2009 House Bill 4787 (Authorize failing school “turnaround schools” [charter schools] )

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Introduced by Rep. Tim Melton (D) on April 2, 2009, to authorize the conversion of failing public schools into “turnaround schools,” which would be charter schools managed by a private charter school management company with a successful record. This would be one of the options the Department of Education could exercise when a school has failed to meet performance standards for four years in a row. Another would be to replace a failing school with a charter school within five miles. Reportedly this would apply to 30 to 35 schools statewide, mostly highschools.
- Referred to the House Education Committee on April 2, 2009.
  - Reported in the House on June 18, 2009, with the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
- Substitute offered in the House on June 25, 2009, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises various details, as described in the Melton substitute, which added some other minor detail changes. The substitute failed in the House by voice vote on June 25, 2009.
- Substitute offered by Rep. Tim Melton (D) on June 25, 2009, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises various details that do not change the substance as previously described, and which lowers the proposed standards for schools to not be considered "failing" through 2014, but then sets them at a higher level thereafter. The substitute passed in the House by voice vote on June 25, 2009.
- Amendment offered by Rep. Tim Melton (D) on June 25, 2009, to clarify details of a provision that allows the manager of "turnaround school" to reassign (but not fire) an employee, notwithstanding union work rules that may limit this. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on June 25, 2009.
Passed in the House (70 to 38) on June 25, 2009, to authorize the conversion of failing public schools into “turnaround schools,” which would be charter schools managed by a private charter school management company with a successful record. This would be one of the options the Department of Education could exercise when a school has failed to meet performance standards for four years in a row. Another would be to replace a failing school with a charter school within five miles. The is tie-barred to House Bill 4788 (both must pass to go into law), and that bill was amended to expand the power of school employee unions to bargain for non-compensation related school management issues, such as decisions to privatize non-instructional services. [Vote Details and Comments]
Received in the Senate on July 15, 2009.
- Referred to the Senate Education Committee on July 15, 2009.

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1) Re: 2009 House Bill 4787 (Authorize failing school “turnaround schools” [charter schools] ) [by Judy on June 28, 2009]

Rep. Meekhof, having reserved the right to explain his protest against the passage of the bill, made the following statement:

“Mr. Speaker and members of the House:

This legislation aims to impose sanctions on the worst performing public schools, most of which are high schools in high-poverty, urban areas. Unfortunately, many of the reforms in this legislation have been seriously watered down. At the same time, it holds charter schools to a more stringent standard than traditional public schools, making it even harder for charter schools to try to help where traditional public schools have failed.

This legislation also makes changes to union collective bargaining powers that are totally unrelated to the issue of failing school reforms. It reverses a number of cost-saving provisions that benefit unions at the expense of students. It even allows unions leverage over areas they should not control, such as the school start date.

For these reasons, I cannot support this bill at this time.”

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2) 2009 House Bill 4787 (Authorize failing school “turnaround schools” [charter schools] ) [by admin on January 1, 2001]
Introduced in the House on April 2, 2009, to authorize the conversion of failing public schools into “turnaround schools,” which would be charter schools managed by a private charter school management company with a successful record. This would be one of the options the Department of Education could exercise when a school has failed to meet performance standards for four years in a row. Another would be to replace a failing school with a charter school within five miles. The is tie-barred to House Bill 4788 (both must pass to go into law), and that bill was amended to expand the power of school employee unions to bargain for non-compensation related school management issues, such as decisions to privatize non-instructional services

The vote was 70 in favor, 38 opposed and 2 not voting

(House Roll Call 357 at House Journal 0)

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