ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-sixth Legislature

First Regular Session

HB 2786: teacher training; parental notification; requirements

Sponsor: Representative Heap, LD 10

Committee on Education

Overview

Mandates a school district governing board (governing board) develop parental notification and access procedures if the school district is involved with a training for teachers or administrators.

History

A governing board, in consultation with parents, teachers and administrators, must adopt a policy to promote the involvement of parents of children enrolled in the school district. This policy must contain procedures for parents to: 1) learn about their child's course of study and review learning materials; 2) have access to the school's library collection and books and materials borrowed by their child; 3) withdraw their child from any learning materials or activities to which the parent objects; and 4) learn about parental rights and responsibilities. Currently, a governing board may adopt a policy to provide parents this information in an electronic format.

A parent must submit a written request for the information contained in the parental involvement policy to the school principal or school superintendent. The principal or superintendent must, within 10 days after receiving the request, either deliver the information or submit an explanation detailing the reasons for denying the parent's request. A parent may request the information in writing from the governing board if their request is denied or if the information is not received within 15 days of submitting the request to the principal or superintendent (A.R.S. § 15-102).

Provisions

1. Requires a governing board, as part of its parental involvement policy, to include procedures to do the following if the school district requires, endorses, recommends, encourages, funds, facilitates or provides a training for teachers or school administrators:

a) notify parents of the training; and

b) give parents access to any printed or digital materials used for the training. (Sec. 1)

2. Defines training to:

a) mean a class, seminar, webinar, in-person instruction or printed or digital material that addresses curricula, teaching methods, classroom strategies, student discipline, learning environment or social and emotional learning; and

b) exclude training in which the teacher or school administrator participates outside of the context of their official duties. (Sec. 1)

3. Requires, rather than allows, a governing board to adopt a policy to provide parents the information contained its parental involvement policy in an electronic format. (Sec. 1)

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7. HB 2786

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