Transcript Highlights:

• The graph next to it shows what grade levels those students, and again these are just those 99 respondents
• , what grade levels those students are in.
• Other grade levels, like which grade level should actually participate in these programs.
• level, typically.
• And of course, we have different factors based on the grade level, so our secondary students receive

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be, and then it would just be mirrored at the state level.
• It is my experience and understanding that 11th grade is too young.
• It is my experience and understanding that 11th grade is too young.
• It is my experience and understanding that 11th grade is too young.
• So under current statute, you have to be in the 12th grade.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee heard a long series of Senate bills, mostly on third-read consent, covering education, public safety, health, courts, labor, and water. Several bills were briefly explained and then pulled from consent for further discussion, including measures on public records review standards (SB 1078), sexually explicit materials in schools/libraries (SB 1435 and SB 1567), burial costs in death cases (SB 1135), military flags in HOAs/COAs (SB 1184), court-ordered treatment guardianship (SB 1243), standardized state hiring (SB 1665), released-time religious instruction (SB 1741), firearm safety instruction in schools (SB 1424), student participation in extracurriculars after certain convictions (SB 1475), Celebrate Freedom Week (SB 1572), federal scholarship-granting organizations/vouchers (SB 1142), immigration-related arrest notifications (SB 1055), defamation standards (SB 1099), peace officer certification for military police veterans (SB 1107), mandatory reporting of child abuse/neglect directly to DCS (SB 1127), attorney licensing and discipline issues (SB 1148 and SB 1039), concealed weapons on college campuses (SB 1068), and firearm muffling devices/silencers (SB 1069). Members also raised constitutional, policy, and school-safety concerns on several of these bills, while supporters emphasized alternative pathways for students, veterans, and workers, and tighter reporting or licensing rules. Other bills were described without extended debate, including claims against the state for unpaid contracted services (SB 1097), workers’ compensation death benefits for surviving spouses who remarry (SB 1136), burial expense increases (SB 1135), state agency web pages for internal guidance (SB 1586), court-ordered treatment procedures and service of process in mental health cases (SB 1113), medical examiner authorization (SB 1123), tribal MOUs with DCS (SB 1125), controlled-substance scheduling conformity with federal classifications (SB 1188), EMT personal information protections (SB 1193), mammography notice updates (SB 1318), assisted-living referral disclosures (SB 1477), accommodation school GED instruction for 11th graders and students over 16 (SB 1166), credit enhancement board continuation (SB 1422), school district and charter school obligations related to religious release time (SB 1741), school firearm safety instruction (SB 1424), and school civics/freedom-week instruction (SB 1572). The committee also heard bills on CPA certification pathways (SB 1181), insurance adjuster licensing (SB 1415), county voter-registration rules online (SB 1040), campaign address privacy (SB 1259), federal land acquisition notification (SB 1281), water supply/demand assessments (SB 1202), environmental compatibility for power plants and small modular reactors (SB 1418), and groundwater recovery rules (SB 1785). The meeting ended with announcements and a brief recognition of Rep. Stephanie Hamilton with an “Affordability Award.” No final votes are shown in the transcript excerpt; instead, many bills were either left on consent, pulled for later discussion, or flagged for closed caucus. The chair then asked guests to leave so members could hold a closed caucus.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the Grade A standard is the standard that we use.
• Year three is the capstone for this project, where we see students who are in the ninth grade, 10th grade
• , 11th grade, and those that we've taken from the 11th grade to put in the workforce actually running
• What grade level are you reading on? What kind of math levels can they operate at?
• We can't, you know, project the future at that level, but I can tell you at a minimum level, we're looking

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its October 27 meeting and then heard testimony from Clinton Ballard of Milk and Honey Hill Farm about the impact of Act 698 on raw dairy producers. Ballard said the law allowed his farm to expand from one cow to 12, serve about 150 families, increase sales by roughly $50,000, and sell about $10,000 in raw cheese and other products through retail outlets. He argued the law improved farm income, food security, and local supply, and he asked for an optional state inspection/certification path for raw milk producers so they could access USDA grants and other opportunities available to licensed dairies. Committee members asked about herd management, safety practices, bee production, market channels, and whether such certification should remain voluntary; Ballard said he follows Grade A-style sanitation, chills milk quickly, removes sick cows from production, and supports optional training or inspection but not mandatory regulation. Members also raised food safety concerns, especially for children and pregnant women, and Ballard responded that raw milk producers rely on cleanliness, rapid cooling, consumer feedback, and truth in labeling. He said the health department currently inspects commercial dairies but not raw milk producers who do not sell through a cooperative, and he believed state inspection would help producers distinguish themselves and qualify for funding without changing interstate rules. Several members discussed the balance between consumer choice, safety, and possible “mission creep” if the state created a certification system. The committee then heard a lengthy presentation from Terence Bolden of TLB Enterprises on hydroponic and container farming as a response to food insecurity and food deserts. Bolden described a three-year workforce and career-technical program built around retrofitted shipping containers, drones, robotics, agribusiness, and AI, with partnerships involving schools, universities, Farm Bureau, UAPB, the Little Rock School District, and other entities. He said the model could create year-round local food production, support school cafeterias and community markets, and generate jobs and economic impact, estimating at least four jobs per container and potentially significant regional economic benefits. Members asked about costs, target communities, energy needs, crop types, and implementation timelines; Bolden said the first containers for school sites could be in place by late summer or early fall, with pilot projects already underway in Arkansas and Orlando. The meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• , second grade, and so on.
• <00:12:59.240> if advancement even in the third grade if advancement even in the third grade
• of the department, then at the level of the chair, a college-level or school-level committee, a senior
• of the department, then at the level of the chair, a college-level or school-level committee, a senior
• of the department, then at the level of the chair, a college-level or school-level committee, a senior

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with a quorum and first considered two concurrent resolutions. SCR 76, sponsored by Sen. Amanda Bledsoe, would create a Kentucky School for the Deaf Governance Task Force to examine the school’s future governance and its relationship with the Kentucky Department of Education. Bledsoe described the school’s long history and said the task force would give the small deaf-school community more voice. The committee adopted the resolution unanimously with favorable expression. The committee then took up SCR 131, sponsored by Sen. Max Wise, to continue the Efficient and Effective Districts Task Force from 2024. Wise said the prior task force met about 10 times and focused on student achievement and district policy, and the new version would continue that work as a legislature-only task force. The resolution passed unanimously with favorable expression. Members next considered HB 240 on primary school promotion. Rep. Truitt explained that the bill would require students who are not ready in kindergarten to repeat kindergarten, while a committee substitute softened the approach by allowing a school to hold a child back in kindergarten but requiring action in first grade. He said the bill aligns with existing reading-screening efforts and is intended to strengthen early literacy foundations. The committee adopted the substitute and passed the bill unanimously with favorable expression; Sen. Williams briefly explained his support as favoring performance-based advancement. The committee also approved HB 298, which would change the identification of schools for comprehensive support and improvement from every three years to annually, require KDE recommendations during management audits, add professional development in reading and math, and require effective instructional resources. The committee substitute also allowed districts with multiple CSI schools to contract for a turnaround vendor. The bill additionally carried employee-misconduct provisions from prior sessions, including disclosure requirements for applicants; the only change discussed was removing the word “investigation” from one disclosure section. HB 298 passed unanimously with favorable expression, and the committee also adopted a title amendment. Finally, the committee heard HB 424 on employment at public postsecondary institutions. Rep. Tipton said the bill would require performance and productivity reviews for faculty at least every four years, clarify appointment and removal authority for presidents at certain institutions, and expand “cause” for dismissal to include failure to meet performance and productivity requirements. Dr. Ray Horton, speaking for faculty groups, proposed a small substitute that would tie any performance measures to existing employment contracts to preserve academic integrity and avoid unintended changes to tenure processes. Members discussed how tenure works at Kentucky universities, and the committee was still in the middle of considering the proposed substitute when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:06.960> seven<00:05:07.680> through sports physicals for grade seven through
• How are we going to do that in an elementary level? Because right now there's no data protections.
• well in coaching kids from fifth grade well in coaching kids from fifth grade to<00:21:24.480>
• <00:21:44.120> of different levels of different levels of development<00:21:45.880> and
• So you have all these kids at very different levels of players.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• literacy, to make sure that you're on track by the time you get to third grade or get out of third grade
• math course if their parent does not object and the student demonstrates the highest proficiency in grade-level
• So in Arizona, there are 10,000 students in seventh grade who are reaching the highest level of math
• charter school to report the number of kids by race, family income, and gender, highest proficiency in grade-level
• The number of kids by race, family income, and gender, highest proficiency in grade-level mathematics

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 4043, which would require each school district and charter school to ensure that at least one employee at each school is trained in CPR, first aid, and AED use by August 1, 2027. The sponsor said he would consider floor amendments to clarify that a trained person should be available at all times and to tie the requirement to schools that actually have AEDs. Supporters, including a constituent who lost a child, said the bill could help save lives; opponents and some members raised concerns about cost, staffing, and whether one trained employee is enough. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 7-1 vote with several members voting present. The committee then took up House Concurrent Resolution 2015, as amended by a strike-everything amendment supporting at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity for students and prominent display of the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A public health advocate testified in favor, emphasizing chronic disease prevention in children. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then gave the resolution a due pass recommendation on a 12-0 vote. House Bill 2621, as amended, addressed enrollment and special education access for pupils in unorganized territory, tribal land, and certain military-connected students, including changes to certificates of educational convenience and timelines for district and county action. The sponsor and stakeholders described it as a technical fix to reduce enrollment delays and improve access to services. After adopting both the strike-everything amendment and a Garcia amendment, the committee passed the bill 11-0. The committee also advanced House Bill 2385, which limits superintendent contracts to one-year terms during the first three years of employment and allows longer terms only after three consecutive years. The sponsor framed it as a way to reduce costly buyouts and give school boards more flexibility; there was no public testimony, and the bill passed 7-4. House Bill 4106, creating the One Arizona Service Fellowship Program, also passed after amendment. Supporters said it would build service opportunities and workforce experience, while some members objected to creating and funding a new state program; it passed 8-2 with one present. Later, House Bill 2992, as amended, established a pilot program in schools for child sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, expanded to K-12 in the amendment and funded from the Victim Compensation and Assistance Fund. A survivor and anti-trafficking advocate strongly supported teaching children and training staff, while some members objected to the funding source and possible unintended consequences. The bill passed 6-5 with one present. House Bill 2370, concerning who may modify weapons detection systems and requiring superintendent notification to governing boards within 24 hours, passed 8-3 after a debate over school safety, accountability, and whether the bill was too vague or too narrow. House Bill 4056, as amended, would bar fees for legislators making public records requests in their official capacity and require electronic delivery; the sponsor cited large fees charged by school districts, while opponents warned against broad fee exemptions. It passed 8-3. Finally, the committee began House Bill 2478, which would create the Arizona Commission on Student Outcomes to study K-12 performance, accountability, graduation requirements, finance, and related issues, with a proposed amendment to add early childhood analysis. The sponsor said the commission would help drive a statewide conversation and that the Classroom Site Fund had sufficient unused balances to support it. Testimony from early learning and advocacy groups was generally neutral but supportive of including early childhood in the study, and the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• levels.
• levels.
• levels.
• graded as SPFs. graded as SPFs.
• > the<05:36:39.440> grading This grading should be the grading This grading should be the

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the early childhood special education, with learning targeting the third-grade level and holding
• kids back that aren't on grade level, and we've got this fund out here, the early childhood special
• And so the early childhood special education with learns targeting the third grade level and holding
• They're able to purchase these resources, work with the parents, and get them on grade level.
• And like I said, I just, with us putting such an emphasis on holding kids back at a third-grade level

Summary: The committee first approved the prior meeting minutes, then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the report found that Arkansas moms want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing most mothers want full-time work, 69% identified child care costs as a barrier, and many said flexible hours were the most important workplace support. She also described county-level dashboard data, the high cost of infant and toddler care, and examples from working mothers about spending most or all of their paychecks on child care. Members asked questions about labor force participation trends, the meaning of the child care cost figures, and how flexibility could be implemented across industries. The presenter and members also discussed the broader economic-development impact of child care shortages and the need for public-private partnerships. The Department of Education then gave an update on early childhood programs. Officials said they are building internal dashboards to improve transparency and data access for school readiness assistance, including enrollment, application, and provider participation monitoring. They reported that the state is still moving forward with the CLASS transition and expects to release transition funding to providers in the coming weeks using Preschool Development Grant funds. They also clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work and that the data is FOIA-able. Officials warned providers about a temporary payment delay during the transition to a new system, saying payments will stop June 30 and resume around July 14, with any owed funds processed then. Members raised additional concerns about early childhood special education funding, overpayment recovery from a child care center, audit requirements for Head Start and SRA funds, the market rate survey, and the status of local leads after a recompete. Department staff said they would follow up on special education funding levels and audit rules, noted that the overpayment case is under appeal, and said the market rate survey is still in procurement. They also reported that 23 local leads will cover all counties starting July 1, with no major job-description changes, and described a new PDG Partners stakeholder group and an upcoming June 23 QRIS webinar to gather provider and parent input. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• They will not catch up if they continue to pass from grade level to grade level without those interventions
• level because as they move from grade level to the next grade level, they're not at proficiency.
• But I am saying we have to have clear interventions to get our students at grade level that is consistent
• level or above.
• Is it 9th grade? Is it 8th grade?

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, only 37 percent of students are meeting grade level standards in mathematics.
• level in math.
• It is a... ...grade level in math. Math ability is not a personality trait.
• who enter in grades that are older.
• When you have 37% at grade level, that is a failure, and we have to take ownership of that.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Beyond this initiative, Tanel has also served as a teacher candidate, mentor, and fifth-grade level chair
• grade students at YNI elementary school. grade students at YNI elementary school.
• <00:26:00.080> level<00:26:00.480> chair.
• mentor, and fifth grade level chair. mentor, and fifth grade level chair.
• , from preschool through fifth grade, from preschool through fifth grade, earning<00:37:44.160>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And teachers are stretched thin, often covering multiple subjects and grade levels.
• <00:19:29.200> levels.
• subjects and grade levels. subjects and grade levels.
• I went to 6th through 8th grade at the beautiful old Spalding graded school, which was previously the
• grade and subject. grade and subject.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• worksheets for students of different grade levels to work on, is that happening in our schools?
• The TEEX are the elements of what a student must know in one grade level in order to be successfully
• entering into the next grade level.
• level. ensures that teachers will have the material with 100% of the grade level teeks that it will
• Students will have the highest quality of tools necessary. in order to show message at each grade level

Bills: HB 120, HB20, HB150, HB6, HB 100, HB 124, HB210, HB215, HB1393, HB1587, HB 1151, HB 1268, HB142, HB451, HB39, HB 102, HB 126, HB290, HB300, HB2143, HJR2, HB147, HJR6, HB 120, HB20, HB150, HB6, HB 100, HB 124, HB210, HB215, HB1393, HB1587, HB 1151, HB 1268, HB142, HB451, SB1

Keywords: career readiness, education reform, workforce training, public schools, financial aid, applied sciences, career education, high school diploma, certificate program, work-based learning, job placement, high-growth jobs, technical training, cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, mental health, telehealth

Transcript Highlights:

• level.
• This includes counting change at the lower grade levels and getting into banking and interest calculations
• At the upper grade levels, you generally don't see that reflected on NAEP, but you do see it reflected
• And sometimes you can see double-digit gains in terms of students that are performing at grade level
• Students who are not on grade level by third grade face substantial educational...

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She is in the eighth grade. Grade 10 is represented by Kawila Benz Mars and Kamalu Kilon.
• Grade 8 is represented by Koa Poi and Kilo Lani Smith. Welcome to the chamber.
• She is in the eighth grade. Grade 10 is represented by Kawila Benz Mars and Kamalu Kilon.
• She is in the eighth grade. Grade 10 is represented by Kawila Benz Mars and Kamalu Kilon.
• the House session on the Rotunda level. the House session on the Rotunda level.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was actually in grades 1 through 12.
• <00:12:57.800> 1 bubble um it was actually in grades 1 bubble um it was actually in grades
• <00:32:14.519> it's they want to challenge their grade it's they want to challenge their grade
• Eighth year of teaching ninth grade English, and loving it. I tried to do school.
• eighth year of teaching ninth grade eighth year of teaching ninth grade English<00:36:09.560>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee did not get to the planned testimony on attendance and excessive unexcused absences, but instead heard from Minnesota’s Superintendent of the Year and Teacher of the Year. The chair opened by noting the committee was short on time, introduced the idea of hearing from the two award recipients, and briefly referenced a question he likes to ask students about what book every high school student should read. Superintendent Putnam of St. Cloud Area Schools then testified about the superintendent-of-the-year selection process, his district’s work, and the community context in St. Cloud. Putnam described the award as a community honor and said his leadership is guided by authenticity, transparency, and hope. He highlighted district efforts to improve attendance and enrollment, expand community engagement, create family advocate and inclusive decision-making structures, and support students through partnerships and wraparound services. He also discussed district demographics and needs, including food insecurity, IEPs, multilingual services, and homelessness, and noted initiatives such as preschool partnerships, an ambulance bay, school safety improvements, and two full-service community schools funded in part by a federal grant. In response to member questions, he said PSO enrollment had not been a major issue in St. Cloud, explained that student jobs and responsibilities help improve attendance and engagement, and urged lawmakers to be curious and avoid assumptions about public schools. The committee then heard from Tracy Bird, Minnesota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and a ninth-grade English teacher at Minneapolis Washburn. Bird shared his personal path into teaching, including earlier school struggles, work in finance, and encouragement from a principal who saw his potential. He described the nomination and selection process for Teacher of the Year and said his classroom is shaped by student energy, high expectations, and the realities of a diverse school community with both high mobility and affluent students. He emphasized that students are more engaged when they feel part of something larger than themselves and said his district’s work includes giving students meaningful jobs and responsibilities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Year three is the capstone for this project, where we see students who are in the ninth grade, 10th grade
• , 11th grade, and those that we've taken from the 11th grade to put in the workforce actually running
• What grade level are you reading on? What kind of math levels can they operate at?
• We can't project the future at that level, but I can tell you at a minimum level we're looking at about
• We can't project the future at that level, but I can tell you at a minimum level, we're looking at about

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its October 27 meeting and then heard testimony on the economic and practical effects of Arkansas’s raw milk law, Act 698. Clinton Ballard of Milk and Honey Hill Farm said the law allowed his family farm to expand from 8 to 12 cows, serve about 150 families, add retail sales of raw cheese, and increase annual sales by roughly $50,000. He argued that raw milk production supports small farms, improves food security by keeping milk production in-state, and should be paired with optional state inspection and certification so producers could access USDA grants and other value-added opportunities. Committee members asked about herd management, safety practices, labeling, consumer education, and whether a voluntary inspection system could be created without leading to more regulation. Ballard said his farm follows sanitary practices, chills milk quickly, uses educational materials for customers, and has not had any reported illnesses among customers. Members also discussed broader concerns about raw milk safety, including E. coli, sick animals, and whether state agencies should provide more guidance or training. Several lawmakers expressed support for consumer choice and for small producers, while others emphasized the need for clear standards and accountability. The discussion also touched on the decline of commercial dairies in Arkansas, the role of the health department, and whether state certification would be limited to in-state sales. The committee then heard a lengthy presentation from Terence Bolden of TLB Enterprises on hydroponic and container-based agriculture as a response to food insecurity and workforce needs. Bolden described retrofitted shipping containers that can grow produce year-round with low water use, and said the model could be paired with career and technical education, drones, robotics, and agribusiness training in schools and communities. He said pilot projects are underway or planned with the Little Rock School District, Southwest High School, UAPB, and other partners, and estimated that five regional hubs could have significant economic impact while creating jobs and reducing food deserts. Members asked about target communities, costs, energy needs, crop types, and how the model would work in rural areas; Bolden said the approach is a public-private partnership intended to support local farmers, schools, and community food access. No votes were taken on Bolden’s proposal, and the meeting adjourned after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• All students are getting on-grade level instruction, so that's one key.
• You have 28 kids in a certain grade level. You split them into two classes of 14.
• We're explicitly teaching students on grade-level instruction, and they're constantly demonstrating.
• Teaching students on grade-level instruction, and they're constantly demonstrating the learning.
• House Bill 2 helped us build out new classroom space to add grade levels.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by 9th grade rather than eighth grade. by 9th grade rather than eighth grade.
• <00:26:53.679> levels<00:26:53.919> that standards at different grade levels that standards
• at different grade levels that they<00:26:54.240> want<00:26:54.320> to<00:26:54.480><
• The test itself is a measure of what the students have learned during that grade level.
• The test itself is a measure of what the students have learned during that grade level.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:19:48.720> level,<00:19:48.919> more read or do math at grade level, more read
• Because of those services and those educators, he was reading at grade level by second grade.
• <01:23:24.160> level educators, he was reading at grade level educators, he was reading at
• grade level by<01:23:24.560> second<01:23:24.920> grade.
• So fourth grade students in level.

Bills: HF3493, HF4114

Keywords: safe schools, charter schools, nonpublic schools, Tribal education, funding increase, special education, funding, education finance, appropriations, budget, cross subsidy