BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1765
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 28, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 1765 (Brownley) - As Introduced: February 17, 2012
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, 2014.
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 turnaround 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,
2014 on recommendations for the recognition of teacher
leaders.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and
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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)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)
3)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 : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, on a substantially similar bill, minor, absorbable
costs to the CTC to convene an advisory group and complete the
report, as specified.
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
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
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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.
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
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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.
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.
CTC Workload : According to the CTC, the commission is not able
to absorb the cost of the panel or reporting required by this
bill this year. In years past, the CTC has supported similar
legislation, but in this fiscal climate they have taken a
"watch" position because they are unable to absorb the costs in
the bill at this time.
Previous Legislation : AB 2040 (Brownley) from 2010, which was
substantially similar to this bill, would have required the CTC
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to convene an advisory panel on teacher leaders and make
recommendations by January 1, 2012. The Governor vetoed the
bill with the following message:
The objective sought by this bill can be accomplished
without statutory authority. Therefore, this bill is
unnecessary. Furthermore, I question whether this bill
would result in meaningful reform since it does not embrace
rigorous, measurable teacher performance evaluations that
include improved student achievement, along with other
factors to ensure that highly effective teachers earn the
elevated status as a teacher leader. For these reasons, I
am unable to sign this bill.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California School Boards Association
Public Advocates
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087