Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:59.680> school, complete calculus in high school, complete calculus in high school,
• So I I think required in high school.
• <05:01:08.878> Most<05:01:08.958> of are public high school kids.
• Most of are public high school kids.
• be left high and dry right after they started the program.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on House Bill 1571, which would direct the Department of Education to review and revise statewide academic standards and curriculum and make an appropriation. Representative Kristen Noble, the sponsor, said the bill is intended to update outdated standards, especially in math, and to have the department create a list of high-quality curriculum and materials aligned to the revised standards. She noted she would likely amend the bill to change a requirement that districts “shall” select from the list to “may,” and said a misplaced crossed-out section would need to be restored and moved by amendment. She also said assessments would need to be updated to match any new standards. Testimony from Marie Banfield strongly supported the bill and the move away from a mandate, arguing that current standards are outdated and that Common Core and related standards have not improved student outcomes. She criticized the math standards for emphasizing multiple strategies and written explanations over computation, and said stronger standards would better support students, including those with learning or communication challenges. She also argued that New Hampshire should follow examples such as Massachusetts, which she said used rigorous standards successfully. Nate Green of the Department of Education did not take a position on the bill but explained that the bill would affect statewide academic standards, state assessments, and potentially federal compliance. He distinguished academic standards from minimum standards in statute, said any standards revision would require work with content experts, State Board approval, and then a corresponding assessment update that could take about two years. He estimated assessment development costs could range from about $200,000 to $500,000 for minor revisions and $1 million to $2 million for a wholesale new set of standards. He also said the bill would apply to public and charter public schools, not private or homeschool students, and that the department does not currently provide a statewide list of curriculum materials because curriculum decisions have historically been local.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:20:15.280> breakfast<00:20:15.760> program million for the school breakfast program
• <01:05:04.400> school<01:05:04.720> students, County, adults of high school students
• , provide $3 million for the Move On Ready program, which will enable students to graduate high school
• several pilot programs from multiple school districts.
• will enable students to graduate high will enable students to graduate high school<01:20:58.000>

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:42.680> income of that very, I would say, high income of that very, I would say, high
• But the other piece is for this very expensive program there is also no pay for.
• But the other piece is for this very expensive program there is also no pay for.
• And I think we need to costs are high.
• <00:15:39.360> districts escape to school districts escape to school districts of<00:15:40.760

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard presentation on HF 495, a bill intended to help families with rising child care costs by allowing a subtraction from taxable income for licensed child care expenses. The author said the measure would provide immediate relief to families while broader child care supply and affordability problems are addressed, citing a revenue analysis estimating about 81,700 returns affected and an average tax decrease of $639. The bill was described as applying only to licensed child care centers, family child care, or group family child care under chapter 142B. A virtual testifier, Annel Velasco of St. Paul, opposed the bill. She said child care is indeed expensive but argued the proposal is only a small patch that does not address structural problems such as provider closures, low teacher pay, and lack of available slots. She also said the subtraction would disproportionately benefit higher-income families and would not help providers or teachers. Members debated whether the bill should be more targeted. Representative Smith and Representative Lee argued the proposal is uncapped, expensive, and structured as a subtraction rather than a refundable credit, meaning it would mainly help higher-income households and could divert resources from other credits such as the working family tax credit or child tax credit. Representative Swedzinski supported the bill as allowing families to keep their own money and said child care costs are high across income levels. Chair Gomez and others emphasized that the child care system has broader structural failures, including low pay and lack of slots, and said this bill would address only one part of the problem. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to go to film school at UNM-Gallup Middle College High School.
• I am a fourth-year student at Wingate High School, and after high school, I want to be a welder.
• If there are programs at Bernalillo High School, kids don't have transportation.
• That even within just Gallup itself, there are many, many schools—high schools.
• That's the only high school in that vicinity, and I'm sure other schools are similar.

Transcript Highlights:

• NSBA opposes legislation that mandates public schools to implement new programs or initiatives without
• And then the last couple of years teaching general education as a high school in Alamogordo, running
• the teacher academy program for our high school students who want to move into education and be teachers
• after-school programs.
• because they want to be in those after-school programs.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Public schools offer norm reference tests to seniors in high school.
• Utah's school choice program is not the biggest program.
• Utah's school choice program is not the biggest program.
• Our average high school tuition is under $12,000.
• Our average high school tuition is under $12,000.

Bills: SB 2

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Even high school, whichever is later.
• high school, it went undetected and no, no, you could do was done and even with to physical.
• And there has been legislation past year that required high school students to be comes certified in
• school and is not engaged in the education system to enroll and drop out retrieval program.
• responsible for school safety received consistent, high-quality preparation and firearms proficiency

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Graduate School, which is our PhD, MD-PhD, and PhD programs, has eight tracks that we offer.
• So our programs can span from weeks to years in that school. The next one is our medical school.
• That's the creation of the medical school. Next is Arizona, and they too offer a four-year program.
• <00:42:22.800> school<00:42:23.319> math uh I did not do well in high school math uh
• Olaf in Northfield, and my youngest is a junior at the high school here locally.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a mother of three nice children, elementary, middle school, and high school.
• On behalf of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District and the San Benito High School District,
• It's Inglewood High School. It's Compton High School. It's poor school districts.
• How is their school? We have seniors. We have high school students here.
• about making high-stakes decisions for charter high schools without a growth measure.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes. The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously. Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• Institute and the New Mexico High School.
• So I've been a leader, a preschool director, Elementary principal, middle school principal, high school
• high school?
• So the Latinos in Action programming started with three schools.
• Pecos High School, Pecos Middle School, and Albuquerque Technology.

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Joaquin Avalos, and I have just completed my junior year at Da Vinci High School, located
• , allowing state special schools to offer work-based learning programs, and removing academic program
• We see every day what happens when students leave high schools without a clear pathway.
• prevent high school students from accessing meaningful earn-and-learn opportunities.
• In addition, the district offers, who were hired while still in high school.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She explained that CEP is a federal program that allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all
• that allows High C is a federal program that allows High poverty<00:06:19.120> schools<00:06:
• <01:02:38.319> calculus high school she had finished calculus high school she had finished
• for high school.
• > cannot high school low-income families cannot high school low-income families cannot afford<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, in high school, are directed towards Career Bridge to look at programs, will they find...?
• We are in high schools, we go to trade shows, career resource fairs, tribal, veteran, and reentry programs
• And the same goes for high schools and ESDs.
• This involves high school students who are going to be working toward high school credits but have work
• We're intending to open that up to high school students in the area.

Summary: The work session focused first on Washington’s apprenticeship system, especially building trades programs and support services. Labor and Industries staff explained how registered apprenticeship works in the state, including the role of the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, the requirements for paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction, and the difference between apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship. Panelists emphasized that apprenticeship is tied to actual jobs and training agents, and that many waitlists reflect a shortage of job openings and employer participation rather than a lack of interest. They also discussed youth apprenticeship, the growth of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and the use of Career Bridge and L&I’s database to help people find programs. Representatives asked whether the state should expand apprenticeship programs and how people can find openings. Speakers said more programs alone would not solve the backlog without more employers signing on as training agents and more apprenticeship utilization on projects. The panel also highlighted the Constructed Career Initiative, a grant-funded navigation and support program that helps people enter and stay in building trades apprenticeships through outreach, case management, and wraparound aid such as transportation, tools, and work clothes. A related nonprofit, Build Up, described similar support services, including prison-based boot and PPE programs and assistance for reentry participants. The panel said these services are especially important because apprentices often face unstable income, housing, food, and transportation barriers. The panel also discussed House Bill 2084 and the new Construction Training Pathway Oversight Committee, which is examining construction training in correctional facilities and how to create clearer pathways from prison-based training to apprenticeship, college, or work. Speakers said the committee is still in its early stages and will report to the legislature. The session ended with committee members thanking the panel and noting the importance of support services and referral networks for apprentices. The meeting then resumed at Renton Technical College, where college leaders and faculty discussed serving non-traditional students. The college reported strong enrollment growth, a median student age of 30, a diverse student body, and high job placement rates, while also noting significant budget cuts and program reductions from the prior year. Health care and early childhood education programs were highlighted, including efforts to expand access through hybrid scheduling, evening and Saturday classes, Spanish-language offerings, and in-person wraparound support for admissions, financial aid, and registration. Faculty said these changes were driven by student data and were aimed at helping working parents, English learners, and other non-traditional students complete credentials and enter family-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• The focus of today's hearing will be on diversion programs and services for high-risk youth.
• During his intake, he told me that he had dropped out of high school two years earlier.
• The youth came in, took this high school, high school junior, I think, and again the diversion process
• And once those students... ...are four times more likely to leave high school without a diploma.
• He's working on graduating high school and actively applying for jobs.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice held an informational hearing focused on diversion programs and services for high-risk youth, with no bills before the committee and no votes taken. The chair and members emphasized that the session was intended to hear from invited testimony and discuss how to strengthen diversion, reduce court involvement, and improve outcomes for youth. The committee heard first from the Office of the Child Advocate and diversion providers, who described the Massachusetts Youth Diversion Program, its statewide expansion to 10 of 11 court counties, and its reported success rate of about 80% completion without reoffending. Testimony highlighted that diversion keeps youth out of court, connects them more quickly to community-based services, and can address needs such as mental health, education, and substance use. Witnesses also pointed to racial and ethnic disparities in arrests versus summonses, regional variation in diversion access, and the need for clearer statutory authority, more funding, and broader use of pre-arrest diversion. Committee members asked about the difference between arrest and summons, who can initiate diversion, why arrest rates have increased relative to summonses, and how diversion might prevent harmful downstream consequences such as detention or immigration enforcement involvement. Witnesses said police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges can refer youth to diversion, and argued that local policy, training, and legislative changes could expand use. They also discussed the impact of detention on youth, including stigma, lost school time, and the lack of credit for time served in the juvenile system. Testimony from Citizens for Juvenile Justice focused on prevention, school discipline, and the school-to-prison pipeline, arguing for more restorative practices, better data, and legislation to limit suspensions and expulsions, especially for younger students and nonviolent conduct. They also raised concerns about DCF-involved and foster youth, who are disproportionately represented in the juvenile system. The final panel, the Children's League of Massachusetts and transition-age youth providers, shifted to child welfare and young adult supports. They supported reducing court involvement in child requiring assistance cases, expanding family resource centers, and strengthening services for transition-age youth leaving DCF or DYS custody. Providers described housing instability, homelessness, and the need for education, employment, behavioral health, and supportive housing services for young adults ages 18 to 23. Across the hearing, witnesses consistently argued that early intervention, community-based supports, and diversion are more effective than court processing or detention for most youth, and that the legislature can help through funding, statutory clarity, expanded eligibility, and stronger data collection.

Transcript Highlights:

• So many students are now in a position to be able to go into the workforce after high school, having
• We’re one of nine states that will not experience the decline in high school graduates.
• I came from high school graduation up in 20 to the military, so I served in the Army for eight years.
• It's been a passion of mine to help the youth and to bring those children up from the high school level
• You know, we have a great program with a... ...like the gentleman said before me, our school is really

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received a presentation from the Governor’s Office and the Commissioner of Education on the proposed higher education budget. The presentation highlighted a $117.4 billion overall state budget, with education at $32.5 billion and higher education receiving a modest overall increase. Key items included no tuition or fee increases for Florida residents, major financial aid funding such as Bright Futures, Benacquisto, EASE, Open Door, and first responder scholarships, as well as workforce investments including apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, nursing pipeline funding, and performance-based funding for colleges and universities. Committee members asked questions about the proposed expansion of the Guardian program at state colleges and the $100 million university recruitment and retention fund. Officials said the Guardian funding would give colleges flexibility to use trained personnel for campus safety, sometimes alongside or in place of campus police or private security. The Chancellor explained that the recruitment and retention money would be distributed to universities with no specific directives beyond using it for faculty recruitment and retention, emphasizing Florida’s favorable demographics and the opportunity to attract faculty from states facing enrollment declines. The committee then heard testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees to boards of trustees at state colleges and universities, including Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Miami Dade College, Northwest Florida State College, and St. Johns River State College. Each described their backgrounds and stressed themes of affordability, workforce alignment, nursing and technical programs, dual enrollment, and local community needs. Several cited strong nursing licensure pass rates and college outcomes. After hearing all appointees, the committee voted unanimously to confirm the full block of nominees, and the confirmations were reported favorably before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• - and after-school programs.
• at the highest tier of a charter school in the Schools of Hope program.
• Has been designated at the highest tier of a charter school in the Schools of Hope program by the Department
• It did seem like a great divide between students in one program, one school and the other.
• Hello, I'm Allison Savedra, a high school student.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum present and took up several education bills. SB 1150, which would remove an unrelated exam barrier for school social workers to help districts retain them, was briefly explained and reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1514 on anaphylaxis in public schools, which would require emergency action plans and training for school personnel; amendments narrowed and clarified the bill, including applicability to K-8 schools and FDA-approved epinephrine devices. Orange County Public Schools waived in support, and CS/CS/SB 1514 was reported favorably. The committee spent the most time on SB 1708, which expands Schools of Hope and creates a co-location framework allowing high-performing charter operators to share space in underused public school facilities, with the sponsor explaining that agreements would address safety, supervision, grade levels, emergency protocols, and liability. Members raised concerns about who would be served, lottery access, accountability, and whether the bill would worsen inequities or strain public schools; many public speakers opposed the bill on similar grounds, arguing it would divert resources from already underfunded schools. The sponsor clarified that Schools of Hope recruitment is exempt from lottery, that the bill would not use classrooms already in use, and that districts would receive $600 per student plus associated funding for vacant space. Despite mixed debate, CS for SB 1708 was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 822, which updates charter school governance by limiting sponsor-imposed deadlines, preventing enrollment caps below facility capacity, improving data sharing, and allowing high-performing charter schools to assume existing charters. A charter school advocate supported the bill as a fairness and efficiency measure, while senators pressed him on claims of district “harassment” and the basis for the bill’s deadline changes. After brief debate, CS/SB 822 was reported favorably. The meeting ended with members recording votes on prior tabs and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our student data in And that takes a lot of work at the high school level.
• You can be in a well-run high school or a well-run middle school or elementary school.
• African-American graduation rate at our high school last year was 92%.
• African-American graduation rate at our high school last year was 92%.
• , go to a scholarship program school.

Summary: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee met to discuss the needs of rural school districts and the role of Florida’s three regional education consortia: the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, and Heartland Educational Consortium. Executive directors and several rural superintendents described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide shared services, professional learning, leadership development, grant support, cooperative purchasing, risk management, IT/cybersecurity help, and back-office assistance that small districts could not afford to provide on their own. They emphasized that rural districts are often very small, have limited staff, and must still meet the same state reporting and compliance requirements as large urban systems. Testimony focused heavily on teacher recruitment and retention, alternative certification, and the difficulty of staffing specialized roles such as CFOs, MIS directors, IT staff, and content-area teachers. Superintendents said many new hires are career changers or alternatively certified teachers who need consortium-supported training, and several argued for more flexibility in funding so districts can raise salaries and compete with neighboring districts and nearby states. Members also asked about the impact of declining enrollment, homeschooling, and voucher-related school choice; superintendents said those trends are reducing FTE and creating budget instability, while also requiring districts to right-size staff and programs. Several speakers described the financial strain on rural districts, including rising insurance costs, transportation costs, and the challenge of forecasting budgets when enrollment changes after the school year begins. One superintendent recounted major hurricane damage and said consortium risk-management support was essential to recovery. Others said the consortia help districts pool resources for property and health insurance, payroll, student data systems, and procurement, and that this shared approach saves money and improves services. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• school and get their high school diploma because she was at a free community college.
• school and get their high school diploma because she was at a free community college.
• Our RISE program is a first-of-its-kind high-dosage tutoring program aimed at improving early literacy
• And what happens after high school?
• It's high school.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony on a broad set of bills focused on making public higher education more affordable and accessible, protecting student information, and changing social work licensure rules. Chair Rogers and Senator Comerford opened by emphasizing the committee’s focus on financial aid, tuition and fee waivers, scholarships, admissions, and institutional changes, and they reminded witnesses about the three-minute testimony limit. No votes were taken during the hearing. A large portion of the hearing centered on the “Super Act” (H. 1423/S. 218), which would eliminate the master’s-level social work licensing exam and create grant support for social work internships. Supporters—including students, practitioners, educators, and advocates—argued that unpaid internships and the exam create financial barriers, worsen workforce shortages, and disproportionately affect Black, brown, older, ESL, and other marginalized candidates. Opponents from the Association of Social Work Boards argued the exam is a necessary public-protection standard, helps maintain uniform licensure, and is important to the social work licensure compact; they said workforce shortages should be addressed through pay, working conditions, and caseloads instead. Committee members asked detailed questions about compact participation, exam accommodations, and how other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut have handled similar changes. The committee also heard extensive testimony in favor of debt-free public higher education bills (H. 1436/S. 929). Witnesses, including students, faculty, advocates, and Senator Eldridge, said Massachusetts should expand on free community college by covering tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges and universities, with additional aid for living costs for lower-income students. Supporters said student debt delays homeownership, family formation, and career entry, and that the state should use Fair Share revenue to invest in public higher education. Some committee members voiced support but also raised concerns about prioritizing K-12 funding and the cost of expanding free college further. Several witnesses also supported bills to extend tuition and fee waivers to young adults raised by grandparents or other kinship guardians outside the DCF system, arguing that these students face the same trauma and financial barriers as foster youth but do not receive the same benefits. Representative Donato, Joseph O’Leary, Shauna Manning, Sandra Vecchio, Karen Gardner, Judy Walter, Elaine Arsenault, and others described the financial strain on grandparents raising grandchildren and urged parity with DCF-related waivers. In addition, Senator Jake Oliveira testified for a bill to protect public higher education student directory information from data mining and unauthorized sharing, and Deirdre Cummings testified for an open educational resources bill to reduce textbook costs. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on kinship care and college access, with committee members thanking witnesses and indicating follow-up on some bill language issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• , of course, our high schools, middle schools, and then on into our district tech colleges and our Florida
• More students are being exposed in high school and in it in those programs.
• That's at the high school level when you talk space academies.
• Sorry. 23. 24 school year. We are also excited about new program.
• We opened up a charter school where the student will receive their high school diploma.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , which allowed students in high school to use these funds to pay program, which allowed students in
• students, and many public schools and private schools offer sports programs that are included.
• students, and many public schools and private schools offer sports programs that are included.
• or participation in a private school program or someone that wanted to play in a public school program
• That's not so much of a problem for younger students, but with junior high and high school students,

Keywords: 1204, all