Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Sullivan since February, and I did a lot of research in terms of AI and AI usage within classrooms
• I did a lot of research in terms of AI and AI usage within classrooms.
• Ken Warden, on AI perspectives within the classrooms, which will be elaborated more in this presentation
• But then when we have a good strategic plan to be able to use AI effectively within not only classrooms
• I had some responses where teachers were optimistic... ...if they are using it in their classrooms.

Summary: The meeting began with a report on institutions of higher education for annual certification/solvency, which required no action and was noted as coming later in the week. The main presentation featured students from Arkansas State University, Valley View High School, and the University of Central Arkansas discussing artificial intelligence in education and the workforce. They argued that AI should be taught responsibly in K-12 and higher education to prepare students for jobs, support Arkansas’s growing tech sector, and reduce misuse such as cybercrime, scams, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty. They also cited survey results from teachers showing broad support for responsible AI instruction, district-level management, and teacher training, while noting concerns about critical thinking, ethics, and unequal access. Examples were given of AI already being used at UCA and the University of the Ozarks, and the group suggested a statewide AI library and related training built on the Access Act framework. Committee members asked about student reactions, and the presenters said responses are mixed, especially in the arts, but that AI is already being used in real-world careers and should be integrated with clear standards. The committee then heard from a Pine Bluff community coalition led by Pastor Jesse Turner about school-based outreach and youth support programs. The group described long-running work in Pine Bluff schools and Watson Chapel, including Pass on Patrol, mentoring, anti-bullying and nonviolence efforts, drug and vaping education, gun-violence prevention, and leadership clubs for students. They emphasized that their approach is nonreligious in the schools, focused on encouragement, citizenship, scholarship, and keeping students engaged in class. They also highlighted the use of free curriculum resources on African American history and said they help students see themselves as having promise rather than being “at risk.” Members asked about whether the programs could be shared elsewhere and about impacts on behavior; the group said some materials are trademarked but can be adapted with support, and cited reported reductions in negative behavior and referrals in participating schools. The meeting ended after members praised both the AI presenters and the Pine Bluff outreach group, and the committee adjourned with no votes taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• She said that tuition from three- and four-year-old classrooms is needed to help offset the cost of care
• for infant and toddler classrooms, where labor costs are greater.
• was a typical first-grade classroom.
• In fact, almost 65% of the girls interviewed were first pushed out of the classroom in third, fourth,
• Our young learners need more time in a classroom, not less, to catch up and get back on track, and that

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:37.040> We teachers in their own classrooms. We teachers in their own classrooms.
• I've been in the classroom and actually seen her in the classroom at Cox's Creek Elementary and excited
• I've been in the classroom and actually seen her in the classroom at Cox's Creek Elementary and excited
• And so some of those classroom.
• opened additional preschool classrooms opened additional preschool classrooms um<01:04:10.079>

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 0:25 Approval of Minutes – 3-50 2025 RS SB 253 – 4:25 Computer Science and AI Literacy – 27:36 Fayette County School District Budget Update – 51:46 Adjournment – 2:09:46, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, introductions, and approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation on SB 253, focused on expanding support for teacher apprenticeship and teaching-and-learning pathways. Senator Hickman and staff from the Kentucky Department of Education and Nelson County Schools described how the program uses dual credit, work-based learning, and registered apprenticeship to help students earn an associate degree in high school and continue toward a teaching degree. They said the goal is to address the teacher shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline into the profession. Witnesses emphasized that the main barrier is cost. Mary Taylor said Kentucky’s youth apprenticeship model has been successful in other fields and that education should be added as an in-demand sector, but an associate degree alone will not solve the teacher shortage because teachers still need a bachelor’s degree and certification. Laura Arnold of Nelson County Schools described the district’s Lead Nelson program, saying the district has invested more than $800,000 since 2021, currently has 37 students in the pathway and seven committed apprentices, and spends about $85,000 per apprentice from freshman year through certification. She said district staffing, planning, and university partnerships are also significant hurdles. Members asked about job guarantees, tenure, and retirement; Arnold said employment is performance-based and retirement issues are being considered. Senator Hickman said the bill would use lottery funds to help cover tuition and dual credit costs so more districts can participate, noting that a prior version died because of a high fiscal note. Representative Payne and Representative Tipton praised the program but stressed the need for funding and noted inconsistencies between statute and budget language on Work Ready Kentucky and dual credit support. Representative Tipton also cautioned that lottery revenue may not keep pace with demand and said the General Assembly may need to make broader funding decisions. After the apprenticeship discussion, the chair moved the committee to the next agenda item on computer science and AI literacy, where Code.org began a presentation on the importance of computer science for all students.

Transcript Highlights:

• way the STAR test in Texas impacts them negatively, the way it hurts teaching and learning in the classroom
• . and the way it adds unnecessary anxiety and stress, taking away the joy of learning from the classroom
• So today, we are going to hear from the people most impacted by all the testing in the classroom.
• Success to me in a classroom... doesn't mean knowing what two plus two is. That's a baseline.
• It's only going to manipulate... ...classroom time in a way to serve this test even more.

Keywords: House Bill 8, standardized testing, student testimony, education policy, mental health, parent concerns, Texas Education Agency

Summary: The committee meeting focused on the impacts of House Bill 8, which proposes increasing the frequency of state testing for students in Texas. During the meeting, various testimonies were provided by students, highlighting their concerns about the negative effects of standardized testing on their educational experience. Students expressed that the pressure of multiple assessments causes significant stress and detracts from the joy of learning. Some lawmakers voiced their opposition to the bill, emphasizing the need for a thorough review and consideration of alternative evaluation methods that prioritize student well-being over testing metrics.

Transcript Highlights:

• way the STAR test in Texas impacts them negatively, the way it hurts teaching and learning in the classroom
• , and the way it adds unnecessary anxiety and stress and takes away joy of learning from the classroom
• The classroom per year.
• And so we are going to hear today from the people most impacted by all the testing in the classroom.
• Success to me in a classroom doesn't mean knowing what 2 + 2 is. That's a baseline.

Transcript Highlights:

• stories and experiences of people like us, twisting history and giving parents precedence in the classroom
• When I walk into my classroom, those flags whisper to me, 'You matter and you belong.'
• No laws will erase the beauty of love that grows every time that I step into my classroom.
• Books are being pulled from our school libraries and classrooms not because they promote harm or hatred
• If we're expected to learn in the classroom every day, we need holistic student care.

Keywords: student advocacy, SB12, SB13, public education policy, youth engagement, marginalized communities, legislative representation

Summary: Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) held an advocacy event at the Texas Capitol focused on youth participation in policymaking and opposition to recent education-related legislation. Speakers, including student organizers and SEAT leaders, argued that students should have a direct voice in decisions affecting public schools, curriculum, and school governance. Representative Donna Howard briefly attended to support the group, praised their advocacy, and referenced the idea that if young people are not given a seat at the table, they should “bring your own chair.” Several student speakers criticized the newly passed school vouchers bill as a threat to public education and said it would divert resources from public schools. Others opposed bills such as Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 13, describing them as harmful to LGBTQ+ students and inclusive education. One speaker also condemned book bans and library censorship, arguing that students need access to diverse books and truthful, inclusive curricula. The speakers framed these issues as matters of student rights, belonging, and free expression. SEAT executive director Cameron Samuels closed by describing the organization’s history of student-led activism against book bans and exclusion from school policymaking. Samuels said the group had distributed challenged books, pursued legal action over blocked internet resources, and delivered a Student Bill of Rights to superintendents and legislators. The event ended without any formal legislative vote or committee action, serving instead as a press conference and advocacy rally urging lawmakers to listen to students.

Transcript Highlights:

• continue to disappear from classrooms. continue to disappear from classrooms.
• . classrooms. classrooms.
• classrooms and these are your children. classrooms and these are your children.
• My classroom is now a makeshift met. My classroom is now a makeshift food<01:22:33.199> shelf.
• , that would like to come my classroom, that would like to come my classroom, you<01:31:44.560>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• permission to be in those classrooms. permission to be in those classrooms.
• <00:47:38.760> and of my time in the classroom and of my time in the classroom and priceless
• I And I sing in my classroom<01:08:49.759> until classroom until classroom until uh<01:08:51.240
• . classroom. classroom.
• Different pathways to getting teachers in the classroom, getting qualified teachers to the classroom.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have to ask ourselves, when did we decide that tax payer funded classrooms should be places for
• . classrooms.
• It's more tied to the classroom.
• This. up the classroom day, it cleaned up the classroom year, and it cleaned up the textbook. books.
• One, inappropriate library and classroom books.

Bills: SB12, SB1565, SB13, SJR12, SB686, SB371, SB204, SB609, SB112, SB400, SB813, SB 12, SB 13

Keywords: parental rights, education, social transitioning, diversity, equity, inclusion, school policy, student clubs, school district, grievance procedure, public education, diversity and inclusion, funding penalties, school libraries, library advisory councils, library materials, educational content, challenging materials, constitutional amendment, school choice

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:26.639> two-story classrooms, uh two-story classrooms, uh two-story building,<00:13:29.279
• It's not just classrooms and what the students need.
• Well, I think the first year SFA opened 11 classrooms. The second year they opened 11 classrooms.
• This year I think it's scheduled to be 25 more classrooms will be open.
• to be 25 more classrooms will be open. to be 25 more classrooms will be open.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education heard several advice-and-consent nominations to the School Facilities Authority. For GM779, Shelley Pa was introduced as a nominee for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported her nomination, citing her large-scale operations and stakeholder-engagement experience. In her testimony, Pa said she retired from community policing, wanted to give back to teachers and students, and believed her strengths were collaboration, listening to community input, and helping balance differing priorities. Committee members questioned her about the construction and infrastructure focus of the board, her lack of direct construction experience, and how she would handle disagreements and budget limits; she responded that she would rely on collaboration, ask questions, and keep decisions centered on students, teachers, and the community while staying within budget. The committee then heard GM777 and GM778 for Robert Davis, with terms ending June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2029. Davis described more than 30 years with the Department of Education, including roles as teacher, coach, counselor, vice principal, principal, and complex area superintendent, and said he had worked on major facilities projects and managed pandemic-era funding. He emphasized communication, transparency, and trust, and explained that his experience on the Early Learning Board helped him understand how to set policy, identify schools for pre-K, and use data and community factors in decision-making. Members asked how he would handle SFA’s growing pains, the need to balance DOE wishes with practical and budgetary limits, and the board’s role when the legislature controls funding; Davis said the board must keep communication open, include the right people, and make sensible decisions that move projects forward without stalling. For GM780, nominee Michael Unbasami was introduced for a term ending June 30, 2029. The Department of Education supported him, highlighting over five decades of public service and experience in facilities management, finance, and legislative affairs. Unbasami said he had recently retired after 31 years as associate vice president for administrative affairs for the community colleges and had extensive experience with facilities planning, construction, renovation, repairs, and working within budgets. He stated that the DOE should be treated as the SFA’s client because it knows student, teacher, and facility needs best, while SFA’s role is to implement construction work and collaborate on priorities. Committee members pressed him on how to balance DOE requests with practical project delivery, especially for teacher housing and other non-classroom needs, and he said the legislature funds the work, SFA must keep projects moving, and the workflow should involve collaboration but also realistic decisions that fit the budget and avoid delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• I find that to be somewhat problematic for a Jewish kid who would be in a classroom and would, even though
• be required to say the Lord's Prayer, that the Lord's Prayer could be announced and said by the classroom
• <00:09:33.360> and who would be in a in a classroom and who would be in a in a classroom and
• announced and said by the classroom announced and said by the classroom followed<00:09:40.279>
• <00:35:24.640> to Jews both online and in classrooms to Jews both online and in classrooms

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 19, which would require a daily moment of silence or reflection in Kentucky public schools and clarify that students may use the time as they choose without coercion or religious direction. The sponsor and supporters, including representatives of the Kentucky Jewish Council, argued the bill is nonsectarian, intended to promote calm and focus, and supported by research and prior bipartisan backing. Opponents from the Jewish Federation of the Bluegrass said they supported the anti-coercion language but objected to making the moment of silence mandatory rather than permissive, citing concerns about the statute’s interaction with the Lord’s Prayer language already in law. After discussion, the committee voted to pass SB 19 unanimously with favorable expression. The committee then considered SB 83, which revises the KEES scholarship program so homeschool and non-certified school students can receive awards using an ACT-to-GPA conversion and be treated more comparably to public school students. The sponsor described the bill as a recurring measure and walked through how the award amounts would be calculated under the substitute. There was no opposition raised during the hearing, and the committee adopted the substitute and passed SB 83 unanimously with favorable expression. Finally, the committee heard Senate Joint Resolution 55, directing Kentucky public postsecondary institutions to combat anti-Semitism. The resolution would require campuses to adopt policies using the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, notify students of Title VI and state-law complaint rights, recognize Jewish organizations as community resources on the same basis as other religious organizations, take action against student groups supporting designated terrorist organizations, and collect and report campus anti-Semitism data. The presenters and supporters described a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents on campuses after October 7 and said schools have not responded adequately. The committee adopted the substitute and began hearing testimony on the resolution, but the transcript cuts off before any final vote on SJR 55.

Transcript Highlights:

• So these are things like new teachers, reentry training grants, virtual education, modular classrooms
• Every education, every classroom was full.
• Physical space, classroom availability: we're mitigating that, as I mentioned, with modular units.
• and paraprofessionals in the classrooms working with the kids.
• So every facility has teachers in the classroom.

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs. Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing. The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted. Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.

Transcript Highlights:

• upon identified classroom needs. upon identified classroom needs.
• , of the classroom, of the classroom, and<00:31:37.360> even<00:31:38.440> years<00
• is when I tried out for the classroom is when I tried out for the middle<00:31:53.240> school
• <00:33:00.760> learning<00:33:01.160> with connects classroom learning with connects
• classroom learning with real-world<00:33:02.000> applications.

Bills: HR203, SB2802, SB3081, SB2902, SB2005, SB3252, SB2096, SB2095, SB2046, SB2999, SB3103, SB83, SB2041, SB3234, SB3156, SB3154, SB2146, SB2053, SB2010, SB2009, SB2667, SB3215, SB2698, SB2363, SB2372, SB2673, SB2948, SB2277, SB2057, SB3085, SB3025, SB2761

Keywords: H.R. 203, House Resolution, Hawaii education, teacher of the year, educator recognition, Jessica Canyon, Natsumi Yamasato, Jodi Kadoyama, Mānana Elementary School, National Blue Ribbon School, Teach For America Hawaiʻi, public education, K-12, elementary school, STEM education, literacy, teacher appreciation, school excellence, Hawaiʻi Legislature, keiki

Transcript Highlights:

• administrators classroom administrators classroom teachers<01:14:04.760> uh<01:14:05.000>
• or the school coordinator to merge or group those students in with other classrooms so the classroom
• or the school coordinator to merge or group those students in with other classrooms so the classroom
• setting other classroom so the classroom setting other classroom so the classroom setting this<04
• , and the classroom setting.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Education Policy and Administration Committee heard testimony on House Bill 71, which would bar public elementary and secondary schools and higher education facilities from being used as shelters for certain non-citizens, with a stated exception for short-term emergency sheltering of up to 72 hours and for community-wide emergency use. Prime sponsor Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia said the bill was modeled on federal and out-of-state proposals and was prompted by examples in New York and Massachusetts where schools or other facilities were used as shelters, causing disruption. She argued the bill does not truly “ban” anything, but instead places a condition on receipt of state funds, and said the fiscal note’s projected loss of federal funding was unsupported and should have been described as undeterminable. Committee members questioned the bill’s scope and practical effects, including whether it would apply to vacant school-owned buildings, schools used during summer, charter schools, and situations where other states send people without advance notice. Harvey-Bolia said vacant buildings not functioning as schools would not be covered, and that the bill would still allow short-term emergency sheltering and community-wide use during weather events. She also said the bill would not prevent remote learning, and that its purpose was to avoid displacing students. Several members pressed her on the fiscal note and whether any federal or state program would actually be at risk; she said she found no evidence that funding would be lost and that DHHS had not identified a real threat. A witness from the New Hampshire Association of School Administrators, Jerry FW, raised practical concerns about who would determine eligibility at a shelter site, how the 72-hour limit would be enforced, and whether the bill would apply to charter schools. He also noted that remote learning is no longer an option in New Hampshire, making one of the bill’s stated concerns less relevant. The discussion also included clarification of the terms “refugee” and “asylum seeker,” with members and the sponsor debating the distinction and whether refugees are vetted. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those teachers need to be great and highly effective teachers in our classrooms.
• I also, we've got a big initiative called Classrooms to Careers. Let me tell you.
• We've got a big initiative called Classrooms to Careers. Let me tell you about it.
• It's a burden on the classroom and the other kids.
• It's a burden on the classroom and the other kids.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard an overview from Department of Education Chancellor Paul Burns on Florida’s K-12 governance structure and major divisions, including early learning, public schools, safe schools, school choice, and accountability. He highlighted school readiness and VPK, teacher preparation and licensure, school safety functions, scholarship and virtual/home education programs, and FAST progress monitoring. Burns also cited statewide gains such as higher mid-year reading performance, a record graduation rate of 89.7%, and record CTE enrollment, while members questioned the meaning of Florida’s “number one” education rankings, teacher pay, post-COVID learning loss, vacancies, and chronic absenteeism. St. Lucie County Superintendent John Prince then described the scale and responsibilities of a mid-sized district, emphasizing student safety, transportation, meals, hurricane shelter operations, career and technical education, teacher recruitment and retention, progress monitoring, remediation, and mental health supports. Members asked about school shelter construction standards, remediation funding, late school start times, attendance, and concordance scores; Prince argued for more flexibility for CTE pathways and noted that local districts use a mix of state and federal funds to support remediation and staffing. The committee then moved to an early warning systems panel. Burns explained that Florida law requires districts to use attendance, behavior/suspensions, course performance, FAST results, and other academic indicators to identify students needing support, with districts and families developing intervention plans. Superintendents from Putnam, St. Johns, and St. Lucie counties said chronic absenteeism is tied to achievement and NAEP decline, but causes vary by district, including poverty, transportation, daycare, family instability, travel, and student athletics. They described MTSS, PBIS, home visits, attendance letters, and community partnerships as responses. Members also discussed VPK access, full-day VPK funding, excused versus unexcused absences, and the need for earlier intervention in pre-K and K-2. Finally, Vice Chancellor Darren Norris outlined Florida’s post-Parkland school safety measures, including armed school officers, anonymous reporting, behavioral threat assessment teams, mental health training, panic alert systems, emergency drills, active assailant response policies, and firearm detection canines. Superintendents said compliance is costly and often requires shifting local funds, but they praised state grants for mental health, hardening, and mapping. They noted ongoing challenges with new mandates, capital costs, manual reporting burdens, and the need to balance safety requirements with classroom resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am here as the state Project Citizen chair, but I’m also a classroom teacher.
• And teachers can even share this stuff, like if they use Google Classroom.
• The LCLCE, my organization, ramps up our judges and lawyers in the classroom programs in honor of Law
• Day, providing educators a way to celebrate the event in their classrooms.
• Each year we recognize one judge for their service in the Judges in the Classroom Program.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Summary: The Louisiana Commission on Civic Education met with quorum, approved the minutes from its previous meeting, and took several action items related to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LIAC). The commission unanimously approved the 2026-27 LIAC membership slate after reviewing recommendations from the selection committee, and it also approved the council’s budget and mileage reimbursement guidelines, noting the only change was an updated IRS mileage rate. Members thanked the legislature for continuing to fund LIAC after earlier years when it relied on outside donations. The meeting featured presentations on civic education resources and America 250 programming. Brandon Burris, representing the Lieutenant Governor’s office, highlighted Louisiana state parks, the Checkout Louisiana library backpack programs for parks and museums, Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s anti-litter campaign, and Homework Louisiana. Liam Julian of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute discussed national civics education trends, teacher discomfort with controversial topics, and the institute’s teacher training, student camps, debate programs, and civics app. Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s Katie Stark and Nancy Torren presented America 250-related materials, including a PBS Kids feature on a Louisiana child and LPB’s “Louisiana’s Hidden History” videos and teacher resources on Bernardo de Galvez and Spanish Louisiana. LIAC members then reported on their work, including school safety efforts, digital service-hour tracking, AP self-study access, minor work permits, AI-generated harassment concerns, and local civic engagement projects. Peggy Cotonia of the Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education reported 87 Law Day presentations and 287 total Law Day and Constitution Day presentations reaching about 9,400 students, along with updates on awards and a shortened but still free summer institute for teachers. Barry Irwin reported that legislation to clean up outdated commission membership and quorum language had passed the House and been heard in Senate Education, moving toward final passage. The commission adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also serve on the Judges in the Classroom, Student, and the Courtroom task force. Mr. Irwin.
• I am here as the state Project Citizen chair, but I'm also a classroom teacher.
• And teachers can even share this stuff, like if they use Google Classroom.
• Day, providing educators a way to celebrate the event in their classrooms.
• Each year we recognize one judge for their service in the Judges in the Classroom Program.

Summary: The Louisiana Commission on Civic Education met with a quorum, approved the minutes from its prior meeting, and unanimously approved the 2026–27 membership slate for the Legislative Youth Advisory Council after hearing that more than 300 students applied. The commission also approved LIAC’s budget and mileage reimbursement guidelines, which were updated to reflect the IRS rate increase. Members thanked the Legislature for continuing to fund LIAC after earlier years of sponsor-based support. The meeting featured several civic education presentations tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Brandon Burris of the Lieutenant Governor’s office described state parks, museums, library backpack programs, Keep Louisiana Beautiful, and Homework Louisiana as civic and educational resources. Liam Julian of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute discussed national trends in civics education, teacher discomfort with controversial topics, and the institute’s teacher training, student camps, debate programs, and civics app. Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s Katie Stark and Nancy Torren presented America 250-related materials, including a PBS Kids feature on a Louisiana child and a PBS Learning Media series on Bernardo de Gálvez and Spanish Louisiana, along with teacher training events. LIAC members John Parker and Brandon Routon reported on their work over the year, including school safety efforts, digital service-hour tracking, AP self-study access, minor work permits, AI-generated harassment of minors, and school advisory councils. The Louisiana Center for Law and Civic Education reported on Law Day and Constitution Day programming reaching thousands of students, its summer institute, student and teacher awards, and a proclamation marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Barry Irwin also reported that legislation to clean up the commission’s membership and quorum provisions had passed the House and been heard in Senate Education. The commission adjourned after thanking staff for managing the meeting during severe weather.

Transcript Highlights:

• to receive recommendations on how to increase educator participation in the process, specifically classroom
• Is it that they don't have someone in the administration or someone at the Outside of the classroom bases
• That was gathered, improved classroom instruction.
• Classrooms now reflect a more cohesive approach to literacy instruction, with teachers aligning their
• Support teachers to uplift linguistic assets in the classroom as building blocks for other learning,

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• people before technology in a classroom. people before technology in a classroom.
• Children thrive and an analog classroom.
• <01:46:49.040> except technology usage in the classroom except technology usage in the classroom
• better off going back to a classroom. better off going back to a classroom.
• um things happen in your classroom um things happen in your classroom without<02:12:07.360> that

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're displayed in the classroom. Pardon me? Yes, if they're displayed in the classroom.
• That are displayed in the classroom. Yes.
• If it's just hoisted or displayed on a pole in the classroom, no.
• the classroom.
• They're not in the classroom. with it being taught or not being taught, just posted or displayed.

Bills: SJR27, SJR39, SB22, SB33, SB34, SB37, SB209, SB310, SB326, SB505, SB605, SB618, SB732, SB762, SB769, SB783, SB819, SB825, SB870, SB964, SB1030, SB1080, SB1085, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1233, SB1314, SB1320, SB1333, SB1398, SB1405, SB1541, SB1567, SB1596, SB1598, SB1625, SB1646, SB1662, SB1750, SB1758, SB1791, SB1804, SB1810, SB1818, SB1838, SB1855, SB1869, SB1951, SB2024, SB2077, SB2078, SB2252, SB2253, SB2368, SB2411, SB2420, SB2425, SB2569

Keywords: judicial conduct, state commission, judicial misconduct, commission membership, constitutional amendment, veto override, legislature power, governor, Texas Constitution, Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department