
SB 364 Education Evaluation Bill Update
Senate Ed Committee Passes Revised SB 355
House Ed Hears HB 1061, Educator Evaluation Reform & Begins to Consider SB 384
 
Week in Review

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PAGE Report From the Capitol
Days 26 and 27  
SB 364: Testing and Evaluation Bill Update

With Crossover Day deadline quickly approaching, committee work is intensifying, and legislators are working hard to ensure that their bills are successfully scheduled for a floor vote in the House and Senate. All legislation much pass its chamber of origin by the 30th Legislative Day (scheduled this year for Monday, Feb. 29) in order to remain viable to become law. SB 364, PAGE-supported student testing and educator evaluation reform legislation, is expected to be voted on by the Senate this Friday, Feb. 26. Reform advocates should be ready to push the bill through the House as soon as the legislation passes the Senate.
Senate Ed Committee Passes Revised SB 355
'Student Protection Act'
 
The Senate Education Committee met Wednesday afternoon and passed SB 355, the "Student Protection Act", which is now on its way to the Senate Rules Committee for placement on the Senate voting calendar. Earlier versions of SB 355 (this link is not the version passed out of committee today) by Sen. William Ligon (R-Brunswick) contained provisions which substantially revised Georgia's student testing and educator evaluation. The version which passed the committee today does not contain evaluation reform and appears in large part to codify existing GaDOE testing opt-out practices. Many speakers who were overwhelmingly supportive of the bill attended the committee meeting.

PAGE will provide more information and analysis of the newest version of SB 355 when it becomes electronically available.

The committee agenda also covered the following legislative items:
  • SB 357, also by Sen. Ligon, and related to local school board members, would prohibit any local board code of conduct and conflict of interest policy from interfering with a board member's constitutional right to free speech. The bill passed and is on its way to Senate Rules.
  • SB 409 by Sen. JaNice VanNess (R-Conyers) would require schools to post clearly, in a visible location in a public area of the school that is readily accessible to students, a sign in English and Spanish that contains the toll-free telephone number operated by the Division of Family and Children Services (DFACS) of the Department of Human Services to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. Committee Chair Sen. Lindsey Tippins (R-Marietta) suggested the inclusion of a hold harmless provision protecting schools from a cause of action arising from failure to post the information. The bill passed with the suggested changes and is now on its way to Senate Rules.
  • SR 723 by Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) encourages schools to provide student athletes with safety rights. Passed.
  • SR 993 also be Sen. James creates a study committee on parental participation in education. Passed.
  • SB 281 also by Sen. Ligon, related to digital learning, was held by the committee and did not pass. More on the legislation from education reporter Ty Tagami at the AJC HERE.  
  • SB 310 still another by Sen. Ligon, would require more transparency regarding the anticipated impact of large federal education grant programs like Race to the Top before the state could participate in such programs. The bill passed and is headed to Rules.
  • SB 124 by Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) related to community-based schools, was not voted on.
  • SB 92 by Sen. Hunter Hill (R-Atlanta) would create a new school voucher program. The bill did not receive a hearing despite being on the agenda.   
House Ed Committee Hears HB 1061, Educator Evaluation Reform & Begins to Consider SB 364

Late Wednesday afternoon, the full House Education Committee met and assigned several Senate bills to subcommittee.

The committee also heard but did not take action on HB 1061 which reforms Georgia's educator evaluation law and is sponsored by Rep. Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta). Dickson presented the bill to the committee today. The legislation would reduce the emphasis of student testing in  educator evaluation. TRAGIC, PAGE, GSSA and other teacher advocate representatives testified in support of the bill, though all mentioned that SB 364 contains more comprehensive reform. During committee conversation on the bill, Rep. Randy Nix (R-LaGrange), who is a sponsor of HB 1061 and also sponsored the legislation creating Georgia's current educator evaluation system said that the message the committee wants educators to understand is "We have heard you. This is a great move forward for us." When wrapping up the conversation, House Ed Committee Chair Brooks Coleman (R-Duluth) referenced his intention to hear SB 364 in full committee soon.

The House Ed Committee did pass two other bills, which are now on their way to House Rules and must pass by Crossover Day. HB 895 by Rep. Rahn Mayo (D-Decatur), requiring additional school finance training for charter school leaders, and HB 864 by Rep. David Casas (R-Lilburn) which would allow non-SACS accredited institutions to participate in Georgia's Move on When Ready and dual enrollment programs. In a confusing procedural turn, the committee voted on the bill and it was defeated by one vote. After the vote, the chairman of the committee recognized that the sponsor of the bill is also on the House Ed Committee and could vote. The bill was reconsidered with an amendment that the schools in question provide notice to students that their credit may be non-transferable to other higher education institutions.  The committee passed the amended bill.
Margaret Ciccarelli - Director of Legislative Affairs mciccarelli@pageinc.org

Josh Stephens - Legislative Policy Analyst
jstephens@pageinc.org
  


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