The Assembly Education Committee has approved a CTA co-sponsored measure designed to give teachers more of a voice in decisions about their professional development.
AB 2559 by Assembly Member Manny Diaz (D-San Jose) cleared the panel on a 7-1 vote and has moved to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further action.
The bill would create a comprehensive, seamless program of professional support for teachers. The bill would place new teacher programs, including Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA), and the content of staff development buy-out days (pay for the days is already bargained) under the jurisdiction of the existing Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) joint panels in school districts. Joint panels are made up of administrators and teachers, with the majority of the panel being teachers selected by teachers. The PAR joint panel reports its recommendations to the local school board for final approval.
CTA advocates point out that teachers are held accountable for student performance, but are often left out of the decisions on an issue that has a direct bearing on students - the type and quality of professional training their teachers receive. The bill aims to improve the quality of teacher support.