BILL REQ. #:  S-1586.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/28/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to salary schedules for educational staff associate positions and vocational certified instructors; and amending RCW 28A.150.410.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.150.410 and 2002 c 353 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature shall establish for each school year in the appropriations act a statewide salary allocation schedule, for allocation purposes only, to be used to distribute funds for basic education certificated instructional staff salaries under RCW 28A.150.260.
     (2) Salary allocations for state-funded basic education certificated instructional staff shall be calculated by the superintendent of public instruction by determining the district's average salary for certificated instructional staff, using the statewide salary allocation schedule and related documents, conditions, and limitations established by the omnibus appropriations act.
     (3) Beginning January 1, 1992, no more than ninety college quarter-hour credits received by any employee after the baccalaureate degree may be used to determine compensation allocations under the state salary allocation schedule and LEAP documents referenced in the omnibus appropriations act, or any replacement schedules and documents, unless:
     (a) The employee has a masters degree; or
     (b) The credits were used in generating state salary allocations before January 1, 1992.
(4) Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, the determination of years of service for occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, social workers, counselors, and psychologists, regulated under Title 18 RCW, may include experience in schools and other nonschool positions as occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, nurses, social workers, counselors, or psychologists. One year of service in nonschool positions shall be counted as one year of service for purposes of this chapter. A maximum of five years of service in nonschool positions may be included in the determination of years of service.
     (5) Beginning in the 2007-08 school year, the determination of years of service for vocational certified instructors may include related nonschool experience for vocational certified instructors who hold a valid vocational certificate acquired as a result of noneducational work experience rather than college training and who have a degree earned from a regionally accredited institution of higher education before the issuance of the initial vocational certificate, which is a noneducational degree related to the vocational certificate. Such instructors are defined as "nondegreed." These instructors may also be determined to qualify for years of service for supervisory noneducational work experience under existing rules.