BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 493
79R5262 PAM-F By: Van de Putte
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Documentation is a necessary component vital to the effective oversight and continued improvement of our schools. However, excessive reports and paperwork should not be required at the expense of time spent on our children's education. When a teacher is required to spend long hours filling out forms rather than preparing for class, it is at the cost of teaching our students. While there are currently provisions at the local level to limit teacher paperwork, there is no state law relating to the amount of paperwork required of school districts by the Texas Education Agency. As proposed, S.B. 493 requires the commissioner of education to annually review and reduce written reports and paperwork required of a school district by the agency. It also directs the commissioner to adopt a policy to limit reports and other paperwork that a principal or classroom teacher may be required to complete.
Current law directs local districts to limit paperwork for teachers, but there is no enforcement and no penalty for not reducing paperwork. This bill would amend Section 39.075 of the Education Code to include repeated complaints against excessive paperwork as an impetus for a special accreditation investigation authorized by the commissioner.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 7, Education Code, by adding Section 7.060, as follows:
Sec. 7.060. REDUCING PAPERWORK. Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to annually review and, to the greatest extent practicable, to reduce written reports and other paperwork required of a school district by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Requires the commissioner to adopt a policy that limits written reports and other paperwork that a principal or classroom teacher may be required to complete.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 39.075(a), Education Code, to require the commissioner to authorize special accreditation investigations to be conducted in response to repeated complaints submitted to TEA concerning imposition of excessive paperwork requirements on classroom teachers. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 3. Makes the application of Section 39.075(a), as amended by the Act, prospective to the 2005-2006 school year.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.