Bill Text: GA SR1199 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled

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Bill Title: Certification and Professional Task Force; create; directing Professional Standards Commission to temporarily modify its rule; certificate renewal

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 6-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-03-26 - House Second Readers [SR1199 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-SR1199-Enrolled.html

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10 LC 33 3604

Senate Resolution 1199

By: Senators Hawkins of the 49th, Balfour of the 9th, Goggans of the 7th, Shafer of the 48th, Tolleson of the 20th and others

ADOPTED SENATE

A RESOLUTION

Directing the Professional Standards Commission to temporarily modify its rules relating to professional learning requirements for certificate renewal and creating the Certification and Professional Learning Task Force; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, local school systems are facing shrinking resources and Georgia educators are experiencing furloughs and other financial setbacks; and

WHEREAS, professional learning activities for educators cost money to both educators and local school systems; and

WHEREAS, temporarily reducing professional learning requirements for clear renewable certificate renewal may save both local school systems and individual educators money and provide them with additional flexibility; and

WHEREAS, this is an era of substantive change in education, with new initiatives related to the federal Race to the Top fund, the impending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, increased flexibility for schools, charter schools, raising achievement in underachieving schools, and similar efforts; and

WHEREAS, this changing environment and the temporary modification of Professional Standards Commission rules for professional learning requirements for clear renewable certificates provide an opportunity to analyze and restructure professional development requirements.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Between July 1, 2010, and July 1, 2015, the Professional Standards Commission shall temporarily modify its rules relating to professional learning requirements for certificate renewal for clear renewable certificates so that educators whose clear renewable certificates require renewal during such period shall be required to complete no more than five professional learning units or their equivalent to meet the professional learning renewal requirements.

SECTION 2.

(a) There is created the Certification and Professional Learning Task Force for the purposes of reviewing certificate renewal requirements and procedures and making recommendations for improvement with the goal of improving schools and teaching, leading to improved student learning.
(b) The task force shall consist of 16 members as follows:

(1) Two representatives from the Professional Standards Commission, as designated by the executive secretary of the commission;

(2) Two representatives from the Department of Education, as designated by the State Superintendent of Schools;

(3) One representative from the central office of the University System of Georgia, as designated by the chancellor;

(4) One representative from a college of education within the University System of Georgia, as designated by the chancellor;

(5) One representative from a private Georgia college of education, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(6) One representative local school system professional learning coordinator, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(7) One representative from a regional educational service agency, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(8) One representative local school superintendent, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(9) One representative public school principal, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(10) One representative public elementary school teacher, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(11) One representative public middle school teacher, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(12) One representative public high school teacher, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(13) One representative from the Georgia Staff Development Council, as designated by the council; and

(14) One representative from the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, as designated by the Governor.

(c) The task force shall be chaired by a representative from the Professional Standards Commission. The task force shall meet at the call of the chairperson. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
(d) The task force shall study and make recommendations on:

(1) The roles of state agencies, local school systems, regional educational service agencies, colleges and universities, and other organizations in providing high quality professional learning focused on improving schools and teaching, resulting in improved student learning;

(2) The effectiveness of current professional learning renewal requirements on school improvement and student learning; and

(3) The adequacy of the current professional learning activities delivery system.

(e) The task force shall present an interim report to the chairpersons of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Education and Youth Committee by April 15, 2011, with a final report of its findings and recommendations to be completed no later than November, 2011. The report shall be presented to a joint session of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Education and Youth Committee no later than November 30, 2011. The task force shall stand abolished on November 30, 2011.