Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock, Chair, House Committee on Public Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1373 by Giddings (Relating to the assignment of a public school student to an inexperienced or uncertified teacher.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Education Code related to the assignment of a public school student to an inexperienced or uncertified teacher. The bill would prohibit a student in first through sixth grade from being assigned for two consecutive school years to a teacher who had less than one year of teaching experience or did not hold an appropriate certificate. A student's parent and a school counselor or administrator could agree to a teacher assignment that did not meet the assignment provision. In addition, the assignment provision would not apply to the first year that a student transferred to a school district or if the teacher is teaching outside of the foundation curriculum.
The bill would allow the commissioner of education to waive these provisions in extreme circumstances and adopt necessary rules.
The bill would apply only to a school district with an enrollment of 5,000 or more students.
The bill would take effect on September 1, 2015, or immediately if passed with the necessary voting margins, and apply beginning in school year 2015-16.
Based on the analysis of the Texas Education Agency, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing the provisions of the bill could be accomplished by utilizing existing resources.
Local Government Impact
Approximately 175 school districts have an enrollment of 5,000 or more students and would be subject to the bill's assignment provisions. Administrative costs to implement the assignment provisions would vary from district to district and would depend in part on how many teachers in the district had less than one year of experience or did not hold appropriate certification that were teaching the foundation curriculum.