Keeping an Eye On Current Issues - Early Childhood Education & Development
- Child Care
- Education- Funding and New Programs
- Education- Standards of Quality for Teachers/School Adminstrators
- Child Protection
will flag items of special importance to parents of young children.
This section is still under construction.
E-Mail your Senator(Service of Candlelight Stories)
U.S. Senate Web Site
Contact Your Congressman- Tax credits for individuals holding eligible public school modernization bonds.
- Plan to add 100,000 additional teachers, to reduce class size, in the next seven years.
- Grants to enhance teacher training opportunities.
- Plans to strengthen after school programs through enhancement of block grants program.
- Grants for expanded learning programs for public school students.
Educational Opportunities and Excellence Act of 1999
Sponsor: Paul Coverdell
Description: This bill would- Allow parents to use retirement savings (IRAs), TAX FREE, to pay for their children's education. This would include expenditures on private school tuition, special needs services, transportation, or any expenses arising from public-, private-, or home-schooling.
- Provide TAX CREDITS* for parents on expenditures on private school tuition, special needs services, transportation, or any expenses arising from public-, private-, or home-schooling.
- Provide more funding for elementary and secondary education.
- Administer subject tests to teachers and offer merit pay.
- Enhance funding for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Status: Before the Senate finance committee.
For another bill including a proposed tax credit, see S 616
CHILD PROTECTION
This section is still being developed.
Legislation in the Commonwealth of Virginia
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS: http://legis.state.va.us/vaonline/v.htm TIP: click on "Who's My Legislator" for helpful information and links.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT
Study of Early Childhood Brain Development
Sponsor: Vance Wilkins
Description: This bill would establish a joint subcommittee study of education, day care, social services, and parenting programs in light of recent research findings about the importance of stimulating brain development in early childhood. The study would be aimed at determining the effectiveness of available programs in enhancing early brain development.
Status: 2/3/99 House - stricken from docket.
CHILD CARE
SB 592
Child Care - Family Day Homes
Sponsor: Patricia Ticer
Description: This bill would allow require anyone providing in-home child care to 1-5 kids, aside from her own children and relatives, to be registered. This would apply to anyone providing child care services more than 20 hours per month. At this time, registry for these small family day homes is optional.
Status: 12/17/98 Senate left in Rehabilitation/Social Services Committee.
HB 1165
Child Care - Family Day Homes
Sponsor: Frank Ruff
Description: This bill would allow regulatory agencies to grant a variance to mandatory caregiver/child rations to a Family Day Home. They would need to demonstrate that the existing ratio made child care unavaialble to those who need it, imposing financial hardship upon the families. They would also have to demonstrate that the variance would not affect the safety and well-being of children in their care.
HB 1271
Criminal History Checks for Child Care Providers
Sponsor: Frank Ruff
Description: This bill would authorize organizations that provide child care to obtain criminal history checks, from the State Police, on prospective employees and volunteers.
SB 1006
Public Assistance for Day Care
Sponsor: Yvonne Miller
Description: This bill would require the Department of Social Services to provide the full state or federal share of funding for child care for families participating in TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and VIEW (Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare).
EDUCATION - SEE ALSO EARLY CHILDHOOD ED. - ABOVE
EDUCATION: Funding & New Programs
HB 477 Educational Services For Expelled Students
Sponsor: Franklin Hall
Description: This bill would require school boards to provide educational services to students of compulsory attendance age who have been suspended for ten or more days, excluded, or expelled from school. I've been involved in a program of this type, and seen it work successfully. It kept kids who had been expelled from school off the streets. These kids also received tutoring, vocational training, and mental health and substance abuse counseling.
Standards of Quality for Elementary Teachers
Sponsor: John Tate
Description: This bill would provide funding for five additional teachers for each elementary school for the 1998-2000 biennium.
SB 817 Elementary School Character Education Programs
Sponsor: John Edwards
Description: This bill requires school board to establish character education curricula. These are meant to teach "core civic values and virtues which are efficacious to civilized society and communities, ...including divserse groups...in the Commonwealth." These "core values" can include: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness and caring citizenship. Grants will be offered for innovative Character Education programs.Status: PASSED; effective 7/1/99.
SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS REALLY THINK ABOUT CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAMS? ... SEND MESSAGE
HB 1130
Public Schools Construction Grants Fund
Sponsor: Thomas Jackson
Description: Lottery revenues and uncollected winnings could be used for school construction.
Status:?
Pilot Discretionary Programs for Disruptive Students
Sponsor: Thelma Drake
Description: This bill would provide five grants to establish pilot programs for certain elementary and middle school students identified as disruptive. These programs would encourage innovative approaches to discipline.
HB 1252
Sales Tax Increase for School Construction
Sponsor: William Barlow
Description: This bill would have localities raise sales and use taxes 1/2 - 1 percent, for school construction, IF passed by local referendum
HB 1270
Families in Education Incentive Grants Program
Sponsor: Flora Crittenden
Description: Competeive grants will be offered to public schools to develop innovative programs aimed at helping parents become more involved in their childrens' schooling and create supportive learning environments for their kids..
HB 1435
Use of Lottery Proceeds for Local School Divisions
Sponsor: Barnie Day
Description: By July 1, 2000, one-third of Virginia's state lottery profits would be allocated to the schools; by July 1, 2001, the schools would receive two-thirds; by July 1, 2002 the schools would receive ALL of lottery proceeds. This has been a contentious issue in Virginia; when the lottery was initiated, many of us understood the profits would be used for education. This never materialized .
HB 1443
Sales & Use Tax: Dedication of Proceeds to Public Schools for School Construction
Sponsor: Richard Black
Description: The Commonwealth would give its share (two percent) of sales and use taxes to localities for public school construction.
HB 1445
School Resource Officers Grants Program
Sponsor:Philip Hamilton
Description: This bill provides grant to fund having uniformed police officers in middle- and high-schools, "to help ensure safety and prevent violence in schools."
HB 1513
Funding for Certain At-Risk Pupils
Sponsor:Linda Pullen
Description: This bill would provide matching grants (localities must raise enough money to match the amount of the grant) to provide educational services to 100 percent of underserved 4- and 5-year-olds not eligible for Kindergarten.
HB 1799
Violence Intervention & Prevention in Public Schools
Sponsor: Whittington Clement
Description: This bill would direct the Board of Education to develop regulations addressing the issue of violence in public schools .
So what does this mean exactly?
HB 2513
Lottery Proceeds for Use in Capital Projects for Education
Sponsor: Robert Bloxton
Description: The Commonwealth provide lottery proceeds for public schools to use for construction and technology.
EDUCATION: Quality of Teaching & School Administration
Standards of Quality for Elementary Teachers
Sponsor: John Tate
Description: This bill would provide funding for five additional teachers for each elementary school for the 1998-2000 biennium.
HB 720
Computation of Pupil/Teacher Ratios
Sponsor: James Dillard
Description: This bill would require using a weighted formula to provide more individual attention, in the classroom, to children with certain disabilities. Under this system, students with special needs would be weighted more heavily when computin student/teacher ratios.
HB 1673
Computation of Pupil/Teacher Ratios
Sponsor: James Dillard
Description: This bill would change the required teacher student ratio, for K & grades 2-3, from 25/1 to 24/1. First grade already has a required 24/1 ratio.
HR 2710/SB 1145
Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Programs
Sponsor: Alan Diamondstein (H)/Edward Houck(S)
Description: This bill establishes the National Teacher Certification Award program in the Commonwealth. Teachers will receive monetary awards for becoming nationally certified. It provides guidelines for evaluating school personnel. It directs school boards to offer incentives for excellence in teaching and will require teachers licensed in this state, after 2003, be educated in preparing students for the Standards of Learning exams.
CHILD PROTECTION
See also violence prevention initiatives under "Education: Funding..."
HB 2058
Sex Offender Registry
Sponsor: Janet Howell
Description: This bill requires those convicted of sexual battery or attempted sexual battery to register with the Virginia State Police. Organizations providing day care or serving children will be eligible to receive notice of all registered sex offenders within their zip code or contiguous zip codes.
This registry is already available.Status: PASSED; effective 7/1/99.
HB 1043
Internet-Policies in Public Schools and Libraries
Sponsor: Thomas Jackson
Description: This bill would direct schools and libraries to develop internet access policies and submit these policies to state authorities.
HB 1317
School-Based Access to Information Infrastructure
Sponsor: Robert Marshall
Description: This bill would direct schools with students K-8 which provide internet access to install software restricting access to harmful or obscene materials
HB 1481
Child Pornography
Sponsor:Philip Hamilton
Description: This bill would stiffen the penalties for those convicted of taking indecent liberties with children, including promoting improper activites with children over the internet. Indecent Liberties with a Minor would be moved from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony.
HB 1517
Sale of Drugs on or Near School Bus
Sponsor: Richard Black
Description: This bill would make the sale of drugs within 100 yards of a school bus stop a separate felon, punishable by five years in prison or $100,000 fine.
HB 1718
Drug Free School Zone to Include Preschool
Sponsor: Thomas Jackson
Description: This bill would expand the Drug Free School Zones law to include preschools. The Drug Free School Zones law imposes stiffer penalties of inviduals convicted of selling drugs within 1000 yards of school property.
HB 1760
Child Pornography
Sponsor: Kathy Byron
Description: This bill stiffens penalties for individuals convicted of possessing child pornography. Possession of such materials will be changed from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony. Communicating with minors under age 14, for the purpose of taking liberties or promoting explicit materials will be upgraded to a Class 5 felony.
HB 2058
Closed Circuit TV Testimony for Child Victims
Sponsor: Vivian Watts
Description: This bill allows children age 14 or under, who were victims of a crime, to provide testimony on closed circuit TV. This avoids subjecting the child to the trauma of courtroom testimony.
Sources: Congressional citizen information websites:
http://www.house.gov (House of Reps)
and
http://www.senate.gov (Senate)
and
Virginia Legislature's citizen information website http://legis.state.va.us
Please send me any info you have for this page!!! Your opinions and comments are also welcome.
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