SRC-TAG S.B. 13 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 13
78R6372 CAS-FBy: Zaffirini
Education
3/27/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Texas lacks laws to regulate the amount of time a teacher
spends on paperwork.  Some believe that restricting the amount of required
written information would  permit teachers to spend more time on teaching
students at  public schools.  As proposed, S.B. 13 limits the amount of
paperwork that can be required of public school classroom teachers.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 11.164, Education Code, as follows:

Sec.  11.164.  New heading: RESTRICTING WRITTEN INFORMATION.  (a)
Requires the board of trustees of each school district (board) to limit
redundant requests for information, rather than soliciting recommendations
from each campus-level committee and the district-level committee and the
district-level committee, and the number and length of written reports
that a classroom teacher is, rather than employees of the district are,
required to prepare.  Prohibits a classroom teacher from being required to
prepare any  information, other than under certain circumstances,  except
as provided by Subsection (b). 

(b)  Requires the board to review paperwork requirements imposed on
classroom teachers and to transfer to existing noninstructional staff a
reporting task that can reasonably be accomplished by that staff. 

(c)  Provides that this section does not preclude a school district from
collecting essential information, in addition to information specified
under Subsection (a), from a classroom teacher if participation is agreed
to by the teacher and the school district. 

SECTION 2.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004
school year. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.