Key Legislative Priorities for 2012
1. Early Graduation: The 2011 legislature enacted a scholarship program for early graduation. The funding of this program causes a significant hardship on school budgets. The program should be suspended or appropriately funded without reducing school budgets.
2. Principal Evaluation: Significant initiatives on principal evaluation are being successfully developed and implemented. These initiatives were put in place as a result of 2011 legislation and should be allowed to proceed without any additional legislative changes.
3. Online Learning: This has been a useful tool for many students. However, abuses have occurred and must be legislatively addressed. Online providers must be held to the same standards as all schools. Online providers should be prohibited from "give-aways" and other inappropriate influence of students. Finally, schools must have the authority to reject credits which fail to meet local requirements for graduation. Schools must be allowed to determine whether the academic content of such programs meets local graduation requirements.
Legislative Objectives for 2012
Leadership/Academic/Management
• Ensure that Q-Comp and similar reforms include principals
• Support staff development opportunities including the Principal's Academy
• Require licensure and a code of ethics for Charter School administrators
• Support incentives for principals and teachers in high need licensure areas
• Repeal Labor Day school start limitations
• Allow school districts authority to renew existing levies by majority vote
• Modify pension law providing for early retirement without penalty including the Rule of 90
• Ensure that the "shift" be paid back to school districts
• Provide substitute teacher licensure rules be extended to principals
• Provide all-day kindergarten for all students
• Retain local control of bullying policies
• Modify special education restraint statutes and rules to emphasize safety and common sense |
