Assigned to GOV & APPROP                                                                                                              FOR COMMITTEE

 

 

 

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Phoenix, Arizona

 

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1248

 

juvenile corrections; teacher advisory committee

 

Purpose

 

Establishes a Department of Juvenile Corrections Teacher Advisory Committee and makes changes to teacher salaries within the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections.

 

Background

 

The Legislature created the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections (ADJC) in 1990 (Laws 1989, Chapter 266) by separating it from the Department of Corrections.  ADJC is the state agency responsible for juveniles adjudicated delinquent and committed to its jurisdiction by the county juvenile courts.  ADJC manages the state’s secure juvenile facilities and develops and provides services to juvenile offenders, including rehabilitation, treatment, education and specialized programs for sexual offenders, violent offenders and substance abuse. 

 

            ADJC operates five secure facilities in Arizona: Adobe Mountain, Black Canyon, Catalina Mountain, Sunrise Mountain and Eagle Point.  The State Educational System for Committed Youth Board (Board) was created to advise the ADJC Director regarding the administration of the educational system for those juveniles committed to the Department’s facilities. 

 

In 1999, the Committees of Reference for the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Public Institutions and Universities Committee conducted a performance review and held a public hearing regarding the scheduled sunset of the Board.  During the performance review, the Committee of Reference determined that the Board had failed to submit required annual reports regarding its activities. The ADJC testified that the Board’s performance of its duties generally had been marginal. The Board expired on July 1, 2001.  

 

                Recently, teachers within the ADJC system have expressed concern that the State Educational System for Committed Youth Board has not been replaced with a new board or committee.  The teachers feel it is necessary that more oversight and regulation be provided.  Additionally, teachers within the ADJC system are considered state employees, but they have expressed interest in salaries and salary schedules that are more comparable to public school teachers.   This legislation attempts to address these concerns.

 

A fiscal note has been requested for this legislation.

 

Provisions

 

Department of Juvenile Corrections Educational Programs

 

1.      Requires ADJC to provide tuition reimbursement for courses and programs completed in accordance with ADJC staff development policy.

 

2.      Requires ADJC to implement a year-round school schedule, that is similar to school district year-round operations, for educational programs in ADJC facilities. Prescribes the following requirements:

 

  1. requires ADJC to provide teachers with paid time off when ADJC pupils enrolled in ADJC educational programs are not receiving classroom instruction;
  2. prohibits the amount of instruction provided to ADJC pupils to be increased or decreased to offset the time off with pay provided to teachers.  

 

3.      Requires ADJC to annually update the existing salary schedule for ADJC teachers and pay teachers according to the updated salary schedule.

 

4.      Requires ADJC to increase the number of compensation levels to eight levels within the salary schedule for ADJC teachers.

 

Juvenile Corrections Teacher Advisory Committee

 

5.      Requires ADJC to establish a Juvenile Corrections Teacher Advisory Committee (Committee).

 

6.      Requires the Committee to provide recommendations to ADJC on the following subjects:

 

  1. the retention of teachers for ADJC educational programs;
  2. the establishment of criteria for tuition reimbursement for courses and programs completed in accordance with ADJC staff development policy;
  3. staff training;
  4. updating the salary schedules within each employment classification for teachers in ADJC educational programs.

 

7.      Specifies requirements for membership of the Committee.

 

8.      Requires the Committee to meet at least bimonthly, at the call of the chairperson.  Requires the Committee to hold additional meetings if a majority of the Committee members vote to do so.

 

9.      Specifies that appointed members serve two-year terms.  Specifies that vacancies for unexpired terms are to be filled in the same manner as original appointments.

 

10.  Allows committee members to receive reimbursement of expenses, if monies are available.  The members are not eligible for compensation.

11.  Specifies that a teacher who is selected to serve on the Committee is not required to take leave time to attend Committee meetings and will receive full salary and benefits for the time spent on activities connected with the Committee.

 

12.  Provides for a general effective date.

 

 

Prepared by Senate Staff

February 7, 2002