2006 Legislative Survey from Delegate Bill Howell

Saturday's mail has brought me Delegate Bill Howell's newsletter which announced that the General Assembly will convene on January 11th. The newsletter included a survey for feedback from the 28th District on issues ranging from education, taxes, and government responsibilities. It also asks if you want to be a part of Howell's advisory committee. While I don't know if I will be accepted, I think this would be great opportunity to get involved at the state level and influence the policymakers that I hear about in with my Educational Leadership, Policy, and Planning program at the College of William and Mary.

On the survey the following educational items are asked:

* Should Virginia require all elementary and secondary school teachers to pass periodic competency test to ensure they are current and knowledgeable in the subject matter they are teaching our children? Y or N

* Currently, Virginia serves 100% of the 24,000 at-risk four year old pre-kindergartners. Do you support expanding these programs to non-at-risk children, including those from middle- and upper income- families, at a cost to Virginia taxpayers of over $400 million a year? Y or N

* In an effort to further focus funding on educational instruction, should Virginia require schools to make sure at least 65% of state education money is spent directly on our children in the classroom? Y or N

I don't know if we should require additional testing for teachers. Is there other states that require periodic testing or other professions? Keep in mind that Virginia's recertification program requires teachers to earn 180 professional points or 2 college classes renewal period. Maybe what needs to be done is that the recertification program should be changed to just college courses rather than inhouse professional development. What are the projected costs to implement these tests?

As for expanding the early education programs to non-at-risk students, how many more teachers and classrooms would that entail? Is there a need for it? Do these families want it? Would the at-risk populations be short changed in anyway? Again what would be the costs involved in expanding the program?

As for funding on educational instruction, what is the percentage now? Why 65%? Is there a cost analysis vs. acheivement outcomes that can be used to judge effectiveness of money spent?

I obviously need more answers to these questions. Virginia Education Association did have have a legislative update but I am sure in the next couple of days they will have opinions on all of these questions; however, the VEA did have agenda for the February 6th Lobby Day:

VEA Will Initiate:

1. Bring Virginia’s Teacher Salary to the National Average

A. National Average — Policy of Commonwealth — Virginia’s teachers are paid at a rate $2,057, or 4.31 percent, below the national average, despite the fact that the per capita personal income of Virginians exceeds the national average by $2,192, or 6.97 percent. The VEA shall initiate legislation that will establish meeting or exceeding the national average teacher salary as the policy of this wealthy state.

B. Language Requiring Progress — The General Assembly increased K-12 education funding by $1.28 billion in the 2004-06 biennium. The increase in state per-pupil funding far exceeded increases in teacher salaries. The VEA shall initiate the introduction of budget amendments to include language requiring localities to use the appropriated funds for salaries.

C. 4.5% Budget Amendment — It is time for the General Assembly to step up to the plate and appropriate the state share of a salary increase that will track Virginia towards a national competitive teacher salary. A 4.5% increase for two years will bring Virginia’s average teacher salary to the national average, and VEA shall initiate action to amend the budget for this purpose.

2. Retiree Health Care Credit — The VEA shall initiate legislation which will:

A. Increase the monthly health insurance credit for retired school employees from $2.50 per year of service to $4 per year of service in order to mirror the health care credit given retired state employees. If state employees move from $4 to $6 in the 2006 session, school employees should receive the same increased benefit.

B. Remove the 30-year cap on health insurance credit.

C. Expand the availability of this health insurance credit benefit to education support professionals.

3. Phased Increase in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Multiplier from 1.7 to 2.0 Over Six Years (0.05 percent per year), and increase the retirement benefit of current retirees by 1 percent for each of the next six years.

The provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act requiring a fully qualified teacher for every classroom and the anticipated retirement of 40% of teachers in the next five years add urgency to the commonwealth’s need to retain qualified teachers in the current era of shortages.The VRS is among the best-managed public employee retirement funds in the nation; however, the retirement benefits provided to school employees lag behind those offered in many other states and behind the benefits offered to other categories of personnel in VRS-administered defined benefit retirement plans (LEORS, SPORS, VaLORS and JRS).The VEA phased-in increase in the formula would offer a strong incentive to teachers near retirement age to remain in the classroom, reducing the teacher shortage and offering well deserved retirement security to retired educators.

4. Bus Speed LimitThe VEA shall seek legislation to have speed limits for school buses in Virginia amended. In this amendment, the limit of 35 miles per hour, on roadways where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour, will be increased to the maximum speed limit allowed of 45 miles per hour, and completely eliminated on roadways where the speed limit exceeds 55 miles per hour.

5. Realistic Rebenchmarking of the Standards of Quality (SOQ) Rebenchmarking is the routine (biennial) assessment of the cost of funding the SOQ. Article VIII, Section 2 of the Virginia Constitution states, "Standards of Quality for the several school divisions shall be determined and prescribed from time to time by the Board of Education, subject to revision only by the General Assembly.” The Board makes its request, which reflects the cost of maintaining the commonwealth’s minimum foundation program. The variables of staffing ratios, number of students, salaries, fringe benefits, prevailing support costs and inflation factors are included in this calculation. Approximately 90% of the Direct Aid to public education is SOQ funding. The VEA supports full funding of the SOQ.

6. Virginia Pre-School Initiative (VPI) A. Requiring ALL publicly funded preschool teachers – not just those employed by public schools – to hold a bachelor’s degree and have specialized training in early childhood.

B. Increasing per pupil funding for VPI to account for inflation, adequately compensate teachers, assist localities with costs of facilities, and create parity with Head Start.

7. VEA Will Oppose Defined Contribution VRS OptionAs long as VRS is a defined benefit plan, recipients can depend on their promised benefit plus cost of living adjustments (C.O.L.A.) regardless of market performance. Educators are better off in a defined benefit (DB) plan than in a defined contribution (DC) plan for the following reasons: DB plan benefits do not decrease when the market falls.Many DC plan participants have seen 40% - 60% reductions in their account balances and therefore in their benefits. A DB plan offers a guaranteed benefit and a disability benefit program but a DC plan does not. At career’s end, educators deserve the security of a predictable and secure benefit.

8. Tuition Tax Credits/VouchersThe VEA shall oppose legislation that directs public funds to be spent for private schools. The strongest argument against vouchers and tuition tax credits (TTC) is that they remove much needed dollars from the public school system. In states where TTC are in place, independent analysis indicates that students from wealthier families and wealthier donors are the primary beneficiaries, rather than low-income students and families. Public school choice is allowed under current law.