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August 26, 2010
Will Corroon’s Education Plan Cut Seminary?
August 25, 2010
Utah not only state looking at grading schools
August 24, 2010
Jeb Bush: Class size limits unnecessary in education reform
Jeb Bush tells Utah educators how to improve schools
Some Utah leaders want to copy Florida by grading schools
In Utah, Former Fla. Gov Slams Class Size Limits
Jeb Bush Comments On Utah Class Sizes During Visit
Former Florida Guv Tells Utah How to Improve Schools
Former Fla. Gov. Bush slams class size limits while visiting state with largest classes
In Utah, former Florida gov dings class size limits
Jeb Bush Shares Roadmap for Transformational Education Reform in Utah
March 22, 2010
Debate over teachers, unions, and taxpayer dollars
Utah Legislature: District to help fund charter schools?
March 9, 2010
Utah Legislature: Bill regulating teacher union rep funding fails in House
March 7, 2010
Utah charter schools: After 10 years, proponents say they're a success, but not everyone agrees
March 2, 2010
Bill to prohibit paid teachers union leave advances
February 27, 2010
Some food for thought: Vouchers save money
February 26, 2010
Utah Legislature: Parents hope special needs stipend survives
Policy & Innovations Session Bill Tracker
Session Bill Tracker
2010 Session Bill Tracker
The 2010 General Session will end on Thursday, March 11th at midnight. During the 45-day session, members of the Utah State Legislature vote on a host of bills affecting K-12 education. As always, Parents for Choice in Education continues to work with legislators and other advocates to make sure your voice was heard at the State Capitol.
Because you are interested in ensuring every child has equal access to a quality education, we want to keep you apprised of what is happening in regards to specific education legislation that will directly impact you and the children of Utah. Below is the comprehensive list of bills we are supporting for the 2010 legislative session. These education bills have been selected based on our PCE Policy Principles which are reflective of our mission and values.
The chart indicates the current status of each bill. We will continue to send out Action Alerts on the most urgent issues we need your help with. We encourage you to actively communicate with your elected officials throughout the session about the bills that are important to you - As constituents, we must hold them accountable. They are there to represent YOU and 2010 is an election year. (When contacting elected officials it's appropriate to be firm but always be respectful.)
TO STAY ENGAGED IN WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE LEGISLATURE VISIT @ THE LEGISLATURE.
Supported 2010 Legislation
This chart has been designed to be very interactive. Please click in the
fields below for complete details and to be sent directly to their sources.
(i.e. the bill's homepage, the sponsor's information, news articles and more)
| Bill # | Name & Sponsor | Description | Status |
| HB42S1 | School District Employee Career Status Requirements Chief Sponsor: Rep. Menlove | Allows a school district to extend the period of time a provisional employee must work to obtain teacher tenure from three to five years | PASSED PCE Principles: Quality Instruction, Efficiency in Funding |
| HB129 | Amendments to Education Financing Chief Sponsor: Rep. Newbold | Consolidates certain local levies in order to simplify and more equitably distribute education funding. | Assigned to House Education Committee Next Action: House Education Committee Vote PCE Principles: Efficiency in Funding,Transparency |
| HB194 | Grants for Math Teaching Training Chief Sponsor: Rep. Last | Appropriates money to the State Board of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit education organizations for math teacher training programs that provide mentoring and training leading to a secondary education license with an endorsement in mathematics for an individual who: (a) is not a teacher in a public or private school; (b) does not have a teaching license; (c) has a bachelor's degree or higher; and (d) demonstrates a high level of mathematics competency by: (i) successfully completing substantial course work in mathematics; and (ii) passing a mathematics content exam. | Waiting in House Rules Committee Next Action: House Education Committee Vote PCE Principles: Quality Instruction |
| HB268 | Public School Innovations
| Allows a school or group of schools in a school district to create an innovation plan and adopt the plan upon approval by the local school board and State Board of Education. Encourages innovation in education by providing local school communities and principals with autonomy and greater control over levels of staffing, personnel selection and evaluation scheduling, and educational programming with the goal of achieving improved student achievement. Provides a means to gain waivers from district policies, state policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Go HERE to see an overview and the benefits of this bill. | Interim Study
PCE Principles: Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents, Efficiency in Funding, Quality Instruction |
| SB16 | Utah Performance Assessment System for Students (u-pass) Amendments Chief Sponsor: Sen. Stephenson | This bill modifies the U-PASS by allowing the use of online computer adaptive tests, extending a pilot assessment system, and eliminating certain tests. Allows the State Board of Education to exempt a school district or charter school from one or more of U-PASS testing requirements if the school district or charter school pilots an assessment system. | PASSED PCE Principles: Efficiency in Funding, Quality Instruction |
| SB43 | Post-Retirement Employment Amendments Chief Sponsor: Sen. Liljenquist | Modifies the Utah State Retirement and Insurance Benefit Act by amending provisions related to a a retiree who returns to work for a participating employer, and the restrictions on the maximum retirement allowance certain employees can accrue. Ends "Double Dipping" going forward. A state audit recommends the Legislature do away with double dipping by public employees, a practice in which retired workers go back to work and collect their salary and pension. Auditors reported that the practice would cost the pension fund covering public employees nearly $900 million over the coming decade. See HERE | PASSED PCE Principles: Efficiency in Funding |
| SB55 | Authorization of Charter Schools by Higher Education Institutions Chief Sponsor: Sen. Adams | Allows a board of trustees of a higher education institution to authorize the establishment and operation of a charter school and specifies the responsibilities of a board of trustees that authorizes a charter school. Multiple authorizers broaden the opportunity for innovation and enhance quality and accountability. This will provide more options for Utah parents and students. | PASSED
PCE Principles: Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents |
| SB57 | Local School Board Budget Procedures Chief Sponsor: Sen. Stowell | Requires a local school board to post a proposed budget on the school district's internet website 10 days prior to a public hearing on the proposed budget. | PASSED PCE Principles: Transparency, Efficiency in Funding |
| SB66 | Public School Extracurricular Activities for Home School and Private School Students Chief Sponsor: Sen. Madsen | Makes home school and private school students eligible for extracurricular activities at a public school consistent with eligibility standards for fully enrolled public school students since home school and private school parents pay taxes that help fund public schools. | PASSED PCE Principles: Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents |
| SB77Sub1 | School District Leave Policies
| Prohibits granting paid association leave. Requires reimbursement to a school district of the costs for certain employees, including benefits, for the time that the employee is on unpaid association leave. | Passed the Senate but Failed on the House Floor
PCE Principles: Efficiency in Funding, Transparency |
| SB119 | Special Election Modifications Chief Sponsor: Sen. Stephenson | Requires bond elections to he held only on November general election dates when people are more politically aware and involved in the process. | Failed PCE Principles: Transparency |
| SB147 | Education Related Parent Organizations Chief Sponsor: Sen. Dayton | Updates references to parent organizations in statute to ensure all types of parent organizations are equally recognized and requires the state superintendent to appoint one person representing a parent organization as a member of an investment advisory committee for investment of Land Grant Trust Fund monies. | Failed PCE Principles: Empowering Parents |
| SB150 | Reading Requirements for Student Advancement Chief Sponsor: Sen. Morgan | Generally prohibits a school district from promoting a student in first, second, and third grades to the next grade level if the child is not reading at or above grade level, with certain student exemptions; and schools provide parental notice and reading intervention. | PASSED PCE Principles: Quality Instruction, Empowering Parents, Transparency |
Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Funding | The Executive Appropriations Committee should not cut funding to this program to relieve budget shortfalls; it is counterintuitive. Policymakers should recognize that the cost of a scholarship to the taxpayer is significantly lower than the cost for the student to attend public school. Most importantly, the Carson Smith Scholarship allows Utah families to choose the best education option to fit their child’s unique needs. In fact, the recent legislative audit showed 100% satisfaction with the Carson Smith Program. Go HERE to see how this program is impacting students in Utah. | Received $.9 Millon in On-Going Add-backs
PCE Principles: Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents, Efficiency in Funding | |
| Charter Schools Funding | Charter schools are a critical part of K-12 education. They provide parents and students with a choice, bringing new options to underserved communities and introducing competition and innovation into the education system. Here in Utah, charter schools are popular, successful and in high demand. Currently there are 15,000 students on waiting lists for just 25 of the state's 72 charter schools. Charter school students already receive less funding than traditional district school students and are doing an excellent job meeting the needs of the students they serve despite the funding inequity. Policymakers need to give charter schools the same respect that they give to the traditional public schools. They need to embrace not reject or stunt the growth of those avenues of education where innovation and a focus on meeting the individual needs of students is thriving. |
PCE Principles: Increase Choice, Empowering Parents, Quality Instruction |
2009 Session Bill Tracker
The 2009 General Session ended on Thursday, March 12th at midnight. During the 45-day session, members of the Utah State Legislature voted on a host of bills affecting K-12 education. As always, Parents for Choice in Education worked with legislators and other advocates to make sure your voice was heard at the State Capitol.
Below is a list of our legislative principles and specific bills that we supported in 2009 along with their final status and vote count.
If any of these issues are important to you, we strongly encourage you to contact your legislators to either thank them for their support or to ask them to reconsider their vote. Remember to be respectful in all of your communications with elected officials.
TO STAY ENGAGED IN WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE LEGISLATURE ALL YEAR ROUND, VISIT @ THE LEGISLATURE.
Supported 2009 Legislation
This chart has been designed to be very interactive. Please click in the
fields below for complete details and to be sent directly to their sources.
(i.e. the bill's homepage, the sponsor's information, news articles and more)
| Bill # | Name & Sponsor | Description | Principles | News Articles | Status |
| This bill appropriates all of the state's funding to Utah's K-12 public education system. The substitute bill restored charter school funding and lifted the moratorium on charter schools in 2010-11. | Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents, Efficiency in Funding | Lawmakers pass $2.4 billion education budget Senate amends education funding bill to help charter schools | Yes 15 No 9 Absent 5 Yes 47 No 27 Absent 1 | ||
| PCE Bill | Posting of Collective Bargaining Agreements by School Districts | Requires the board of education of a school district to post the collective bargaining agreement entered into by their board on the school districts’ website in order to bring more transparency and accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars. | Transparency | Teacher salaries, other info could be posted online | Yes 49 No 20 Absent 6 Yes 27 No 1 Absent 1 |
| HB 230 | Requires a local school board to include the total teaching experience in Utah public schools and documented teaching experience outside the state when negotiating a contract to teach. | Quality Instruction | Held in | ||
| HB 328 | Creates grants for a performance pay pilot program for elementary school teachers. School districts and charter schools create their own proposals. However, 40% of the performance pay must be based on student learning gains. Another 40% must be based on classroom observations or other measures of instruction quality. And 20% must be based on parent, student, and community satisfaction. | Quality Instruction | Lawmakers pass performance pay bill | Yes 65 No 7 Absent 3 Yes 18 No 10 Absent 1 | |
| PCE Bill | Prohibits paid release time and requires reimbursement for any expenses incurred during unpaid release time for school district employees who are participating in or released full time for union or labor related activities. These are taxpayers dollars that should not be diverted away from the classroom to fund union employees and their activities. | Efficiency in Funding | Union leader subsidies survive | Yes 6 No 7 Absent 2 | |
| PCE Bill | Clarifies how school districts and charter schools must notify parents of qualifying students of the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship, ensuring parents are made aware of the options available to their children. | Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents, | Yes 63 No 0 Absent 12 Yes 23 No 0 Absent 6 | ||
| Ballot Initiative | Puts an initiative on the 2010 general election ballot that would guarantee secret ballots be used in elections, including union organizing elections. It would preserve and protect the fundamental right of individuals to vote by secret ballot. | Quality Instruction | Yes 53 No 22 Absent 0 Yes 21 No 8 Absent 0 | ||
| SB 18 Sub | Requires certain local governments and other entities including school districts and charter schools to participate in the Utah Public Finance Website. The Utah Public Finance Website shall permit Utah taxpayers to view, understand, and track the use of taxpayer dollars by making public, financial information available on the Internet, providing access to financial reports, financial audits, budgets, or other financial documents that are used to allocate, appropriate, spend, and account for the government funds. | Transparency, Efficiency in Funding | Wall Street columnist, Utah lawmaker tout benefits of transparency | Yes 29 No 0 Absent 0 Yes 59 No 11 Absent 5 | |
| SB 48 | Allows qualified individuals to become licensed to teach by passing a rigorous state test. This bill helps address the teacher shortage by making it easier for skilled professionals to come into the classroom. | Quality Instruction | Yes 18 No 10 Absent 1 Yes 17 No 49 Absent 9 | ||
| SB 61 | Makes home school and private school students eligible for extracurricular activities at a public school consistent with eligibility standards for fully enrolled public school students since home school and private school parents pay taxes that help fund public schools. | Increasing Choice | Senate flunks home-school bill Home-schooled kids taking part in schools' activities is aim of bill | Yes 13 No 16 Absent 0 | |
| SB 77 | Extends and modifies a program that provides grants to teachers taking tests to meet highly qualified teacher standards and to obtain advanced-level certification through American Board or National Board programs. Our support is based solely on the inclusion of the American Board Distinguished Teacher certification developed to include student achievement, live observation, leadership, and subject matter mastery. Only those teachers who demonstrate that they are in the top 25% in value add for their students will qualify. Significant studies continue to show no correlation between student achievement and National Board Certification. | Quality Instruction | Yes 15 No 12 Absent 2 Held in | ||
| SB 159 Sub | Provides grants to allow school districts or charter schools to adopt Singapore Math curriculum, an innovative, proven approach to math instruction. This math initiative is created to make Utah the premier state for math education preparing students to compete in a global economy. | Quality Instruction, | Singapore math doesn't add up for lawmakers | Yes 20 No 1 Absent 8 Yes 30 No 43 Absent 2 | |
| SB 199 3rd Sub | Requires public schools to give all parent organizations equal access and opportunities and prohibits preferential treatment. | Empowering Parents | House kills school-access bill | Yes 21 No 7 Absent 1 Yes 30 No 43 Absent 2 | |
Appro-priations PCE Bill | Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship | The Executive Appropriations Committee should not cut funding to this program to relieve budget shortfalls. Policymakers should recognize that students using the scholarship receive services at a much lower cost to taxpayers than they would in a public school. | Increasing Choice, Empowering Parents, Efficiency in Funding | Annual budget reduced by $187,500 (7.5%) |
