House Education Committee to Consider a Last-Minute Seventeen Page Amendment
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Volume 21, No. 11 for the week ending May 6, 2011 Finance Committee Temporarily Delays Negotiations Repeal Bill Far From Dead -- Numerous Contacts Needed Immediately! On Tuesday, May 3, HB 130, the bill which would repeal the 1978 Education Professional Negotiations Act, was re-referred back to the House Education Committee to consider a last-minute seventeen page amendment. Making the motion to re-refer the bill was Rep. Jimmy Eldridge (R- Jackson). All teachers owe Rep. Eldridge a “thank you” for his support. The vote to re-refer the bill was 14 “Yes”, 11 “No.” Those voting “Yes” (for TEA’s position) were: Representatives, Joe Armstrong (D-Knoxville), Tommie Brown (D-Chattanooga), Scotty Campbell (R-Mountain City), Jim Coley (R-Bartlett), Lois DeBerry (D-Memphis), Jimmy Eldridge (R-Jackson), Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley), Mike Harrison (R- Rogersville) Larry Miller (D-Memphis), Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington), Gary Odom (D-Nashville), Dennis Roach (R-Rutledge), Johnny Shaw (D-Bolivar), and Harry Tindell (D-Knoxville). Those voting “No” (against TEA’s position) were: Representatives David Alexander (R- Winchester), Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville), Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland), Joe Carr (R-Lascassas), Steve Hall (R-Knoxville), David Hawk (R-Greeneville), Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville), Judd Matheny (R- Tullahoma), Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga), Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads), and Charles Sargent (R-Franklin). TEA members are strongly urged to thank members who voted “Yes” to re-refer the bill. The House Education Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 1, 4:00 p.m. in Room 16 of the Legislative Plaza. It would be very helpful to have a number of TEA supporters in attendance at this meeting. It is also critical that numerous contacts be made with committee members prior to Tuesday. The message should be simple and could include the following points: . Oppose HB 130 and any proposed amendment which repeals the negotiations law. The repeal of negotiations will almost certainly cause health insurance premiums paid by employees to increase. Passage of the Senate amendment could jeopardize Race To The Top funding due to the language which prohibits the use of federal grants for being a topic of “collaboration.” Contact information for the House Education Committee is listed below. House Education Committee E‐Mail Address E‐Mail Address (Please include Phone Area Code your name, postal address, and phone number Member (Party & District) (615) in your e‐mail.) Chairman Richard Montgomery(R-12) 741-5981 [email protected] Vice Chairman Joey Hensley(R-70) 741-7476 [email protected] Secretary Joe Carr (R-48) 741-2180 [email protected] TEA Legislative Report Page 42 House Education Committee (Cont.) E‐Mail Address E‐Mail Address (Please include Phone Area Code your name, postal address, and phone number Member (Party & District) (615) in your e‐mail.) Harry Brooks(R-19) 741-6879 [email protected] Kevin Brooks(R-24) 741-1350 [email protected] John J.Deberry, Jr. (D-90) 741-2239 [email protected] Lois M. DeBerry(D-91) 741-3830 [email protected] Bill Dunn (R-16) 741-1721 [email protected] Craig Fitzhugh (D-82) 741-2134 [email protected] John Forgety (R-23) 741-1725 [email protected] Ron Lollar(R-99) 741-7084 [email protected] Debra Young Maggart(R-45) 741-3893 [email protected] Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh (D-81) 741-3774 [email protected] Joe Pitts (D-67) 741-2043 [email protected] Dennis Powers (R-36) 741-3335 [email protected] John Ragan (R-33) 741-4400 [email protected] Ryan Williams (R-42) 741-1875 [email protected] John Mark Windle (D-41) 741-1260 [email protected] PN Bill Likely to Resurface in Finance Committee Committee Members Need to Hear from Teachers! If HB 130 is voted out of the Education Committee on May 10, it is highly likely that the legislation will go back before the House Finance committee for a second time. While the committee balked on the proposal previously, TEA members should NOT assume that the finance committee vote would be the same a second time around. For this reason, it is critical that the finance committee hear from teachers that they strongly oppose HB 130 and any amendment that repeals professional negotiations. (Note: See message points in previous article.) It is uncertain at this time when the finance committee might consider HB 130, but numerous contacts should be made immediately! Contact information for the finance committee is listed below. House Finance, Ways & Means Committee Phone E-Mail Address (Please include your name, Member Area Code postal address, and phone number in your (Party & District) (615) e-mail.) Chairman Charles Sargent (R-61) 741-6808 [email protected] Vice Chairman Michael Harrison (R-9) 741-7480 [email protected] Secretary Curtis G. Johnson (R-68) 741-4341 [email protected] David Alexander (R-39) 741-8695 [email protected] Joe E .Armstrong (D-15) 741-0768 [email protected] Harry Brooks (R-19) 741-6879 [email protected] Kevin Brooks (R-24) 741-1350 [email protected] TEA Legislative Report Page 43 House Finance, Ways & Means Committee (Cont.) Phone E-Mail Address (Please include your name, Member Area Code postal address, and phone number in your (Party & District) (615) e-mail.) Tommie F. Brown (D-28) 741-4374 [email protected] Scotty Campbell (R-3) 741-2050 [email protected] Joe Carr (R-48) 741-2180 [email protected] Jim Coley (R-97) 741-8201 [email protected] Lois M. DeBerry (D-91) 741-3830 [email protected] Jimmy A. Eldridge (R-73) 741-7475 [email protected] Craig Fitzhugh (D-82) 741-2134 [email protected] Steve Hall (R-18) 741-2287 [email protected] David Hawk (R-5) 741-7482 [email protected] Judd Matheny (R-47) 741-7448 [email protected] Gerald McCormick (R-26) 741-2548 [email protected] Steve McDaniel (R-72) 741-0750 [email protected] Larry J. Miller (D-88) 741-4453 [email protected] Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh (D-81) 741-3774 [email protected] Gary Odom (D-55) 741-4410 [email protected] Dennis E. Roach (R-35) 741-2534 [email protected] Johnny Shaw (D-80) 741-4538 [email protected] Harry J. Tindell (D-13) 741-2031 [email protected] Bill Permitting For-Profit “Virtual” Schools Passes Committee Represents Major Step Toward Privatization of Public Education “In a year when bad ideas sparkle like diamonds, this one may sparkle the brightest.” --Sen. Andy Berke Legislation which would allow private, for-profit companies to offer “virtual” education – and receive state funding to do so – passed the Senate Education Committee on May 4. Below are partial excerpts from the language of an amendment to SB 874, sponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham (R- Somerville). This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Virtual Public Schools Act”. “Virtual school” means a public school in which the school uses technology in order to deliver a significant portion of instruction to its students via the Internet in a virtual or remote setting. A student, at the student’s own pace, may demonstrate mastery or completion of a course or subject area and be given credit for the course or subject area. For each family with a student enrolled, the virtual school shall ensure access to an Internet connection used for schoolwork. Nothing in this section shall prohibit virtual schools from reimbursing families for costs associated with their Internet connection for use in the virtual school program. TEA Legislative Report Page 44 . Nothing in this part shall preclude the use of computer-based and Internet-based instruction for students in a virtual or remote setting. Any student who is eligible for enrollment in a public school in this state may enroll in a virtual school as either a full-time virtual school student or as a part-time virtual school student taking some of the student’s courses through the virtual school. An establisher may contract for services with nonprofit and for-profit entities in the operation and management of the virtual school. TEA testified in the committee that passage of this bill could allow out-of-state for-profit companies -- some with a very questionable track record – to get BEP funding to “teach” home schoolers who never attend a regular public school. A primary opponent of the proposal, Sen. Andy Berke (D- Chattanooga) also pointed out to the committee that this was a major policy change to allow BEP funding to flow to a for-profit entity. As on past occasions this year, the committee completely ignored the facts and voted the bill out of the committee. The vote on the legislation was 7-2. Those voting “Yes” (against TEA’s position) were: Senators Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), Reginald Tate (D-Memphis), Brian Kelsey (R-Collierville), Jim Summerville (R-Dickson), Jim Tracy (R- Shelbyville), and Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville).