Legislative Briefs
Class-size negotiations bill stopped
What it does: HB 4113 would have made class size a mandatory subject of bargaining, giving teachers the right to strike over class sizes.
What’s new: The Senate Education Committee held a public hearing on the bill Wednesday. Proponents of the bill, chiefly assembled by the Oregon Education Association, testified that teachers deserve to discuss class sizes because it is a working conditions issue. Opponents of the measure, including OSBA and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, testified that the measure would be disastrous, raising salary costs without necessarily helping students.
What’s next: The bill did not reach the Senate floor for a vote. OEA indicated that they plan to bring the bill back in 2019. Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) said the Joint Committee on Student Success will strongly consider how to deal with class-size challenges.
Modified diploma bill protects student services
What it does: SB 1522 makes statutory changes to ensure that districts can receive State School Fund money for providing services to certain students receiving a modified diploma. In 2017, at the request of the Oregon Department of Education, SB 20 updated Oregon’s state education statutes to align them with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. One portion of SB 20 potentially jeopardized the ability of school districts to receive State School Fund money for providing services to students who had already received a modified diploma. This was an unintended consequence of drafting, and every education stakeholder group (including OSBA, the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators, the Oregon Education Association, the Oregon School Employees Association and the Oregon Department of Education) committed to making sure these students continued to receive the services they need. SB 1522 corrects the portions of the law that jeopardized the funding, and no students were denied services.
What’s new: On Feb. 26, the House Education Committee unanimously endorsed the measure. This was the last piece of business for that committee this session.
What’s next: The bill passed the House, and Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign it.
Technical bill fixes education issues
What it does: SB 1520 is a technical change “omnibus” bill. In short sessions, the Senate Education Committee has drafted a bill full of technical fixes that are non-controversial. SB 1520 included two provisions of special interest to schools: It continued the weight structure for districts with dorm schools, and it permitted the reinstatement of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission expedited licensure track authority, which was removed in 2017.
What’s new: The bill passed out of the House Rules Committee on Thursday, March 1.
What’s next: The bill passed the House, and Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign it.