Honorable Larry Taylor, Chair, Senate Committee on Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB972 by Giddings (Relating to the assignment of a public school student to an uncertified teacher.), As Engrossed
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Education Code to prohibit a public school 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 and who 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, 2017, or immediately if passed with the necessary voting margins, and apply beginning in school year 2017-18.
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
During the 2016-17 school year, 179 school districts school districts had an enrollment of 5,000 or more students and would have been subject to the bill's assignment provisions. A school district could receive a waiver from the Commissioner of Education upon a finding of extreme circumstances within the district. However, the conditions under which such waivers would be approved are unknown. Administrative costs to implement the assignment provisions would vary from district to district and would depend on how many teachers in the district had less than one year of experience and did not hold appropriate certification that were teaching the foundation curriculum.