Bills to Be Read in the Senate Tuesday, 2/28/17

The following bills are scheduled for 3d reading (vote) in the Senate on Tuesday, Feb  28

SB 88 School calendar. Prohibits public schools and accredited nonpublic schools from beginning student instructional days for the school year before the last Monday in August, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year. 

SB 276 Prekindergarten education. Provides that, after June 30, 2017, the early education grant pilot program (pilot program) includes eligible providers in any county in Indiana. Adds additional requirements for an eligible provider to participate in the pilot program. Adds additional requirements for an eligible child to qualify for or receive a grant under the pilot program. Provides that the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) may award a grant to a potential eligible provider or existing eligible provider for an expansion plan if certain requirements are met. Requires a potential eligible provider or existing eligible provider to repay to the office the total amount of the grant awarded if the potential eligible provider or existing eligible provider fails to use the grant funds in accordance with the expansion plan or in compliance with the agreement with the office. Requires the office to: (1) monitor the educational outcomes resulting from the implementation of expansion plans; and (2) annually provide the governor and legislative council a report of the findings of the office concerning the educational outcomes. Requires the office to make at least two onsite inspections of facilities of eligible providers and potential eligible providers or existing eligible providers each year. Provides that the office may determine that an eligible provider or potential eligible provider or existing eligible provider is no longer eligible under the pilot program. Requires the division of family resources to develop a provider rate reimbursement schedule that uses money appropriated by the general assembly as an incentive for providers eligible to receive voucher payments under the federal Child Care and Development fund voucher program to meet the standards of quality recognized by a Level 3 or Level 4 Paths to QUALITY program rating. Requires the department of education to approve an early learning development framework for prekindergarten. Requires the office to apply for waivers from all applicable federal agencies to receive any federal funding for child care or prekindergarten education in one block grant to use for child care and prekindergarten programs in the state. Establishes the prekindergarten pilot program fund (fund). Allows the office to develop and implement a reimbursement program to reimburse costs incurred by parents to provide technology based, in-home early education services to a child. Allows money in the fund to be used to pay for the reimbursements. Makes an appropriation to the fund of $16,000,000 in both state fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Specifies that of the $16,000,000 appropriated in a state fiscal year, $1,000,000 of that amount must be used for reimbursement of in-home early education services. Repeals the provisions concerning the early education matching grant program. 

This bill has been chipped away at by our legislators. You can read more about it here. 
Please note that this bill now contains $1 million to be allocated to provide assistance for people who are homeschooling a preschool-aged child. The ISTA is against it. As summarized by ISTA, "The in-home pre-K program would be a quasi-voucher program for parents to use state dollars to determine how their pre-k student will get pre-K education, virtually. Parents would use their voucher to purchase pre-K curriculum software, computer, internet service and any other resources needed." You can read more about it here. 

SB 407 Education matters. Requires a school employer to submit a copy of the affidavit submitted by the exclusive representative indicating the number of teachers who are members of the exclusive representative to the Indiana education employment relations board (board). Requires the board to compile information included in the affidavit from each school corporation and post aggregate information on the board's Internet web site. Provides that the information posted by the board may not include any information that would identify a particular school employee. Requires the board to develop and post on its Internet web site training modules, videos, or other instructional material informing school employees of their rights to select an exclusive representative. Provides that each school year in which school employee participation in a school employee organization currently serving as the exclusive representative of the bargaining unit does not represent a majority of the school employees within the unit, the board shall notify the school employees of the bargaining unit of their right to: (1) representation; and (2) the ability to change their exclusive representative. Urges the general assembly to assign certain issues relating to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act to the education interim study committee. 
 
SB 498  Teacher compensation. Provides that certain factors may account for not more than 33.33% (instead of 33%) of the calculation used to determine a teacher's increase or increment in salary. Amends the factor concerning additional content area degrees and credit hours in determining a teacher's increase or increment in salary. Requires the department of education to grant an application to add an additional content area or areas to a valid Indiana teaching license if certain conditions apply.