H.B. 1440 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 1440
By: Eissler
Public Education
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

Under current law all teachers must undergo an appraisal every year. There
is no flexibility that would permit an administrator to reduce the
frequency of appraisals for a teacher with a history of satisfactory or
better performance, and who has no identified areas of performance
deficiency. The current requirements for annual appraisals are essentially
vestigial, having resulted from repealed statutes regarding the career
ladder and a  repealed provision requiring a local board of trustees to
consider a teacher's annual appraisal prior to sending a teacher notice of
proposed nonrenewal.    
 

PURPOSE

House Bill 1440 provides for a permissive exemption to the annual
appraisal requirement if the campus administrator chooses to perform
appraisals for an eligible teacher less frequently than annually and the
teacher agrees in writing.  


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 


ANALYSIS

House Bill 1440 amends the Education Code to permit  an exception to
current law which states that a teacher must undergo an appraisal once a
year.  This exception permits a teacher whose previous evaluation was
satisfactory to be appraised less frequently.   

This change applies to the 2003-2004 school year.


EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003.