Bill Text: MS SB2631 | 2011 | Regular Session | Engrossed

Mississippi Senate Bill 2631 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Task Force to Study Teacher Salaries; establish.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)

Status: (Failed) 2011-03-01 - Died In Committee [SB2631 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2011-SB2631-Engrossed.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2011 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Senator(s) Tollison, Blount, Butler (36th), Butler (38th), Dearing, Gollott, Jones, Jordan, Montgomery, Powell, Stone

Senate Bill 2631

(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT TO CREATE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE TEACHER SALARY SCALE IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE CURRENT TEACHER SHORTAGE IN MISSISSIPPI TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE 2012 REGULAR SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE; TO SET FORTH THE DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Task Force to Study the Teacher Salary Scale in Order to Solve the Current Teacher Shortage in Mississippi is created to study and make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding teacher attrition, retention and growth in our state. The task force shall study and make recommendations on the following key areas:

(a) The teacher salary scale under the Mississippi Adequate Education Program;

(b) Step increases and annual increments under the teacher salary scale;

(d) Teacher pay for failing schools;

(e) Local supplements to teacher salaries;

(f) Nonadequate education program funded teachers; and

(g) Adequate and equitable resources and support for teacher salaries.

(2) Members of the task force shall be composed of the following:

(a) The State Superintendent of Public Education, or his designee;

(b) One (1) person appointed by the Governor;

(d) The Chairmen of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees;

(e) Three (3) classroom teachers appointed by the State Board of Education, one (1) to be an elementary teacher, one (1) to be a middle school teacher and one (1) to be a high school teacher;

(f) One (1) assistant teacher appointed by the Mississippi Association of Educators;

(g) One (1) principal appointed by the State Board of Education;

(h) One (1) local school superintendent appointed by the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents; and

(i) Two (2) Deans of the College of Education of a Mississippi public or private university appointed by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Appointments to the task force shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. The task force shall hold its first meeting not later than August 1, 2011, with the date, time and location of the meeting to be designated by the State Superintendent of Education. At the first meeting the task force shall elect from among its membership a Chairman, Vice Chairman and any other officers determined to be necessary, who shall organize the task force for business and determine the date and locations of subsequent meetings.

Members of the task force shall serve without compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed for necessary expense in attending to the actual business of the task force from any available funds, as provided by law. Legislative members shall be reimbursed from the contingent expense fund of their respective house, but only with the specific approval of the Rules Committee of the respective house. The task force, by approval of a majority of its membership, may accept funds that may be donated or provided in the form of grants from public or private sources.

(3) Any department, agency or court of this state, at the request of the chairman of the task force, shall provide staff and other support necessary for the task force to perform its duties.

(4) Upon presentation of its report to the Governor and the 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature, the task force shall be dissolved.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2011.