Legislative Update

April 19, 2013 The following legislative update comes from the School Administrators of Iowa.  As you can see there is still much turmoil over the funding of education and education reform.  Please feel free to contact me to discuss the current situation, and your willingness to contact our legislators is always appreciated. Tim Kuehl Legislative Update April 19, 2013

More information SAI's Legislative Priorities list  Legislative Forums list  Find your legislator Contact your legislator   Iowa Legislature's website  Items to Note The famous saying by Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till it's over," is appropriate when considering the importance of negotiations during the pursuit of legislative compromise. Just when the issues of disagreement appear to be hopelessly at a major stalemate, sometimes positive things start to happen at the right time to help break the impasse. Yesterday, the Senate shared a compromise counter-proposal to the members of the Education Reform Conference Committee. This offer by the Senate has had a very positive impact on moving things forward to help resolve the stalemate. SAI shared some information on the counter proposal with members Thursday afternoon, so we won't repeat it here. We believe it is a positive development in the process, and we are supportive of the offer by the Senate. Earlier we shared a few areas in which we have some suggestions just as we did with the House proposal. Then, in line with Yogi's comment, later on Thursday afternoon, the House countered with a new proposal for the Senate to consider. This is how the negotiation process for important issues is designed to work. Offers and counteroffers are needed to get to the point where both sides feel they have an agreement that they can support. We are supportive of the latest offer by the House, and we will list it at the end of these comments. Our caveat with the latest offer by the House is under Attendance Center Rankings. Our preference would be to strike this section entirely. We agree that removing the letter grades is a good move, but striking the section entirely would be much better. There is sufficient data available about the performance of each school in our state, and ranking them in any manner is counter-productive for improvement. The common thread in our support of these various proposals is that compromise is needed by both sides, or the impact could be devastating to Iowa's students. Achieving no deal is a bad deal no matter how you look at it. Schools are in serious need of additional resources to meet the needs of students, and Iowa's students deserve effective school reforms to be enacted and supported by all Iowans. Thank you all very much for your focus and attention throughout this session.  We know it can be very frustrating to watch from the sidelines, but, at the end of the day, people in Iowa most often rise to the occasion. We need your assistance to keep encouraging your legislators to complete the task at hand and continue to work together for positive solutions. Have a great week.  Tom Narak Education Reform House Offer April 18, 2013 The House proposes the following offer: 2 percent Supplemental State Aid + 2 percent equivalent payment for FY14 4 percent Supplemental State Aid for FY15 Two-year extension on the sunset for the Early Intervention Block Grant House File 215 language with the following changes: Move minimum salary to $33,500 Create comparable model language and criteria     Local districts comparable model proposal reviewed by the commission, which makes a recommendation to the director, who will decide whether to approve. Add an appeal option to the State Board of Education.     Eliminate Teach Iowa Marketing program (HF 215section 43) - move the money from that program to fund the Competency-Based Provisions in the Senate language (H-1248 sections 38 and 48)     Mentor teachers experience, move from 2 to 3 years (eliminate HF 215 section 77, subsection 7)     Take Senate language on preschool funding uses (H-1248 section 41)     Take Senate language on kindergarten assessment (H-1248 section 45)     Add language to ensure that the Teacher and Administrator Development Systems must be accomplished in a collaborative manner (SAI provided suggested language)     Remove letter grades from Attendance Center Rankings program developed per section     Take Senate language on School District Reporting Requirements Task Force (H-1248 section 49)      Take Senate language on Instructional Hours (H-1248Division 1)

Education: House | Senate SSB 1058  Relates to and provides for education reform involving student, teacher, and administrator programs and activities under the purview of the department of education, the state board of education, the college student aid commission, school districts, and accredited nonpublic schools; making appropriations and providing for the establishment and retention of certain fees; and including transition and effective date provisions. 01/22/13 Quirmbach, Schoenjahn, Ernst   SSB 1194  Relates to immunity from liability for certain recreational activities on school grounds. 02/21/13 Hogg, Petersen, Boettger   SSB 1205  Relates to inspections of school buses and certain other vehicles used to transport children and makes penalties applicable. 02/26/13 Bowman, Beall, Johnson SSB 1206  Relates to education by modifying the duties and operations of the department of education, community colleges, the school budget review committee, and local school boards, eliminates a reporting requirement relating to vocational education funds, creates a task force to review the reporting required of school districts, and includes applicability provisions. 02/26/13 Bowman, Mathis, Boettger   SF 2  Relates to parent empowerment petitions for implementation of school intervention models by school districts.    Johnson    SF 56  Authorizes a school district to adopt a mandatory uniform policy.    Zaun    SF 51  Relates to establishment of the categorical state percent of growth for purposes of the state school foundation program and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1060.)       SF 52  -  Relates to establishment of the state percent of growth for purposes of the state school foundation program and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1059.)    SF 53  - Relates to school district funding from the taxpayers trust fund by making transfers to the property tax equity and relief fund, establishing a school district property tax replacement fund and making transfers to the fund, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1057.)  Amendments: S 3002, S3003 SF 156  Establishes an alternative supplementary weighting plan for at-risk pupils and includes applicability provisions.    Hogg  SF 161  Establishes the categorical state percent of growth for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2014, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1122.)    Education  SF 162  Establishes the state percent of growth for the school budget year beginning July 1, 2014, and including applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1123.)    Education SF 178  Relates to mandatory child abuse and dependent adult abuse reporter training, and includes applicability provisions.    Beall  SF 219 Relates to the authorized use of revenues from  the physical plant and equipment levy and includes applicability provisions. (Successor to SF 87) SF 220 Relates to funding for retirement incentive programs offered by school districts and includes applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 66.) SF 233  Concerns public safety in schools and communities including certain provisions relating to firearms and mental health, providing penalties, and including effective date and applicability provisions.    Hatch, Dotzler, Mathis, Sodders, Beall SF 265  Provides education savings grants for pupils attending a public school or an accredited nonpublic school or receiving competent private instruction, establishes an education savings grant fund, provides for the establishment of education achievement standards, makes appropriations, provides penalties, and includes applicability provisions.    Chelgren  SF 277  Relates to an exemption to the compulsory education and competent private instruction provisions for certain persons.    Sorenson, Guth, Zaun, Boettger, Ernst  SF 319  Relates to the Iowa early intervention block grant program by eliminating the future repeal of the chapter establishing the program and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SSB 1142.)    Education SF 320  Requires the board of directors of a school district to develop and implement a comprehensive emergency management plan. (Formerly SSB 1226.)    Education  SF 321  Modifies the funding requirements for whole grade sharing agreements and includes applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 120.)    Education SF 323  Provides education savings grants for pupils attending a nonpublic school or receiving competent private instruction, establishes an education savings grant fund, makes appropriations, provides penalties, and includes applicability provisions.    Behn, Boettger, Johnson, Zaun, Houser, Kapucian, Greiner, Chapman, Chelgren, Sorenson, Bertrand, Ernst, Anderson, Feenstra, Sinclair, Rozenboom SF 336  Relates to education by abolishing the department of education and the state board of education, modifying the duties and authority of certain state and local governmental entities, establishes an education savings grant program and fund, makes appropriations, provides penalties, and includes effective date and applicability provisions.    Zaun, Rozenboom, Chapman SF 337 Provides for training on suicide prevention and trauma-informed care for school personnel. (Formerly SF 216.)     Education - Amendment S 3021 Sponsor TOD BOWMAN of Jackson  SF 338  Requires background checks for school employees. (Formerly SF 48.) Amendment to SF 338: H 1252 Sponsor HESS of Clay  SF 339  Relates to inspections of school buses and certain other vehicles used to transport children and makes penalties applicable. (Formerly SSB 1205.) Amendments to SF 339: S 3019 Sponsor TOD BOWMAN of Jackson H 1220 Sponsor COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JORGENSEN of Woodbury, Chairperson SF 350  Relates to mandatory child abuse and dependent adult abuse reporter training, and includes applicability provisions. (Formerly SF 178.)    Education SF 404  Relates to supplementary weighting for limited English proficient students and includes effective date provisions. (Formerly SF 266.) SF 423  Relates to and provides for education reform involving student, teacher, and administrator programs and activities under the purview of the department of education, the state board of education, college student aid commission, school districts and accredited nonpublic schools; establishing a fee; and including effective date and applicability provisions. (Formerly SSB 1228.) Amendments to SF 423: S 3066 Sponsor HERMAN C. QUIRMBACH S 3068 Sponsor BRAD ZAUN  S 3069 Sponsor HERMAN C. QUIRMBACH  S 3071 Sponsor JONI K. ERNST S 3072 Sponsor HERMAN C. QUIRMBACH  S 3073 Sponsor KENT SORENSON, RICK BERTRAND, MARK CHELGREN, JAKE CHAPMAN, JACK WHITVER, ROBY SMITH, JONI ERNST, MARK SEGEBART, JERRY BEHN, TIM KAPUCIAN, DAVID JOHNSON, MICHAEL BREITBACH, DAN ZUMBACH, NANCY J. BOETTGER, KEN ROZENBOOM, AMY SINCLAIR, DENNIS GUTH, BILL ANDERSON, RANDY FEENSTRA, BILL DIX  S 3074 Sponsor JAKE CHAPMAN, MARK CHELGREN, RICK BERTRAND, NANCY J. BOETTGER, DAN ZUMBACH, MARK SEGEBART, BILL DIX, JACK WHITVER, MICHAEL BREITBACH, TIM KAPUCIAN, JERRY BEHN, JONI ERNST, DAVID JOHNSON, CHARLES SCHNEIDER, SANDRA H. GREINER, DENNIS GUTH, BILL ANDERSON, KENT SORENSON, RANDY FEENSTRA   S 3075 Sponsor NANCY J. BOETTGER, DAN ZUMBACH, MICHAEL BREITBACH, TIM KAPUCIAN, JERRY BEHN, RANDY FEENSTRA, MARK SEGEBART, JONI ERNST, DAVID JOHNSON, CHARLES SCHNEIDER, SANDRA H. GREINER, JAKE CHAPMAN, BILL DIX, JACK WHITVER, MARK CHELGREN, KENT SORENSON, BILL ANDERSON, AMY SINCLAIR, KEN ROZENBOOM  S 3076 Sponsor JERRY BEHN, NANCY J. BOETTGER, DAN ZUMBACH, MICHAEL BREITBACH, DAVID JOHNSON, SANDRA H. GREINER, JAKE CHAPMAN, RICK BERTRAND, BILL ANDERSON, DENNIS GUTH, HUBERT HOUSER, MARK CHELGREN, TIM KAPUCIAN, JONI ERNST, MARK SEGEBART, CHARLES SCHNEIDER, JACK WHITVER, RANDY FEENSTRA, KEN ROZENBOOM, AMY SINCLAIR  S 3077 Sponsor RANDY FEENSTRA, MARK CHELGREN, DAN ZUMBACH, DENNIS GUTH, BILL ANDERSON, KENT SORENSON, RICK BERTRAND, BILL DIX, NANCY J. BOETTGER, MICHAEL BREITBACH, TIM KAPUCIAN, JERRY BEHN, JONI ERNST, MARK SEGEBART, ROBY SMITH, SANDRA H. GREINER, JAKE CHAPMAN, JACK WHITVER, KEN ROZENBOOM, AMY SINCLAIR   S 3078 Sponsor AMY SINCLAIR, KEN ROZENBOOM, NANCY J. BOETTGER, DAN ZUMBACH, MICHAEL BREITBACH, JERRY BEHN, MARK SEGEBART, JONI ERNST, ROBY SMITH, DAVID JOHNSON, CHARLES SCHNEIDER, JAKE CHAPMAN, SANDRA H. GREINER, JACK WHITVER, MARK CHELGREN  S 3079 Sponsor RANDY FEENSTRA  S 3080 Sponsor BILL ANDERSON, KENT SORENSON, DENNIS GUTH, MARK CHELGREN, RICK BERTRAND, JACK WHITVER, JAKE CHAPMAN, SANDRA H. GREINER, DAVID JOHNSON, JONI ERNST, MARK SEGEBART, MICHAEL BREITBACH, DAN ZUMBACH, NANCY J. BOETTGER, JERRY BEHN, BILL DIX, KEN ROZENBOOM, AMY SINCLAIR  S 3081 Sponsor NANCY J. BOETTGER, AMY SINCLAIR  S 3082 Sponsor AMY SINCLAIR  S 3083 Sponsor MARK CHELGREN   S 3084 Sponsor JONI K. ERNST    HF 16  Modifies Iowa's human services and education systems to provide that children start school ready to learn and to increase Iowa's student achievement rates, making appropriations to the department of education and to the economic development authority, and including effective date and applicability provisions.    Murphy HF 17  Makes certain students who open enroll to a school district in a county contiguous to the school district of residence eligible for transportation assistance.    Gaskill HF 28  Relates to the compulsory school attendance age and includes effective date provisions.    Hunter HF 69  Relates to the protection of students from concussions and other brain injuries. Lofgren HF 89  Relates to a foreign language requirement at the elementary school level and including effective date provisions.    Abdul-Samad  HF 96  Establishes a supplementary weighting program for shared operational functions of school districts and area education agencies.    Ruff HF 126  Relates to school guidance counselors and professional service providers, including professional service and secondary guidance counselor preparation and professional development programs, related licensing and endorsement requirements under the board of educational examiners, and the provision of career and academic guidance counseling services by school districts.    Isenhart, Koester, Hanson, Byrnes HF 127  Prohibits employers and schools from seeking access to certain online personal employee and student information and providing penalties.    Lofgren, Kaufmann HF 140  Relates to school district funding by establishing a supplementary weighting program for shared operational functions of school districts and area education agencies.    Dolecheck, Alons, Klein, Huseman, Byrnes, Schultz, Steckman, Drake HF 141  Relates to the time for certifying school district budgets and submitting area education agency budgets and including applicability provisions.    Hein, Sheets, Klein, Alons, Grassley, Byrnes, Olson, S., Maxwell, Jorgensen, Miller, L., Heaton, Stanerson, Pettengill, Moore, Kaufmann HF 142  Relates to student performance by establishing an education remediation council and an advanced placement funding formula.    Winckler, Wessel-Kroeschell, Lundby, Kajtazovic, Anderson, Thede, Berry, Ruff, Steckman, Thomas, Hunter, Wood, Kelley, Lensing, Jacoby, Hanson, Gaines, Abdul-Samad, Olson, R. HF 148  Adds one-half unit of personal finance literacy to the educational program standards established for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools, making an appropriation, and including effective date provisions.    Pettengill, Fisher, Alons, Maxwell, Hein, Hess, Heartsill, Vander Linden, Landon, Schultz, Watts HF 156  Relates to state funding for intensive instructional services and supports and to the retention in grade three of students who are deficient in reading and who fail to enroll in an intensive summer reading program.    Steckman, Wood, Mascher, Cohoon, Ruff, Hanson, Winckler, Gaines, Abdul-Samad, Anderson, Taylor, T., Ourth, Smith, M., Gaskill, Olson, R., Berry, Kressig, Lykam, Prichard, Kelley, Oldson, Forbes, Muhlbauer, Wolfe, Kajtazovic, Isenhart, Hall, Dunkel HF 157  Relates to the Iowa early intervention block grant program by extending the repeal date of the chapter establishing the program and including effective date provisions.    Steckman, Murphy, Wood, Staed, Kelley, Hall, Ruff, Dawson, Gaskill, Mascher, Hanson, Winckler, Gaines, Abdul-Samad, Cohoon, Running-Marquardt, Anderson, Taylor, T., Lensing, Wessel-Kroeschell, Lundby, Hunter, Kearns, Thomas, Dunkel  HF 179  Relates to school district funding from the taxpayers trust fund by making transfers to the property tax equity and relief fund, establishing a school district property tax replacement fund and making transfers to the fund, making appropriations, and including effective date and applicability provisions.    Hall, Jorgensen, Smith, M., Hanusa, Cohoon, Kearns, Dawson, Thomas, Abdul-Samad, McCarthy, Hanson, Berry, Olson, R., Gaskill, Running-Marquardt, Bearinger, Anderson, Taylor, T., Hunter, Kajtazovic, Wolfe, Wood, Muhlbauer, Forbes, Riding, Oldson, Olson, T., Prichard, Lykam, Kressig, Ruff, Ourth, Dunkel, Thede, Kelley, Gaines HF 187  Relates to the prevention of bullying in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools and including effective date provisions.    Hunter, Lensing, Wessel-Kroeschell, Anderson, Bearinger, Taylor, T., Abdul-Samad, Mascher, Thomas, Gaines, Smith, M., Kelley, Murphy, Stutsman, Dawson, Forbes, Wood, Oldson, Muhlbauer, Heddens, Gaskill HF 202  Establishes an agricultural education pilot project for certain school districts and includes effective date provisions.    Miller, H., Gaskill, Bearinger, Hanson, Ruff, Wolfe, Isenhart, Kearns, Dunkel, Muhlbauer, Murphy HF 203  Concerns school district funding for certain programmatic costs of instruction of children requiring special education and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.    Murphy  HF 204  Relates to the compulsory age of attendance, to penalties for failure to attend school, and to dropout prevention efforts.    Kajtazovic HF 207  Relates to school district transportation costs by providing supplementary weighting for transported pupils in certain school districts and includes applicability provisions.    Byrnes  HF 215  Relates to and provides for education reform involving student, teacher, and administrator programs and activities under the purview of the department of education, the state board of education, the college student aid commission, school districts, and accredited nonpublic schools; making appropriations and providing for the establishment and retention of certain fees; and including transition and effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 4) Amendments to HF 215:    Sponsor WINCKLER of Scott  HF 216  Concerns driver education instruction by a teaching parent.    Heartsill, Windschitl, Salmon, Schultz, Huseman, Costello, Landon, Fisher, Sheets, Shaw, Alons, Hagenow, Klein, Watts, Maxwell HF 241  Establishes an energy efficiency training curriculum applicable to designated school district employees.    Kelley HF 255  Relates to direct and indirect costs under the statewide preschool program for four-year-old children and includes effective date provisions.    Winckler, Kressig, Kajtazovic, Wolfe, Bearinger, Kearns, Ruff, Thomas, Thede, Abdul-Samad, Anderson, Wessel-Kroeschell, Lensing, Hanson, Taylor, T., Dawson HF 279  Relates to complaints filed with the board of educational examiners. (Formerly HSB 88) HF 283  Establishes an energy audit program with regard to elementary and secondary public school buildings.    Kelley HF 284  Provides for a task force on safety measures for schools and postsecondary educational institutions.    Mascher HF 315  Eliminates the department of education's authority to approve certain requests to waive the school start date.    Cownie, Smith, J. HF 326  Requires the development of guidelines for the attainment of high-performance certification applicable to elementary and secondary public school buildings.    Kajtazovic  HF 327  Provides for training on suicide prevention and trauma-informed care for school personnel.    Anderson, Wolfe, Staed, Taylor, T., Gaskill, Muhlbauer, Abdul-Samad, Smith, M., Cohoon, Lensing, Stutsman, Wessel-Kroeschell, Miller, H., Kearns, Bearinger, Olson, R., Kressig, Jacoby, Gaines, Hunter HF 351  Provides that children who are enrolled in the statewide preschool program are of compulsory attendance age. (Formerly HF 144) HF 352  Relates to school instructional hours and school i