AB669: Bill Text

AB669, s. 41 Section 41. 119.185 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,19,5 119.185 School governance councils. (1) In this section, "parent" has the meaning given in s. 115.76 (12) (a).

AB669,19,12 (2) The board shall ensure that each school in the school district operating under this chapter establishes a school governance council to provide a forum in which pupils enrolled in the school, the parents of pupils enrolled in the school, teachers, administrators, and other employees at the school, and members of the community may work together to analyze and make recommendations for the improvement of school policies, curricula, and educational plans at the school and the well-being of pupils enrolled in the school.

AB669,19,16 (3) (a) Members of a school governance council shall be elected in the manner provided under sub. (5) (a). Except as provided in par. (b), the number of members of a school governance council shall be determined by multiplying 0.01 by the number of pupils enrolled in the school. Each council shall consist of the following members:

AB669,19,20 1. Parents of pupils enrolled in the school, except that no parent elected to the council under this subdivision may be a paid employee of the school. At least 51 percent of the members of a school governance council shall be elected under this subdivision.

AB669,19,21 2. The principal of the school or his or her designee.

AB669,19,23 3. If the school has pupils enrolled in the middle school, junior high school, or high school grades, one pupil who is enrolled in the school in grade 6 or higher.

AB669,19,25 4. At least one person who is employed at the school as a teacher or support staff.

AB669,20,2 5. At least one person who is a resident of the city and who does not qualify for membership on the council under subds. 1. to 4.

AB669,20,6 (b) 1. Subject to the requirement under par. (a) 1., if the number of members determined under par. (a) is an even number, the board shall increase the membership of the council by one member in any one category, to be determined by the board.

AB669,20,7 2. No school governance council may have fewer than 9 members.

AB669,20,10 3. A school governance council may vote to increase the number of members on the council, but the number of members on the council shall always be an odd number.

AB669,20,14 (4) A school governance council may, on its own initiative or upon the written petition of a majority of the teachers of the school for which the council is established, direct the principal of the school to attend a professional development and training program established under s. 119.16 (12).

AB669,20,16 (5) The board shall establish policies and procedures governing all of the following:

AB669,20,19 (a) The nomination and election of initial members to a school governance council and for the transfer of the nomination and election process to the council following the first election.

AB669,20,24 (b) The manner of filling vacancies in the membership of the council that occur prior to the expiration of a term. The board shall permit the partnership for success committee, created under s. 119.11, to nominate persons to fill vacancies on the council. A person nominated by the partnership for success committee may fill a vacancy only upon the approval of a majority of the members serving on the council.

AB669,20,25 (c) The terms of office of council members.

AB669,21,1 (d) The selection of officers.

AB669,21,2 (e) The location and frequency of meetings.

AB669,21,4 (f) The powers, duties, and responsibilities of councils and the powers and duties of individual council members.

AB669,21,6 (g) The reimbursement of expenses incurred by council members in connection with their powers and duties.

AB669, s. 42 Section 42. 119.23 (11) of the statutes is renumbered 119.23 (11) (a).

AB669, s. 43 Section 43. 119.23 (11) (b) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,21,15 119.23 (11) (b) 1. The department and the board shall jointly develop a survey to be taken by a parent who moves his or her child from a private school participating in the program under this section to a public school in the city or from a public school in the city to a private school participating in the program under this section. The survey shall include questions related to the decision of the parent to enroll the child in the private or public school and move the child from one educational setting to the other and shall be taken during the enrollment process.

AB669,21,20 2. a. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, the board shall annually administer the survey developed under subd. 1. to the parent of a pupil who was enrolled in the program under this section after the effective date of this subd. 2. a. .... [LRB inserts date], if the parent withdraws the pupil from the program under this section and enrolls the pupil instead in a public school in the city.

AB669,22,2 b. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, each private school participating in the program under this section shall annually administer the survey developed under subd. 1. to the parent of a pupil who was enrolled in a public school in the city after the effective date of this subd. 2. b. .... [LRB inserts date], if the parent withdraws the pupil from a public school in the city and enrolls the pupil instead in the private school.

AB669,22,7 3. Annually, by July 1, the board shall submit to the department, the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance, and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) the results of the surveys administered under subd. 2., and shall, subject to s. 118.125, upon request by any person, make information obtained from the surveys available for review.

AB669, s. 44 Section 44. 119.31 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,22,11 119.31 Achievement guarantee contracts for 9th grade pupils. (1) In this section, "class" means a core curriculum course, as determined by the department.

AB669,22,17 (2) If the department determines that state or federal aid is available to reduce class size in 9th grade classes in the district, the board may apply to the department on behalf of schools in the district that enroll 9th grade pupils to receive the state or federal aid and reduce class size as provided in this section. The board shall select for participation in the program under this section schools in the district with the lowest graduation rates.

AB669,22,22 (3) In the first school year in which funding is determined to be available, the board may enter into an achievement guarantee contract with the department on behalf of one or more schools in the district. An achievement guarantee contract under this section shall require the board to do all of the following in each participating school:

AB669,22,23 (a) Reduce each 9th grade class size to no more than 20.

AB669,22,25 (b) Keep the school open every day from early in the morning until late in the day, as specified in the contract.

AB669,23,3 (c) Collaborate with community organizations to make educational and recreational opportunities, as well as a variety of community and social services, available in the school to all residents in the school's attendance area.

AB669,23,5 (d) 1. Provide a rigorous academic curriculum designed to improve pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,9 2. In consultation with the department and with the participation of the school's teachers and administrators and residents in the school's attendance area, review the school's current 9th grade curriculum to determine how well it promotes 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,11 3. If necessary, outline any changes to the curriculum to improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,14 (e) 1. Develop a one-year program for all newly hired employees that helps them make the transition from their previous employment or school to their current employment.

AB669,23,15 2. Provide time for employees to collaborate and plan.

AB669,23,20 3. Require that each teacher and administrator submit to the board a professional development plan that focuses on how the individual will help improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement. The plan shall include a method by which the individual will receive evaluations on the success of his or her efforts from a variety of sources.

AB669,23,22 4. Regularly review staff development plans to determine if they are effective in helping to improve 9th grade pupil academic achievement.

AB669,23,24 5. Establish an evaluation process for professional staff members that does all of the following:

AB669,23,25 a. Identifies individual strengths and weaknesses.

AB669,24,1 b. Clearly describes areas in need of improvement.

AB669,24,2 c. Includes a support plan that provides opportunities to learn and improve.

AB669,24,3 d. Systematically documents performance in accordance with the support plan.

AB669,24,5 e. Allows professional staff members to comment on and contribute to revisions in the evaluation process.

AB669,24,7 (4) Each achievement guarantee contract under this section shall include all of the following:

AB669,24,10 (a) A description of how the school will implement each of the elements under sub. (3), including any alternative class configurations for specific educational activities that may be used to meet the class size requirement under sub. (3) (a).

AB669,24,12 (b) A description of the method that the board will use to evaluate the academic achievement of the 9th grade pupils enrolled in the school.

AB669,24,16 (c) A description of the school's performance objectives for the academic achievement of the 9th grade pupils enrolled in the school and the means that will be used to evaluate success in attaining the objectives. Performance objectives shall include all of the following:

AB669,24,17 1. The attainment of any educational goals adopted by the board.

AB669,24,19 2. Professional development with the objective of improving pupil academic achievement.

AB669,24,21 3. Methods by which the school involves pupils, parents or guardians of pupils, and other residents of the school attendance area in decisions affecting the school.

AB669,24,23 (d) A description of any statute or rule that is waived under s. 118.38 if the waiver is related to the contract.

AB669,24,25 (e) A description of the means by which the department will monitor compliance with the terms of the contract.

AB669, s. 45 Section 45. 119.315 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,25,9 119.315 Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics pilot programs for pupils in grades kindergarten to 5. If the board determines that state or federal aid is available, any school in the city that enrolls pupils in grades kindergarten to 5 is eligible to apply to the board for funding to participate in a pilot program designed to develop innovative instructional programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; support pupils who are typically under-represented in these subjects; and increase the academic achievement of pupils in those subjects.

AB669, s. 46 Section 46. 119.32 (1) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:

AB669,25,16 119.32 (1) (a) There is established a superintendent search advisory committee consisting of the mayor or his or her designee; the president of the common council or his or her designee; a representative of businesses located in the city, appointed by the mayor; and a member of the labor organization that represents public school teachers in the school district operating under this chapter, appointed by the head of that labor organization. All committee members shall be residents of the city.

AB669,25,19 (b) The board shall conduct a search for a superintendent of schools whenever that office becomes vacant. The board shall keep the committee under par. (a) fully informed about all applicants for the position.

AB669,25,21 (c) 1. From the pool of applicants, the committee under par. (a) shall select one to recommend to the mayor.

AB669,25,23 2. From the pool of applicants, the board shall select 3 to recommend to the mayor. The mayor may interview the 3 candidates.

AB669,25,25 3. The mayor shall select a candidate from the 3 recommended by the board under subd. 2. to recommend to the board.

AB669,26,4 (d) The board shall by roll call vote select a superintendent of schools from the 3 candidates recommended by the board under par. (c) 2. and notify the mayor of its selection. The mayor may veto the board's selection. If he or she does so, the board may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of the membership.

AB669,26,7 (e) If the board fails to override the mayor's veto, the board shall by roll call vote select another candidate from those recommended under par. (c) 2. and notify the mayor under par. (d), or begin another search under par. (b).

AB669, s. 47 Section 47. 119.32 (8) of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,26,11 119.32 (8) The superintendent of schools may require a principal employed by the board to attend the professional development and training program established under s. 119.16 (12).

AB669, s. 48 Section 48. 119.43 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,26,23 119.43 Principal tenure; performance reviews. (1) (a) Except as provided in sub. (2), a principal of a public school in a city of the 1st class appointed after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], shall be initially employed under a 3-year contract with the board and on probation. The superintendent of schools may recommend that the board renew the contract of the principal after the successful completion of a continuous 3-year contract term. After the successful completion of a 2nd consecutive continuous 3-year contract term with the board, the superintendent of schools may recommend that the board make the employment of the principal permanent. The board may accept or reject the recommendation of the superintendent of schools. A principal for whom permanent employment is rejected may appeal the rejection to the board.

AB669,27,8 (b) No principal who has become permanently employed under this section may be refused employment, dismissed, removed, or discharged, except for inefficiency or immorality, for willful and persistent violation of reasonable regulations of the board, or for other good cause, upon written charges based on fact proffered by the board or other proper officer of the board or school in which the principal is employed. Upon the principal's written request and no fewer than 10 nor more than 30 days after receipt of notice by the principal, the charges shall be heard and determined by the board. Hearings shall be public when requested by the principal and all proceedings at the hearing shall be taken by a court reporter. All parties shall be entitled to be represented by counsel at the hearing. The action of the board is final.

AB669,27,13 (2) A principal whose employment is permanent under an agreement entered into before the effective date of this subsection .... [LRB inserts date], between the board and an organization that is not a labor organization, as defined in s. 111.70 (1) (h), shall retain all of the rights and privileges of permanent employment obtained under that agreement.

AB669,27,15 (3) A principal who is under a 3-year contract with the board is subject to annual performance reviews.

AB669, s. 49 Section 49. 119.475 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,27,19 119.475 Veto of operating budget. (1) Immediately upon receipt of the school budget under s. 119.16 (8) (b), the common council shall transmit it to the mayor.

AB669,27,25 (2) (a) Notwithstanding ss. 119.46 (1) and 119.47 (1), if the state superintendent has determined that the school district was in need of improvement for the 4 previous school years, the mayor may veto the board's budget for school operations in whole or in part. In vetoing the budget in part, the mayor may not create a new word by rejecting individual letters in the words of the budget, and may not create a new sentence by combining parts of 2 or more sentences of the budget.

AB669,28,3 (b) The state superintendent shall promulgate rules establishing criteria and a procedure for determining whether the school district is in need of improvement under par. (a).

AB669,28,8 (3) The mayor shall transmit the part approved to the common council for implementation and return the part vetoed to the board with his or her objections in writing. If two-thirds of the board's members agree to adopt the part vetoed notwithstanding the mayor's objection, the board shall transmit the part to the common council for implementation.

AB669, s. 50 Section 50. 119.76 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,28,12 119.76 Pupil ACT testing. (1) Subject to sub. (2), the board shall provide each pupil enrolled in the 11th grade in the school district operating under this chapter with the opportunity to take the ACT test.

AB669,28,17 (2) The board shall comply with all standards for administering the ACT test established by ACT, Inc., including providing reasonable accommodations for a pupil who is a child with a disability, as defined in s. 115.76 (5), if the pupil complies with the process for requesting accommodations and submits sufficient documentation of his or her disability.

AB669, s. 51 Section 51. 119.77 of the statutes is created to read:

AB669,28,23 119.77 Promise neighborhoods. (1) The board shall work with the common council, community agencies, public agencies, and nonprofit charitable organizations to plan for the establishment of promise neighborhoods in the city in which the following services would be integrated and provided to residents of the neighborhoods at no charge:

AB669,28,24 (a) Counseling and training for new parents.

AB669,28,25 (b) Early childhood education.

AB669,29,1 (c) High-quality child care.

AB669,29,2 (d) After-school programming involving children and parents.

AB669,29,3 (e) Crime-prevention support programs.

AB669,29,4 (f) Youth job training and internship opportunities.