HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 17, 2003 Hearing Room E

1:00 PM Tapes 26 - 27

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Vic Backlund, Chair

Rep. Pat Farr, Vice-Chair

Rep. Elaine Hopson, Vice-Chair

Rep. Brad Avakian

Rep. Billy Dalto

Rep. Mary Nolan

Rep. Wayne Scott

STAFF PRESENT: Jim Keller, Committee Administrator

Jeana Harrington, Committee Assistant

ISSUES HEARD: HB 2450 – Public Hearing

HB 2395 – Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 26, A
004	Chair Backlund	Calls meeting to order at 1:06 PM. Welcomes colleagues and visitors. Opens public hearing on HB 2450.
HB 2450 PUBLIC HEARING
008	Jim Keller	Committee Administrator. Reads Staff Measure Summary (SMS).
015	Rep. Deborah Kafoury	House District 43. Testifies in favor of HB 2450. Explains the measure and its merits with regard to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANA).
	Sarah Merten	Oregon Food Bank. Submits written testimony on HB 2450 (EXHIBIT A).
045	Sandra Morgen	Director, Center for the Study of Women in Society, University of Oregon. Testifies in favor of HB 2450 (EXHIBIT B). Describes the bill.
112	Chair Backlund	Requests the types of typical jobs former program participants may move into once educated.
118	Morgen	Responds listing examples of positions.
136	Rep. Hopson	Asks if statistics for the study with regard to two and four year college program attendance are available.
138	Morgen	Answers that many begin in two-year institutions and some continue onto four-year institutions.
149	Chair Backlund	Concludes there are few reasons not to support the bill.
153	Morgen	Concurs there are none.
160	Tracy Jones	Portland Community College student and parent. Gives a perspective on student financial aid with regard to HB 2450 (EXHIBIT C). Voices concern about the lack of resources available. Points out the sacrifices made by those like her to education themselves while earning a living wage. Offers that grants are more practical ways to
253	Rep. Dalto	Asks about her food situation on weekends, etc.
259	Jones	Explains that ‘the poor give to the poor’.
266	Brenda Sifuentez	Co-Chair, Oregon Students of Color Coalition (OSCC). Explains the purpose of the commission (EXHIBIT D). Describes the situations of TANF recipients. Explains the importance of the Parents as Scholars Program (EXHIBIT E). Testifies in favor of HB 2450.
340	Rep. Dalto	Observes the well-prepared testimony of the OSCC.
350	Steven Kafoury	Testifies in favor of HB 2450. Relates the bill statute (EXHIBIT F).
TAPE 27, A
001	Rep. Farr	Asks if Mr. Kafoury recommends an amendment.
002	S. Kafoury	Refers to line 29. Adds views on wording.
005	Chair Backlund	Adds the committee will not be having a work session today due to the lack of a fiscal impact statement for HB 2450.
015	Patrick Green	American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) of Oregon. Testifies in favor of HB 2450. Explains the desire of the AFL-CIO to reduce hunger in Oregon. Adds the bill could help to alleviate hunger.
041	Rep. Farr	Requests that an amendment be drafted.
045	Chair Backlund	Explains that any member can draft an amendment.
052	Marcia Kelley	Women’s Rights Coalition. Testifies in favor of HB 2450 (EXHIBIT G). Informs members of Maine’s Parents as Scholars program. Refers members to the stance of Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine (EXHIBIT H).
110	Sen. Kate Brown	Senate District 21 . Provides written testimony in favor of HB 2450 (EXHIBIT I). Describes the ‘walk a mile’ program. Gives a perspective on TANF.
136	Betty Haus	American Association of University Women of Oregon. Testifies in favor of HB 2450 (EXHIBIT J). Provides perspective on the bill. Explains its merits.
173	David Robinson	Vice President of Informational Technology, Pioneer Pacific College. Testifies in favor of HB 2450. Expresses support for an amendment that would include private schools in the bill.
211	Ruth Ellen White	Parent. Gives her perspective on government assistance with regard to HB 2450.
256	Beverly Logan	Parent. Comments on the difficulty single mothers face when trying to educate themselves and work. Explains how the system has helped her. Voices support for HB 2450.
291	Rep. Dalto	Asks what Ms. Logan’s Master’s Degree was in.
296	Beverly Logan	Answers sociology.
302	Rep. Hopson	Requests the numbers and names of the schools that would be included by the amendment.
307	Chair Backlund	Closes public hearing on HB 2450. Opens public hearing on HB 2395.
HB 2395 PUBLIC HEARING
405	Jim Keller	Reads SMS.
TAPE 26, B
003	Rep. Betsy Close	House District 15. Testifies in support of HB 2395 (EXHIBIT K). Provides that an amendment will need to be created to remove Pre-Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) scores from the report.
020	Rep. Farr	Comments on the change of language in the bill. Offers that information concerning the number of student taking the tests should be included.
025	Rep. Close	Agrees that the information would be helpful. Adds she would like to see input from the districts on other inclusions.
040	Rep. Farr	Offers a possible amendment to HB 2395 that would include further information on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores.
044	Rep. Close	Agrees and expresses that OR has high SAT scores are high.
047	Rep. Nolan	Asks if a higher average salary for teachers improves grades on the Oregon Report Card (ORC).
055	Rep. Close	Responds that she is unsure as to the calculation of the grade.
059	Rep. Nolan	Questions why Rep. Close believes this is pertinent information for the ORC.
063	Rep. Close	Explains using examples of teacher salaries.
073	Rep. Nolan	Requests her intention of ‘staff members’ in the bill.
075	Rep. Close	Responds with her intention. Agrees it is an unclear term.
083	Rep. Avakian	Asks is Rep. Close suggests that school districts are paying teachers too much.
090	Rep. Close	Comments she does not believe that reducing class sizes improves achievement. Adds that parents are concerned with the statistics the bill would include.
101	Rep. Avakian	Refers to specific part of bill with regard to personnel costs. Asks if it would include administrators.
105	Rep. Close	Responds that it would include administration.
107	Rep. Avakian	Inquires if the figure is intended to be included so parents may compare the salaries to class sizes.
109	Rep. Close	Explains she has not specified, but feels further identification would be helpful.
109	Chair Backlund	Comments on personnel costs.
116	Rep. Close	Responds to his comments.
121	Rep. Farr	Refers to line 18 of bill. Asks how staff would be calculated.
124	Rep. Close	Expresses she is unsure of how to answer. Gives example of the Portland School District.
135	Rep. Farr	Comments on service staff.
145	Rep. Close	Explains she wants to find the actual costs involved.
150	Rep. Scott	Questions whether the intent is to elucidate the costs.
155	Rep. Close	Responds it is an attempt to look at overall personnel costs in order to compare districts.
165	Chair Backlund	Asks if personnel costs are available as part of the Database Initiative Project (DIP).
168	Jim Keller	Affirms.
172	Ed Johnston	Lincoln County resident. Offers ideas for an amendment to the bill concerning public information. Testifies in favor of HB 2395. States the Lincoln County School Board recalls occurred because of similar issues.
212	Chuck Bennett	Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). States COSA appreciates the examination of the issue of funds. Comments on the DIP with regard to the measure. Poses question concerning HB 2395 and the Oregon Report Card (ORC). Points out the ORC is meant to serve parents and students. Adds that the information HB 2395 would include is already available in some form to the public.
291	Patty O’Sullivan	Portland School District. Concurs with Mr. Bennett on the matter. Comments on the definition of terms in HB 2395. Clarifies earlier inquiries regarding staff member costs.
335	Rep. Farr	Comments on the clarification.
340	Bennett	Points out the confusion that may be created by multiple reports to the public.
366	Chair Backlund	Closes the public hearing on HB 2395. Adjourns the meeting at 2:28 PM.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 2450, Betty Merden, 1 p

B – HB 2450, Sandra Morgen, 2 p

C – HB 2450, Tracy Jones, 1 p

D – HB 2450, Brenda Sifuentez, 2 p

E – HB 2450, Brenda Sifuentez, 2 p

F – HB 2450, Steven Kafoury, 1 p

G – HB 2450, Marcia Kelley, 2 p

H – HB 2450, Marcia Kelley, 2 p

I – HB 2450, Betty Haus, 1 p

J – HB 2450, Sen. Kate Brown, 1 p

K – HB 2395, Rep. Betsy Close, 1 p