NCSBA Legislative Update – April 18, 2019

NCSBA Legislative Update – April 18, 2019

Legislative Public Policy Conference

The NCSBA Legislative Public Policy Conference is scheduled for April 30 and May 1 in Raleigh at the NCSBA building.

Click the agenda button below to view our modified conference schedule.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CONFERENCE AGENDA 

The registration rate is $325. Click here to register.

 

Key House Education Bills Filed this Week

HB 837: School Calendar Flex/Low Performing Schools

  • Primary Sponsors: Brockman, D-Guilford; Riddell, R-Alamance
  • This bill would exempt a low-performing school from the required opening and closing dates for three consecutive school years following the year that the State Board of Education identifies the school as low-performing.

 

HB 859: Classroom Supplies to Teachers

  • Primary Sponsors: Saine, R-Lincoln; Elmore, R-Wilkes
  • This bill would redirect approximately $37 million of the $47 million allotment for Classroom Materials/Instructional Supplies/Equipment. This $37 million would be used to reimburse teachers up to $400 for purchasing their own classroom supplies.
  • HB 859 is identical to SB 580, which was covered more thoroughly in a previous update. Click on the link below to read more about NCSBA’s analysis of SB 580. https://www.ncsba.org/2019/04/ncsba-legislative-update-april-5-2019/

 

HB 890: Restore Master’s Pay for Certain Teachers

  • Primary Sponsors: Hawkins, D-Durham; Clemmons, D-Guilford; Gill, D-Wake; von Haefen, D-Wake
  • This bill would allow the following teachers and instructional support personnel with master’s degrees to be paid on the “M” salary schedule or receive a salary supplement for their academic preparation at the six-year or doctoral degree level:
    • Certified school nurses and instructional support personnel in positions that require a master’s degree,
    • Teachers and instructional support personnel who were paid on the “M” salary schedule or received the salary supplement prior to the 2014-15 school year, and
    • Teachers who spend at least 70% of their work time in classroom instruction related to their graduate academic preparation in their field within their area of licensure.
  • HB 890 is identical to SB 28.

 

Bills Passed by the House and sent to the Senate

HB 437: Education on the Holocaust and Genocide

  • Primary Sponsors: Johnson, R-Cabarrus; Horn, R-Union; Howard, R-Davie; Elmore, R-Wilkes
  • This bill would require the State Board of Education to integrate education on the Holocaust and genocide into English and social studies courses and develop curriculum for a Holocaust Studies elective.
  • Passed 112-0
  • Referred to Senate Rules committee

HB 151: Katelyn’s Law

  • Primary Sponsor: Lambeth, R-Forsyth
  • This bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt rules excusing absences for students attending a legislative event or visiting the NC General Assembly.
  • Passed 110-2
  • Referred to Senate Rules committee

 

Bills Passed by the Senate and sent to the House

SB 391: Expand Youth Internship Opportunities

  • Primary Sponsors: Ballard, R-Watauga; Gunn, R-Alamance; Newton, R-Cabarrus
  • This bill would allow 16-18-year-old youth to participate in supervised, practice experience in an occupation that is declared to be detrimental to the health and well-being of youth by the Commissioner of Labor.
  • Passed 44-0

 

SB 392: Superintendent May Approve Charter Facility Bonds

  • Primary Sponsors: Ballard, R-Watauga; Brown, R-Onslow; Newton, R-Cabarrus
  • This bill would allow the Superintendent of Public Instruction to approve private activity bonds used to finance a charter school facility.
  • Passed 33-11

 

SB 476: Reaffirm Local Control of Discipline Policies

  • Primary Sponsors: Horner, R-Nash; Tillman, R-Randolph; Ballard, R-Watauga
  • This bill would allow LEAs to have control over student discipline polices that are consistent with federal law. Each LEA would report their most current copy of student discipline policies to DPI no later than September 1 of each year.
  • Passed 21-16

 

Bills Approved by House Education K-12 Committee

Bill Description Referred to
HB 485: Virtual Early Learning Pilot Program

 

This bill would provide $500,000 each year of the FY 2019-21 biennium to establish UPSTART, a virtual early learning program for preschool age children.

 

The following N&O article further describes the bill and its potential outcomes. https://www.newsobserver.com/article229142574.html

 

House Appropriations, Education committee
HB 493: Abuse & Neglect Resources

 

This bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt a policy to provide information to students in grades 6-12 on child abuse, neglect, and age-appropriate information on sexual abuse. House Rules committee
HB 521: Transitional License/Teacher from Other State

 

The newest version of this bill would

1.      extend the new license to 3 years instead of 1 and rename it a transitional license,

2.      authorize LEAs to determine experience credit for the first year of the license, and

3.      clarify that out-of-state teachers without evidence of effectiveness can earn a continuing professional license after three years of teaching in North Carolina.

House Rules committee
HB 563: 30 Min. Duty-Free Lunch for Teachers

 

This bill would provide 30-minute duty-free lunch to full-time assigned classroom teachers starting in the 2019-2020 school year.

The Committee adopted an amendment that states that a duty-free lunch be provided “to the maximum extent that i) the safety and proper supervision of children may allow during regular student contact hours and ii) insofar as funds are provided for this purpose by the General Assembly.”

 

House Rules committee
HB 653: School Transportation Personnel Salary Changes

 

This bill would direct the State Board of Education to reclassify and establish positions related to school transportation.

The Committee adopted a new version of the bill that changed Section 3 from a revision of salary grades and ranges of school transportation positions to a survey of LEAs to determine the cost of such salary revisions.

 

House Rules committee

 

 

Bills Approved by Senate Education/Higher Education Committee

Bill Description Referred to
SB 399: Rehire High Need Teachers

 

This bill would allow teachers who retired on or before February 1, 2019 to return to work in certain high-needs schools without adversely impacting their retirement benefits.

 

Senate Pensions committee
SB 438: Excellent Public Schools Act of 2019

 

This bill would make various changes to the North Carolina Read to Achieve Program.

 

Senate Rules committee
SB 621: Testing Reduction Act of 2019

 

This bill would eliminate the NC Final Exams, require reporting on and reductions in local testing, and require a review of the third-grade reading End of Grade test to ensure alignment with the Read to Achieve assessment.

 

Senate Rules committee

 

Senator Berger discussing SB438 with Senator Ballard

 

Education Cabinet Meeting – April 17

The Education Cabinet met this Wednesday to discuss My Future NC, the Early Childhood Action Plan, longitudinal data sharing, and the NC Careers website. Presentations on each topic included progress made thus far and plans for the future.

  • My Future NC is pushing their goal of ensuring that 2 million North Carolinians obtain a high-quality postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.
  • The Early Childhood Action Plan continues to promote physical health, safety, nurturing relationships, and educational success among babies, toddlers, and young children.
  • The longitudinal data sharing system is aiming to analyze students’ journeys following graduation.
  • The NC Careers website will be a tool designed to help students make more informed decisions regarding post-secondary education, internships, scholarships, and careers.

Governor Cooper closed the meeting with a call for collaboration among the cabinet members and their departments to achieve the ambitious goals of each of these projects.

 

April 22-26 Legislative Meeting Calendar

Thursday, April 25

9:00 am – House: Elections and Ethics Law – Legislative Office Building, rm 544 (audio)

10:00 am – House: State and Local Government – Legislative Building, rm 1228/1327 (audio)

 

Friday, April 26

8:30 am – House: Appropriations, Education – Legislative Office Building, rm 423

  • House 2019-20 Budget

 

House Recess: April 17 – April 24

Senate Recess: April 22 – April 26

 

 

Leanne E. Winner
Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6686

Bruce Mildwurf
Associate Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6692

Richard Bostic
Assistant Director of Governmental Relations
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6677

Rebekah Howard
Governmental Relations Research Specialist
N.C. School Boards Association
(919) 747-6688

North Carolina School Boards AssociationNCSBA Legislative Update – April 18, 2019