School leaders from across the State will be in the capital next Tuesday and Wednesday to attend the Alliance Leadership Summit. Districts are encouraged to bring a team consisting of the superintendent, a principal, a school board member, and a school business official. Tuesday will consist of presentations from public education advocate and former superintendent Jim Burgett, State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Ralph Martire, and a panel of political analysts. In depth discussion of the key education issues will be presented by the Alliance.

On Wednesday, Secretary of Education Dr. Elizabeth Purvis will address the participants as will Governor Bruce Rauner. The educator leaders then will head to the Capitol to meet with their State Representatives.

More information about registration for the Summit can be found at the IASA website at http://www.iasaedu.org/.

BILL ACTION FROM THIS WEEK

HB 425 (Welch, D-Westchester) makes changes to the salary structure of Regional Superintendents of Schools and their assistants, especially in regard to the Educational Service Centers in Cook County. The bill was approved by the House Education: Licensing, Administration & Oversight Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.

HB 655 (Cavaletto, R-Salem) requires ISBE to use e-mail delivery to notify an educator of a lapse in their license no sooner than 6 months prior to the license lapsing. The bill was approved by the House Education: Licensing, Administration & Oversight Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.

HB 760 (Lang, D-Chicago) allows the East Prairie School District 73 to exceed their debt limit with voter approval. The bill was approved by the House Education: Licensing, Administration & Oversight Committee and was sent to the House floor for further consideration.

SB 757 (Morrison, D-Deerfield) provides that college and career ready assessment scores must be removed from the student's transcript if the student's parent or legal guardian requests such removal. The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

SB 865 (Manar, D-Bunker Hill) requires a school district report card to include the total and per pupil  normal cost amount the State contributed to the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) in the prior fiscal  year for the district's employees, which shall be reported to the ISBE by TRS. The bill was approved  by the Senate Education Committee and was sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

BILLS SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE NEXT WEEK

The following is a selection of bills of interest that are to be heard in House committees next week. For  a full listing of next week's committees, click here.

HOUSE JUDICIARY--CRIMINAL COMMITTEE

Wednesday, February 15, 3:00 p.m., Room 114, State Capitol

HB 1779 (Welch, D-Westchester) Prohibits arrest or being otherwise cited for a criminal offense

committed during school hours while on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at school activities or

sanctioned events except in certain circumstances.

HOUSE CITIES & VILLAGES COMMITTEE

Wednesday, February 22, 3:00 p.m., Room 122B State Capitol

HB 438 (Ives, R-Wheaton) authorizes local governments, including school districts, to initiate a

neutral evaluation process if it is unable to meet financial obligations. It provides for the selection and

qualification of an evaluator, the evaluation process, cessation of an evaluation, declaration of a fiscal

emergency and definition of liabilities.

HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: LICENSING, ADMINISTRATION &

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

Thursday, February 23, 8:30 a.m., Room 115, State Capitol

HB 734 (Crespo, D-Streamwood) requires that three of the members of the ISBE must represent the  educator community. (Vision 20/20 Initiative)

HB 773 (Skillicorn) ends school district use of interfund transfers upon signing of the legislation.

HB 793 (Demmer, R-Rochelle) provides a process whereby a local school board could waive or

modify certain State mandates. (Vision 20/20 Initiative)

HB 826 (Lilly, D-Chicago) codifies in statute licensure requirements for school social workers and

prohibits school social workers from providing services outside their employment to any student in the

district. It makes a recommendation for a student to social worker ratio of 250 to 1.

HOUSE ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION: SCHOOL CURRICULUM & POLICIES

COMMITTEE

Thursday, February 23, 10:00 a.m., Room D-1, Stratton Building

HB 2369 (Harper, D-Chicago) Requires a public school, including a charter school, to provide

reasonable accommodations to a lactating pupil on a school campus to express breast milk, breastfeed  an infant child, or address other needs related to breastfeeding.

HB 2378 (Drury, D-Highwood) Removes language requiring a student's transcript to show the scores  attained by the student on a State assessment that includes a college and career ready determination.  Requires the transcript to represent that the student has taken the State assessment, provided that the  scores attained by the student shall not be placed on the transcript.

HB 2399 (Andrade, D-Chicago) Provides for the election of members of the Chicago Board of

Education.

HB 2403 (Crespo, D-Streamwood) In provisions concerning the transfer of students, removes

references to now-repealed federal laws.

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION: VEHICLES & SAFETY COMMITTEE

Thursday, February 23, 10:00 a.m., Room 122B, State Capitol

HB 1802 (McAuliffe, R-Chicago) Provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the

effective date of this bill and purchased for use in this State shall be equipped with a 3-point seat belt

or any other federally approved restraint system in a number sufficient to allow each passenger being

transported to use a separate belt or restraint system.

HB 2374 (DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights) Provides that each school bus manufactured on or after the  effective date of this bill and purchased for use in this State by a school district or a school bus

company under contract with a school district shall be equipped with a lap belt or any other federally

approved restraint system in a number sufficient to allow each passenger being transported to use a

separate belt or restraint system.

HOUSE PERSONNEL & PENSIONS COMMITTEE

Friday, February 24, 10:00 a.m., Room 122B, State Capitol

HB 2405 (Ives, R-Wheaton) Requires each State-funded Retirement System to implement a Tier 3

plan by July 1, 2018 that aggregates State and employee contributions in individual participant

accounts which are used for payouts after retirement.