(1) Beginning in the 2008-09 academic year, the commissioner and the executive director, at least annually, shall convene meetings of professional educators in preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education within each of the regional service areas created by the state board. In convening the regional educator meetings, the commissioner and the executive director shall work with:

(a) The president of the state system of community and technical colleges;

(b) One or more representatives of the local college districts;

(c) The chief academic officers or executive directors of the state institutions of higher education;

(d) The school district superintendents throughout the state; and

(e) Representatives of the division of child care and the early childhood policy team in the office of the lieutenant governor.

(2) At a minimum, the following persons shall be invited to attend the regional educator meetings in each regional service area:

(a) Early care and education providers;

(b) Members of the local school boards of the school districts included in the regional service area;

(c) The preschool, elementary, and secondary teachers, principals, administrators, counselors, and other special services providers employed by the local education providers located in the regional service area; and

(d) The postsecondary faculty, academic advisors, and administrators employed by the state institutions of higher education and local district colleges, if any, located in the regional service area.

(3) The commissioner and the executive director shall convene regional educator meetings for the purpose of collaborating in the planning, design, and implementation of the alignment of the preschool through postsecondary public education systems, including but not limited to:

(a) Collaborating in the planning, design, and implementation of:

(I) The school readiness description, the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards, and the postsecondary and workforce readiness description;

(II) Programs of instruction for preschool, elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students; and

(III) Assessments that are aligned with the school readiness and postsecondary and workforce readiness descriptions and the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards;

(b) Collaborating in identification and provision of the supportive services that are necessary to implement the school readiness and postsecondary and workforce readiness descriptions, the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards, and the aligned assessments;

(c) Identifying and reviewing the levels of financial support needed to implement the school readiness and postsecondary and workforce readiness descriptions, the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards, and the aligned assessments, and formulating recommendations concerning the reallocation of state resources and the identification of additional state resources for said implementation; and

(d) Reviewing the school readiness description, the preschool through elementary and secondary education standards, the postsecondary and workforce readiness description, the assessments aligned with the descriptions and standards, and the criteria for diploma endorsements, and making recommendations for revisions to the state board and the commission.

(4) Each regional service area may submit to the state board and the commission the recommendations arising from the regional educator meetings held in the regional service area. The state board and the commission shall take the recommendations into account in fulfilling their duties pursuant to this part 10. In addition, a regional service area may submit any recommendations for legislative changes to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees.