BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2040
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 7, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 2040 (Brownley) - As Amended: March 23, 2010
SUBJECT : Teacher leaders.
SUMMARY : Requires the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) to convene an advisory panel on teacher
leaders and make recommendations by January 1, 2012.
Specifically, this bill :
1) Directs the CTC to convene an advisory panel of
stakeholders with expertise in the field of teacher
leadership to explore the recognition of leadership roles
within the teaching career pathway.
2) Requires the advisory panel to consider issues related
to teacher leadership including, but not limited to the:
a. Various roles of teacher leaders in today's
public schools such as master teachers, mentors,
induction support providers and fieldwork supervisors,
instructional leaders, department chairs, curriculum
coordinators, peer coaches, literacy or mathematics
coordinators, assessment coordinators and
accreditation coordinators.
b. Use of teachers as instructional leaders and
peer role models to foster innovation needed to effect
change in turn-around schools.
c. Ways in which the recognition of teacher
leaders may promote teacher retention.
d. Formal preparation and recognition of the
leadership roles that teachers assume.
e. Application of adult learning theories to
improve the instruction of teacher peers.
f. Processes and procedures in other states for
recognition of teacher leaders.
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g. Nexus of recognition of teacher leaders with
the National Board Certification process.
h. Recognition, including but not limited to, an
authorization, credential, recognition of study,
special recognition, emphasis or specialization that
could be developed, while maintaining local
flexibility in hiring and staffing needs.
i. Feasibility of teacher leader career ladders
that could be used by school districts to align with
salary schedules and/or an alternative salary
structure.
j. Current research and practices in teacher
leader and mentor programs, including, but not limited
to, Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program
standards for support provider and assessor training,
California Subject Matter Projects, and Certificated
Staff Mentoring Program.
3) Requires the advisory panel to be inclusive of, but not
limited to representatives of:
a. Teachers who are performing school leadership
duties.
b. Teacher and administrator organizations.
c. The Superintendent of Public Instruction.
d. Commission-approved teacher preparation
programs.
e. School boards and school districts.
f. Other organizations deemed appropriate by the
commission.
4) Requires the CTC to consider the findings of the
advisory panel and report to the Governor and Legislature
by January 1, 2012 on recommendations for the recognition
of teacher leaders.
EXISTING LAW :
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1) Establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and
Assessment System (BTSA) to be administered jointly by the
CTC and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Under
the BTSA Program, veteran teachers serve as mentors to
first and second year teachers to provide an effective
transition into the teaching career. (Education Code
44279.1)
2) States that the CTC may issue a teaching credential in
"specialist instruction," defined as any specialty
requiring advanced preparation or special competence.
(Education Code 44256)
3) Requires the Regents of the University of California to
establish and maintain cooperative endeavors designed to
develop and deploy as teacher leaders, teachers with
demonstrated levels of expertise in the classroom and
certifiable levels of content knowledge with funds
appropriated therefore, and with the approval of the
Concurrence Committee. (Education Code 99200)
4) Establishes the Certificated Staff Mentoring Program for
the purpose of encouraging excellent, experienced teachers
to teach in staff priority schools and to assist teacher
interns and beginning teachers during their induction and
first years of teaching. (Education Code 44560)
5) Establishes the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards Certification Incentive Program to award grants
to school districts for the purpose of providing awards to
teachers who are employed by school districts or charter
schools, are assigned to teach in California public
schools, and have attained certification from the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Awards shall be
granted to the extent that funds have been appropriated for
this purpose in the annual Budget Act. (Education Code
44395)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Various forms of teacher leadership currently exists
in California, though the role and definition remains largely
ambiguous. This bill would advance the possibility of
establishing state-wide teacher leader standards and a means of
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formally recognizing teacher leaders in the state through the
efforts of the CTC. In addition to setting teaching standards
and processing credentials, the commission performs
accreditation reviews of teacher preparation programs; as well
as develops, monitors, and administers licensure exams. The CTC
also convenes advisory panels on a number of policy topics
relating to the CTC's work. This bill will require the CTC to
prioritize the teacher leader discussion and submit
recommendations that may include the creation of teacher leader
standards, as well as a teacher leader model to the Legislature.
Studies conducted by UCLA's Center X have concluded that many
experienced and talented teachers choose to diversify their
educational careers as school administrators, removing them from
the classroom and their students. This bill will provide state
policy makers the framework to develop a state-wide plan to
encourage educators to remain in the classroom while pursuing
career advancement through taking on additional responsibility
as a teacher leader. In addition to providing opportunities for
experienced and qualified teachers, teacher leader positions may
assist school administrators in the environment of heightened
accountability that exists today.
While a teacher leader's role is currently undefined and varies,
there are a plethora of opportunities available to those who
assume a teacher leader position within their school. As it is
practiced today in California and other states, a teacher leader
may take on the following duties:
Serving as a mentor to teachers with challenging
students,
Assisting teachers with developing curriculum that
conforms to state standards,
Assisting in the professional development of teachers,
Serving as a coach or instructional leader in their
school,
Sitting on advisory or policymaking groups,
Chairing departments or school teams,
Acting as a liaison between teachers and administration,
Acting as a liaison between the school and the community
at large, and
Coordinating meetings between administrators, teachers,
and parents.
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In addition to examining the various roles of these educators,
many states, including California, have begun establishing both
standards and pathways to becoming teacher leaders. Alabama,
Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio, for example, have worked
collaboratively with Vanderbilt University to develop a
comprehensive 14-course university teacher leadership
curriculum. Teacher modules are designed for both state teacher
certification programs as well as for adding teacher leader
endorsements to existing certification. The Educational Testing
Service (ETS) is also working to develop national model teacher
leader standards. Additionally, the Council of Chief School
State School Officers (CCSSSO) has begun to include teacher
leadership in their discussions about the entire career pathways
of teachers. Stakeholders from California have taken part in
many of these national discussions regarding teacher leaders led
by the ETS and the CCSSSO. Lastly, the National Board
Certification for Teacher Leaders is a new program under
development by the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards (NBPTS). California teachers will be able to apply
for this certification as established under current law.
A number of educational networks, institutions, and non-profit
organizations have implemented programs designed to recruit and
develop teacher leaders in California. The Los Angeles Urban
Teacher Residency Program, for example, has worked to establish
a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District that
allows educators to obtain a Master of Education degree, as well
as teacher leader training while completing their residency in
an urban school. UCLA's Center X also provides teacher leader
training in conjunction with obtaining a Masters in Education
through their IMPACT pathway. Accordingly, this bill would
require that the advisory panel examine current teacher leader
programs and activities in the state.
Many teachers in the field agree that the position teacher
leader is beneficial, though some have expressed concern with
effectively balancing leadership activities with teaching.
Teacher leaders and other educational stakeholders in the field
have proposed bridging this gap between teaching and leading
through encouraging job sharing or release time, as well as
establishing a separate salary structure for teacher leaders.
This bill would provide for the advisory panel to discuss the
variations of the teacher leader position and how to best
integrate them into existing school structures.
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The CTC's recommendations could provide policymakers the
direction needed to create a comprehensive plan to ensure that
teacher leaders are adequately prepared and recognized, as well
as provided support as they take on the additional
responsibility of teacher leadership.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of California School Administrators
Public Advocates
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Pilar Whitaker and Chelsea Kelley / ED.
/ (916) 319-2087