House Education Committee Gives "Do Pass" to Two Bad Bills - AEA Opposes
The House Education Committee gave a "do pass" to HB 1918 and HB 2101, both which AEA opposes. The bills will now go before the full House of Representatives. We encourage you to contact your state representatives immediately and encourage them to vote against these bills. You may contact your representative online. Go to www.capwiz.com/nea/ar/state/main/?state=AR&view=myofficials
HB 1918
HB 1918, sponsored by Eddie Hawkins, D-Vilonia, would reduce the number of paid 15-minute breaks from two a day to one a day for classified school employees who work more than 20 hours per week and up to 35 hours a week.
There is currently no law that specifies that classified school employees will also be given a lunch break, unless it is stated in individual school policy. If this bill passes, it is possible that an employee may only have a single 15-minute break during a seven-hour work day.
HB 2101
HB 2101, sponsored by Rep. Monty Betts, D-Searcy, would remove the teacher's authority to schedule their 200 minutes of preparation time as they saw fit. These 200 minutes are currently given to teachers to be used at their discretion. The amendment permits parent-teacher conferences and "collaborative meetings" with other staff to be held during the 200 minute minimum. The bill also permits planning time in excess of the 200 minutes for student achievement, assessment or district-wide instructional planning.
AEA President Dan Marzoni spoke passionately against the bill during today's Education Committee meeting. Individuals speaking for HB 2101 (Rep. Monty Betts, Tom Kimbrell with the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Kristin Gould with the Arkansas School Boards Association, and Don McGohan with the Bryant School District) said the bill only dealt with the preparation time in excess of 200 minutes per week, but the bill clearly strikes the language that the preparation time is provided for “each teacher to schedule”.
If the bill passes, a teacher will no longer be able to schedule preparation time to fit his or her instructional needs, but the time would be available for administrators to schedule “conferences with parents or guardians of students, collaborating with licensed and classified staff concerning student performance, and planning and preparing for classroom instruction”. Under this proposal, there is no guarantee that any preparation time is reserved for planning and preparing for classroom instruction. Preparation time as we know it does not exist under this bill. It must not pass.
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