612

SB2629

HB2545

Reserves the power to determine a teacher's fitness for reemployment for the director of schools; requires director to act in accordance with board policy and any locally negotiated agreement.  (S: McNally; H:  Brooks, H.)

03/11/08

Christy Ballard

628

SB2980

HB3252

Directs the state board of education to develop guidelines for LEAs to use to foster foreign language fluency for all students in grades K-12.  (S: Norris; H: Coley)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

632

SB2583

HB2584

Authorizes LEAs to provide hearing examinations for children who are unable to pay for such hearing testing. 
(S: Marrero; H: Coley)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

647

SB3284

HB3615

Extends requirement that a school board give 10 days' notice before a meeting at which it plans to extend a director of school's time in office or to terminate, suspend, or remove a director, except in cases concerning allegations of criminal or professional misconduct.  (S: Tracy; H: Maddox)

03/25/08

Christy Ballard

676

SB3366

HB3942

Requires school principals to grant students excused absences for up to 10 days for purposes of visiting a parent or legal guardian who is stationed outside of the country and is granted rest recuperation leave by the United States military.  (S: Beavers; H: Lynn)

04/01/08

Christy Ballard

678

SB3642

HB3485

Revises provisions concerning required training in special education law for mediators conducting special education mediations and administrative law judges conducting special education due process cases.  (S: Ketron; H: Winningham)

04/01/08

Joseph Fisher

683

SB2612

HB2482

Authorizes local school boards to lease or sell buildings and property it determines are not being used or are not needed at present by the public school system in such manner as is deemed by the board to be in the best interest of the school system and the community that the system serves. 
(S: Black; H: McDonald)

04/02/08

Robert Greene

691

SB2655

HB2546

Increases number of modular buildings that LEA career-technical students may construct and sell without complying with the Modular Building Act from one to five per school per school year; removes limitation that such buildings be residential; corrects typographical error in statute.  (S: Tracy; H: Brooks, H.)

07/01/08

Ralph Barnett

795

SB2828

HB2775

Encourages LEAs to place automatic external defibrillators in schools; placement of such devices shall be within LEA's existing fiscal resources; classifies misuse or abuse of AED on school property by a student as misconduct that will subject student to disciplinary action.  (S: Bunch; H:  Brooks, H.)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

862

SB3306

HB3322

Requires that art supplies purchased by any school or school district for use by students in K-6 must be certified non-toxic by the Arts and Creative Materials Institute and must bear the Approved Product (AP) or Certified Product (CP) seal certifying that the product is safe and contains no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to children; revises other provisions regarding art supplies for students.  (S: Burks; H: Brown)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

865

SB2821

HB2790

Urges all public schools to provide instruction on nonviolence as means to conflict resolution as part of character education curriculum.  (S: Marrero; H: Cooper)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

867

SB3282

HB2976

Establishes system of grants outside of the BEP for additional funding of career and technical education.    
(S: Tracy; H: Winningham)

05/06/08

Ralph Barnett

885

SB3232

HB2610

Prohibits adverse job actions against teachers by an LEA for refusing to participate in or to remain silent about illegal activities.  (S: Woodson; H: Hardaway)

07/01/08

Christy Ballard

888

SB3233

HB2981

Permits the creation of work experience and career employment programs that provide study and employment in career and technical education programs for students 14 years of age or older; provided, that such programs comply with state and federal law on employment of minors. 
(S: Woodson; H: Brooks, H.)

05/08/08

Ralph Barnett

889

SB2808

HB2974

Requires CEO of the lottery corporation to report quarterly to the commissioners of education and finance and administration and the chairs of the house and senate education and finance, ways and means committees the amount of prize money that became unclaimed prize money in the preceding quarter.  (S: Woodson; H: Winningham)

05/08/08

Robert Greene

898

SB3024

HB2544

Allows the school boards of each county, municipal, and special school district to establish ethical standards used to govern their respective school district; requires the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) to disseminate models of ethical standards for officials and employees of school districts.  (S: Tracy; H: Brooks, H.)

04/12/08

Christy Ballard

916

SB3469

HB3321

Requires the commissioner of education to report on a semi-annual basis to the select oversight committee on education and the education committees of each house of the general assembly regarding disciplinary actions in Tennessee schools.  (S: Burks, H: Brown)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

925

SB3364

HB3943

Adds licensed teacher's leave to visit a spouse, child, or parent deployed for military duty to present situations eligible for mandatory grant of leave from employment; authorizes licensed teachers to take up to 10 days leave without forfeiture of leave credits, tenure, or other fringe benefits, in order to visit a spouse, child, or parent deployed for military duty out of the country who has been granted rest and recuperation leave.  (S: Beavers; H: Lynn)

07/01/08

Christy Ballard

931

SB2321

HB0081

Requires LEAs to provide remediation services to any student who fails a portion of any Tennessee comprehensive assessment program test and annually report the number and type of all such interventions to the commissioner of education.  (S: Tate; H: Cooper)

07/01/08

Connie J. Smith

938

SB3286

HB3612

Provides that the state board of education will develop a formula to govern distribution of any funding appropriated outside the BEP for technology, Internet, Internet connectivity, or e-learning.  (S: Tracy; H: Maddox)

05/16/08

Robert Greene

940

SB2155

HB2176

Requires extension of contract of director of schools to be the first item on the agenda of board meeting in which contract extension is to be considered and changes the period of notice required for such action from 10 days to 15 days prior to the meeting in which contract extension is to be considered.  (S: Burks; H: Winningham)

05/19/08

Christy Ballard

955

SB2566

HB2944

Requires the commission on civic education to give annual reports to the speaker of the house and speaker of the senate.  (S: Woodson; H: McCormick)

05/19/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

963

SB3341

HB3158

Specifies that each local school board's plan for compliance with nutritional breakfast and lunch programs include specific provisions to encourage purchasing local agriculture.  (S: Williams; H: Harrison)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

967

SB4008

HB3923

Authorizes motor vehicles used in driver education and training courses to use amber lights in the front and rear of such motor vehicles.  (S: Stanley; H: Coley)

05/19/08

Robert Greene

983

SB2920

HB2779

Requires each LEA to include art and music education in all K-12 public schools; and directs the state board of education to provide appropriate curriculum for such instruction.  (S: Marrero; H: Cooper)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

985

SB3080

HB 3051

Encourages LEAs to conduct investigations to determine if any special hazard zones are present within walking routes children commonly utilize going to and returning from schools.  If hazard zones are found to be present, LEAs shall submit findings to the entity responsible for such road or highway for possible actions to minimize hazardous conditions.  (S: McNally; H: Hackworth)

05/21/08

Robert Greene

989

SB3702

Requires the development of acceptable internet use policies for public and private schools to protect children from certain online material. (S: Haynes; H: Winningham)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

993

SB 4136

HB 4169

Creates a two-year pilot initiative for metro Nashville public schools wherein class sizes in career and technical education classes may be extended not to exceed the limit set for academic classes in grades seven through 12, only where programs are implemented that use the career academy or small learning community model; requires the department of education to convene a committee for the purpose of reviewing and making recommendations based on the two-year pilot initiative. (S: Haynes; H: Gilmore)

05/21/08

Ralph Barnett

996

HB 2755

SB 3186

Urges LEAs to staff grades K-12 teaching positions with personnel fully licensed and endorsed to teach such grades.
 (S: Harper; H: Pruitt)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

1002

HB 3640

SB 3603

Requires child living on parcel crossed by county boundaries to attend school in the county in which the residence in taxed.  (S: Tracy; Johnson, P.)

07/01/08

Christy Ballard

1006

HB 4148

SB 4185

Revises and clarifies procedures and direction for schools and LEAs placed in improvement status for failure to make adequate yearly progress.  (S: Kyle; H: Odom)

05/21/08

Connie J. Smith

1037

SB 4104

HB 4089

Allows the state board of education to develop a curriculum for an academic and nonsectarian study of the Bible for LEAs to teach.  Bill also permits approved Bible courses taught in the 2007-08 school year to be taught by other LEAs.  (S: Herron; H: Maddox)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

1052

SB2765

HB2719

Adds aggravated sexual battery and aggravated sexual battery of a child to the crimes of which a child’s school must be notified when the child has been adjudicated delinquent involving such offenses.  (S: Burks; H: Fincher)

07/01/08

Christy Ballard

1053

HB2720

SB2764

Expands the requirement that parents notify schools when a student is found delinquent involving certain crimes and details the procedure school officials must follow in response.  (S:  Burks; H: Fincher)

07/01/08

Christy Ballard

1054

HB3268

SB2798

Allows volunteer school personnel with proper training to administer anti-seizure medications to a student in an emergency situation in accordance with the student’s individual health plan.  (S: Woodson; H: Maddox)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

1063

SB2609

HB2471

Special Education Isolation and Restraint Modernization and Positive Behavioral Supports Act.  Prohibits certain types of restraint and seclusion.  Requires state board of education to promulgate rules and regulations concerning the use of isolation or restraint with students who receive special education services.  (S: Black; H: Jones, S.)

01/01/09

Joseph Fisher

1080

SB2807

HB3076

Clarifies that any person, corporation, or other entity who enters or renews a contract, or contracts with any person or entity who enters or renews a contract, with a school, local board of education, or child care program is responsible for obtaining criminal background checks on all employees who go on school grounds; authorizes out-of state employers to satisfy requirement by showing that background checks were conducted in another state; creates limited exemptions to background check requirement.

05/30/08

1096

SB2008

HB1872

Enacts the virtual public schools act to provide certain educational resources to students via the internet.  Authorizes the state board of education to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the act.  The department of education and LEAs are authorized to operate such virtual learning programs.  (S: Southerland; H: Hawk)

06/05/08

Connie J. Smith

1097

SB2162

HB1943

Expands opportunities for parent involvement in public schools.  (S: Burks; H: Winningham)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

1102

SB3409

HB2972

Directs commissioner of education to require each LEA’s director of schools to submit an annual personnel report to the department.  (S: Tate; H: Winningham)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

1103

SB3789

HB3857

Requires for-profit postsecondary institutions to make disclosures to students about the transferability of credits and certain other information before the student signs a contract with the institution.  (S: Kurita; H: Odom)

07/01/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

1133

SB3401

HB4002

Adds students in grades K-3 who qualify for free or reduced price lunch to prospective student population of public charter schools; requires comptroller to appoint a task force to study statutes that authorize public charter schools; extends limit on number of charter schools to 2011; extends authorization to create charter schools to 2015.

06/13/08

1142

SB0611

HB0653

Makes changes to eligibility requirements for HOPE scholarships; enacts the "Helping Heroes Act of 2008" to provide scholarships for veterans; enacts the "Tennessee Rural Health Act of 2008" to provide scholarships to students in health care fields who agree to practice in health resource shortage areas; creates pilot project to provide laptop computers to 100 students in each grand division.

06/13/08

Assistant Commissioner,Teaching & Learning

SB0611

HB0653

06/13/08

Assistant Commissioner,
Teaching & Learning

1156

HB3278

SB3530

Amends School Support Organization Act to somewhat redefine or clarify “school support organizations” and “student activity funds”.  Requires LEAs to adopt certain related policies and requires certain minimum standards for school support organizations.  (S: Herron; H: Maddox)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

SB2809

HB2975

07/01/08

Robert Greene

1188

SB4039

HB4039

Enacts the "Energy Efficient Schools Initiative [EESI] of 2008."  (S: McNally; H: Winningham)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

1195

SB2554

HB3418

Allows LEAs to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to prohibit the activities of criminal gangs on school property.  Requires LEAs and local law enforcement to annually evaluate the threat and influence of gangs on school children and the community.  If LEA finds substantial gang treat, LEA shall institute gang awareness education in vulnerable elementary and middle schools.  (S:  Tate; H: Shaw)

07/01/08

Connie J. Smith

1203

SB4213

HB4219

Makes appropriations for fiscal years 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.  (S:  Kyle; H:  Fitzhugh)

07/01/08

Robert Greene

Resolution
Number

HJR 0811

Directs office of education accountability to survey each LEA conducting pre-K program to determine if all employment rights for K-12 teachers also accrue to pre-K teachers and report findings to the general assembly.

Bobbi Lussier

HJR 0932

Urges the Tennessee Department of Education to study and develop lesson plans for parents to use with the Books from Birth program.

Bobbi Lussier