MINUTES OF THE meeting
of the
ASSEMBLY Subcommittee on Education
Seventy-First Session
March 30, 2001
The Subcommittee on Educationwas called to order at 7:30 a.m., on Friday, March 30, 2001. Chairman Debbie Smith presided in Room 4100 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada. Exhibit A is the Agenda. Exhibit B is the Guest List. All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mrs. Debbie Smith, Chairwoman
Mr. Mark Manendo
Ms. Kathy Von Tobel
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Susan Scholley, Committee Policy Analyst
Linda Corbett, Committee Manager
Mary Drake, Committee Secretary
OTHERS PRESENT:
Debbie Cahill, Representative, Nevada State Education Association
Dr. Dotty Merrill, Legislative Representative, Washoe County School District
Dr. Craig Kadlub, Legislative Representative, Clark County School District
Frank Brusa, Representative, Nevada Association of School Administrators
Assembly Bill 297: Makes various changes regarding public schools and educational personnel. (BDR 34-297)
Chairwoman Smith stated for the record that all subcommittee members were present. She then opened the subcommittee hearing on A.B. 297 and asked Debbie Cahill with Nevada State Education Association (NSEA) and Dr. Dotty Merrill with the Washoe County School District to come forward and present their testimony.
Ms. Cahill said that after the subcommittee hearing on March 27, she experienced some concerns over two sections of the amendments she had initially agreed upon at the meeting. She reviewed the amendment language with NSEA attorney Jim Penrose, who also expressed concerns. Rather then trying to fix some of the new proposed language in A.B. 297, his recommendation was for the subcommittee to go back to the current language in statute. Ms. Cahill said she then reviewed the new proposed amendments with Dr. Merrill, representatives of the Washoe County School District, Lonnie Shields with the Washoe County Employees Association, and Lucille Lusk with Nevada Concerned Citizens. Ms. Cahill affirmed all the parties were in agreement to the new amendments. She said Clark County School District representatives would present the new language to the subcommittee, ask the subcommittee to rescind the action from the last subcommittee meeting, substitute the new amendment language in its place, and forward the amendments to the Assembly Committee on Education.
Chairwoman Smith indicated she wanted to hear all the testimony to assure all parties were comfortable with the proposals before taking action. She asked Dr. Craig Kadlub, Legislative Representative for the Clark County School District, to make the presentation for the Clark County School District.
Dr. Kadlub then read the amendments into the record (Exhibit C). In Section 5, subsection 3, the amended language now read as follows: “An administrator charged with the evaluation of a probationary teacher shall personally observe the performance of the teacher in the classroom for a minimum of a cumulative total of 60 minutes, with at least one observation being no less than 45 minutes, during each evaluation period.”
Section 5, subsection 5 now read: “An administrator charged with the evaluation of a post-probationary teacher shall personally observe the performance of the teacher in the classroom for a minimum of a cumulative total of 60 minutes, with at least one observation being no less than 30 minutes, during each evaluation period.”
Dr. Kadlub said in Section 5, there was agreement to keep the existing statutory language. In Section 5, subsection 6(b), there was agreement, again, to keep the existing statutory language other than (c). In Section 5, subsection 7, there was, again, no new language. The same applied to Section 6, subsection 1(b), with the exception of a couple of date changes.
Chairwoman Smith then recapped the amendments for the record. The first two subsections would stay with what was approved at the subcommittee meeting on March 27. The other sections reverted back to the original statutory language. She then asked the subcommittee members to make all the comparisons before taking questions.
Chairwoman Smith then said she wanted to clarify that on page 6, subsection (c), lines 1 to 3, the original amended bill language stayed in. That language read: “Include a statement by the administrator who evaluated the teacher indicating the amount of time that the administrator personally observed the performance of the teacher in the classroom.” Ms. Cahill confirmed that was correct; that section referenced the new language dealing with the time period for the observation. All parties agreed it was appropriate to keep that language in.
Ms. Von Tobel asked for confirmation that the language on page 7, lines 21 to 24 would not change. Ms. Cahill confirmed that was correct.
Chairwoman Smith asked if there were any further comments. Dr. Merrill said the Washoe County School District was in agreement with the proposed revised amendments as presented by Ms. Cahill. Mr. Frank Brusa with the Nevada Association of School Administrators said they supported the new language. Chairwoman Smith said she wanted it stated for the record that everyone was in agreement with the new language. She then asked for a motion to rescind.
ASSEMBLYWOMAN VON TOBEL MOVED TO RESCIND THE PRIOR ACTION BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE REGARDING A.B. 297.
ASSEMBLYMAN MANENDO SECONDED THE MOTION.
THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
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Chairwoman Smith said she would entertain a new motion.
ASSEMBLYWOMAN VON TOBEL MOVED TO AMEND AND REREFER A.B. 297 TO THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS.
ASSEMBLYMAN MANENDO SECONDED THE MOTION
THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
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Vice Chairwoman Smith adjourned the subcommittee meeting at 7.43 a.m.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:
Mary Drake
Committee Secretary
APPROVED BY:
Assemblyman Wendell Williams, Chairman
DATE: