"Draft Only - Approval Pending"

Summary of Proceedings

Joint Education Interim Committee

Wyoming Oil and Gas Commission Building                                                                December 15, 2004

2211 King Blvd.                                                                                                          Casper, Wyoming

PRESENT:      Senator Henry H.R. "Hank" Coe and Representative Jeff Wasserburger, Cochairmen;

Senators Jim Anderson, Robert Peck and Kathryn Sessions;

Representatives Kurt Bucholz, Becket Hinckley, Tom Lockhart, Del McOmie, Ann Robinson and Mark Semlek.

Other Legislators in Attendance:  Senators Tex Boggs and Chuck Townsend; Senator-Elect Kit Jennings; Representatives Steve Harshman; Representatives-Elect Debbie Hammons and Lorraine Quarberg.

Legislative Service Office: Dave Nelson and Mary Byrnes.

Others Present:  See attached Appendix A.

ABSENT:        Senator Larry Caller and Representatives Liz Gentile and Jane Wostenberg.

AGENDA:       See attached Appendix B.

*  *  *  *  *

Representative Jeff Wasserburger, Committee CoChair, called the Joint Education Interim Committee to order at 9:40 a.m.

Approval of November 17, 18 and 19, 2004, Minutes.

Representative Hinckley made a motion to approve the minutes of the November 17, 18 and 19, 2004, meeting of the Joint Education Interim Committee and the November 19, 2004, joint meeting of the Committee and Management Council.  Representative Lockhart seconded the motion and the motion carried.

05LSO-0332.W2, "Court ordered placements."

State Superintendent Blankenship, Lisa Skiles-Parady, Department of Education, and Donna Sheen, Department of Family Services, addressed Committee members on court ordered placements, 2004 legislative interim work pertaining to juvenile justice issues undertaken by the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services and Joint Judiciary Interim Committees, and the resulting proposed interagency children collaborative.  Efforts will be extended to involve school districts and juvenile education programs in discussions involving collaboration development.

State Superintendent Blankenship subsequently requested 05LSO-0332 be laid back for consideration at a later date.  CoChair Wasserburger announced absent objection, 05LSO-0332 would be laid on the table.  A copy of the draft proposal is attached at Appendix C.

Judy Catchpole, Frontier Corrections, indicated funding for juvenile detention education programs will expire June 30, 2005, unless extended by the Legislature.  State Superintendent Blankenship expressed support for continued funding.

05LSO-0346.W1, "Public school teacher initiative appropriations;" and 05LSO-0157.W2, "Teacher advancement program-appropriation."

CoChair Wasserburger announced provisions within 05LSO-0346.W1 and 05LSO-0157.W2, were approved for Committee sponsorship at the November meeting.  Copies of both proposals are attached at Appendix D.  The Cochair requested consideration of the following amendment to 05LSO-0346:

Page 3-lines 1 and 2                  Delete "Twenty-five thousand five hundred dollars ($25,500.00)" insert "Twenty-eight thousand dollars ($28,000.00)".

Representative Robinson so moved and Representative Semlek seconded the motion.  The motion carried.

CoChair Coe made a motion for Committee approval, as amended, and the motion included combining 05LSO-0157 into 05LSO-0346.  Representative Hinckley seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  The roll call vote is attached at Appendix E.  CoChairs Coe and Wasserburger announced the measure is to originate in the Senate.

Mary Ellbogen Garland, President and CoChair of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation, addressed Committee members on funding contained within 05LSO-0346 for National Board Certification and the Foundation's goal to increase Wyoming teachers receiving national certification by fifty over the next two years.

05LSO-0093.W1, "Teacher shortage loan repayment program."

State Superintendent Blankenship, and Rick Miller and Patricia McClurg representing U.W., expressed support for 05LSO-0093.W1, a copy of which is attached at Appendix F.  In response to Representative Semlek, the Department will provide to Committee members copies of studies supporting the relationship between quality instruction and student achievement.

As the measure was approved for introduction at the November meeting, CoChair Wasserburger indicated no further Committee action is required.  Committee staff and U.W. representatives are to assemble amendments addressing provisions pertaining to loan repayment for future consideration by the appropriate Standing Committee.  Representative Lockhart announced an additional amendment he will offer expands program application to existing teachers seeking further education opportunities.  The CoChairs requested the proposal be prepared for introduction in the House.

Materials pertaining to amounts contained within legislative proposals being considered by the Committee, together with recapture district expenditures of "rebated recapture," were distributed by Committee staff, copies of which are attached at Appendix G.

Teacher Salary Initiative.

State Superintendent Blankenship spoke in favor of additional funding dedicated to teacher salaries.  Materials submitted and discussed on this matter are attached at Appendix H.  Proposals funding salary increases have been previously discussed at the September and November Committee meetings.  CoChairs Coe and Wasserburger announced no proposal forwarding the request would be considered by the Committee.

Jason Misner, WEA, Brain Recht, Albany County School District #1, Dan Stephan, Laramie County School District #1, David Olsen, Campbell County School District #1, and Janine Teske, Teton County School District #1, spoke in favor of additional funding for teacher salary increases.  CoChair Wasserburger stated an individual bill funding the proposal would be introduced for consideration during the 2005 session.

05LSO-0151.W1, "Private school licensing-amendments;" and 05LSO-0282.W1, "Private school licensing-amendments-2."

State Superintendent Blankenship, Lisa Skiles-Parady and Fred Hansen, Department of Education, spoke on and in favor of 05LSO-0151.W1, providing explanation of the rational for and purposes of the measure.  In response to a concern expressed by Senator Sessions regarding treatment of private post secondary education degree granting accredited institutions under the proposal, the Department indicated the state would be restricted from regulating institutions under interstate commerce regulations.

Dr. Jerry Haenish, Preston University, spoke against the measure and suggested consideration of provisions within 05LSO-0282, a measure specifying minimum standards for private post secondary education licensure by the State Board.  Copies of both proposals are attached under Appendix I.

CoChair Wasserburger made a motion to approve 05LSO-0151 for introduction as a Committee bill.  Representative Lockhart seconded the motion and the motion failed by a vote of one aye and ten nays.  A copy of the roll call vote is attached at Appendix J.

Senator Sessions withdrew 05LSO-0282.W1 and suggested private post secondary education institutions, the University of Wyoming, Wyoming community colleges, the Department of Education and legislators commence dialogue on private school licensing issues, focusing on the preservation of educational integrity and the role of the nontraditional student.  Discussion results could be forwarded to the 2006 Legislature.

05LSO-0152.W1, "Public schools-high school diploma endorsements."

State Superintendent Blankenship addressed Committee members on the genesis of 05LSO-0152.W1, a proposal eliminating the three levels of proficiency endorsements on high school graduation transcripts.  A copy of the proposal is attached at Appendix K.  Mark Higdon, Wyoming School Boards Association, spoke in favor of the proposal.  Craig Beck, Fremont County School District #25, Mark Mathern, Natrona County School District #1 and Kim Ferguson, District Consultant, expressed concern with the proposal and its impact on statewide graduation requirements set by the State Board of Education, on student assessment and on education reform goals responding to the Supreme Court.  Materials distributed by Ms. Ferguson are attached at Appendix L.

Representative Bucholz made a motion for approval of the proposal as a Committee bill.  Representative Hinckley seconded the motion and the motion carried by vote of nine ayes and two nays.  A copy of the roll call vote is attached at Appendix M.  The Committee CoChairs requested the draft be prepared for introduction as a House Bill.

05LSO-0383.W3, "School audits;" and 05LSO-0334.W3, "Public school data and reporting."

Mike Geesey and Rich Cummings, Department of Audit, spoke to Committee members on proposals addressing departmental concerns with respect to school audits.  05LSO-0383, a copy of which is attached at Appendix N, provides additional positions for the conduct of school audits as well as addresses district data reporting issues.  Background materials provided by the Department are attached at Appendix O.

Senator Anderson moved the Committee adopt 05LSO-0383 for introduction.  Representative Lockhart seconded the motion.

Senator Peck moved adoption of the following amendment:

Page 3-lines 18 through 24         Delete.

Page 4-lines 1 through 5Delete.

Representative Bucholz seconded the motion and the motion carried.  Committee staff was directed to make necessary technical adjustments to implement the amendment.

The original motion of Senator Anderson, as amended, carried unanimously.  A copy of the roll call vote is attached at Appendix P.  The Committee CoChairs directed the proposal be prepared for introduction as a Senate File.

Larry Biggio, State Chief Information Officer, presented components of 05LSO-0334, which also originated in response to school audit findings.  State Superintendent Blankenship and staff expressed opposition to the measure.  A copy of the proposal is attached at Appendix Q.  Representative Hinckley moved for introduction of the proposal as a Committee bill.  CoChair Wasserburger seconded the motion.  The motion failed unanimously.  A copy of the roll call vote is attached at Appendix R.

05LSO-0333.W1, "School finance-amendments."

Legislation forwarding funding for full-day kindergarten programs, summer school programs and a funding adjustment outside the cost-based block grant model for health insurance, all applicable for school year 2005-2006, are contained within 05LSO-0333, a copy of which is attached at Appendix S.

Representative Hinckley moved for approval of the proposal for introduction as a Committee bill.  Representative Semlek seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  A copy of the roll call vote is attached at Appendix T.  The Committee CoChairs directed the proposal be prepared for introduction in the Senate.

Adjournment.

There being no further business, CoChair Coe adjourned the Committee at 4:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

____________________________    _________________________________

Senator Henry H.R. "Hank" Coe,           Representative Jeff Wasserburger,

Committee CoChair                               Committee CoChair