Next Thursday (January 4), the Assembly Committee on Education, chaired by Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), will meet at the Capitol to hold a public hearing and an executive session. In the public hearing, the committee will hear testimony on a number of bills that would impact public school districts. Topics to be covered include glucagon rescue therapies in schools, access to school grounds for federal youth organizations, a mandate to comply with requests to review curriculum and instructional materials, and two bills on teacher licensing.
During the executive session the committee will vote on two bills relating to sexual misconduct against a pupil, and applications for full-time open enrollment. Read below for the full committee agenda and more information on each of the bills before the committee.
Public Hearing
Assembly Bill 450 — Relating to: ready-to-use glucagon rescue therapies in schools.
By Representative Moses; cosponsored by Senator James
“This bill allows physicians, advanced practice nurse prescribers, and physician assistants to provide prescriptions and standing orders for glucagon rescue therapies for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia to public, private, and tribal schools. Under the bill, the governing body of a school may maintain a supply of a glucagon rescue therapy. The governing body of a school may authorize school personnel to administer the glucagon rescue therapy to a pupil on school premises or at a school-sponsored activity if the pupil’s prescribed glucagon is not available on-site or has expired. The bill requires the school personnel to report the administration of the glucagon rescue therapy as soon as practicable to an emergency medical service provider, to the school nurse if the school nurse did not administer the glucagon rescue therapy, to the pupil’s parent, guardian, or emergency contact, if known, and to the pupil’s health care provider, if known. Under the bill, a school and its school personnel, and a physician, an advanced practice nurse prescriber, or a physician assistant who provides a prescription or standing order to a school for a glucagon rescue therapy are not liable for any injury that results from the administration of the glucagon rescue therapy unless the injury is the result of an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.”
Assembly Bill 592 — Relating to: allowing representatives of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations to provide information to pupils on public school property.
By Representative Rettinger; cosponsored by Senator Cabral-Guevara
“This bill requires, upon the request of certain federally chartered youth membership organizations, the principal of a public school, including an independent charter school, to schedule at least one date and time at the beginning of the school term for representatives of the youth membership organization to provide information about the organization to pupils during the school day on school property. Such information may include information about how the organization furthers the educational interests and civic involvement of pupils consistent with good citizenship. Examples of these federally chartered youth membership organizations include Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America.”
Assembly Bill 638 — Relating to: requiring school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents.
By Representative Dittrich; cosponsored by Senator Knodl
“This bill requires a school board to comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect a textbook, curriculum, or instructional material within 14 days.
Under the bill, a school board must comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect curricula or instructional materials used in a school in the school district by no later than 14 days after the school board receives the written request. The bill also requires each school board to adopt procedures under which the school board is able to produce for inspection any curriculum or instructional material used in a school in the school district in fewer than 14 days. The bill defines “curriculum” as a curriculum plan adopted by a school board to comply with state law and defines “instructional material” as any course content or resource included in a curriculum.
Similarly, the bill requires a school board to comply with a school district resident’s written request to inspect a textbook on the school board’s list of adopted textbooks by no later than 14 days after the school board receives the written request. Under the bill, a school board must also adopt procedures under which the school board is capable of producing for inspection any textbook included on the school board’s list of adopted textbooks in no more than 14 days. Under the bill, each school board must also post the list of adopted textbooks on the school board’s website.
Finally, the bill specifies that nothing in the bill may be construed to require a school board to take an action that would violate federal copyright law and that the bill does not limit any rights a school district resident has to inspect or copy records under open records law.”
Assembly Bill 639 — Relating to: issuing a license to teach based on equivalency and granting rulemaking authority.
By Representative Dittrich; cosponsored by Senator Knodl
“This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to offer a statutory pathway to teacher licensure based on equivalency. Prior to August 1, 2022, DPI offered a similar pathway under its administrative rules.
Under the bill, DPI must grant a provisional teaching license to an individual who 1) has a bachelor’s degree; 2) has at least six semesters of teaching experience, which may include experience in a public school, private school, postsecondary institution, or industry setting; and 3) successfully completes a standards-based assessment program approved by DPI and an assessment approved by DPI of the individual’s knowledge, skills, and disposition. The bill also requires DPI to approve a standards-based assessment and an assessment of knowledge, skills, and disposition, which are required under the pathway, by no later than approximately
six months after the date on which the bill becomes law. Finally, the bill specifies that an individual who obtains a provisional teaching license under this pathway is eligible for a lifetime license if the individual successfully completes six semesters of teaching experience under the license.”
Assembly Bill 758 — Relating to: an alternative teacher certification program for an initial license to teach.
By Representatives Snyder; cosponsored by Senator Knodl
“Under current law, the Department of Public Instruction must grant an initial license to teach to an individual who meets certain eligibility requirements, possesses a bachelor’s degree, and has completed an alternative teacher certification program that is operated by a nonstock, nonprofit organization and satisfies certain criteria. This bill removes the requirement that an alternative teacher certification program be operated by a nonstock, nonprofit organization for purposes of an initial license to teach.”
Executive Session
Assembly Bill 341 — Relating to: sexual misconduct against a pupil by a school staff member or volunteer and providing a penalty.
By Representative Spiros; cosponsored by Senator James
Assembly Bill 644 — Relating to: applications for full-time open enrollment.
By Representative Penterman; cosponsored by Senator Knodl.
See the WASB’s previous blog post for more information on the bills in the executive session.
