2003 Senate Education Committee Minutes

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

February 4, 2003 Hearing Room C

3:00 p.m. Tape 8-9

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Charles Starr, Chair

Sen. Ryan Deckert, Vice-Chair

Sen. Ted Ferrioli

Sen. Bill Morrisette

STAFF PRESENT: Jan McComb, Committee Administrator

Heather Gravelle, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 11 – Public Hearing

Informational Meeting

Update on Charter Schools in Oregon

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 8, A
005	Chair Starr	Calls the meeting to order at 3:05 pm. Opens public hearing on SB 11.
SB 11 – PUBLIC HEARING
015	Jan McComb	Committee Administrator. Provides overview of SB 11.
020	Sen. Ferrioli	Explains how the issue evolved.
090	Jack Henderson	Dufur School District. Testifies in support of SB 11.
135	Sen. Morrisette	Inquires about other school districts.
140	Henderson	Explains.
155	Sen. Deckert	Inquires about consolidating inherent cost efficiencies.
160	Henderson	Summarizes and points out specifics.
210	Janell Wyatt	Citizen of Dufur. Testifies in support of SB 11. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT A). Comments ORS 333 is an unfair, poorly written law. Explains reasons.
270	Wyatt	Comments that students come first. Larger classrooms do not equal better education.
290	Michele Hammel	Citizen of Dufur. Testifies in support of SB 11.
355	Hammel	Urges removal of ORS 3-33 from law. Explains reasons.
365	Jean Wilkinson	Oregon Farm Bureau. Testifies in support of SB 11. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT B).
375	Wilkinson	Comments the Oregon Farm Bureau is supportive of SB 11, and very supportive of rural schools in Oregon.
465	Chair Nelson	Closes Pubic Hearing on SB 11. Opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING CHARTER SCHOOLS
TAPE 9, A
020	Rob Kremer	Oregon Education Coalition. Presents testimony on charter schools. Comments he first testified on this subject in 1997.
055	Kremer	Explains Oregon is the only state in America that has School Boards Association support for charter schools.
075	Kremer	States the Department of Education has done an amazing job implementing the terms of the statute as passed.
175	Sen. Deckert	Asks how the statute reads.
180	Kremer	Clarifies the statute.
235	Sen. Deckert	Inquires if there have been any great strides in reducing the achievement gap in charter schools.
245	Kremer	Details the achievements.
300	Jim Green	Oregon School Boards Association. Provides written report (EXHIBIT C).
365	Green	Comments the last two years have been spent traveling the state of Oregon, helping school districts and charter applicants create their schools. Points out funding issues.
TAPE 8, B
050	Sen. Morrisette	Asks how many charter schools enroll disabled students.
060	Green	Approximates number of disabled students enrolled.
070	Sen. Morrisette	Inquires if charter schools are required to take disabled students.
075	Green	Describes the rules in place regarding disabled students.
185	Joni Gilles	Oregon Department of Education. Provides written report (EXHIBIT D). Explains the services the Oregon Department of Education provides in regards to charter schools.
220	Gilles	Comments there are 23 charter schools currently operating, with a total of 2,500 students.
300	Gilles	States charter schools are held accountable, and must reflect results. All have goals that are written and must be met. Test scores should be as good as or better than regular schools.
415	Chair Nelson	Comments funds don’t seem to be sufficient.
TAPE 9, B
005	Greene	Agrees and gives examples of schools closing due to lack of funds.
155	Chair Nelson	Expresses support of the charter school program.
165	Chair Nelson	Closes informational meeting. Adjourns committee at 5:00 p.m.