Friday, May 16, 2008
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Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB60: School divisions, local; requires 65% of each education dollar to be spent in classroom, report.
Chief Patron
Del.
Jeff Frederick (R-52)
Jeff Frederick
(R-52)
Woodbridge, VA
Served: 2004–
Progress
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Introduced |
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Passed Committee |
 |
Passed House |
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Passed Senate |
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Signed by Governor |
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Became Law |
Status
02/12/2008: Failed to Pass in Committee
Summary
Require 65% of each education dollar be spent in the classroom. Requires each local school division to allocate 65% of its operating budget to instructional spending. Local school boards must report annually to the Board of Education the percentage of their operating budgets allocated to instructional spending. Any school division that fails to meet the 65 percent requirement must present a plan to the Board of Education to increase instructional spending by 0.5% in the following year. School divisions failing to submit such a plan must be audited by the Auditor of Public Accounts who in turn must submit recommendations to the Board including instruction on how such school divisions can increase their instructional spending to 65%. In addition, the Board must annually report to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations the amount of spending allocated by the local school divisions to instructional spending based on the reports submitted annually by the local school boards.
View Full Text »Video
Votes were cast on this bill on the following dates for which Richmond Sunlight has video: 02/12/2008.
Photosynthesis
This bill is being tracked by VCU School of Social Work, Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, Pete F., Buddy B., VSBA, spotter, VA A., Liz S., Thomas, Brian W., Words for Kids, Don R., Englin Consulting, LLC, Lisa ., Al H., Instruction and Scott W.
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Bill Text
Related Bills
Status: in subcommittee
Status: In Committee
Status: Failed to Pass in Committee
Status: signed by governor
Status: Failed to Pass in Committee
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Comments
I thought conservatives supported less government, not more. The overwhelming majority of funding for education comes from local tax dollars. Richmond has no business exerting this sort of power over local spending.
I also think this is unnecessary legislation. Our Superintendent's budget request for FY2009 invests 75% of our operational expenses directly in classroom instruction. The General Assembly should focus on rebenchmarking the SOQs and fully funding the state's portion. Currently, the SOQs (the minimal state standards), are only partially funded. For example, state funding for our English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) students is about $1.3 million below what we are mandated to provide.
Brian Wheeler, At-Large Member, Albemarle County School Board
The legislation increases the regulations applied to our schools that are already having to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind program. Rather than requiring our schools to write another report, let's let the teachers teach our students to write.
No Child Left Behind.....tons of paperwork for our teachers. Our children - professional test takers.
Math Investigations.......loss of teaching time due to the kids wanting to play with the blocks. Of course kids will be kids and want to play. Blocks do not teach factual and functional math skill. Oh yea, more weekly and monthly paperwork for our already overwork teachers.
HB60 - More paperwork, forcing our schools to prove they need student/teacher/admin services through reports and hearings. A loss of bus transporation services, caferteria services, loss of admin support and many other services to our students and teachers.........big brother is in control - 1984 is alive and well in the 21st century.
Its time to remove the politicans and their laws from our classrooms. The only thing these federal and state laws impose to do is create generations of test takers.
Its now time to teach our students the basics such as math, reading, writing, creativity, art, music, thinking skills...just to name a few topics important to our childrens learning process.
VEA Opposed
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