House Committee on Education (02/06/2012)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:	02/06/2012	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:32 PM to 02:38 PM	Hamner	X
		Holbert	X
Place:	HCR 0112	Joshi	X
		Kerr A.	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Murray	X
	Representative Massey	Peniston	X
		Ramirez	X
This Report was prepared by		Schafer S.	*
	Kristen Johnson	Solano	X
		Summers	X
		Todd	X
		Beezley	X
		Massey	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB12-1212 HB12-1149		Referred to the Committee of the Whole Amended, Referred to Appropriations

01:33 PM -- House Bill 12-1212

Representative Massey, Chair, welcomed the members of the committee to the meeting and announced that House Bill 12-1218, which appears on the day's agenda, has been laid over until February 22.

Representative Becker, sponsor of House Bill 12-1212, presented his bill to the committee. The bill, which is recommended by the Joint Budget Committee, eliminates the authority for a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES) to authorize a single-district, online educational program. Under current law, a BOCES can authorize either a single-district or multi-district program.

The San Juan BOCES, which includes nine school districts, operates the Southwest Colorado e-School on-line educational program. Since this program is defined as a single-district program, each enrolled student is counted in their home school district and funded at that district’s per pupil funding level. In FY 2011-12, per pupil funding for districts in the San Juan BOCES ranges from $6,162 to $13,906. Under this bill, enrolled students would be funded at the $5,866 per pupil rate of other multi-district programs. This per pupil rate is based on passage of HB 12-1201, the supplemental school finance bill.

The following person testified:

01:36 PM -- Randy Boyer, Executive Director, San Juan BOCES, expressed opposition to the bill. He stated that the bill will create a disincentive to BOCES.


BILL:	HB12-1212
TIME:	01:38:37 PM
MOVED:	Beezley
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 12-1212 to the House Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a 13-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:	Holbert
		VOTE
	Hamner	Yes
	Holbert	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Murray	Yes
	Peniston	Yes
	Ramirez	Yes
	Schafer S.	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	Yes
	Beezley	Yes
	Massey	Yes

Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:40 PM -- House Bill 12-1149

Representative Beezley, sponsor of House Bill 12-1149, presented his bill to the committee. Under current law, a public school is allowed up to five years of operation under an improvement plan before the State Board of Education (SBE) is required to take corrective action; however, the board may take action anytime during that period. House Bill 12-1149 allows the parents of students in a public school that has been designated as low-performing for two consecutive years to petition the SBE to take corrective action. If the school is chartered by the state Charter School Institute (CSI), the SBE directs the CSI to take the corrective action.

If 50 percent of parents submit a valid petition, the SBE must consider the request at its next regular public meeting. The SBE may accept or reject the petition request, or may choose to reconsider the petition the following school year. If it accepts the request, the SBE may either:

• direct the state review panel to evaluate the school's performance and make recommendations for restructuring;

• direct the local school board to replace the management of the school;

• allow the school to be reorganized as either a charter school or an innovation school; or

• close the school.

01:42 PM

Representative Beezley responded to questions from the committee. Representative Schafer asked why this is not being handled at the local level. Representative Solano asked why the required number of parent signatures is set at 50 percent of the parents in the affected school, and why it does not require more. Representative Massey clarified that the bill states the petition must be signed by more than 50 percent of the families of the students enrolled in the public school.

01:49 PM

Representative Peniston commented that she has seen the damage that public perception can have on a school. She is concerned that this bill will exacerbate that problem. Representative Beezley responded that the bill will send a message to schools and districts that they should engage parents in a greater way. He added that the bill creates a situation where schools will pull parents in and involve them in their child's education. Representative Ramirez asked clarifying questions. The committee discussed local control issues.

Representative Solano asked about the petition: who is it submitted to, and who confirms the validity of the signatures on the petition. Representative Beezley stated that we may need to look to the local level to do the work of validating the petition. He added that some of the cost represented in the fiscal note accounts for the validation work being done at the local level. The committee discussed the petition process.

Representative Summers asked how many schools are currently on improvement plans. The committee referred to the fiscal note, which states that 105 schools are currently on two consecutive years of a Priority Improvement or Turnaround Plan.

The following persons testified:

02:02 PM -- Michelle Murphy, attorney, Colorado Association of School Boards, expressed opposition to the bill. She stated that local school boards working with parents and their community is the best way to increase student achievement. She said that the current statutory scheme allows for parent involvement, for instance, parents are required to be notified if their child's school is on a turnaround plan.

02:06 PM -- Vinny Badolato, Vice President of Public Affairs, Colorado League of Charter Schools, expressed support for the bill. He stated that parent choice and satisfaction with their child's education is paramount and that the bill creates an open process that allows parents the opportunity to present their case to the State Board of Education. He added that the bill aligns with current educational accountability statutes.

02:09 PM -- Nola Miguel, Metro Organizations for People, expressed support for the bill. She gave background of her organization and their work, and spoke to her experience as a parent of a student at the Bruce Randolph School. She stated that the bill empowers the voice of parents and gives them a tool that they do not currently have for school accountability. She stated that parents currently have no formal say in schools and that the bill encourages parent ownership of the school overall. She added that parent ownership is what is need to make a successful transformation in failing schools. Ms. Miguel responded to questions from the committee. The committee continued to discuss the timeline and logistics of the petition process.

02:22 PM -- Julie Whittacre, Colorado Education Association, expressed opposition to the bill. She stated that she is not opposed to the innovative approach to parent involvement, but sees a number of provisions in the bill that need to be resolved, especially surrounding the petition process. She added that we need to find direct, meaningful ways to include parents, and to be inclusive in decision making.

02:26 PM

Representative Murray asked Ms. Miguel to return to the table to respond to questions from the committee about her experience at the Bruce Randolph School and the changes that occurred in the school.

02:32 PM

Representative Solano asked if the bill's sponsor had consulted with the Colorado Association of School Executives regarding the bill. Representative Beezley responded that he spoke with them and they informed him that they would not be testifying on this bill.

Representative Beezley explained Amendment L.001 (Attachment A).


BILL:	HB12-1149
TIME:	02:32:50 PM
MOVED:	Beezley
MOTION:	Adopt prepared Amendment L.001 (Attachment A). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Holbert
		VOTE
	Hamner
	Holbert
	Joshi
	Kerr A.
	Murray
	Peniston
	Ramirez
	Schafer S.
	Solano
	Summers
	Todd
	Beezley
	Massey

YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB12-1149
TIME:	02:34:25 PM
MOVED:	Beezley
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 12-1149, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 7-6.
SECONDED:	Holbert
		VOTE
	Hamner	No
	Holbert	Yes
	Joshi	Yes
	Kerr A.	No
	Murray	Yes
	Peniston	No
	Ramirez	Yes
	Schafer S.	No
	Solano	No
	Summers	Yes
	Todd	No
	Beezley	Yes
	Massey	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:38 PM

The committee adjourned.