BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3563
85R12874 GCB-F	By: Koop (Taylor, Van)
	Education
	5/5/2017
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Before 2015, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) required parental notification regarding the professional qualifications of a student's teacher. At the time, state law required that school districts furnish a similar notice regarding teacher qualifications, unless they were already providing a notice required by NCLB. In 2015, Congress approved the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), replacing NCLB. Like NCLB, ESSA requires that school districts notify parents of their students' teachers' qualifications.

 

Interested parties observe that while state law exempted districts from providing notice if they already furnished notice required by NCLB, they are not exempt from providing similar notice if they are already providing the notice required by ESSA. Consequently, interested parties observe that due to the lack of updates in state law, school districts must now furnish two notices to parents regarding teacher qualifications: one required by state law, the other mandated by ESSA. H.B. 3563 replaces references to NCLB with references to ESSA. This change updates the parental notification statute to reflect contemporary federal law and eliminate the need for districts to provide parents with two notifications regarding teacher qualifications.

 

H.B. 3563 amends current law relating to parental notification regarding public school teacher qualifications.

 

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 21.057(e), Education Code, as follows:

 

(e) Provides that this section (Parental Notification) does not apply if a school is required in accordance with Section 1006, Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6312(e)(1)(B)(ii)), to provide notice to a parent or guardian regarding a teacher who does not meet certification requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher is assigned, provided the school provides notice as required by that Act. Deletes existing text providing that this section does not apply if a school is required in accordance with Section 1111(h)(6)(B)(ii), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section 6311), and its subsequent amendments, to provide notice to a parent or guardian regarding a teacher who is not highly qualified.�

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.