BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 493
79R9339 SLO-F By: Van de Putte
Committee Report (Substituted)
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 students' 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 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 (TEA). C.S.S.B. 493 requires the commissioner of education at least once each even-numbered year to review and reduce written reports and paperwork required of a school district by TEA. It also directs the commissioner to adopt a policy to limit reports and other paperwork that a principal or classroom teacher may be required by TEA to complete.
Current law directs local districts to limit paperwork for teachers, but there is no enforcement mechanism 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 at least once each even-numbered year review and, to the greatest extent practicable, 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, Education Code, by adding Subsection (b-1), to provide that the commissioner may authorize special accreditation investigations to be conducted in response to repeated complaints submitted to the TEA concerning imposition of excessive paperwork requirements on classroom teachers.
SECTION 3. Makes the application of Section 39.075(b-1), as amended by this Act, prospective to the 2005-2006 school year.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.