Transcript Highlights:

• SO AS YOU SEE THOSE POINTS IN TIME BUT PAY RAISES WERE APPLIED, THAT'S WHAT HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON
• ONE PERSON MIGHT BE IN GEOMETRY, A COUPLE INDIVIDUALS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH COURSES, SOMEONE DOING ALGEBRA
• , PRE-ALGEBRA, GED CREDIT IMAGINE BEING THE TEACHER.
• THAT THEY WOULD BE GOING BACK INTO SO WHEN THAT YOUNG PERSON WOULD GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND BE IN THEIR ALGEBRA
• THIS IS NOT UNIFORMLY APPLIED ACROSS THE STATE. WE CALL THIS INJUSTICE BY GEOGRAPHY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That the level that we apply as punishment proportionally fits the crime.
• Prove to me you have all the knowledge of Algebra 1, and I will give you credit for Algebra 1 so you
• can go to Algebra 2.
• 1 so you can go to algebra 2 for algebra 1 so you can go to algebra 2 like<00:41:06.480> no<00
• This only applies to K through2 sector.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, and I get asked to proof a lot of essays for kids that apply to different colleges, and I'm
• They need to take that concept and apply it to other situations, right?
• But insofar as if you're right, when you have a kid that's taking an algebra test at the 9th grade, many
• Unless parents opt out, they're automatically placed on the pathway to take Algebra I in eighth grade
• And for that particular campus, the majority of their ninth graders did take Algebra I, and some of them

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• One is the focus on algebra, which is grade six through nine math supports.
• at the materials and how well they match, for example, or they will look at how well a lesson on algebra
• Because every district has this type of student and shouldn’t have to apply for an RFP.
• And if they are, why is it only for the people who choose to apply by grant? But I guess also, Mr.
• It does apply.

Transcript Highlights:

• July 7, 2023, UC Boers decided that data science would no longer be an acceptable substitute for Algebra
• This can deter under-resourced organizations from even applying for state-funded projects due to the
• Transparency and advance-pay offerings will provide consistency and allow more organizations to apply
• And so I know sometimes that becomes a challenge and a barrier for them applying because they have to
• We apply these critical dollars across a range of essential tribal government programs that support our

Summary: The Governmental Organization Committee heard a series of bills focused largely on alcohol licensing, nonprofit funding, tribal grants, public transparency, and tobacco policy. AB 342 (Haney) would allow local governments to create hospitality zones with extended last-call hours on certain days; supporters argued it would boost tourism, nightlife, and major-event readiness, while opponents warned of alcohol-related harms and public safety risks. AB 684 (Patel) would subject the UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools to open-meeting requirements, with supporters saying admissions-related changes should be more transparent and allow schools time to adjust. AB 1008 (Addis) would authorize up to 10 new on-sale general licenses in San Luis Obispo County to meet tourism demand, and AB 1039 (Hart) would require state agencies to offer advance payments on new nonprofit grants and contracts, which supporters said would help cash-strapped nonprofits deliver services. AB 221 (Ramos) would revise the Tribal Nation Grant Fund to provide more predictable annual distributions to eligible non-gaming and limited-gaming tribes, and it drew broad support from tribal representatives and others. AB 795 (Jeff Gonzalez) would create a California commission for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, with supporters describing it as a privately funded, nonpartisan planning body. AB 828/AB 28 (Mark Gonzalez, as referenced in the transcript) would expand neighborhood-restricted liquor licenses in Los Angeles County to reduce costs and support restaurant recovery, and AB 1246 (Hoover) would increase craft distillers’ direct sales limits and address barrel-storage rules; both were supported as small-business measures. AB 1428 (Ta) would require reporting of all surplus and underutilized state land, and AB 957 (Ortega) would prohibit tobacco sales in pharmacies, with strong public health support. Several bills were voted out on motions to Appropriations, some with amendments, while others were held or left on call until quorum was established; the committee also adopted a consent calendar and left rolls open for absent members on multiple measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are some algebra that they do every year that starts sort of at the $90,000 and it takes us to
• that our joint fiscal some algebra that our joint fiscal office<00:17:48.679> delightedly<00:
• There<00:17:57.960> are<00:17:58.040> some<00:17:58.240> algebra<00:17:58.760>
• > that<00:17:58.960> they<00:17:59.120> do There are some algebra that they do There
• are some algebra that they do every<00:18:00.400> year<00:18:01.120> um every year um

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So in the Common Core, it places students on a trajectory to Algebra I by 9th grade rather than 8th grade
• What I'm also going to give you is a problem from algebra. It's polynomial long division.
• <00:13:45.360> one students on a trajectory to algebra one students on a trajectory to algebra
• algebra. It's polomial long division. algebra. It's polomial long division.
• because you are required to know algebra because you are required to know it<00:15:11.680> when

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on House Bill 1571, which would direct the Department of Education to review and revise statewide academic standards and curriculum and make an appropriation. Representative Kristen Noble, the sponsor, said the bill is intended to update outdated standards, especially in math, and to have the department create a list of high-quality curriculum and materials aligned to the revised standards. She noted she would likely amend the bill to change a requirement that districts “shall” select from the list to “may,” and said a misplaced crossed-out section would need to be restored and moved by amendment. She also said assessments would need to be updated to match any new standards. Testimony from Marie Banfield strongly supported the bill and the move away from a mandate, arguing that current standards are outdated and that Common Core and related standards have not improved student outcomes. She criticized the math standards for emphasizing multiple strategies and written explanations over computation, and said stronger standards would better support students, including those with learning or communication challenges. She also argued that New Hampshire should follow examples such as Massachusetts, which she said used rigorous standards successfully. Nate Green of the Department of Education did not take a position on the bill but explained that the bill would affect statewide academic standards, state assessments, and potentially federal compliance. He distinguished academic standards from minimum standards in statute, said any standards revision would require work with content experts, State Board approval, and then a corresponding assessment update that could take about two years. He estimated assessment development costs could range from about $200,000 to $500,000 for minor revisions and $1 million to $2 million for a wholesale new set of standards. He also said the bill would apply to public and charter public schools, not private or homeschool students, and that the department does not currently provide a statewide list of curriculum materials because curriculum decisions have historically been local.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I'm also going to give you is I'm going to give you a problem from uh algebra.
• <00:13:45.360> one students on a trajectory to algebra one students on a trajectory to algebra
• algebra. It's polomial long division. algebra. It's polomial long division.
• because you are required to know algebra because you are required to know it<00:15:11.680> when
• >> So, this particular section would just apply to public school students.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We require our students to learn algebra, chemistry, U.S. history, and Shakespeare.
• Today there are six such approved programs, but this changes all the time as publishers apply for approval
• Today there are six such approved programs, but this changes all the time as publishers apply for approval
• Number two, the second way is that if a district is using its own, apply for approval.
• They could do algebra and geometry at a 9th or 10th grade level.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House took up several procedural orders early in the session, including extending the reporting deadline for the Housing Committee on H.4655 and suspending Joint Rule 12 for a petition seeking to rescind prior Article 5 constitutional convention applications. It then advanced three Ways and Means bills on education-related topics: personal financial literacy education (H.4670), expanded access to the state seal of biliteracy (H.4671), and teacher preparation and student literacy (H.4672), each moving through amendment adoption and third reading or engrossment procedures. A major portion of the meeting focused on H.4670, which would require personal financial literacy instruction in middle and high school and establish a financial literacy trust fund for curriculum and teacher training. Members spoke in support, emphasizing budgeting, credit, student loans, and long-term financial planning, and the bill passed to be engrossed by a 154-0 roll call. H.4671, which broadens access to the seal of biliteracy for students in public and private schools, also drew support and passed to be engrossed 155-0. The most extensive debate centered on H.4672, a literacy bill requiring evidence-based reading instruction, DESE-approved curricula or approved local alternatives, screening and progress monitoring, professional development, and related implementation measures. Members described concerns about declining reading scores and argued for a shift away from three-cueing toward phonics-based, science-of-reading approaches. Several amendments were considered: a proposal to change intervention language from “significantly” to “at risk of falling behind” failed, while amendments adding funding language, stakeholder collaboration, and other implementation details were adopted. One amendment clarifying that pictures may be used as a supplement in literacy curricula was also adopted, and the bill ultimately passed to be engrossed 155-0. The House also observed moments of silence for former Judge Leslie Harris, former Representative Mark Carron, and former Representative Dennis Rosa, and adjourned to meet the next day at 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of you might be in pre-algebra. Some of you might be in algebra.
• Some of you might be in pre-algebra. Some of you might be in calculus.
• As you see, that rebound is relative to those points in time when significant pay raises were applied
• about mental health services, we generally talk about two different types of settings, and that also applies
• It will eventually allow them to apply for jobs that they have completed framework in and become certified

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe, though, the way the open portal works, they would apply for that in the receiving school,
• I mean, if a child is applying to a different school or is applying for a transfer, is that part of the
• math or an applied science.
• You will learn principles of flight applied when you're grabbing the stick and yoke of an aircraft.
• So, if it is Algebra 2 or Trigonometry or Calculus for an engineering program, maybe then you would do

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Transcript Highlights:

• end-of-year test, but that allows them to have alternate testing if they wish. ...Subject Matters: Algebra
• Well, I believe that the bill pattern talks about Algebra I, Biology, and English I, and provides availability

Bills: HB8, HB26, HB192

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• If they wish, only for the subject matters, algebra 1, biology, and English one, or is this in every
• Well, I believe that the bill pattern talks about algebra one, biology, English one, and providing availability

Bills: HB8, HB26, HB192

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• Another example would be that in a lot of our districts, we only have maybe one Algebra 1 teacher or
• Another example would be in a lot of our districts, we only have maybe one algebra one teacher or one
• People sitting in front of you, the same thing applies to them.
• teacher because we only have the one first grade, the one second grade, the one third grade, the one algebra

Summary: The Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee met to discuss the needs of rural school districts and the role of Florida’s three regional education consortia: the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, and Heartland Educational Consortium. Executive directors and several rural superintendents described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide shared services, professional learning, leadership development, grant support, cooperative purchasing, risk management, IT/cybersecurity help, and back-office assistance that small districts could not afford to provide on their own. They emphasized that rural districts are often very small, have limited staff, and must still meet the same state reporting and compliance requirements as large urban systems. Testimony focused heavily on teacher recruitment and retention, alternative certification, and the difficulty of staffing specialized roles such as CFOs, MIS directors, IT staff, and content-area teachers. Superintendents said many new hires are career changers or alternatively certified teachers who need consortium-supported training, and several argued for more flexibility in funding so districts can raise salaries and compete with neighboring districts and nearby states. Members also asked about the impact of declining enrollment, homeschooling, and voucher-related school choice; superintendents said those trends are reducing FTE and creating budget instability, while also requiring districts to right-size staff and programs. Several speakers described the financial strain on rural districts, including rising insurance costs, transportation costs, and the challenge of forecasting budgets when enrollment changes after the school year begins. One superintendent recounted major hurricane damage and said consortium risk-management support was essential to recovery. Others said the consortia help districts pool resources for property and health insurance, payroll, student data systems, and procurement, and that this shared approach saves money and improves services. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We apply these rules consistently to all people who participate in our proceedings.
• They also have the right to their own self-determination, especially as it applies to this kind of practice
• sure that we're in touch with what is actually happening in the classrooms of course that equally applies
• Algebra?
• I'm reviewing the language in the bill and current law does not apply to all. Thank you.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This child might look like a kid that has a 3.2 GPA, has met their credits, has passed their Algebra
• Alex's mom, when he went to apply after he walked across the stage and got his credentials, he went to
• Hillsborough Community College to apply for college.
• , write words and sentences legibly with proper spacing and alignment, and the ability to read and apply
• All this bill is really asking is to be able to know beforehand if I were to apply to a private school

Summary: The Student Academic Success Subcommittee met with a quorum and heard four bills, all of which were reported favorably by unanimous votes. The chair opened with remarks about student performance and assessment, then the committee took up House Bill 1111 by Rep. Valdes, which would eliminate the certificate of completion for students who do not meet standard high school graduation requirements. Supporters argued the certificate is a meaningless “participation trophy” that can mislead students and families, while the sponsor said students would instead be pushed toward additional support, concordance testing, or other pathways to a standard diploma. Members raised questions about effects on ESE students, timing, and alternative pathways; the bill passed 17-0. The committee next approved House Bill 921 by Rep. Overdorf, which adds cursive writing instruction for grades 2 through 5 and defines cursive proficiency. The sponsor and supporters said cursive has historical, cognitive, and fine-motor benefits and helps students read signatures and historical documents. The bill also passed 17-0. After a brief recognition of visiting students, the committee heard House Bill 423 by Rep. Bartleman, which requires private schools participating in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program to give parents written notice about which services in an IEP, 504 plan, ELL plan, or similar plan will be honored. Supporters framed it as a transparency and consumer-protection measure for families, especially those with children with disabilities; the sponsor emphasized it does not require private schools to provide specific services, only to disclose them. The bill passed 17-0. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 251 by Rep. Tendrich, which would recognize January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida. The sponsor and public witnesses described rising antisemitism, the importance of remembrance, and the need for education about the Holocaust. Members from both parties shared personal reflections and support, and a survivor’s letter was read into the record. The bill passed 16-0. At the end of the meeting, the chair noted the committee had gone four-for-four on unanimous support and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• applied applied equitably<00:21:18.080> and<00:21:18.360> as<00:21:18.440> a<00
• It’d be like if I was telling my toddler, like, do algebra. Why aren’t you doing algebra?
• like do Algebra why aren't you<00:30:11.120> doing<00:30:11.320> algebra<00:30:11.760>
• do<00:30:11.880> it<00:30:12.000> tomorrow<00:30:12.480> she'd you doing algebra
• do it tomorrow she'd you doing algebra do it tomorrow she'd be<00:30:12.840> like<00:30:13.320

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill modifies requirements for student assessment that lowered the stakes for students on Algebra
• This bill modifies requirements for student assessment that lower the stakes for students on Algebra
• thing, let's have the right products and the appropriate products with the guardrails that should apply
• 2018 Farm Bill, a license is required to cultivate hemp and to obtain that license, a person must apply
• Required to cultivate hemp and to obtain that license, a person must apply to the department and submit

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy considered several bills and reported all of them favorably. SB 70-24, on state planning and budgeting, was presented as a modernization of the long-range planning program to simplify reporting, remove outdated measures, and focus on key data points and outcomes; it passed without opposition. CS/SB 166, on administrative efficiency in public schools, made broad changes to school accountability and operations, including lowering the stakes of certain student assessments, giving districts more flexibility on evaluations, contracts, certification, calendars, facilities, and VPK oversight. Two amendments were adopted: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM services, and another refining how advanced degrees count on salary schedules. The bill passed favorably after testimony both supporting and opposing the changes, with supporters emphasizing flexibility and opponents raising concerns about teacher evaluation and instructional practice. CS/SB 164, on vessel accountability, was described as a measure to address derelict and at-risk vessels by improving owner identification, creating a free long-term anchoring permit program, increasing penalties, and authorizing grants for local governments in the FWC prevention program. It received support from marine industry groups and was reported favorably. CS/SB 472, on education and correctional facilities for licensed professions, would allow inmates to receive credit toward licensure for qualifying coursework; a strike-all amendment added coordination with DBPR and professional boards. The bill drew support from criminal justice, business, and policy groups and passed unanimously. The committee spent the most time on CS/SB 438, on food and hemp products. Senator Burton and co-sponsor Senator Davis argued the bill was needed to regulate intoxicating hemp products, restrict child-appealing packaging and signage, ban synthetic hemp products, cap THC content in edibles and beverages, and require hemp beverages to be sold through alcohol-style distribution channels. Supporters, including alcohol distributors and some public safety advocates, said the bill would improve testing, labeling, and consumer protection. Opponents, including hemp retailers, farmers, and libertarian advocates, argued it would harm small businesses, reduce consumer choice, and push sales to the black market. After extensive debate, the bill was reported favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on tab five, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• :39.440> to So projects like that allow students to So projects like that allow students to apply
• engineering and problem solving apply engineering and problem solving skills<00:18:42.080> to
• And when a student walks into that algebra class or that biology class, they can ask the question, why
• And when a student walks into that algebra class or that biology class, they can ask the question, why
• And when a student walks into that algebra class or that biology class, they can ask the question, why

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't apply.
• It doesn't apply.
• And so the question would be, will we be applying a zero interest rate to them as well?
• They do not address the unfairness as it applies.
• However, it doesn't also apply to traditional schools.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes. The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously. Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.