Transcript Highlights:

• Some schools have executive directors, vice principals, you know, lead teachers.
• I remember in one school district, the level three teachers were all making $85,000, not $75,000.
• , and you lose one student, how many teachers do you need?
• You still need the one teacher.
• Two states have eligibility criteria associated with their program.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next, we have the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Thank you.
• Next, we have the Hawaii State Teachers Association in support. Aloha.
• agreement with the y State Teachers agreement with the y State Teachers Association<00:55:57.760
• Next we have the Hawaii State Teachers Association in support.
• Next, we have the Hawaii State Teachers Association in support.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today I'm also speaking on behalf of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the Association
• If Minnesota wants to attract and retain high-quality teachers, the state needs to be a place where teachers
• If Minnesota wants to attract and retain high-quality teachers, the state needs to be a place where teachers
• attract and retain highquality teachers attract and retain highquality teachers the<00:50:47.680
• <01:18:02.880> daycare toddler with all the associated daycare toddler with all the associated

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• high school level uh a student a teacher high school level uh a student a teacher takes<00:37:53.760
• <00:37:59.800> already bathroom room um the teacher already bathroom room um the teacher already
• Association and a licensed clinical Association and a licensed clinical social<01:35:54.320> worker
• I am here on behalf of our association.
• :40.920> want behalf of our association today I want behalf of our association today I want to

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• The student teacher stipend program is meant to basically provide student teachers with compensation
• Student Aid Commission, while the Student Teacher Stipend is the Commission on Teacher Credentialing's
• . for teacher residency programs as one effective strategy for addressing teachers shortages statewide
• , including the Teacher Residency Grant Program, the Student Teacher Stipend Program, and the Golden
• State Teacher Grant.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The teacher qualifications are more rigorous, and they hire teachers.
• The teacher qualifications are more rigorous.
• So we unfortunately have lost some teachers.
• of us will be here without the teachers.
• us will be here without the teachers, but we're not really paying the teachers what they are worth.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee held an introductory meeting focused largely on member introductions and “homework” reports about education issues in each district. Members raised a wide range of concerns and priorities, including early childhood care and VPK access, school choice and school closures, teacher recruitment and retention, conflict resolution and school safety, early literacy and preparedness, technology and AI/STEM instruction, attendance and mental health, ESE services, dual enrollment and career/technical education, caregiving youth, and real-time student enrollment/funding tracking. Several members also emphasized local challenges such as housing-driven teacher turnover, disaster-related attendance problems, and funding inequities across counties. The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Florida’s early learning system from Chancellor Carrie Miller of the Department of Education’s Division of Early Learning. She outlined the structure and funding of School Readiness, VPK, and the Gold Seal Quality Care program, the role of early learning coalitions and DCF, and the state’s quality and accountability measures. She highlighted the importance of kindergarten readiness, teacher quality, and the new School Readiness Plus program, which helps families transition off subsidy more gradually. Additional panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, and a Tallahassee child care provider discussed workforce shortages, low wages, provider turnover, the TEACH scholarship program, Help Me Grow, local coalition operations, and the need for more providers and more consistent regulation. During questions, members asked about wait lists, special needs services, teacher retention, provider onboarding, and DCF regulation. The panel said Miami-Dade’s wait list was about 4,000 children and described priority categories for service; they also said children with disabilities are screened and referred for support, though not given a separate priority category. Panelists reported that TEACH has helped reduce turnover through education support and service commitments, but said wages and career pathways remain major issues. Members also pressed for clearer, more consistent licensing standards and more support for new providers entering the field. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• the school schools or teachers unions? the school schools or teachers unions?
• out in your classroom for the teachers out in your classroom for the teachers that<00:37:48.480>
• <01:16:58.719> our<01:16:58.880> teachers overburden our teachers our teachers overburden
• was indeed self censorship by teachers. was indeed self censorship by teachers.
• feeling a retribution from the teacher. feeling a retribution from the teacher.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have teachers that are on carts. We have teachers that teach in undersized classrooms.
• going to put them uh we have teachers going to put them uh we have teachers that<00:34:43.280>
• that are on carts we have uh teachers that are on carts we have uh teachers that<00:34:46.159>
• up to the recommendation of the teacher up to the recommendation of the teacher the<01:34:29.119
• Randy was a math teacher also.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on HB 366, which would increase school building aid for eligible projects. Representative Cahill, the prime sponsor, said the bill would raise the annual minimum from $50 million to $60 million and help address a long backlog of school construction and renovation needs after years of a moratorium on applications. He argued that districts forced to build during the moratorium were left to shoulder costs through local property taxes, and he cited examples such as Londonderry, Claremont, and other communities with aging or inadequate facilities. He also said the current aid structure, including paying 80% upfront and 20% at completion, concentrates too much spending at once and limits how many projects can be funded. Several committee members asked about the fairness and structure of the program. Representative Maguire questioned whether aid should be distributed more broadly to all districts rather than only a few selected projects, and Representative Luneau noted that the committee would also be considering related bills on catastrophic aid, special education aid, and the school foundation formula. Cahill responded that building aid has historically been targeted to property-poor communities and that the state should be a reliable partner in school construction. He also said the bill includes a small retroactive component for communities that built during the moratorium, which he described as a compromise. Testimony in support came from Representative Cluder, who described Claremont’s Stevens High School project as a case where a bond issue narrowly failed and the city later had to fund renovations without state aid, contributing to high property taxes. He said the bill would help property-poor communities and urged passage. Tony Weinstein of New Market also supported the bill, saying his community had serious facility and safety needs, had moved forward with scaled-back renovations during the moratorium, and still faced debt-service burdens without state participation. Robert Thompson, superintendent in Hampstead, testified that his district needs an addition for overcrowding, safety, and special education space, and said building aid would help reduce out-of-district placements and transportation costs. No vote was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your expertise as a teacher is probably far beyond mine because I'm not a teacher, but I would be happy
• I'm a retired special education teacher here today with C Alliance.
• So I'm a former teacher. I'm a former school board member. I'm a former teacher.
• I was Teacher of the Year in 2017 for Orange County Public Schools.
• As a grandmother, as a teacher, former school board member.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• We just bless each one of these children, the teachers, the administrators as well.
• So, for example, this year the special education teachers are at 67%. Is that trending higher?
• We also have five teacher positions in special education. Very high-need area.
• We also have five teacher positions in special education.
• I mean, I've never heard of LEA being associated with some capital improvement.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's our teachers, and this. My colleagues have done a good job. We've invested in our teachers.
• Native-speaking teachers.
• Native-speaking teachers.
• I was a teacher for nine years.
• I was a teacher for nine years.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our teachers are enrolled in Retirement Plus program, receive enhanced retirement calculations, Our teachers
• The program automatically enrolled most teachers hired after July 1, 2001, but required teachers hired
• And today, all new hire teachers are automatically enrolled, And today, all new hire teachers are automatically
• This bill is critical for teachers in my district. And 500 current teachers.
• I want to especially recognize the advocacy of the American Federation of Teachers and the Boston Teachers

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, adopted two resolutions recognizing the town of Sturbridge on the nation’s 250th anniversary and congratulating Zachary Erich on becoming an Eagle Scout, and then took up several committee reports and extension orders. The chamber suspended rules multiple times to act immediately on committee extensions for Financial Services and State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, and it referred a House petition on cleft lip and cleft palate treatment to Financial Services. Members also adopted an order extending the Financial Services committee’s reporting deadline on credit union and mortgage financing matters. The Senate then considered and passed House No. 4361, a bill on teacher retirement benefits, after extensive debate in support of a one-time window for certain teachers who were excluded from Retirement Plus due to administrative errors. Senators described the measure as a long-overdue fix for more than 8,500 educators, noting that eligible teachers would have to pay the difference in contributions. The bill was ordered to a third reading, passed to be engrossed by a 39-0 roll call, and sent on for further action. The chamber also passed Senate No. 3106 on toxic-free medical devices and Senate No. 3107 on commercial interior design licensure, both after supportive remarks about patient safety and professional regulation. A major item was the conference committee report on H. 5280, the FY26 fair share supplemental budget. Supporters highlighted funding for municipal winter relief, MBTA operations and capital needs, education initiatives, housing incentives, home heating assistance, and collective bargaining agreements, while opponents raised concerns about MBTA subsidies, legal defense funding, and tax policy implications. After roll call, the report was approved by a 37-3 vote. The Senate also adopted the emergency preamble and passed H. 5470, the FY26 supplemental appropriations bill, and later enacted local bills including Berkeley recall authority, a Milton school deadline extension, a Lexington parkland exchange, and long-term municipal roads and bridges financing. Near the end of the session, the Senate recognized guests from the Caribbean diplomatic corps and the Authentic Caribbean Foundation, who spoke about Caribbean American Heritage Month and partnership agreements with Massachusetts. The chamber then concurred in a House amendment to Senate No. 2563, a bill updating disability-related terminology in the general laws, with senators emphasizing the importance of person-first language and dignity for people with disabilities. The Senate adopted the emergency preamble and enacted the bill. The session concluded with an adjournment order to meet again the following Monday and with adjournment in memory of Richard Louis Volpe of Sturbridge.

Transcript Highlights:

• teacher free to teach that? teacher free to teach that?
• the teacher.
• the teacher.
• the teacher.
• <03:05:23.120> turn teacher, the teacher would probably turn teacher, the teacher would probably

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 34, which would require parental consent for each new service provided to a student through the Medicaid to Schools program and require reports to legislative policy committees. Senator Ruth Ward said the bill was intended to increase transparency, protect parental involvement, and ensure continuity of care, especially for students with disabilities. She also noted a proposed amendment she received shortly before the hearing that would change the bill’s focus from a “new service” to a “new care plan.” Representatives from the New Hampshire Primary Care Association and Amoscake Health testified that they opposed the bill as written but would support it with the amendment. They explained that tying consent to individual diagnosis codes or services could be burdensome, could delay care, and could create compliance problems if a diagnosis changes during a visit. They said the amendment would better align consent with the overall care plan and avoid interrupting treatment mid-appointment. Committee members raised questions about how the bill would interact with IEPs, individualized health plans, homebound services, telehealth, billing, and whether the amendment would still require parental involvement after a care plan changes. The deputy Medicaid director from the Department of Health and Human Services testified that the amendment was more operationally feasible because Medicaid billing involves many ICD-10 codes that can change or overlap, and consent should be tied to the care plan rather than to each code. He said the current law already requires parental consent for participation in the Medicaid to Schools program and annual consent for billing, but the bill would make explicit consent for care-plan changes. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing provided, and the committee appeared to continue discussion with DHHS after the testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• And California-based businesses, as well as the Japanese Business Association of Southern California,
• He... ...the Associated Student Body and does theater.
• , their Head Start teacher, Thank you, Mr.
• , their head star teacher, Kids will run out and see their teacher, their Head Start teacher, and just
• tribal chairman's association.

Summary: The Assembly met with a quorum present after a roll call and prayer, then proceeded through routine journal, procedural, and guest-introduction business. Members recognized several guests, including local district officials, Japanese business leaders, and students/interns, and the chamber also observed remarks about the Texas flooding tragedy during the prayer. The body then moved through the daily file, including second-reading items and concurrence votes on AB 390, which expands the slow-down/move-over law to stationary vehicles, and AB 1478, which allows retailers to absorb mattress recycling fees; both measures had Senate amendments concurred in by recorded vote. The Assembly adopted AJR 12, a bipartisan resolution recognizing Head Start Month and urging Congress and the President to protect and increase Head Start funding. Multiple members spoke in support, emphasizing the program’s role in early education, health, nutrition, and family support, especially in rural and low-income communities; the resolution received 70 ayes and no noes after 69 co-authors were added. The chamber also adopted ACR 96, designating a portion of Highway 101 in Humboldt County as the Patty Berg Memorial Highway, and SCR 50, which calls for state review of climate adaptation and maladaptation criteria to improve climate resilience planning; both measures passed without opposition. On the consent calendar, the Assembly added co-authors to ACR 81 and adopted the second-day consent calendar and remaining consent items, all by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The body also approved a motion to return AB 529 from engrossing and enrolling to the Senate for further action. The session concluded with numerous adjournment-in-memory tributes, most notably for Rincon Tribal Council Chairman Bo Mazzetti and former legislative secretary George Steffes, followed by a moment of silence for each and adjournment until Monday, July 14 at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• It increased teacher salaries 12% in the model, and when you compare that to actual paid teacher salaries
• Um, are student teachers or they're called student teachers or they're called something else now?
• Um, are student teachers or they're called student teachers or they're called something else now?
• Um, are student teachers or they're called student teachers or they're called something else now?
• summer school and extended day teachers. summer school and extended day teachers.

Bills: HB0150

Keywords: Wyoming business council, economic development, task force, evaluation, policy reform, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The teacher that called the incident would not have any such access.
• Co-Chair, there's various forms associated with the panic button.
• You have a teacher in a classroom who has eyes on a suspect, I don't know...
• I get... not the base funding that is associated with students.
• It's not just teaching a teacher how to press a button.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Teachers, too, are feeling the pressure.
• You can't say a teacher... teacher in Dallas ISD who's obviously spending nine million dollars and trained
• It could be any adult, but oftentimes it would be a teacher. be a teacher and so that really is going
• I'm from a family full of teachers.
• I was a teacher for 15 years.

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:

• When we teacher on a Friday afternoon.
• of the Minnesota Association of Charge. of the Minnesota Association of Charge.
• I like our diversity and the teachers.
• Association in support of the bill 3857. Association in support of the bill 3857.
• > School The National Association of School The National Association of School Nurses<01:52:33.119

Bills: HF3653, HF2717, HF3451, HF3857

Keywords: education finance, safe schools revenue, school safety, charter schools, funding, safe schools, school security, school levy, pupil units, safe schools aid, cooperative units, intermediate school district, school resource officer, peace officer liaison, sheriff liaison, drug abuse prevention, gang resistance education, violence prevention, suicide prevention, mental health services

Summary: The committee first adopted the March 3rd minutes by voice vote after Representative Lee moved them and there was no discussion. Members then reviewed hearing rules on decorum, safety, and participation before taking testimony from Dr. James Densley and Dr. Jillian Peterson of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. The presenters summarized research on mass shootings and K-12 school shootings, drawing on a database of homicides in school settings from 2000 to 2025 and a smaller set of 15 K-12 mass shooting cases. They said school shooters are usually insiders, most often current or former students, and typically young males. They described common patterns including a noticeable crisis before attacks, perpetrators viewing the shooting as a final act, studying prior shooters online, and “leakage” in which most tell someone in advance. They also emphasized that many perpetrators use unsecured firearms from family members and argued that prevention should combine reporting systems, behavioral threat assessment, counseling, mentoring, secure storage, and other layered interventions rather than rely on a single solution. The presenters also discussed broader violence trends in the Twin Cities, saying much school violence is spillover from community violence and that pandemic-era disruptions and weakened trust in institutions contributed to serious violence. They cited a national survey finding that exposure to gun violence is associated with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and fear of public spaces, especially among young people. During member questions, Representative Wam asked for clarification on the data set and the rural/small-town share of the survey sample.

Transcript Highlights:

• director for the Minnesota Association director for the Minnesota Association of<00:03:50.720>
• , including the groceries association, and many different employer associations that we pair up with
• <00:56:05.599> uh many of the business associations uh many of the business associations uh
• <00:56:09.799> uh including the groceries Association uh including the groceries Association
• many different uh employer associations many different uh employer associations that<00:56:12.280

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if you know what Kafkaesque means, thank a teacher.
• The American Historical Association opposes SB 37.
• I'm also the immediate past president of the Texas Association of College Teachers.
• Those people that quite frankly, the teachers are a good example.
• I can still remember some of my elementary school teachers.

Bills: SB 37

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction