Thumbs UP! Thumbs DOWN!
Here’s a first look at MSTA’s read on this year’s General Assembly Session:
Thumbs UP!
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SB 373/HB 812 B.O.A.S.T. Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers — Backdoor $5 million in tax credits for vouchers for private schools Failed
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HB 1391 Kids First Act — Requires comptroller to notify eligible families of state-provided health insurance for children Passed
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SB 243 — Failure to report suspected child abuse would result in a misdemeanor and $1,000 fine Failed
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HB 40/SB 344 — Requires employers who offer sick leave to their employees to allow them to use sick leave to care for sick family members Passed
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HB 119 — Required MSDE to publish data that reflects the actual number of students in a class, the number for whom the teacher is regularly responsible Passed House
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HB 199 — Combined many bills to one that requires MSDE and local boards to develop and implement a policy to combat bullying, harassment, and intimidation by physical, verbal, written, or electronic means Passed
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HB 1271, HB 1396, SB 955 — Required financial literacy, safety education and self-defense training, and a certain number of hours of physical education be included in the state curriculum Failed
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SB 96/HB 285 — Requires implementation of Positive Behavioral Intervention Programs in schools with certain truancy rates that are adjusted downward each year until it is down to 1% Passed
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SB 229 — Required 65% of all education funding be spent in the classroom Failed
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HB 779/SB 306, HB 806 — Bills that changed Harford County's BOE from appointed to elected, to a combination Failed
Thumbs DOWN!
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HB 1518/SB 850 — Public School Labor Relations Board (PERB) Failed
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SB 214/HB 371 Divestiture from Iran and Sudan — Requires Pension System to divest any assets from companies doing business in Iran and Sudan Passed
Mixed emotions
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HB 519 — Reduced reliance on the high school assessment from 100% to no less than 50% and no more than 60% Failed
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HB 1571 — Eliminated the requirement that MSDE report annually the graduation rate among cohorts and allows the department to use a different formula to publish graduation rates in 2011 Passed
