BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1
AUTHOR: Monning
INTRODUCED: December 1, 2008
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: June 17, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Teachers: professional growth.
SUMMARY:
This bill permits a program of professional growth to include
courses in negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution,
and specifies that a teacher who elects to pursue such
courses may introduce conflict resolution skills to students.
BACKGROUND
Current law encourages, but does not require, teachers to
engage in individual programs of professional growth that
extend their content knowledge and teaching skills and
specifies that an individual program of professional growth
may consist of activities that are aligned with the
California Standards for the Teaching Profession as well as
courses in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Specifies that an individual program of professional
growth may include courses in negotiation, mediation,
and conflict resolution, including peer mediation
training and the theory and practice of nonviolence, as
specified.
2) Specifies that a teacher who elects to pursue courses in
negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution may
introduce appropriate conflict resolution skills to
pupils through classroom instruction and the core
curriculum in areas of reading, writing, mathematics,
history/social science, and science.
AB 1
Page 2
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Current efforts . All new teachers receive, as part of
their credential program, training in conflict
resolution, school safety, and cross-cultural awareness.
The existing standards for both multiple and single
subject teacher preparation programs require teacher
candidates to have "opportunities to learn and practice
effective strategies and techniques for crisis
prevention, conflict management and resolution in ways
that contribute to respectful,
effective learning environments, including recognizing
and defusing situations that may lead to student
conflict or violence."
In addition to the training received in their teacher
credential program, principals receive, in the course of
their administrative credential preparation programs,
further training that relates to cross-cultural
communication, creating safe and equitable school
settings, supporting the success of all students and all
subgroups of students, working with stakeholder groups,
problem solving, and conflict management. Programs that
prepare pupil personnel service providers (such as
school counselors) also require candidates to
demonstrate knowledge and understanding of school safety
and violence prevention including effectiveness in using
"negotiation skills, conflict management skills, and
mediation skills to help school staff communicate with
difficult and or angry parents, pupils, teachers and
other school staff."
The State has provided support for school safety and
conflict resolution training through programs such as
the Administrator Training Program and the Carl
Washington School Safety and Violence Block Grant. The
School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant program
includes funding to enable schools to initiate
comprehensive programs that teach students how to
resolve disputes without resorting to violence. These
programs are included in the categorical program
flexibility (Tier III), allowing school districts to use
these program funds for any educational purpose.
Finally, the state's Health Education Content standards
for K-12 students require the curriculum to help
students develop effective communication and conflict
AB 1
Page 3
resolution skills and the History-Social Science Content
standards help students understand how historical events
are shaped by conflict.
2) Professional growth for educators . Prior to January 1,
2007, all credentialed educators were required to
complete 150 hours of professional growth activities in
order to renew their credentials. SB 1209 (Scott,
Chapter 517, 2006) removed this requirement and made
professional growth a voluntary activity. The statutes
governing professional growth of educators express the
intent of the Legislature to encourage teachers to
extend their content knowledge and teaching skills by
engaging in individual programs of professional growth
and specify that professional growth may include
activities aligned with the California Standards for the
Teaching Profession and basic courses in cardiopulmonary
resuscitation and/or first aid. This bill includes
negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution to the
list of subject areas a teacher may engage in for their
professional growth.
As a result of SB 1209, teachers have the option to engage in
a variety of professional growth activities such as
courses offered by a regionally accredited college or
university, online courses, professional conferences,
workshops, teacher center programs, or staff development
programs. Current law also specifies that professional
growth may include service as a mentor teacher,
participation in systematic programs of observation and
analysis of teaching, serving in a leadership role in a
professional organization, or participation in
educational research efforts.
3) Need for the bill ? Given the various existing efforts
to address school safety it appears that both educators
and students are exposed to multiple opportunities to
learn and practice skills that are used in negotiation,
mediation, and conflict resolution. Notwithstanding the
merits of education activities that further enhances
these skills and knowledge, the broad flexibility
granted by the education code already permits educators
to take these courses as part of their professional
growth and incorporate these topics into their
instruction. This bill encourages educators to engage
in activities that are already permitted in current law.
AB 1
Page 4
SUPPORT
California Association of School Counselors
California Dispute Resolution Council
California Federation of Teachers
California Teachers Association
Civil Justice Association of California
OPPOSITION
Office of the Secretary for Education