Bills to Be Heard by the House Education Committee on Tuesday, 2/14/17 at 8:30am.

No one can deny that our state government keeps very busy when it comes to education. 

Here are five bills to be heard on Tuesday, 2/14/17 at 8:30am by the House Education Committee. 

HB1005 Abolishes the office of the state superintendent of public instruction on January 10, 2021. Provides that, after January 10, 2021, the governor shall appoint a secretary of education.Repeals a provision that a candidate for the office of state superintendent of public instruction must have resided in Indiana for at least two years. Makes conforming and technical amendments.

ICPE does not support this bill. Read more here. 

HB1007 Education course access program. Allows the department of education (department) to authorize course providers to offer course access program courses that provide for the delivery of instruction through any method, including online technologies, in the course access program (program). Requires the department to: (1) oversee the program; (2) approve courses offered in the program; and (3) maintain a course access program catalog. Requires the department to negotiate a tuition fee for each offered course. Requires the school corporation in which an eligible student is enrolled to transfer the tuition fee for a course to the authorized course provider. Allows the state board of education to adopt emergency and nonemergency rules.

Eric Weddle summarizes it well with this tweet: "Debate on HB 1007 interesting - basically opens up for-profit companies, public colleges, etc to offer classes for cost to pub schools"

Here is one parent testifying against HB1007. Basically her argument is that she does not want to see more funds leave her school district and go into the pockets of for profit companies.  The conversation after she is finished gives a good read on the temperature of the committee.

HB1130 Protections for student journalists. Provides freedom of speech and freedom of press protections for kindergarten through grade 12 and state educational institution student journalists. Requires school corporations and state educational institutions to adopt policies concerning student journalist protections. Provides that a public school, school corporation, or state educational institution may not suppress school sponsored media unless the content is libelous or slanderous.

At the moment ICPE does not have a position on this bill.

HB1383 Elementary school teachers. Requires the state board of education to adopt rules to require an elementary school teacher who initially receives a license under this chapter after June 30, 2021, to specialize in a specific content area. Provides that the department of education may not issue a general education elementary school teaching license to an individual who initially applies for a license after June 30, 2021.

One should ask, why would a general elementary education teacher need to specialize in a single subject? What is the benefit?  

HB1449 Teacher induction pilot program. Makes changes to who may submit a plan to participate in the career pathways and mentorship program. Establishes the Indiana new educator induction program (program) to give new teachers, principals, and administrators mentoring support. Provides that grants for the program may be made from the system for teacher and student advancement grant fund. Provides that, not later than July 1, 2018, and each July thereafter, the state board of education shall submit a report to the governor and the general assembly regarding the status of the program. Provides that the program expires July 1, 2027. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate study committee for study during the 2017 legislative interim the topic of whether it is appropriate to require teachers to participate in a new educator induction program before being eligible to receive a practitioner license.

At the moment ICPE does not have a position on this bill.

More details on these bills can be found here.