05/02/2007 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 192                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to notification to teachers of layoff                                                                     
     or nonretention."                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MIKE DOOGAN,  sponsor, reported  that HB  192                                                                   
changes the  timing for layoff  notices for tenured  teachers                                                                   
in certain  circumstances.   Currently, the  law says  that a                                                                   
tenured teacher  has to  be pink slipped  before March  16 if                                                                   
the  district  thinks  that  it  may  not  be  retaining  the                                                                   
teacher.  He shared the how his  district handles the problem                                                                   
of pink slip layoffs.  This law  would apply mostly to school                                                                   
districts that  don't have many non-tenured teachers  such as                                                                   
Valdez.   The bill says  that in years  when there is  not an                                                                   
education funding  bill by the  first of March,  the district                                                                   
may put off sending out pink slips  to tenured teachers until                                                                   
the end of the school year.  The  bill is designed to prevent                                                                   
the  practice of  sending  pink slips  to  teachers who  then                                                                   
would not know  if they will have  a job.  It allows  for the                                                                   
complete  education funding  picture  to  emerge before  pink                                                                   
slips get sent.   It does not change tenure  rules or prevent                                                                   
districts  from  sending pick  slips  in March,  and  doesn't                                                                   
prevent teachers from bargaining  for a March pink slip date.                                                                   
It  does takes  the  state out  of  the business  of  telling                                                                   
school districts that they have  to send pink slips at a time                                                                   
when they are not  sure they are going to be  laying teachers                                                                   
off.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer pointed  out that  this  issue appears  every                                                                   
year.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:47:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara spoke in support of the bill.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer concurred.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Chenault wondered about  any unintended consequences                                                                   
of  the  bill.    In  response  to  a  question  by  Co-Chair                                                                   
Chenault, Representative  Doogan said that up  until the time                                                                   
the budget  is complete there  will be uncertainty  regarding                                                                   
staffing.   He  did not  think it  was any  more likely  that                                                                   
teachers would be lost under this bill.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Meyer asked  if the  teachers'  union supports  the                                                                   
bill.  Representative Doogan replied  that the union does not                                                                   
support this legislation.   Their fear is that  the districts                                                                   
will not act in good faith.  Co-Chair  Meyer pointed out that                                                                   
teacher   recruitment    shows   happen   in    the   spring.                                                                   
Representative Doogan said there  is nothing in the bill that                                                                   
would prevent  a teacher  from attending a  trade show.   The                                                                   
intent of  the bill is that the  state should not be  the one                                                                   
causing "phony pink slips" to be handed out.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Crawford  related that  all  of his  concerns                                                                   
were assuaged by the sponsor.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Meyer noted  one zero fiscal note by  the Department                                                                   
of Education and Early Development.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:56:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara MOVED to  REPORT CSHB  192 (HES)  out of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  192 (HES)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass"  recommendation and  with zero  fiscal note  #1 by  the                                                                   
Department of Education and Early Development.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:57:49 AM