By Flores                                        H.B. No. 938

      75R4520 ESH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to planning and preparation time for public school

 1-3     teachers.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 21.404, Education Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 21.404.  PLANNING AND PREPARATION TIME.  (a)  Each

 1-8     classroom teacher is entitled to at least 450 minutes within each

 1-9     two-week period for instructional preparation, including

1-10     parent-teacher conferences, evaluating students' work, and

1-11     planning.  Unless the teacher agrees otherwise:

1-12                 (1)  a [A] planning and preparation period under this

1-13     section may not be less than 45 minutes within the instructional

1-14     day; and

1-15                 (2)  the teacher is entitled to a planning and

1-16     preparation period each day.

1-17           (b)  During a planning and preparation period, a classroom

1-18     teacher may not be required to participate in any other activity.

1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 1997-1998

1-20     school year.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-2     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-3     passage, and it is so enacted.