Transcript Highlights:

• We do advocacy for our learning, after we prepare, and for the workforce.
• I'm just learning about that as I got on this select committee.
• What can we learn from them?
• The Learning Policy Institute did a report in 2023-24 and found that only...
• my daughter was ready to learn.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Child Care Costs held its third hearing, focused on how transitional kindergarten (TK) fits into California’s mixed-delivery early learning system, with an emphasis on the Central Valley. Opening remarks stressed that TK and child care should complement each other, not compete, and that families need both part-day school-based options and full-day, year-round care. Committee members outlined hearing goals around aligning TK with existing programs, understanding family needs, and examining the economic impact of early learning on workforce participation and local economies. Panelists from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, Every Child California, Early Edge, Children Now, and others described TK’s rapid expansion to all four-year-olds, the growth in enrollment, and related changes to state preschool and after-school programs. Witnesses generally supported TK but warned that its expansion has shifted enrollment away from community-based providers, especially centers and family child care homes, creating financial strain, vacant classrooms, and staffing challenges. They urged stronger partnerships between school districts and community providers, more flexible licensing and facilities support, higher and more uniform reimbursement rates, permanent authority for state preschool to serve two-year-olds, and better compensation and training for educators across settings. Parents and providers testified about the importance of trusted, culturally and linguistically responsive care, the need for infant-toddler and home-based options, and the difficulty of affording child care when TK is not full-day or does not fit family schedules. Several speakers emphasized that many families still face long waits for subsidies and that reimbursement and payment delays threaten provider stability. Public comment echoed these concerns, with providers calling for true cost-of-care rates, more vouchers, support for transportation and nontraditional hours, and protection from insurance and facility costs that can force programs to close. State education officials said California’s UPK system works best when TK, state preschool, Head Start, and community-based providers are treated as a shared system, and noted that planning and implementation grants and local coordination efforts have helped build mixed-delivery partnerships. The hearing ended without formal votes or actions, but committee members indicated they would continue gathering input to inform future policy and budget decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• learned this the best.
• because that will also allow the students as they learn how to learn.
• Um and not for<02:13:18.480> learning for learning for learning um<02:13:20.320> how<02
• Proof of learning. Then the follow-up part was proof of learning.
• Proof of learning. Then the year. Proof of learning.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to support their learning.
• to support their learning.
• to support their learning.
• to support their learning.
• to support their learning.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on February 5, 2025, to hear testimony from representatives of Minnesota’s Catholic and other nonpublic schools, focused on state nonpublic pupil aid, transportation, counseling, nursing, and related support programs. Meg Forette of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis argued that Catholic schools serve more than 30,000 students across many districts, educate a diverse population, and achieve strong academic results while operating at far lower per-student costs than public schools. She urged lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to nonpublic funding, saying they would be inequitable and harmful to lower-income families, and also raised concerns about state teacher-licensing requirements conflicting with Catholic values. Trisha Menshu, principal of St. John Paul II Catholic School in Northeast Minneapolis, described a student body with high levels of poverty, learning needs, and academic gaps, and said state-funded nurse and guidance-counseling services are essential to keeping students safe, healthy, and on track for high school. She said the school absorbs many costs itself, including medical supplies and significant staff time, and credited the support programs with helping students make strong academic growth and graduate on time. In response to a senator’s question, she clarified that the school uses the nursing aid for limited nurse time and pays other medical-related costs from operating funds, with no billing back to public school districts. Committee members asked follow-up questions about the relationship between teacher licensing and Catholic values, and about how medical needs for nonpublic students are funded. Forette said the concern was not with welcoming all students but with how DEI-related trainings and language are presented in ways that conflict with Catholic teaching. The committee then moved on to the next testifier, Andrew Hiliker of Stella Maris Academy in Duluth, who began by describing his school’s growth and the state’s role in supporting all students, regardless of school choice.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that, to learn about that.
• I learned the importance of tolerances, and I learned different measurement tools and techniques, and
• You might learn some plays, you might learn some... ...to learn football that way.
• You might learn some plays, you might learn some operations, but to learn football, you need to get out
• You learn what not to do.

Summary: The committee met at NDSU and approved the April 9 minutes. The main purpose of the meeting was an informational presentation from NDSU President David Stewart and university leaders on the university’s priorities, including enrollment, student success, research, commercialization, and use of New Horizons funding. Stewart emphasized a “One NDSU” approach, thanked legislators for past support, and said the university will focus on recruitment and retention, a new strategic plan, and growing research and tech transfer while serving North Dakota’s workforce needs. University leaders said NDSU is using tuition waivers more strategically and will work to reduce them over time through scholarship optimization. Provost Sherry Vale described academic portfolio reviews, program closures or consolidations, strategic hiring, and workload policies aimed at aligning resources with demand. They also highlighted student outcomes, including high completion rates, strong employment placement, and NDSU’s role in producing a large share of the state’s engineers, nurses, and agriculture graduates. Several students testified about how NDSU’s mentoring, internships, research, and support services helped them succeed. The committee also heard from partners on New Horizons-related collaborations: Gateway to Science described K-12 STEM outreach in rural and tribal areas, and Sanford Research discussed joint research efforts, including COBRE-related work, obesity and GLP-1 studies, and a joint biostatistics hire. Later speakers highlighted Governor’s School and NDSU’s research and commercialization efforts, including growth in research expenditures and invention disclosures. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• of resistance sixth graders will learn of resistance sixth graders will learn about<00:08:22.240
• what I had felt my whole life I learned what I had felt my whole life I learned about<00:53:55.160
• more about education, we learn more about how students learn, we have a... discussion<00:59:45.599><
• progress and we learn more about education<01:00:11.319> we<01:00:11.480> learn<01:00:
• how education we learn more about how students<01:00:12.640> learn<01:00:13.599> we<01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• While we understand that virtual learning is not for every kid, many have thrived.
• This bill is not about replacing in-person learning.
• The vast majority of Texas students will continue learning in person.
• I've seen the transformative power of high quality early learning.
• Yet today, only 52% of Texas students enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Bills: HB117

Keywords: county regulation, impervious cover, land use, unincorporated areas, environmental management

Transcript Highlights:

• They learned to read. My older two grandchildren were homeschooled. They learned to read.
• “And a student’s learning.
• And how are we learning?
• They're not able to learn everything that the STAAR exam expects them to learn, and it's no surprise
• I think it goes back to the science of learning.

Summary: The committee continued hearing testimony on Senate Bill 2252, which would expand early literacy and numeracy screening, parent notification, intervention supports, and teacher training, including math academies and early childhood supports. Supporters from Texas 2036, Good Reason Houston, Texas Business Leadership Council, and several parents argued that early identification of skill gaps, clearer data for families, and stronger teacher preparation would improve student outcomes, workforce readiness, and long-term earnings. They cited low math proficiency statewide, the importance of early intervention, and examples of districts using screeners and data dashboards to guide instruction and resource allocation. One witness also highlighted home visiting as a family-support model, while another urged more funding for pre-K partnerships and stronger support for parents with reading materials and guidance. A district special education administrator testified neutrally, saying the bill reflects practices already used in her district but expressing concern that it could reduce local control and teacher discretion by standardizing screening and tying it to funding. A Texas Classroom Teachers Association representative supported the intent but warned that mandatory math academies and intervention academies could burden teachers if implemented like prior reading academies, and a substitute teacher/teacher-of-the-year witness asked for clearer protections around special education information and pay for alternative certification candidates. After public testimony closed, SB 2252 was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2253, as substituted, which would phase out routine hiring of uncertified teachers over time, require parent notification when a teacher is uncertified, and expand high-quality preparation pathways such as university programs, residencies, improved alternative certification, and grow-your-own programs. Senator Creighton said the bill responds to the rise in uncertified teachers and aims to strengthen the teacher pipeline with more structured preparation, mentorship, and oversight by SBEC. Invited testimony strongly supported the measure: a Texas Tech researcher said uncertified teachers and fast-track programs are associated with significant learning losses, while year-long residencies and mentored pathways produce stronger outcomes and higher earnings for students. Leaders from Dallas College and Sam Houston State University described successful residency and grow-your-own models, high completion and retention rates, and the need for paid residencies and stipends so candidates can afford to enter the profession. Committee members asked about the difference between mentorship and residency, the cost-effectiveness of paid residencies, retention incentives, and how to scale the model statewide. The committee also adopted the substitute for SB 2253 and later paused to vote out several other bills, including SB 1191, SB 1786, SB 226, SB 326, SB 570, SB 870, SB 991, SB 60, SB 365, SB 1401, and SB 1067, all of which were reported favorably, many with unanimous votes and some placed on the local and uncontested calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• success in navigating and persisting in distance learning.
• And if the kids aren't in school, they're just not going to, well, they'll learn things.
• And if the kids aren't in school, they're just not going to, well, they'll learn things.
• And if the kids aren't in school, they're just not going to, well, they'll learn things.
• Missing instructional time negatively impacts student learning and overall academic supports.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've had the opportunity to apply this code, see projects built, and learn from it.
• And of those, half of them are early learning child care providers.
• Through our technical assistance to early learning providers, we've learned a lot about what it takes
• Overall, early learning facilities development... ...expected permitting delays.
• Birdie’s Nest was created to meet this long-standing gap in our early learning systems.

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson explained that these codes emphasize building form, orientation, and the public realm more than traditional use and density tables, and that they are typically applied in specific districts rather than citywide or statewide. Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby described the city’s Woodland District code, developed through community charrettes, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards to create a walkable downtown. She said the approach has helped produce a more desirable built environment and more flexibility in permitted uses, but also noted it can be less user-friendly for applicants and still requires some use restrictions; both presenters said a hybrid approach is often best. The committee then heard from DCYF and multiple providers about barriers to opening child care facilities. DCYF officials said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed providers and that a new pre-licensing support team is helping applicants navigate licensing, but local zoning, building, fire, parking, utility, and occupancy requirements still create delays and confusion. Testifiers described long permitting timelines, inconsistent local interpretations, costly upgrades, and utility hookup delays; one Yakima provider said county requirements, a floodplain-related elevation certificate, and a private well issue stopped her in-home child care proposal, while others described traffic impact fees, parking mandates, and zoning barriers that made projects infeasible. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted examples of successful local reforms, including fee waivers, expedited permitting, and zoning changes in several cities, and DCYF said it is working toward a 2026 action plan and a resource guide for providers. In the final section, planners and developers discussed how street standards and frontage improvement requirements can undermine infill and middle housing. Poulsbo’s planning manager said current standards were designed for greenfield subdivisions and often force costly curb, gutter, sidewalk, stormwater, and utility upgrades on small infill sites, sometimes adding tens of thousands of dollars and causing projects to be abandoned. A Seattle-based developer made similar points about small middle-housing projects being burdened by frontage work, curb ramps, buried standards, and EV-ready parking requirements that can trigger expensive undergrounding. Committee members asked about possible state-level changes, including whether child care should be treated as an essential public facility and whether parking requirements had already been reduced; one senator noted that minimum parking requirements for child care facilities were eliminated in prior legislation, with implementation phased in over the next few years.

Transcript Highlights:

• Snack Club, LEAP, and Laugh and Learn Snack Club, LEAP, and Laugh and Learn provide<00:40:18.720
• learning and community engagement. learning and community engagement.
• From their learn is incredible.
• office of teaching and learning. office of teaching and learning.
• <01:37:32.080> You learning program. It is extensive. You learning program.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 0:00:00 Workforce Pell Grant Update – 0:03:30 Extension Office Update – 0:33:25 Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies – 1:07:08 Early Literacy Outcomes – 1:32:20 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations – 1:58:30 Adjournment 2:13:13, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:04.639> programs utilization of based learning programs utilization of based learning
• When you participate in based learning, you learn while you do.
• When you participate in based learning,<00:07:27.280> you<00:07:27.440> learn<00:07:27.599
• <00:07:28.319> Using learning, you learn while you do.
• Using learning, you learn while you do.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard testimony on several resolutions. HCR 190, asking the Department of Health to convene a demolition waste reduction work group, drew only written testimony; the Department of Health provided comments in opposition and the Department of Attorney General Services supported it. HCR 91, on requiring insurers and managed care providers to cover prosthetic and orthotic devices, received supportive testimony from SHIPA and an amputee youth advocate who described the high cost and importance of sports prosthetics. HCR 174, on examining the availability and use of land-based learning programs for youth in the juvenile legal system, drew support from the Office of the Public Defender, youth advocates, and a youth council that described land-based learning as culturally rooted and rehabilitative. HR 171, on assessing the social and financial effects of mandatory coverage for continuous glucose monitors, received support from SHIPA, the Hawaiʻi Medical Association, and kidney care and dialysis groups. HCR 146, on the Elderly Simplified Application Project for SNAP, drew support from disability, hunger, and public health groups, with DHS explaining it could implement the project but would need to do manual certification work until its new system is ready. During decision-making, the committee deferred HCR 190 because the Department of Health said it could not carry out the work group without an appropriation. The committee voted to pass HCR 91 as is. HCR 174 was recommended for passage with amendments to clarify that the resolution would request continued use of land-based learning programs and to reflect existing work already underway. HCR 171 was recommended for passage with amendments to correct a statute description. HCR 146 was recommended for passage with amendments to add language that DHS should apply for and implement the project when capable, acknowledging current system limitations. All recommendations were adopted, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• are reading to learn.
• Learning to read involves going from speech to print by learning the system in which oral speech is represented
• they're learning at the same time.
• learning in, in any language.
• More proficient in learning, not just in reading, but in learning in general. And I'm just.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't learn to read if you're not in school.
• You can't learn to read if you're not in school.
• You can't learn to read if you're not in school.
• You can't learn to read if you're not in school.
• The motion prevails, and House File 1052... they need to be learning and kicking they need to be learning

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh 14 of our schools have early learning Uh 14 of our schools have early learning programs<00:11
• early childhood development and learning early childhood development and learning experiences<00
• time as our employees are now learning time as our employees are now learning that<01:11:29.520>
• early learning system. early learning system.
• novice teachers um have a lot to learn novice teachers um have a lot to learn from<02:49:08.960>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the classroom, they learn how to learn, focus on increasingly The school day is a time during which
• In the classroom, they learn how to learn, focus on increasingly complex material, and expand their attention
• Learning feels shallower overall.
• Do we still value learning for the sake of learning, of growth? Thank you.
• Do we still value learning for the sake of learning, of growth?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a public hearing on 41 bills related to school climate and safety, with chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlining procedures and noting more than 125 witnesses. The first major topic was the “Study Act” on cell phones in schools and related social media restrictions (House 666/Senate 335). Secretary of Education Pat Tutwiler and Attorney General Andrea Campbell testified in strong support, arguing that bell-to-bell phone-free policies would improve student focus, reduce anxiety and distraction, and support mental health. Several legislators also supported the approach, though Representative Jeff Turco and Senator John Keenan emphasized narrower bills focused only on school-day phone restrictions rather than broader social media regulation. Senator John Velis likewise backed a comprehensive school-hours restriction, citing student distraction and mental health concerns. Representative Tarsky described successful implementation of a Yondr pouch system in a school where he served as principal, saying it improved engagement and reduced bullying and discipline issues. The committee then heard testimony on a bill to prohibit Native American mascots in public schools (Senate 312/House 575). Senator Joe Comerford, Brittany Wally, and Rhonda Anderson all urged passage, saying Native mascots are dehumanizing, harmful to Native youth, and inconsistent with civil rights and educational values. They described support from tribal nations and noted that many Massachusetts schools have already changed mascots, but some still resist. The hearing also included testimony on school start times (House 647/Senate 360), where middle school students Caroline Duffy and Emery Jarvis described exhaustion and survey data showing widespread sleep deprivation. Former educator Telia Jacobs, former principal Rep. Tarsky, and others argued that later start times would improve health, learning, and student well-being, while acknowledging transportation and scheduling challenges. Zoriana Petrosian, who helped write one of the bills as a student, said the state already has enough research to act now. Additional bills drew testimony on related school issues. Dr. Raul Fernandez supported a bill promoting racially integrated schools (Senate 324), citing a recent advisory council report showing large disparities in segregated schools and urging DESE to develop a statewide integration strategy. On safe firearm storage education (House 548/Senate 397), multiple witnesses from Grassroots for Gun Violence Prevention and school communities supported annual school-based education about secure storage, saying it would help prevent child access to unsecured firearms and build on local resolutions already adopted in some districts. The committee also heard testimony on bills to expand career and academic plans (House 533/Senate 438), with speakers saying more structured planning would help students make informed college and career choices. Later, testimony on child sexual abuse prevention and survivor support bills described the prevalence of abuse, the need for training in schools and youth-serving organizations, and the importance of extending compensation and prevention measures. Throughout the hearing, chairs repeatedly closed bills with no witnesses and moved the agenda forward, but no votes were taken in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• There was a time when we learned to read, and now we read to learn, so I'm really excited about it.
• I'm the director of Sing Play Learn at McEl Center for Music, and Sing Play Learn is our early childhood
• When music is integrated into learning for young learners, learning improves, and she said she has seen
• It was invaluable to learn about the effects of music and how music can help children learn.
• not learning to potentially learning not learning to read<01:48:15.159> and<01:48:15.239>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Alonzo is fluent in saying and learning just that.
• And it's important to learn Tewa and have this access because when you learn the language and take it
• The Keres Children's Learning Center just held one, and I attended that.
• And she's learning Spanish, and it's age-appropriate, but it's fun.
• The way I learn is writing it down.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I learned to not do that as much. I learned to stand up for what you believe in.
• <00:01:08.080> I Um I learned to not do that as much.
• I Um I learned to not do that as much.
• of learning are welcomed. of learning are welcomed.
• <00:01:24.640> more If you're interested in learning more If you're interested in learning

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's how we learn.
• That's how we learn.
• That's how we learn.
• We learned about STDs, we learned about drug addiction, we learned about how babies are born in seventh
• Seventh grade, eighth grade, we learned it. We learned about puberty. We learned about our menses.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that those who participate in rhetoric, those who learn...
• The skills that I learned during speech and debate.
• In it, learning its laws, and respecting different viewpoints.
• He learned English through our program.
• The Classical Learning Test is a qualifying option.

Bills: S1062, S1718, S7038

Keywords: speech education, debate, high school, Florida Debate Initiative, civics, competitive teams, student participation, educational advancement, educator preparation, certification, professional development, temporary certificate, military service, collaboration, teaching effectiveness, education, Florida College System, tuition waivers, vocational rehabilitation, state universities

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met to consider several education bills and the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 Department of Education budget. The committee first took up CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate, which would formalize Florida’s Speech and Debate Week, strengthen the partnership between the Department of Education and the Florida Debate Initiative, require annual public reporting, and support statewide speech and debate programming. The bill drew extensive supportive testimony from students, alumni, and advocates who said debate improved civic engagement, literacy, confidence, and school performance, while also noting the need for equitable access and funding for travel and competition. The committee adopted a delete-everything amendment and then reported the bill favorably as amended by a unanimous vote of members present. The committee then heard SB 1718 on educator preparation and certification, which expands access to educator preparation coursework, broadens eligibility for temporary certification for some formerly certified professionals, and allows prior subject-area exam results to satisfy requirements. Public testimony largely supported easing barriers for experienced educators while emphasizing that certification changes are only a partial solution to teacher shortages and should be paired with better pay, retention, and professional respect. The bill was reported favorably. Next, the committee considered SB 7038 on education, which included a wide range of higher education and workforce-related changes, including a tuition waiver for Florida State Guard members, residency clarifications, oversight changes for blind services and vocational rehabilitation providers, licensure updates for private colleges, dual enrollment and assessment revisions, scholarship and funding changes, and reserve-fund requirements. An amendment restored the Classical Learning Test as a qualifying option for a grandparent tuition waiver, adjusted a Pell Grant performance metric, changed accreditation timing, and made other technical revisions. A dental education stakeholder raised concerns that one provision could disrupt long-standing exemptions for dental assisting programs, and the Florida Dental Association said it was working with the sponsor to avoid unintended impacts. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as amended. The final major item was a high-level review of the proposed pre-K-12 budget, totaling $34.9 billion with local funds. Highlights included $30 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $50 increase in the base student allocation, a 1.64% increase in total funds per FTE, $4.5 billion for family empowerment scholarships as a separate FEFP categorical, $25 million for districts facing future enrollment declines, $65.3 million to help districts with current-year enrollment losses, $432.8 million for VPK, and $30.4 million for regional education consortia. Senators asked about reductions or flat funding in some allocations, teacher pay, declining enrollment support, Schools of Hope funding, and support for non-teaching school staff. Public testimony on the budget focused heavily on concerns about charter and voucher funding, especially the $6 million for Schools of Hope, with speakers urging more investment in traditional public schools, teacher compensation, and school infrastructure. The committee concluded the meeting by adjournment after no further business.