BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1140
81R8355 CAE-D By: Shapiro
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Each year, an elementary teacher and a secondary teacher from each of the 20 education service center regions are selected as regional teachers of the year. These teachers are honored at a ceremony, but their expertise is not utilized at the regional level to inform the practices of the service centers that directly affect educators. Teachers are currently prohibited from serving as members of regional education service center boards of directors. Since one of the primary statutory purposes of the regional education service centers is to assist school districts in improving student performance, the insight of teachers recognized for their excellence in the classroom would be beneficial in planning professional development and other programming to meet that goal. This bill enables regional teachers of the year to serve as voices for all teachers in shaping the direction of the regional education service centers.
As proposed, S.B. 1140 requires the commissioner of education to adopt rules providing for the local selection, appointment, and continuity of membership of regional education service center boards of directors and entitle regional teachers of the year to serve as nonvoting members of the regional education service center boards of directors.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority previously granted to the commissioner of education is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 8.003, Education Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 8.003(b), Education Code, to require the commissioner of education to adopt rules to provide for the local selection, appointment, and continuity of membership of regional education service center boards of directors. Requires that the rules entitle a teacher who is selected as a regional teacher of the year under a program adopted by the Texas Education Agency to serve as a nonvoting member of the board of directors for that region.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.