HB2711 HFAT ESPINOSA 4-8

            Delegate Espinosa moves to amend the bill on page one by striking the title of the bill and inserting in lieu thereof a new title to read as follows:

A Bill to repeal §18-2-26a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18-2-26 of said code; to amend and reenact §18-2E-1a and §18-2E-5 of said code; to amend and reenact §18-5-13 and §18-5-45 of said code; to further amend said code by adding thereto two new sections designated §18-5-13b and §18-5-13c; to amend and reenact §18-5A-5 of said code; to amend and reenact §18-9A-8a of said code; and to amend and reenact §18A-4-14 of said code, all relating generally to education; repealing requirement for biennial meetings of county boards by region; providing for dissolving regional educational service agencies by certain date; allowing for modification and dissolving by cooperative agreement before said date; providing for the transfer, liquidation or disbursement of property and records; requiring state board to constructively engage with the legislative oversight commission on education accountability prior to adopting certain standards and prior to adoption of a new statewide summative assessment; requiring certain state board actions before full implementation of a new accountability system; modifying state board prohibitions and duties as part of its on-going responsibility for developing and implementing a program of standards, assessments and a program of accountability; clarifying responsibilities and authority of Legislature and state board with respect to process for improving education and purposes and intent of system of accountability; modifying areas for which the state board is required to adopt high-quality education standards; modifying statewide assessment program; modifying annual performance measures for accreditation; requiring county board use of statewide electronic information system; modifying process for assessing school and school system performance; eliminating office of education performance audits and authorizing employment of experienced education professionals with certain duties; modifying school accreditation and removing authorization for state board intervention in school operations; modifying school system approval and processes for state board intervention; modifying processes for improving capacity; modifying process for building leadership capacity of system during intervention; expanding county board authority for entering into cooperative agreements; establishing the County Superintendents’ Advisory Council; setting forth the council’s authority and responsibilities, including the formation of four geographic quadrants to carry out the work of the council; requiring certain meetings and reports; authorizing county board agreements to establish educational services cooperatives; providing references to regional education service agencies mean cooperatives; providing priorities for transfer, liquidation and disbursement of regional education service agency property, equipment and records upon dissolution; providing for governing council of educational services cooperatives; providing for powers and duties; providing for cooperative annual plan and optional programs and services; providing for selection of fiscal agent county board and annual audit; providing for staff and member expenses; providing for member compensation; defining minimum length of instructional day; defining instruction delivered through alternative methods; allowing equivalent instructional time alternative to one hundred eighty separate instructional days; authorizing county board to increase length of instructional day by certain amount and use instructional time gained for certain purposes; authorizing delivery of instruction through alternative methods upon plan approved by state board and counting as instructional and employment days; designating one noninstructional day for teachers as a preparation day for opening school and another for teachers as a preparation day for closing school; allowing teacher preparation days to be used for certain other purposes at teacher’s discretion; increasing number of two-hour blocks for faculty senate meetings from four to six; removing requirement that faculty senate meetings be held once every forty-five days; modifying requirement for rescheduling days to be used for instruction to reflect instructional time gained by lengthening instructional day; exempting certain days from rescheduling when instructional day lengthened; authorizing decrease of instructional term in county subject to emergency or disaster declaration by Governor; reducing foundation allowance for regional education service agencies; removing requirement for planning period to be within instructional day; requiring educators to receive uninterrupted time for planning periods each day; prohibiting administrators from requiring a teacher to use the planning period time to complete duties beyond instructional planning; and making technical improvements and removing obsolete provisions.