Transcript Highlights:

• > in grow and learn.
• Children cannot learn in grow and learn.
• the enemy of learning. the enemy of learning.
• jobs there are learning and teaching. jobs there are learning and teaching.
• ultimately our learning environments. ultimately our learning environments.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and year over year, their learning is actually improving.
• I like FAST because it focused on learning gains and proficiency.
• I like FAST because it focused on learning gains and proficiency.
• Professional learning: one of the biggest things that our consortium does is professional learning, not
• And we share that and we learn so much from the other districts.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first heard a Department of Education program review on three district support programs: assistance to low-performing schools, the Florida Partnership program, and regional literacy teams (RAISE). Dr. Paul Burns described how the Bureau of School Improvement supports schools with D/F grades through regional teams, classroom observations, professional learning, and targeted funding, noting that 104 of 168 low-performing schools improved after 2022-23 and that the share of failing schools fell from 6% to 4%. He also outlined the Florida Partnership’s $4 million annual appropriation for advanced-course teacher training and student access, and the RAISE literacy program’s $5 million funding, universal/targeted/intensive supports, and progress monitoring results. Senators asked about rural participation, post-COVID reading data, parent support, and how long schools remain under monitoring after improving; Burns said rural districts can participate statewide, parents can access school and department support, and schools continue to receive monitoring after exiting low-performing status to prevent recidivism. The committee then received a presentation on the school district education foundation matching grants program from Suzanne Pridgen, who explained that the Consortium of the Florida Education Foundations administers the grants, which require private matching funds and support tutoring, literacy, STEM, career education, professional learning, books, and supplies. She said the program leverages about $1.44 in private support for every state dollar. The committee then moved to the regional education consortia, where representatives from PAEC, NEFEC, and Heartland, along with several rural superintendents, described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide economies of scale, professional learning, HR, risk management, purchasing, legal and operational support, crisis assistance, and leadership development for small and fiscally constrained districts. Superintendents from Lafayette, Holmes, Calhoun, Union, DeSoto, and Hendry counties testified that the consortia are essential because rural districts often have very small staffs, multiple-duty administrators, and limited in-house expertise. They cited support with insurance and hurricane recovery, training for new finance and HR staff, instructional coaching, CTE and leadership programs, and help with turnaround schools. Members emphasized that these districts can be high-performing despite limited resources, and several senators praised the consortia’s value. Senator Gaetz asked about additional back-office collaboration, possible regulatory relief, and FEFP issues tied to scholarship-related enrollment swings; rural superintendents responded that more local control would help. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

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:

• 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:

• I'm going to learn more about this integration and to learn more about the development of this initiative
• learning environment.
• learning environment.
• Are we learning from it?
• Some of it is housed in digital learning policies.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Higher Education and the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee held an oversight hearing on the California State University’s AI-empowered initiative, including the systemwide rollout of ChatGPT EDU and broader AI integration across CSU campuses. Opening remarks emphasized both the promise of AI for student success, workforce preparation, and access, and the need to address risks such as bias, privacy, misinformation, environmental impacts, and mental health harms. CSU representatives said the initiative grew out of Academic Senate recommendations and a systemwide generative AI committee, and that the goal was to provide equitable access, training, governance, and workforce alignment across the 23-campus system. CSU officials described systemwide contracts for AI tools, the AI Commons training hub, and faculty grant programs supporting AI-related curriculum innovation. They said more than 93,000 ChatGPT EDU accounts had been activated, over 4,300 faculty had taken voluntary training, and $3 million had been awarded to 63 faculty-led projects from more than 400 submissions. San Jose State University highlighted its own AI-focused programs, courses, orientation training, faculty fellows, student ambassadors, and interdisciplinary efforts to build AI literacy and responsible use into instruction and co-curricular programs. CSU also said it was tracking metrics on adoption, academic outcomes, workforce outcomes, and environmental impacts. Faculty, staff, and student representatives welcomed the educational potential of AI but raised concerns about the rollout, saying it had moved quickly and without enough consultation or consistent systemwide policy. They urged stronger protections for academic freedom, intellectual property, privacy, equity, and worker input, and warned about bias, surveillance, job displacement, and the environmental cost of AI. Legislators pressed CSU and OpenAI representatives on training requirements, data privacy, bias reporting, discipline for misuse, liability, sycophancy, and safeguards against harmful uses such as non-consensual imagery or self-harm-related interactions. CSU said interactions in the licensed tool are private, data are not used to train models, and campuses retain their own conduct processes; members also asked CSU to follow up on systemwide training, policy consistency, and additional safeguards.

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:

• Yeah, as a new member of this committee, I am learning more about the online.
• On the credit for prior learning proposal and then turn to career passports.
• Sure, I'll start with credit for prior learning and then turn to career passports.
• So, with credit for prior learning, credit for prior learning gives students a jumpstart.
• Credit for Prior Learning sets students on a structured and rewarding learning journey by honoring their

Keywords: 988, house, all

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:

• If they had Braille and they learned it early on, they could continue to learn and excel in their school
• If they had Braille and they learned it early on, they could continue to learn and excel in their school
• Thank you. early on they could continue to learn early on they could continue to learn and<00:17:51.240
• <00:21:04.520> the didn't think we needed to learn the didn't think we needed to learn the
• Thank you for allowing me to testify. he learned how to read bill and became a he learned how to read

Keywords: 912, senate, all

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:

• Teachers helped me learn English.
• For me, this meant learning technical skills that I never could have learned elsewhere.
• I've learned how to build relationships with other people, and I've learned a bunch of technical skills
• We've never learned it would happen.
• Did you learn? Was there anything you learned when you played volleyball in high school?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a very full public hearing on the first Education Committee hearing of the session, with testimony taken on a large slate of bills, especially H. 650/S. 436 and related measures. The chairs explained the hearing rules, including two-minute testimony limits, live streaming, written testimony, and accommodations for interpreters and disabilities. The committee first heard extensive testimony on H. 460/S. 436 and later H. 650/S. 436, bills to affirm and maintain equal access to public education for all children, including immigrant students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and state officials, many of whom described fears caused by federal policy changes and argued that Massachusetts should codify protections for school enrollment, special education, interpreter services, and due process in discipline cases. The Attorney General’s office, Mass Advocates for Children, Lawyers for Civil Rights, MIRA, the Children’s Law Center, the Disability Law/advocacy community, and others all urged favorable action, while committee members asked questions about Plyler v. Doe, manifestation determinations, interpreter qualifications, and how the bill would mirror or preserve existing federal protections at the state level. The committee also heard testimony on H. 702/S. 460, establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program, which was supported as a way to expand STEM opportunities and help schools fund robotics programs. Representative Sweeney also testified on H. 713, a bill to support student participation in 4-H programming by allowing excused absences similar to those for athletics and other sanctioned activities; members noted bipartisan support and the bill’s long history. The hearing then moved to H. 543/S. 417, a recess bill requiring at least 30 minutes of free-play recess for K-8 students. Supporters included the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the League of Women Voters, educators, and parents, who emphasized recess as important for physical health, social-emotional development, attention, and academic performance, and noted that unequal local policies create disparities across districts. Several witnesses also tied recess to broader concerns about student well-being and screen time. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed testimony on the bills as it moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we're owning teaching and learning.
• You know, first it might be, well, I want to learn how to read fast.
• Some are learning programs. Some are doing high-impact tutoring now.
• Some are learning programs. Some are doing high impact tutoring now.
• So the grant program is designed to enhance student learning outcomes by fostering learning, excuse me

Keywords: 1204, 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:

• 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