The Conference Committee reported out and sent the budget to the House and Senate. A much more comprehensive report on the budget will be forthcoming in the near future. Here are some budget highlights. • 2% state share of salary increase for SOQ positions starting July 1, 2009 (The bad part of this is that it is only for one year and it is too little. The good part is that it gets us away from one-half year raises. Remember that your local school board and board of supervisors or city council determine your annual raises. This is state money to help your local government provide what is needed). • Provision of National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) bonuses in 08-09, but not in 09-10. • Cuts the $1000 grants for NBPTS incentive program • Eliminates the proposed 15% in teacher licensure feels proposed by the Governor • Puts a “hard cap” on inflationary increases in SOQ funding. The old cap was the first 5% of inflation plus 35% of all inflation beyond 5%. The new cap is like the VRS COLA- 1% for each of the first three percentage points of inflation and 0.5% for each 1% up to 7%. The total amount of recognized inflation caps at 5% under this new “hard cap.” • A Study of the Methodology for funding SOQ salaries and the policy for the federal deduct
The pace at the Capitol is slow this Saturday afternoon. The legislators know the budget will not be completed prior to the midnight deadline. The buzz is that educators have sent 1200 emails to conferees on the salary issue (Keep it up!) and that revenue projections continue to deteriorate and that further cuts are ahead as the economy sours. This is the last day for the pages until the reconvened session, so their parents are here to enjoy the ceremonial recognition of their childrens’ labor which is so helpful to the legislative progress. Interestingly, the pages choose certain legislation to follow each session, and they chose planning time and teacher salaries in the mix. They leave knowing the House isn’t too teacher friendly. The Hanger/Landes NCLB bills have been amended to empower the Board of Education to develop a plan for withdrawal of participation should they deem such a course appropriate. The plan must be submitted by June 30, 2009. The budget conferees will continue to meet tonight. The goal now, according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Colgan, it to have a printed report on Tuesday or Wednesday when the members of both chambers will be called back to Richmond for final action on the budget. That’s the plan. Members of the conference committee tell me that there is no agreement on the teacher salary issue. Please do all you can bring people to go to www.veanea.org
and send the message to the budget conferees.
I thank YOU for what you did to beat the SOQ proposal into submission, but we need you to go to www.veanea.org and send the salary message to conferees. If you have done this already, please bring a colleague to send a message. Call the Constituent Viewpoint Hotline (800-552-9745 or 804-698-1990) during business hours and urge your Delegate and Senator to support the 2% salary increase. Governor Kaine will participate in a series of Town Hall meetings to discuss the budget and legislation passed during the 2008 General Assembly Session and take questions from the public.
The Virginia Board of Education, Virginia PTA, the Virginia School Superintendents Association, the Virginia School Boards Association, JustChildren, the Virginia Association of Counties, First Cities and the Municipal League all stood against the House efforts to change the Standards of Quality school funding methodology. But Virginia’s classroom teachers were singled out by the majority party of the Virginia House of Delegates for punishment. In what is a major lobbying victory for VEA and our coalition partners, the House abandoned its ill conceived plan to weaken the Standards of Quality which would have reduced state funding for your schools by $175 million per year. That’s the good news. Chairman Putney held a news conference today to announce the House concession on the SOQ methodology. Delegate Cox, went on to announce that because they had abandoned the SOQ methodology changes there was no money for teacher salary increases. That’s the bad news. The committee also announced that it was increasing the pay increases for state and state supported employees from 2% to 3%. However, the House claims that because their teacher salary increases were predicated on their methodology changes that they have to drop all state-paid teacher salary increases focusing instead on, among other things, state employee salaries. According to DOE, the first year cost of the House teacher salary increase is $45,214,418 and the second year cost is $77,572,294. Just over $40 million would be needed over the biennium to offset dropping the federal revenue deduct and the inflation adjustment. The support salary re-benchmarking change was revenue neutral because of the tradeoff with supplementary construction grants. So, even if they drop all of the methodology changes, that would still leave enough money, if all else stayed equal and more importantly if they so chose, to fund a full second year 2% teacher salary increase. The Senate budget does not include the SOQ methodology changes, but it does include the state share of a 2% salary increase for SOQ-funded positions (teachers and support). We thank the Senate conferees (Colgan, Howell, Houck, Saslaw, Wampler and Stosch) and Delegate Joannou for standing firm against the proposed degradation of the SOQ. We urge all conferees to work to retain a teacher salary increase in the budget. We need to keep up the battle, but change the target. We must now urge all Delegates and Senators to support the 2% teacher salary increase.
One can never be sure, but Saturday’s budget deadline is looking most elusive at this point. This is a day of “lines in the sand” and stark contrasts in positions, with the House efforts to change the SOQ school funding methodologies front and center. The House stands firm for the state share of a 2% salary increase for teachers in the first year of the biennium. This raise would start on December 1, 2008; so, it represents a 1.4% annual increase. The House has no second year raise. The House budget cuts $78.8 million in support for ESP (support personnel) salaries in the 08-10 budget. The House makes $50.2 million in cuts to other SOQ accounts. The House also stands firm behind its revised methodology which beginning in 2010 will cut $175 million in SOQ funding per year. The Senate offers a 2.5% salary increase for teachers in the second year of the biennium. This raise would start on December 1, 2009; so, it represents a 1.75% annual increase. The Senate does not change the SOQ funding methodology. Senate Majority leader, Richard Saslaw says he is prepared “to stay until December” and Senator Janet Howell said that she “would never agree” to the SOQ methodology changes being proposed by the House budget. The Governor is with us as well. The Governor is now planning town hall meetings, presumably to make the case for his positions. The nature of these meetings may change if a budget is adopted. He still has the POWER of the line-item veto when the budget hits his desk. We are in a battle of great long term consequence. Please do three things now! 1. Please call your delegate and your senator urging them to reject the proposed changes in the SOQ methodology proposed in the House budget. The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline numbers are 800-889-0229 and 804-698-1900. 2. Please go to www.veanea.org
and send a pre-written message to budget conferees urging them to reject the changes to the SOQ methodology. 3. If you are one of the 500 VEA members who have already done 1 & 2, please get a colleague to do the same.
Funding education has become a partisan issue in the House. Only one Republican, Delegate Tom Rust of Fairfax, voted against House Item 140 #52h which changes the SOQ methodology to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in future budgets. We must work to prevent a similar partisan divide in the Senate. But, first let’s contrast the two philosophies. House Appropriations Committee Chairman exposed the House hand Friday when Delegate Phillips repeatedly asked of Susan Hogge, HAC Legislative Fiscal Analyst for Education, "What will the impact of the SOQ methodology changes be on education funding in future budgets?" Chairman Putney repeatedly interrupted saying, "You can't answer that question."
The challenge of reducing the very complicated budget wrangling over funding for public education to terms understandable to folks who have better sense than to try to understand the complexities Virginia’s school funding formula is daunting. But, let me try. Remember that your local school board and board of supervisors or city council actually set your pay rate. Remember, too, that the amount of funding from the state either enables or disables them in part. Think of yourself as a school board. The SOQ funding from the state is the base pay upon which to base your budget. Let’s think of the Governor’s introduced budget as 100% - you anticipate that amount in the year ahead. The Senate budget is ever so slightly different from the Governor’s budget – your base pay is largely intact. However, the House says, “We are going to cut your base pay by 4% (That’s the cut for Petersburg).” But, we are going to give you 4% of your base pay as bonus, a “construction supplement,” to help you pay for your mortgage. What’s the problem - you are still getting 100%? The problem is that when it’s all over, your base pay is 96% and the bonus is spent. Please call your Senator and Delegate and tell them to oppose changing the Standards of Quality methodology.
We are in the midst of a budget battle that is of great long-term significance to public education in Virginia. Should the House efforts to dismantle the Standards of Quality succeed we will begin a era of degradation of public education in Virginia. Too many are distracted by the argument regarding which budget does the most for teachers’ salaries. As the bard would say, this is“a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing." Let’s get real! The House proposes 2% in the first year of the biennium starting December 1, 2008. On an annual basis that is 1.4%. There is no raise in the second year in the house budget. The Senate proposed 2.5% in the second year of the biennium starting December 1, 2009. On an annual basis that is 1.75%. The advantage of the House proposal is that you get a SMALL sum in your pocket earlier. The advantage to the Senate version is that you get a SMALL, but you enter the next biennium with a 0.5% higher base upon which to base your future increases. Neither chamber does what needs to be done to recognize the achievements of our teachers. Neither chamber does what needs to be done to attract and retain a qualified teacher in every Virginia classroom. Folks – it’s a wash. Unfortunately, salary is not the issue. The battle is not about which chamber provides more money for public education in either year of the biennium. The House is better in the first year. The Senate is better in the second. Again, it’s a wash. The issue is that the House budget significantly reduces funding the Standards of Quality in this and future budgets. What are the broad strokes? The House budget transfers the costs from the state to localities. Either your local taxes will go up or the quality of schools in your locality will go down. The House budget erodes future state support for public education. Remember we are 33rd in the nation in state per-pupil aid for public education. The House budget will weaken our support for public education in the long term by directing the Department of Education to change the current re-benchmarking methodology. How does it do this? The answer is complicated, but here it is: 1. It changes the way education costs are calculated to lower required state support of public education. The cumulative total of these actions reduces the base on which all future SOQ re-benchmarkings are calculated by $348.6 million (JLARC). 2. It severs the relationship between the prevailing cost of providing education to Virginia’s children funding and the funding provided by the state. 3. It takes $78.8 million (JLARC) in state funding for school secretaries, instructional assistants and other clerical support positions. Some of this same funding is used in non-SOQ accounts for Supplemental School Construction. This reduces the current and future costs of re-benchmarking. In the current biennium, this appears to be revenue neutral for school systems, as the money is still going to schools, but in the long run SOQ funding is reduced significantly. 4. It promises to do the same thing (3 above) with the teacher salary funding in the next (2010-2012) and all future budgets. At the very least the estimated impact of this is a $227.4 million annual reduction in state support for teacher salaries. (JLARC) 5. It caps the inflation provisions in the SOQ, basing inflation on the CPI rather than real inflationary costs borne by school divisions. The formula allows 1% for each of the first 3% of inflation, and then ½% for each full percent up to the 5% maximum inflation factor. This reduces SOQ funding by $20,311,210. (VDOE.) 6. The current Federal Deduct is the practice of subtracting Federal education funding from state education aid on a per pupil basis. Currently the deduction is capped at the state average per pupil of federal aid. The new language removes this cap to the detriment of poor school divisions. Federal funding in large part follows poverty. On a funding per pupil basis Petersburg is hardest hit with a $1,149,043 loss. This cut totals $22.1 in the biennium. (JLARC) 7. This change in methodology may save the state money in re-benchmarking ($348.6 million), but it won’t help taxpayers, who will see local real estate taxes increase to make up for the difference in the loss of state funding. Call your Delegate and your Senator, and tell them that you oppose the dismantling of the Standards of Quality in the House Budget. And, tell them you see through the distracting rhetoric about teacher salaries. If the House language is approved, your salaries will be lower for many years to come. Don’t get distracted of the 2% now verses 2.5% later rhetoric – it signifies nothing.
Senator Colgan did public school advocates a tremendous service today when he invited Robert B. Rotz, Senior Division Chief at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, to brief the Senate Finance Committee regarding the Standards of Quality (SOQ) and manner in which the House Budget changes the SOQ. Rotz started with a history lesson starting with the development of the standards following the adoption of the Constitution calling for the Standards in 1971. He reviewed the changes in the methodology over the years and the opinions of Attorneys General in 1973 and 1983. The rulings advised that “cost estimates should not be arbitrary or unrealistic or unreasonable in relation to the expense prevailing in the Commonwealth” and that “If ‘old’ data are used, resulting cost estimates are less likely to be ‘realistic’ and ‘reasonable’ in relation to current prevailing costs.” The proposed House SOQ methodology bases future teacher salary increases on arbitrary figures that bear no relationship to market forces and use four year old data. He went on to assert that the House budget policy caps inflation, cutting $20.3 million from the SOQ. He pointed out that the House Budget removes the cap from the Federal Deduct, cutting $22.1 million from the SOQ. This action uses federal funds to supplant state funding. Federal funds address poverty, so the systems that lose the most are Norfolk, Richmond City, Newport News, Roanoke City, Petersburg, Danville, Lee, Lynchburg, Buchanan and Accomack. He pointed out that the House budget changes the methodology which determines state support for Non-Instructional SOQ Staff Salaries (secretaries, instructional assistants, clerical support), cutting $78.8 million from the SOQ. Rotz did not address the fact that this salary funding for support personnel was diverted to school construction. This allowed the House to cut SOQ accounts, but still claim to be giving the money for education. The SOQ cuts carry forward into future budgets, but the construction funding is a one time only expenditure. Rotz explained that the same methodology changes employed in this budget for Non-Instructional SOQ Staff Salaries will be applied to Instructional Staff in future budgets. VEA estimates that this will cut SOQ funding by around $231 million. The total cuts the SOQ funding amount to $227.4 million. These costs carry forward to reduce SOQ funding in future biennia, and the additional cuts to instructional salaries lie ahead as well. Senators Houck, Howell, Whipple, Miller and Saslaw were adamant in their rejection of the House proposals. Howell indicated that the Rotz information “armed her for battle.” Saslaw said, “We’ll stop this if we have to stay here until August.” Rotz presentation supports our assertion that the House Education Budget stinks on ice. Senator Locke’s SJR 55, the teacher shortage study, was to have been heard in the House Rules Subcommittee on Studies this afternoon. Extensive wrangling in both chambers interrupted the meeting, and apparently the bill will not be heard in subcommittee. With this be its death, or will it be taken up in full committee?
Delegate Saxman’s tuition tax credit bill (HB 1164) was killed in the Senate Committee on Finance on an 11-3 vote. Senators Stolle, Stosch and Watkins voted for the bill, while Senators Colgan, Wampler, Houck, Howell, Saslaw, Hanger, Y. Miller, Marsh, Lucas, Whipple and Reynolds voted against (Norment and Quayle were not present). The Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of House Appropriations killed Senator Deeds national average teacher salary bill (SB 267). Scott and Bacote voted for the bill, and Hogan Cox, Sherwood, Hamilton and Tata voted against it. This committee also tabled Senator Whipple’s SB 48, the elementary planning time bill on the same vote. Senator Whipple ably championed the bill, and the JLARC fiscal impact statement said passage would have not cost. Remember this in November 2009.
The Homestead Amendment (Albo HJ4 & HB 11) was dealt what may be a fatal blow as it was recommitted to the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee on a 21-19 vote. Colgan and Puckett joined all 19 Republicans in doing the right thing. Rare good news in a rough session! This amendment would have eroded the ability of local governments to fund education and other core services. The Richmond Times-Dispatch editors used the expression “stinks on ice” in referring to the House budget this morning. On that we can agree, but the Times-Dispatch could not be more wrong when it goes on to assert that “This year’s [budget] fight is not about principle.” The House budget abandons the principle of funding the Standards of Quality based on the actual cost of providing education and shifts even more of the burden for funding our schools onto localities. At present, only nine states put a greater burden on localities than does Virginia. The House budget will either raise local taxes or degrade local schools. The poorest localities will be the hardest hit. Perhaps the RTD’s editors should have read the Roanoke Times and World news this morning. If you haven’t read it, check it out. http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/152073 We are busy meeting with budget conferees trying to bring an end to the House assault on the Standards of Quality and on funding for school board employee salaries. Please follow the link below to send a message to budget conferees asking them to stop the assault on the Standards of Quality: http://www.veanea.org/legislative_contact.asp
Yesterday’s actions by the House of Delegates represent the most ominous action of the General Assembly in regard to the teaching profession and public education in recent history. The House chose to reduce education funding in the budget before them and, more importantly, in all future budgets. The most disappointing aspect of the vote is that, with the exception of Delegate Tom Rust, Republicans we have faithfully supported year after year turned their backs on teachers and public education, rather than buck the House Republican Caucus position. This action was in sharp contrast to the bravado of comments made by Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee (See February 15th). Fifty-four members of the House voted to change the manner in which the Standards of Quality are re-benchmarked in future budgets. This action will take $420 million out of the pockets of school employees in the 2010-2012 budget, and this figure will grow in each successive biennium. Only the budget conferees or the Governor can stop what the House did yesterday. Please send the message available on this site to conferees today! Senate - Colgan, Houck, Howell, Wampler, Stosch Please note that one House conferee, Delegate Joannou, voted right yesterday. We can only hope that Joannou and the Senate conferees will stand on our behalf. If that fails, the Governor has already expressed his discomfort with the actions of the House yesterday. We can hope that he will employ his line item veto if necessary. Members of the Hall of Shame, those who voted to drastically decrease support for teacher and support salaries in all future budgets, are listed below: Abbitt, Albo, Athey, Bell, Byron, Carrico, Cline, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Griffith, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hogan, Hugo, Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Jones, S.C., Kilgore, Landes, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Loupassi, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., Massie, May, Merricks, Miller, J.H., Morgan, Nixon, Nutter, O'Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Peace, Pogge, Poindexter, Purkey, Putney, Saxman, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Suit, Tata, Ware, R.L., Wright, Mr. Speaker--54.
Please read today’s Virginian-Pilot editorial explaining what the Republican majority in the House is attempting to do to teacher salaries in Virginia. See link below: http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/house-quietly-retreats-quality-schools On the House Floor today, Delegate Kristen Amundsen presented a budget amendment to provide the teacher salary increase without gutting the Standards of Quality. Speaking against this amendment, Delegate Hamilton defended the efforts to abandon the manner in which our schools have been funded since 1971 when the current Constitution was adopted. Hamilton dismissed the two Attorneys General opinions which indicate that the House approach is unconstitutional by saying that everyone has an opinion. The Amundsen amendment was rejected and Item 142 #52h, referred to as the Errata amendment, was before the House. Hogan compared the Governor’s Introduced Budget to the Revised Budget to the House position and said that the House position had the most money for public education. He was amazed by the people who objected to the amendment and asked, “You want us to spend less money on education?” Fact check for Delegate Hogan: Basic Aid to Localities in Proposed Biennial Budget Bills Ken Plum, veteran educator and veteran delegate, asserted that the name for the amendment “errata” was appropriate because they were about to make a huge error. “We are taking historic action here,” he proclaimed. “This is the biggest assault on public education that I’ve ever seen in all my years here. Hundreds of millions of dollars for education funding is about to be reduced.” “The SOQ’s are fiction,” Plum continued. “The SOQ’s are to represent prevailing practice and they do not. And I hear the bragging in the halls of this Capitol about what we are able to do without raising taxes. This IS raising taxes, mark my word, but at the local level. We rank as well as we do because we depend on our localities to meet the market demand. The numbers speak for themselves. We rank 14th in income but 33rd in what we spend as a state government on education. We have a moral responsibility to meet education costs.” Albo inquired of Hamilton which of the budgets that Hogan referenced gave Fairfax the most money. Hamilton’s answer was a faint, “This one.” Before further discussion could take place, Lee Ware moved the pending question. The vote was 54-44. Republican Tom Rust and all Democrats voted right. Every Republican except Rust voted wrong. We must remember this vote in November of 2009! We can only hope that this amendment will be rejected by the Buget Conference Committee.
Your lobbyists are doing our best to move delegates to vote against Item 140 #45h in the House budget. Please call your delegates office ASAP. Capitol office phone numbers are available at: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView In addition, please send the message available on this web site: http://www.veaweteach.org/legislative_contact.asp We will post the vote on this item tomorrow. Please know that if a delegate votes for this item that he/she is voting to: 1. Take $72,443,157 from the salaries of school secretaries, teacher assistants and school level clerical workers in the coming biennium. 2. Take $420 million from state and local support for teacher salaries in the following and all subsequent biennia. 3. Fundamentally change the school funding formula that has been in place since we adopted the 1971 Constitution. 4. Ignore Attorney General’s opinions regarding what education funding is required by the Constitution. Someone who votes or this looks at the facts that Virginia is 33rd in the nation in per pupil state aid and 31st in teacher salary and says, “Let’s make our funding formula worse.” Tomorrow’s vote should be a major determining factor in whether or not you support your incumbent delegate in the next election, November 10, 2009. Tomorrow’s vote is one we should remember that November
It is crucial that we stop the attempt to eviscerate the Standards of Quality by adopting budget language that will drastically cut state support for support and teacher salaries. The House will vote on the Budget Bill (HB30) on Thursday. The House budget proposals are actually amendments to the budget bill introduced by the Governor, and the most damaging amendment is entitled Item 140 #45h. Please go to veanea.org and write your email now. Calls to Delegates on this item would be most helpful. The constituent hotline numbers are 800-889-0229 and 804-698-1990. We have assurances that this amendment will raise objections from the floor and will be pulled from the block for debate and a subsequent vote. It is imperative that you call your delegate asking him/her to vote against Item 140 #45h. Please let the secretaries, teacher assistants and clerical workers in your school know that Item 140 #45h takes $72,443,157 from salary support for their positions and uses it for school construction. Ain’t that nice? In other GA action today the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee considered the Homestead Amendment (HB11 and HJ4 Albo). The committee voted to 11-4 to report the bill. The full Senate will now consider these measures. Please call your Senator urging opposition to HB11 and HJ4. Please see numbers above.
Here is an attempt at some clarity regarding the House efforts to undermine school employee salaries in this and all future budgets:
The money committees (House Appropriations and Senate Finance) reported their budgets this afternoon. The teacher salary proposals (all inadequate) are as follows: House 2% beginning 12/1/08 and a hope for more in the second year. In regard to the incredible shrinking re-benchmarking of the SOQ we offer the following: Last year Chichester said $1.5 billion. That’s what we call NEW math! If all this wasn’t bad enough, the House proposes a change in the way the SOQ are funded in this budget for support personnel and in all future budgets for teachers as well. Remember we are 31st in teacher salaries. Our teachers are paid at a rate $6089 below the national average. That is under the existing methodology. The House wants to change the funding formula to make it worse! They want to include only state salary increases when calculating state support for salaries. For example, in 2005 the state gave no salary increase, but localities gave an average increase of 3.28%. Since the SOQ were developed in keeping with the provisions of the 1971 Constitution, the state has funded salaries based on prevailing practice. Attorney Generals have opined that this is what is required by the Constitution. February 1973 Attorney General (AG) Opinion 1983 AG Opinion What the House proposed today, if it is allowed to stand, will further erode woefully inadequate state support for teacher salaries. The impact in future budgets will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year. VEA will be providing a much more detailed budget analysis, but it appears that we have a real battle on our hands.
If you’ll allow a boxing analogy, the Governor let his guard fall a bit too low in regard to K-12 public education, and it resulted in some solid jabs from the opposition yesterday. House Appropriations Committee (HAC) Chairman Lacey Putney jabbed, “There is no doubt that Virginia’s current economic situation presents Governor Kaine and the legislature with difficult decisions on how to best allocate taxpayer funds. However, that is no excuse to decrease important funding for our local elementary and secondary schools.” Delegate Phil Hamilton HAC Vice-Chairman delivered a left hook, “Eliminating critical state support for our local school children so that the Governor can fund new and expanded programs is the wrong way to build a budget.” Delegate Clarke Hogan threw a straight, solid right, “With our local communities struggling to deal with budgets relying on property taxes, it is ill-advised and the Commonwealth can ill-afford to pull the carpet out from under our schools. Governor Kaine’s cuts would do just that.” The spectacle of the Republicans resisting Kaine’s cuts to education caused right-wing Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Bart Hinkle to entitle today’s column, “Republicans, Democrats Switch Sides Without Missing a Beat.” We will know on Sunday, when the House and Senate release their own budget bills, whether or not the Republican majority in the House will put your money where their mouths are. Regardless, the debate shines a light on the cuts to K-12 funding, something the public needs to know about. What will Virginians, who strongly support public education, think if the Republican House is more generous to public education than the Democratic Senate? We will offer a posting Sunday evening after the budgets are released. For now, please help stop the Homestead Amendment by calling your Senator urging opposition to “HJ 4 –Albo – Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation.” The last thing we need in this time when the state is cutting funds for education is a Constitutional Amendment allowing your locality to exempt 20% of residential housing from taxation. The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline numbers are (800) 889-0229 or (804) 698-1990.
Why is VEA so opposed to the Homestead Amendment? To find the answer one only needs to look at how we fund schools in Virginia. Where do your school funds come from? 7.3% Federal Funding 38.2% State Funding 54.5% Local Funding In only nine of the fifty states are schools more dependent on local revenue. The Homestead Exemption will erode local ability to fund our schools. Many share VEA’s concern that the Homestead Exemption, which allows local governments to exclude 20% of residential housing from taxation, will lead to diminished support for our schools. While we understand the desire to relieve home owners of their tax burden, we fear that those who call for the exemption will be equally vocal in resisting the rate increases needed to fund education and other core services of local government. Finally, the equity issues are alarming. Rental property is not eligible for the exemption, so an increased tax burden is shifted indirectly onto renters through higher rent. The rich, who own expensive homes, would enjoy much greater tax relief than those who live in more modest homes. Virginia’s top tax scholar, Dr. John Knapp, says, “… the amendment will exacerbate an already difficult time for local governments.” The Commonwealth Institute says, “Implementation of the homestead exemption option would result in decreased tax revenues collected by localities, thus threatening the quantity and quality of services that residents have come to expect and demand.” Editorial boards in major newspapers across the Commonwealth oppose the exemption. Please urge your Senator to oppose HB 11 and HJ 4. Please urge your Delegate to oppose SB 496. These Homestead Exemption Bills will do to your local budget what the car tax bill did to our state budget. If these bills pass, when all is said and done, both our state and local governments will be unable to provide needed support to our public schools.
Crossover is behind us, and we await Sunday’s reports from the money committees. That is when the House and Senate budget bills are revealed. VEA’s major challenge for the remainder of the session is working to resist cuts to education as policymakers trim the budget in reaction to declining revenue projections. Having said that, three VEA bills have survived beyond crossover. Please urge your delegate to support the following: SB 48 – Senator Whipple’s elementary planning time bill SB 267 – Senator Deed’s bill to make bringing Virginia’s teacher salary a goal of the Commonwealth SJ 55 – Senator Locke’s study of the teacher shortage We are yet to kill three bad bills. Please urge your Senators to oppose: Delegate Albo’s HB 11 & HJ 4 - The Homestead Amendment which allows your local government to exempt residential property from taxation and could weaken your locality’s ability to fund your school system HB 1164 – Delegate Saxman’s tuition-tax-credit bill SB 496 - Senator Northam's Homestead Exemption bill Thanks for checking in!
All knew that Tuesday’s news of Virginia’s Presidential primaries would dominate Wednesday’s front pages. The Governor chose this day to announce his budget cuts, including cuts to K-12 public education? Coincidence? Undoubtedly, the Governor did his best to spare K-12 given the constraints he perceives. But, given the fact that Virginians hold education to be the most important issue before the General Assembly, should he challenge the constraints that bind him? Is his decision the best one for Virginia’s children in the long run? At the Governor’s press conference revenue projections were downgraded. Anticipated increases in revenue were shaved substantially (2008: 3.3% to 1.2%, 2009: 3.3% to 2.3% and 2010: 6.7% to 6.8%). Total reductions for 2008-2010 biennium are $1.39 billion dollars. There will be no new revenues or tax increases according to the Governor. Thankfully, localities will be held harmless for both SOQ Payments and At-Risk funds to localities. Kaine is looking at a $420 million draw down from the Revenue Stabilization Fund (aka: Rainy Day Fund). There is a $20 million reduction in the Pre-K initiative. K-12 school construction funding will be cut by a total of $82.8 million a year. He calls for a 1% reduction in the proposed 2009-2010 salary increase for both state workers and school board employees unless revenue projections exceed expectations. In that case the 1% will be the first thing reinstated. The current recession reveals the truth – Virginia’s tax system is inadequate to support core services when the economy isn’t hot. A short history lesson. Gilmore blew a $1.8 billion hole in the budget when the car tax passed. Warner restored $1.4 billion in 2004. Since then we cut the sales tax on food ($.35 billion), abolished the estate tax ($.28 billion) and adopted the land preservation tax credit ($.4 billion). So, we’re $1.43 billion behind where we were when Gilmore was elected. Which raises the question – Should we be cutting funds to public education in this time of recession, or should we look at eliminating tax cuts such as the estate tax cut and the land preservation tax credits that so disproportionately favor the wealthy? Remember, Virginia is 33rd in the nation in per-pupil state support for public education. In GA action, HB1164 Saxman's Tuition Tax Credit Bill passed the House on a very interesting 50-48-1 vote. No party lines on this vote. Here is the vote: WRONG--Abbitt, Albo, Alexander, Athey, Bell, Byron, Cline, Cole, Cosgrove, Cox, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Hamilton, Hargrove, Hogan, Howell, A.T., Iaquinto, Ingram, Janis, Jones, S.C., Landes, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Loupassi, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., Massie, May, Merricks, Morgan, Morrissey, Nixon, O'Bannon, Oder, Orrock, Peace, Pogge, Poindexter, Purkey, Putney, Saxman, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Suit, Tata, Ware, R.L., Wright, Mr. Speaker--50.
The Senate voted to pass SB 48 today (37-0), on second reading, and one additional vote will be required to keep hope alive in regard to elementary planning time. In addition to that vote, another Senate hurdle remains. The bill has been amended to include the following line: “That the provisions of this act shall not become effective unless an appropriation of general funds effectuating the purposes of this act is included in a general appropriations act passed by the 2008 Session of the General Assembly, which becomes law.” Will need the final fiscal analysis of the cost of implementing the amended bill, and if funds are required, we’ll need to get them included in the Senate Budget. As the House companion (HB 1216) was tabled in House Appropriations, the Senate must act favorably. Please contact your Senator urging support for SB 48. The House debates bills on second reading, and Delegate Saxman’s Tuition Tax Credit bill (HB 1164) was on today’s “regular” calendar. Delegate Moran moved to amend the bill by adding, “No tax credit shall be approved by the department until Virginia’s teacher salary arrives at the national average.” Delegate Saxman spoke is support of the amendment. Delegate R. Marshall spoke against the amendment, alleging that public school teachers send their children to private schools. The Moran amendment was adopted. Delegate Armstrong offered a floor amendment requiring that the Standards of Quality be fully funded prior to enactment. This amendment was supported by Saxman, and it was adopted. As expected, this bill, again, passed the House on second reading. The recorded House vote will be taken tomorrow. Please call your delegate urging opposition to HB 1164. The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline is (800) 889-0229 or (804) 698-1990.
Delegate Chris Saxman’s HB 1164, his tuition tax credit bill which provides public money to private and home schools, was on first reading in the House today. It will be debated and voted in tomorrow’s Saturday session. Please call and email your delegate urging opposition to HB 1164. The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline number is (800) 889-0229 or (804) 698-1990. Telephone numbers of delegates are available at:
The Senate Committee on Rules took up Senator Y. Miller’s SJ 25, which is a resolution which would put the General Assembly on record as “recognizing the problems with and the implications of the ’65 percent solution.’” In short, the resolution points out that the 65% solution is 100% stupid. This bill was reported and we look forward to the debate on the Senate Floor and, hopefully, in the House. Also considered was Senator Reynold’s SB 306, which extends the work of the Commission on Civics Education until July 1, 2010. The depth of the Commonwealths economic downturn has dimmed the prospects for addressing the myriad of issues such as Pre-K, health care, salaries and VRS. It is becoming increasingly apparent that layoffs and cuts lie ahead. Unfortunately, we will be shifting our primary focus to sparing K-12, to the greatest extent possible, from the budget ax. Please continue to contact members of the Senate as SB 48, the elementary planning time bill will be before them on Monday.
Will elementary teachers finally be guaranteed planning time? The Senate Committee of Education and Health answered yes, as they reported Senator Whipple’s SB 48 this morning. The bill was then re-referred to the Senate Finance Committee. Please contact members of this committee supporting SB 48. SFC members are: Colgan (Chairman), Wampler, Stosch, Houck, Howell, Saslaw, Stolle, Quayle, Norment, Hanger, Watkins, Miller, Y.B., Marsh, Lucas, Whipple, Reynolds VEA ended up on the opposite side of Sally Davis, who represented the Prince William and Fairfax Federation of Teachers, in regard to Senator Barker’s SB 537. This bill would require that local school divisions establish policies regarding changing any grade given to a student on a report card. VEA worked with Senator Barker’s office to amend the bill to require that the teacher be consulted if a grade is to be changed. Barker included, but then abandoned this language. In absence of some language requiring that teachers be included in the deliberations of a grade change, VEA could not support the bill. The best line of the day goes to Senator Saslaw who said in response to the presentation of Senator Obenshain’s SB 542 – schools, public; abortions prohibited, “What you have here is a bill looking for a problem. No public schools provide abortions. You might as well have a bill saying that no student in Virginia will ride a rhinoceros to school.” In the evening meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, SB 48, the planning time bill was reported on a unamimous vote. The Homestead Amendment died on a tie. We dodged a bullet.
We need you to take urgent action. There is a Constitutional Amendment being considered by the Senate Finance Committee called the Homestead Exemption Amendment which, according to The Commonwealth Institute, “would result in decreased tax revenue collected by localities.” In Virginia 54.5% of the funding for our schools is local funds. Passage of the Homestead Amendment (SB 9 and SJ 6) will threaten this local funding. The Homestead Exemption Amendment would allow localities to exempt up to 20% of the value of a home from taxation. Wealthy individuals with million dollar homes would reap rich savings. John L. Knapp, senior economist at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service says, “the amendment will exacerbate an already difficult time for local governments.” The last chance to stop this bill is in the Senate. Please call your senator urging opposition to SB 9 and SJ 6. Senate phone numbers are available at: http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate+for+WMembershipHome?OpenForm Senate email addresses are available at: http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate%2Bfor%2BWEmailList?OpenForm
This afternoon’s docket for the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of House Appropriations was loaded with matters of concern to VEA. Here is a list of the measures considered and their disposal: Delegate Moran’s budget amendment to provide a 3% salary increase for teachers in the first year of the biennial budget (effective 7/1/08) was presented by the Delegate and, we hope it will be considered for inclusion in the committee’s report. Delegate Loupassi’s 65% delusion bill (HB 878) – Delegate Loupassi did not attend the meeting-- (this was his second opportunity to present and most sponsors only get one chance; interestingly he ran television ads during his campaign on this issue)--and Delegate Hamilton moved that this bill be carried over. Delegate Saxman’s Tuition Tax Credit bill (HB 1164) – The committee chairman noted that there was a letter from the Speaker on this bill. A delayed enactment clause was added. No testimony was allowed, no vote was recorded and the bill was reported. Delegate Tyler’s Planning Time bill (HB 1216) – The revised JLARC Fiscal Impact Statement was not ready in time for the meeting, so the bill was burdened with a cost that exceeds the real cost. Delegate Hogan moved to table the bill. Delegate Jim Scott questioned the inflated cost assigned to the bill. The bill was tabled with no recorded vote. Please note that Senator Whipple’s SB 28 is still alive on the Senate side – the issue is not dead.
Four hundred VEA Lobby Day Participants made their presence known today! The day was eventful. Please see the home page for coverage. The Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Public Education moved to report and re-refer SB 28, Senator Whipple’s Planning Time bill. We thank Senator Whipple! Please contact members of the full Senate Education and Health Committee urging support of SB 28. Senator Deeds’ National Average Teacher Salary bill, SB 267, passed the full Senate on a 36-4 vote, with only Stosch, Hanger, Hurt and Smith voting wrong. In House Education Delegate Pogge had her HB 1538, the Public School; Abortion Prohibited bill, passed by for the day, presumably to avoid debate when a crowd of VEA members filled House Room C. The bill has now been amended to address VEA’s concerns, but the offensive and misleading title remains. Early risers attended a 7:00 a.m. Transportation subcommittee to hear HB 1218 submitted by Delegate Bowling, which prohibits the use of wireless telecommunications devices on school buses. The bill was amended to exclude communication devices issued to the bus driver by the school system and was recommended to the full committee.
The Teacher and Administrative Action Subcommittee of the House Education Committee met Thursday evening, and took up one of the strangest pieces of legislation of the 2008 GA session, Delegate Pogge’s H.B. 1538 - Schools, public; abortion services prohibited. Readers of the bill might assume that abortions are provided in public schools – red meat for the rabid right bent on impugning the reputation of public education. The actual intent of the bill is to keep Planned Parenthood from giving presentations in public schools, no matter the subject or content. A consequence of the bill is that it would effectively prohibit school nurses and teachers from working part-time jobs in hospitals, doctors’ offices, or clinics that may provide or have provided abortion services, even if the abortion was performed to save the life of the mother. The bill was reported by the subcommittee and should be considered by the House Education Committee on Monday. Voting for the bill were Gilbert, Hamilton, Lingamfelter, Cole, Pogge and Loupassi. Voting against the bill were Ebbin, McClellan and Morrissey The Senate Committee on Rules reported S.J.R. 66, a resolution calling for a JLARC study of fiscal autonomy for elected school boards. This may be the first step in achieving this long held goal of VEA. Senator Deeds’ SB 267, which establishes achieving the national average teacher salary as a goal of the Commonwealth, will be the subject of debate and a final Senate vote on Monday. Please contact your Senator urging support for SB 267. Link to Senate phone numbers:
Link to Senate email addresses: http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate%2Bfor%2BWEmailList?OpenForm VEA’s Lobby Day is on Monday. Come if you can, and lobby by phone and email if you can’t. Have a great weekend!
The Wednesday evening meeting of the House Rules Committee Studies Subcommittee killed Delegate Riley Ingram’s teacher shortage study (HJR 70). Delegate Ingram was not discouraged and indicated he would bring the study resolution back in the next session. The subcommittee also killed HJR 161, Delegate Saxman’s study of a merit pay and bonus system for public school teachers. Please note that Senator Locke’s teacher shortage study SJR 55 is still alive. The battle is not lost on this issue. Your lobbyists devote considerable time working to amend legislation to prevent unintended consequences. This year there are numerous bills to keep child abusers out of our classrooms. This is a laudable goal; however, these bills would have given Child Protective Services the right to fire teachers with no due process. VEA attorney and lobby cadre member Milton Brown, has been working with legislators to fix these bills, to afford due process to the accused. This kind of work goes on every day at each General Assembly session. It is done quietly, effectively and behind the scenes. Virginia’s educators are all the better for our efforts, but few know this work is done. The buzz in the elevators and halls of the General Assembly Building is about the declining revenue projections resulting from the current economic downturn. It is widely expected that cuts, perhaps deep ones, will have to be made to the Governor’s proposed budget. We won’t know the scope of the revenue shortfall until January revenue numbers are reported and the amended revenue projections are offered in the days ahead. Thank you for checking the daily briefing. Please advise your colleagues to do the same.
When the House Education Committee convened this morning, we knew we had the votes to kill Delegate Carrico’s HB 375, which would have allowed home school and private school students to play on public school sports teams. We successfully made sure all the right votes were in the room, despite committee schedule conflicts. We thought the bill would die on a tie. The bill was passed by indefinitely (PBI) on a 12 to 9 vote, and it is dead. In the Senate Finance Committee this morning, Senator Deeds’ SB 267, the National Average Teacher Salary bill, was amended to make reaching the national average a goal and not a requirement. President Moss testified in support of the bill, pointing out the current standing of Virginia’s teachers. The bill was reported as amended. Only Stosch and Hanger voted against reporting the amended bill. Also heard was Senator McEachin’s bill to expand the Retiree Health Care Credit to include support personnel. This bill was carried over and referred to the General Government Compensation Subcommittee. Senator Houck recognized the current inequities and the merits of the bill, but expressed frustration regarding the current budgetary constraints. Senator Deeds’ SB 260, which would have increased the retiree health care credit from $4 per year of service to $6, was amended to include teachers and referred to the General Government Compensation Subcommittee. Delegate Saxman’s HB 1164 was on second reading in the House today, and we expected floor debate. However, the bill was re-referred to House Appropriations. Please continue to call you delegate urging opposition to this tuition tax credit bill.
On Monday evening, SB 48, the planning time bill, was carried over for the week in the Public Education Subcommittee of Senate Education and Health. It appears that this bill will be amended to provide an average of thirty minutes per day of planning time for elementary teachers. This would be an improvement, as there is currently no requirement for elementary teachers to have planning time. Planning time for middle and high school teachers is required by the Standards of Accreditation. Senator Herrings 2% VRS multiplier bill died this morning in the Senate Finance Committee for lack of a motion. The combination of declining revenue projections and the bill’s huge fiscal impact ($493,274,000 for 2008-09) doomed the bill. Thanks to Senator Herring, we did have the opportunity to avail the committee of Virginia’s relatively low standing among states both in terms of the multiplier and the resulting replacement income provided by VRS in retirement. Among the 16 Southern Region Education Board States (SREB), Virginia ranks 14th. Delegate Saxman’s HB 1164, his perennial Tuition Tax Credit bill, which provides public money to private schools, is on first reading in the House today. The bill will be debated on Wednesday. Please call your Delegate urging opposition to HB 1164. The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline number is (800) 889-0229 or (804) 698-1990.
Legislation was moving quickly before the first cup of coffee was downed in Richmond today. Delegate Chris Saxman’s HB1164, a tuition tax credit bill that sacrifices public school funding for private school tuitions, was reported from the House Finance committee this morning. The 10-6 vote was along party lines, with six Democrats opposing the bill. This bill is headed for a floor vote in the House in the days ahead, so please call your delegate urging opposition to HB 1164. As suspected, Delegate Cole moved that HB 375 be reconsidered in House Education today. This bill allows home-schooled and private-schooled students to play on public school sports teams. The motion to reconsider came at a time when many of the bills opponents were out of the room, and it easily passed. As the bill was not on today’s docket, no action could be taken today, so it will probably be heard on Wednesday. The vote count on the committee is 11-11. The bill does not advance on a tie, so our challenge is to make sure that all committee members are present for the vote. The passage of the Elementary Planning Time bills (SB 48 and HB 1216) has been imperiled by the release of a very faulty analysis of the cost of implementing the bills. House Education Committee Chairman Bob Tata is asking JLARC (Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission) to take another look. We thank Chairman Tata for his effort to pull these bills from the fire.
The Teacher and Administrative Action Subcommittee of House Education considered Delegate Tyler’s HB 1216 Thursday evening. Tyler ably presented her bill and Delegate Shuler championed the cause. Tyler explained that in its amended form the bill would ensure that elementary teachers would have at least three hours of planning time per week. Middle and high school teachers are now guaranteed planning time by the Standards of Accreditation. Delegate Shuler characterized the job of the teacher as being extremely stressful and asserted that this bill would enable teachers to work more effectively. Delegate Hamilton amended the bill to require 30 minutes per day of planning time and moved to refer the bill to the House Appropriations Committee to ascertain the fiscal impact of the bill. Delegates Schuler and McClellan resisted the amendment, but Hamilton’s amendment was adopted. VEA contends that there is no fiscal impact. The bill was reported and re-referred to the House Appropriations Committee. Please contact members of the House Appropriations Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education urging passage of HB 1216. Subcommittee members are: Tata (Chairman), Hamilton, Sherwood, Cox, Hogan, Scott, J.M., Joannou, BaCote The Senate Rules Committee reported Senator Locke’s SJR 55, the teacher shortage study. The committee rolled Senator Northam’s SJR 79, a study of the feasibility of creating a dedicated revenue stream for teacher salaries, into Locke’s measure. The action of the committee moves us a step closer to addressing Virginia’s teacher shortage. Have you signed onto the www.fundqualityschools.org
petition? If not, please go to this site today an take action to gain sufficient funds for our schools.
Lois Stanton, President of the Chesterfield Education Association, stood in for President Moss today at the meeting of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Education. Lois joined leaders from the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents to provide organizational perspectives on Governor Kaine’s proposed budget. Stanton asserted, “Let’s be specific about the status of teacher salaries in Virginia. Between the 02-03 and 06-07 school years, Virginia’s ranking among the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states fell from 4th to 7th. Our national ranking has fallen to 31st. While teachers in our nation make 88 cents for every dollar of those in comparable occupations, in Virginia the figure is 82.8 cents for every dollar. The national average teacher salary exceeds the Virginia average by $6,089 dollars. In the last eleven years, only once did the average increase in per capita income of the average Virginian fail to far exceed the average increase in teacher salary.” Lois said, “Without funding support and guidance from the state, salaries of Virginia teachers will continue to lag behind in the region and the marketplace. We all pay the price. Research consistently shows that the most important factor in student achievement is teacher quality. And, yet, we have risen to these challenges and provided high-quality instruction to the children of Virginia. Teachers deserve to be recognized for the success they have achieved.”
For the second year in a row, Delegate Moran’s HB92, a bill requiring that Virginia average teachers salary not be less than the national average, failed to report from the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. But, what was different this year is that we did get an honest vote. No votes: Tata (Chairman), Hamilton, Sherwood, Cox, Hogan, Joannou Yes votes: J. M. Scott and BaCote Delegate Moran did an excellent job of presenting the bill, and we owe him our thanks for swimming upstream on our behalf. Chairman Tata acknowledged that something needs to be done regarding the salary issue, and VEA continues to work with him on the salary issue. Senator Deeds SB 267, another national average salary bill, is still alive in the Senate Finance Committee. The House Education meeting this morning got off to a most interesting start. The first bill taken up was HB 375, the bill to allow home schooled students to play on public school sports teams. (Funny how no one suggests that you shouldn’t have to attend UVA to play sports there.) Many of the proponents of the bill were not in the room when debate began. We hoped for short debate and a quick vote. When the vote was taken it failed to report on a tie vote, so the bill is still in the committee. Here is the unofficial vote taken in the committee: Yes: Landes, Fralin, Gilbert, Athey, Pogge. Loupassi, Morrisey No: Tata, Hamilton, Alexander, Ebbin, O. Ware, McClellan, Tyler Absent at the time of the vote were: Lingamfelter, Rust, Cole, Janis, Masssie, Shuler, Shannon and Bulova. Those absent can later record their votes, but it cannot change the outcome of the vote. The bill is still in the committee. It can be reconsidered, but the motion must come from someone who voted on the prevailing side (No). Delegate Cole recorded his vote as a “No” even though he would have voted “Yes.” He may have done this to allow him to make a motion to reconsider the vote in a future meeting. Here is the final vote: YEAS--Landes, Fralin, Gilbert, Janis, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Loupassi, Morrissey--9. NAYS--Tata, Hamilton, Rust, Cole, Shuler, Alexander, Ebbin, Ware, O., Shannon, McClellan, Tyler, Bulova--12. ABSTENTIONS--0. NOT VOTING--Lingamfelter--1. VEA opposes this bill, and the committee vote is going to be very close. It takes a majority to advance the bill, so we can stop the bill with eleven “No” votes. The Home School organizations are working this bill hard. They are focused. We need you to email or call members of the House Education Committee urging opposition to HB 375. Telephone numbers of delegates are available at: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView Email addresses of delegates are available at: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteEL?OpenView Talking points are: Public school students have to maintain their grades, attendance record and good behavior to play sports. Home schools students would have no such requirements. If a home schooled students is put on the team a public school student is pushed off the team. Will we do the same for higher education? Why should an athlete have to attend UVA to play UVA football? They are called interscholastic sports (existing or carried on between schools) for a reason.
Interestingly, Public Education is the most important issue to Virginians, according to a new Christopher Newport University poll. Forty-seven percent of Democrats said it was their top issue. Forty-three percent of independents named it as top, and for Republicans Public Education came in second to Illegal Immigration. For all Virginians, forty percent identified Public Education as most important with Health Care coming in second with twenty-nine percent. Speaking of Public Education, the House Education Students and Daycare Subcommittee voted to report HB 375, a bill allowing home schooled students to play on public school sports teams, yesterday evening. This bill now goes to the full Education Committee. Please contact committee members urging opposition. Committee members are: Tata (Chairman), Hamilton, Landes, Lingamfelter, Rust, Fralin, Cole, Gilbert, Janis, Athey, Pogge, Massie, Loupassi, Shuler, Alexander, Ebbin, Ware, O., Shannon, McClellan, Tyler, Bulova, Morrissey The Constituent Viewpoint Hotline number is 800-889-0229 or 804-698-1990. We’ve looked at how far we have fallen from the national average teacher salary in terms of ranking (31st), dollar gap ($6,089) but when the Fiscal impact statement for Delegate Moran’s HB 92 was issued, we saw how much it would take to bring Virginia’s teachers to the national average next year ($426.8 million). Virginia keeps falling farther and farther behind with each passing year. How can the Governor and the General Assembly keep turning their heads, when Virginia is the 7th wealthiest state in the nation and when Virginians think public education is the most important issue?
The Senate Education and Health Committee’s Subcommittee on Public Education met Monday afternoon with plans to take up Senator Whipple’s S.B. 48, a bill to require that all teachers be provided at least three hours of planning time each week. The bill went by for the day, as work continues to fashion a bill that both has a chance of passage and ensures that all teachers have planning time. As you may recall, high and middle schools are provided planning time by the standards of accreditation. Elementary teachers do not benefit from such provisions. Our goal in unencumbered and self-directed planning time for all, but we may have to settle for gaining the same protection for elementary teachers now enjoyed by middle and high school teachers. We can try to take it farther next year. Here is the language in the bill now being considered by the committee. § 22.1-291.1. Planning time for school teachers. Each school board shall seek to ensure that all elementary school teachers in its employment are provided at least three hours during the students' school week as planning time. As you can see, the law would go from “seeking” to ensure to ensuring planning time for elementary teachers. We have a chance of winning this battle this year, but we need your help. Contact committee members (Blevins (Chairman), Howell, Ruff, Locke, Miller, J.C. ) urging them to support SB 48. Senators contact information is available at: http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate+for+WMembershipHome?OpenForm http://sov.state.va.us/SenatorDB.nsf/$$Viewtemplate%2Bfor%2BWEmailList?OpenForm
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