s_ed_2017a_2017-02-16t13:35:52z2 Hearing Summary

Date: 02/16/2017

Location: RM 271

01:57 PM -- Witness Testimony on SB17-067, SB17-101, SB17-068, SB17-137, and SB17-144



Senator Hill explained that he would like the sponsors of each of the bills on the day's agenda, which include SB 17-067, SB 17-101, SB 17-068, SB 17-137, and SB 17-144, to first be presented and then public testimony would be taken on all bills at the same time.



Senator Merrifield, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-067 which concerns the provision that a percentage of an educator's performance evaluation be determined by student academic growth. Senator Merrifield spoke about why SB 17-067 is necessary, the flexibility in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and said that teachers will still be evaluated but emphasis will be placed more upon professional development which will have a direct positive impact on students. He said the bill takes the system back to local control, and a teacher's effectiveness rating should be more heavily weighted on his or her professional effectiveness and not his or her students' achievement. Senator Merrifield distributed a packet of handouts to the committee (Attachment B) and answered questions.



17SenateEd0216AttachB.pdf



02:10 PM



Senator Todd, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-101 which provides more flexibility for school districts in administering state assessments. She provided background information about the bill, and spoke about why the bill is necessary. She stated that the bill provides a high level of flexibility to local districts to administer assessments that closely align with the values of the community. She said that communities value assessments that are meaning and reasonable.





02:14 PM



Senator Todd, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-068 which concerns early support for student success through access to school counselors. She spoke about the importance of early intervention in behavioral health and expanding the counselor corps to elementary and middle schools in addition to high schools.





02:16 PM



Senator Todd, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-137 which reinstates the Colorado Health Service Corps Advisory Council which is set to sunset this year. She spoke about the benefit of keeping the advisory council going.





02:18 PM



Senator Zenzinger, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-144 which concerns the continuation of the Education Data Advisory Committee, which evaluates all legislation that is passed to make sure it complies with education data compliance laws.



The following people testified on one or all of the bills:



02:21 PM -- Stephanie Aragon, representing the Education Commission of the States, spoke about SB 17-067. She distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment C).



17SenateEd0216AttachC.pdf



02:25 PM -- Cathy Kipp, President of the Poudre School District Board of Education, spoke in support of SB 17-067. She spoke about the need to amend the bill to give more flexibility to local districts to determine what percentage to weight student achievement for teacher effectiveness. She stated her support for SB 17-101 and distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment D).



17SenateEd0216AttachD.pdf



02:30 PM -- Michelle Murphy, representing the Colorado Rural Schools Alliance and the Colorado Association of School Executives, spoke in support of both SB 17-067 and SB 17-101. She spoke about issues of teacher retention, especially in rural areas, and stated that the flexibility offered by these two bills will help stop that trend. She spoke about the difficulty of utilizing the student growth measure in small, rural districts.



02:34 PM -- Kathleen Anderson, representing herself as a charter school teacher, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067. She discussed the importance of data-driven feedback to improve teacher performance.



02:37 PM -- Kelly Caufield, representing Colorado Succeeds, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067 and SB 17-101. She talked about the difficulty comparing schools if different districts have different assessments, the importance of keeping 9th grade testing, and the need for reliable data and objective measures of student growth to improve teacher performance.



02:43 PM -- Maria Volker, representing herself as a teacher in Douglas County, spoke in support of SB 17-067.



02:46 PM -- Lori King, representing herself as a teacher, spoke in support of SB 17-067. She distributed a copy of her prepared testimony to the committee (Attachment E). Ms. King answered questions from the committee.



17SenateEd0216AttachE.pdf



02:55 PM -- Sally Augden, representing the League of Women Voters, spoke in support of SB 17-067. She spoke about the importance of accountability and need for efficient, effective, and financially supportive methods that work for both teachers and students in regards to accountability.



03:00 PM -- Mizraim Cordero, representing the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, spoke in opposition to both SB 17-067 and SB 17-10. He said that SB 17-067 removes a key component in evaluating teacher effectiveness.





03:05 PM



Ms. Augden answered questions from the committee.



03:18 PM -- Kerrie Dallman, President of the Colorado Education Association, spoke in support of SB 17-067. She explained that there is more to know about a teacher's performance and effectiveness from observation, and not from student growth. She stated that tests provide information about a student at a single point in time and not about a teacher's performance.



03:24 PM -- Matt Cook, representing the Colorado Association of School Boards and the East Denver Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) Association, spoke in support of SB 17-067.





03:27 PM



Ms. Dallman answered questions from the committee. Committee discussion ensued.



03:39 PM -- Tory Tripp, representing herself as a teacher, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067.



03:43 PM -- Luke Ragland, President of Ready Colorado, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067 and SB 17-101.





03:48 PM



The preceding two witnesses answered questions from the committee.



03:59 PM -- Marita Whalen, representing the Colorado Education Association, spoke in support of SB 17-067.



04:06 PM -- Rita Merrigan, representing herself as a teacher, spoke in support of SB 17-067. Ms. Merrigan also spoke in support of SB 17-068. She spoke about the need to have counselors in all schools.





04:11 PM



The committee recessed.





04:23 PM



The committee came back to order.



04:24 PM -- Jen Walmer, representing Democrats for Education Reform, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067.



04:29 PM -- Danielle Ongart, representing herself as a teacher, spoke in opposition to SB 17-067.



04:32 PM -- Evie Hudak, representing the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, spoke in support of SB 17-067. She also spoke in support of Senate Bill 17-068.



04:38 PM -- Tom List, representing the Poudre Education Association, spoke in support of SB 17-067.



Ms. Hudak answered questions from the committee regarding parental concerns about testing.



04:44 PM -- Katrina Ruggles, representing the Colorado School Counselor Association, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



04:49 PM -- Carl Sanchez, a school counselor in the Boulder Valley School District, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



04:54 PM -- Andrew Tucker, representing Boulder Valley School District, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



04:58 PM -- Jon Widmier, representing Jefferson County Public Schools, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



05:02 PM -- Bryan Krause, representing St. Vrain Valley School District, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



05:05 PM -- Moe Keller, representing Mental Health Colorado and National Alliance for Mental Illness, spoke in support of SB 17-068. She distributed prepared testimony from another witness, Justine Miracle, in support of SB 17-068 (Attachment F). Ms. Keller poke about the importance of early intervention and prevention at the elementary level.



17SenateEd0216AttachF.pdf



05:08 PM -- John Stringfellow, representing himself as a parent, spoke in support of SB 17-068. He spoke about his experiences having a daughter with severe depression.



05:10 PM -- Linda Rinehart, representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado, spoke in support of SB 17-068.



05:14 PM -- Stephen Holloway, representing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, spoke in support of SB 17-137.



05:19 PM -- Jennifer Miles, representing Colorado Community Health Network, Colorado Rural Health Center, and the Colorado Behavioral Health Council, spoke in support of SB 17-137.



05:23 PM -- Dr. Floyd Cobb, representing Cherry Creek Schools, spoke in support of SB 17-101.



05:26 PM -- Norman Alerta, representing Cherry Creek Schools, spoke in support of SB 17-101.



05:34 PM -- Leslie Colwell, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, spoke in opposition to SB 17-101.



05:36 PM -- Chelsea Henkel, representing Stand for Children, spoke in opposition to SB 17-101. She also spoke in support of SB 17-144.





05:41 PM



There were no more witnesses so Senator Hill closed public testimony. He stated that the committee would first hear amendments and vote on SB 17-067, and would then vote on each of the other bills individually. Senator Merrifield distributed amendment L.001 (Attachment G) and explained the amendment. Committee discussion ensued.



17SenateEd0216AttachG.pdf

05:46 PM



Senator Merrifield provided closing comments to the bill. Committee discussion ensued.