Education bills move on; Common Core bill likely to Conference Committee

There’s a lot going on the education front besides trying to raise teacher salaries. Snippets from yesterday’s House Education Committee hearing provide a sample of important legislation working its way through the General Assembly.

 

Members approved a bill (SB 815) to ensure privacy and security of individual student data. Thanks go to Sen. Chad Barefoot for leading this important effort.  It’s a good first step in an important and difficult area.

 

Members approved legislation (SB 793) to make improvements in the charter school approval process; including a fast-track for some applications. On the downside, the bill also makes charter schools subject to open meetings and public records law  (read why this isn’t a good thing  here).  Still, on the whole this is a good bill and should improve the approval process.

 

Finally, the House voted to replace the Senate’s Common Core legislation (SB 812) with it’s own legislation (HB 1061).  Each chamber has its own Common Core bill. Each bill has its own pros and cons. Yesterday’s decision pretty much guarantees the bills will need to go to a conference committee to get worked out. Hopefully as soon as possible. Remedying Common Core can’t wait.