BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2040|
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CONSENT
Bill No: AB 2040
Author: Brownley (D)
Amended: 3/23/10 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 6/30/10
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Emmerson, Hancock, Liu,
Price, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 6/2/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Teacher leaders
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing to convene an advisory panel of stakeholders
with expertise in the field of teacher leadership to
explore the recognition of leadership roles within a
teaching pathway. The Commission would be required to
consider the advisory panel's findings and report to the
Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 2012.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to establish professional
standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and
advancement in the education profession.
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Existing law requires state and local agencies to submit
reports required or requested by law in printed form to
both the Legislative Counsel and the Secretary of the
Senate and in electronic form to the Chief Clerk of the
Assembly. Each report is required to include a one-page
summary of the contents of the report. State agencies that
submit reports must also provide an electronic copy of the
summary directly to each member of the appropriate house or
houses of the Legislature.
This bill:
1.Requires 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 panel to consider various issues relating to
teacher leadership including but not limited to the role
of teacher leaders in today's public schools, how
recognition of teacher leaders can promote retention, the
implications for the preparation of teacher leaders, the
application of adult learning theories to improve
instruction of teacher peers, and the feasibility of
teacher leader career ladders, as specified.
3.Requires the advisory panel to include, but not be
limited to representatives from:
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
CTC.
4.Requires the Commission to consider findings of the
advisory panel and report to the Governor and the
Legislature by January 1, 2012.
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5.Specifies the report shall be submitted pursuant to
Section 9795 of the Government Code and makes the report
requirement inoperative on January 1, 2015, as specified.
6.Makes findings and declarations about changes in the
teaching profession and the need for teachers who can
serve as leaders while remaining involved in pupil
instruction.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/2/10)
Association of California School Administrators
California School Boards Association
California State University
California PTA
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Los Angeles Unified School District
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Public Advocates
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/2/10)
California Teachers Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
many of California's most experienced and talented teachers
find they must leave the classroom in order to advance in
their profession. The purpose of this bill is to bring
together stakeholders with expertise in the field of
teacher leadership to explore the idea of further defining
a professional growth pathway with a focus on leadership
opportunities that will allow good teachers to remain
connected to the classroom. While the Commission could
conceivably convene an advisory committee without
legislation, this bill establishes a framework that will
guide the panel's work.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Opponents argue, "This bill
requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to convene
an advisory panel to explore the feasibility for the
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recognition of teacher leadership roles such as master
teachers, mentors, induction support providers, department
chairs, etc. The recognition could include but would not
be limited to an authorization, credential, recognition of
study, special recognition, or emphasis or specialization.
"Various forms of teacher leadership currently exist in
California. Every local education in California already
employs educators in multiple non-instructional leadership
roles. The National Board Certification for Teacher
Leaders is a new - and voluntary - programs under
development by the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards. This bill proposes to create unnecessary new
certification for leadership roles that teachers can
already be employed to do with the certifications they
currently hold.
"Many stakeholders would agree that teacher leadership is
beneficial to the school community. Local education
agencies continue to struggle with effective support and
recruitment of teacher leaders including job sharing or
release time as well as establishing a separate salary
schedule for teacher leaders. This bill would charge the
Commission's advisory panel to discuss variations in
teacher leadership and how best to integrate them into
existing school structures.
? Non-instructional teaching assignments for
positions such as department chair or even mentor are
an employment issue - not a certification issue.
? Further, salary schedules are the mandatory subject
of bargaining.
? Finally, this element of the bill is beyond the
statutory scope and purpose of the independent
standards board.
"CTA believes the role of an independent credentialing
board will be to: review, approve and evaluate teacher
education programs; establish procedures for developing and
applying the standards; and award credentials to
applications."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
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AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines,
Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Tom Berryhill, Lieu, Audra Strickland
PQ:nl 8/3/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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