Transcript Highlights:

• My mom taught second grade at Hallamont.
• There is no requirement for grades 7 through 12.
• It ends in sixth grade.
• So, be sixth grade, the student complete sixth grade.
• Hancock is a small rural district serving students in pre-K through sixth grade in a multi-grade setting

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused primarily on H. 517/S. 314, a bill to provide a sustainable future for rural schools, and H. 697, a bill to require full funding of regional school transportation. Witnesses from rural districts, school committees, superintendents, students, and local officials described chronic underfunding, declining enrollment, high fixed costs, special education and transportation burdens, and the loss of programs, staff, and extracurriculars. Several speakers argued that rural aid should be funded at $60 million annually and made non-discretionary, while others emphasized that transportation reimbursement for regional districts has repeatedly fallen short of the state’s promise and is driving budget crises and overrides. A number of students testified in support of rural aid, describing cuts to classes, counselors, and activities, and the impact on their schools and communities. Committee members also discussed whether transportation policy should be revisited to address underlying cost drivers, including bus bidding practices and whether regional districts should have more flexibility in transportation requirements. The committee also heard H. 515, concerning Hancock Elementary School and a school choice-related exemption from a state requirement that has created a large financial burden for the district. Hancock’s superintendent and Rep. John Barrett explained that a decades-old regulation, recently enforced by DESE, would require Hancock to pay tuition for choice-in students through high school graduation even though the district only serves pre-K through grade 6 and sends its own students elsewhere for middle and high school. They said the rule creates a significant per-student shortfall and has forced Hancock to opt out of school choice. Committee members asked for clarification about how the arrangement works and how the costs fall on Hancock. Additional testimony supported related transportation bills for non-regional districts, especially Plymouth/Carver and North Middlesex, describing high and rising bus costs, special education and McKinney-Vento transportation expenses, and the strain on local budgets. Speakers repeatedly said that state reimbursement has not matched actual costs and that communities are being forced to choose between transportation and classroom services. No votes or final actions were taken in the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed the hearing on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's above my pay grade.
• Fourth-grade test items are tougher than the third-grade items.
• Because you don't compare third grade to third grade to see how kids do.
• You compare third grade to fourth grade.
• grade or that third grade cohort moving into fourth grade.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are you aware, let's start with third grade, because I know it's different for every grade.
• They go up by grade.
• versus human-graded.
• Of tests per grade, has that changed, or does the type of test that third grade takes differ from the
• tests that fourth grade takes?

Bills: HB8, HB12, SB 3, HJR1, SB 11, SB 16, SB 14, HB 8, HB 12, SB 3, HJR 1, SB 11, SB 16, SB 14

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:

• First grade was great. Kindergarten was great. Second grade was great.
• Her grades really started to plummet. We kept asking her, why are you getting these bad grades?
• What grade are you in? Fifth grade. And you want to be a scientist? Why not?
• was in the first grade.
• was in the first grade.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's above my pay grade.
• Fourth-grade test items are tougher than the third-grade items.
• Because you don't compare third grade to third grade to see how kids do.
• You compare third grade to fourth grade.
• grade or that third grade cohort moving into fourth grade.

Summary: The committee met to hear presentations on dual credit programs from North Dakota higher education leaders, a school superintendent, and teachers. Valley City State University described its dual credit model, emphasizing quality control through annual teacher training, syllabus and outcomes alignment, faculty qualification review, school visits, and pathways aimed at the College Studies Certificate. Members asked about teacher employment, course scheduling, revenue, scholarships, and whether a centralized model might improve efficiency; VCSU said most instructors are K-12 employees, online offerings are still small, and centralization could weaken local relationships and choice. Lake Region State College similarly stressed access and partnerships, noting about half of its headcount is still in high school, with both online and face-to-face dual credit options, district reimbursement arrangements, and support for rural schools. Lake Region also said dual credit helps students who might not otherwise see themselves as college-bound, but reduced tuition can still be a barrier for some families. Fargo Public Schools reported continued growth in dual credit, with 50 courses offered in partnership with several NDUS institutions and a 12.61% increase in participation. The superintendent highlighted a growing education pathway, including students completing Introduction to Education and field experience, and said the district is exploring a grow-your-own teacher pipeline. He also raised concerns about inconsistent institutional processes, teacher credentialing requirements, and transfer clarity, arguing for more aligned statewide systems. In response to questions, he said AP and dual credit can coexist, with AP often better for highly selective out-of-state colleges and dual credit better for students targeting North Dakota institutions, and he described some use of Arizona State online courses in earlier rural partnerships but said Fargo is focused on local institutions. Two teachers then testified on the classroom perspective. A West Fargo anatomy and physiology teacher said dual credit has expanded access, lowered costs, and prepared students well, but agreed that foundational science courses may be more effective when taken later in high school to reduce knowledge loss before college. A Drake-Anamoose English teacher, who has taught dual credit for more than 20 years, said the program has supported many students who went on to a wide range of careers and emphasized that small rural schools rely on dual credit to provide opportunities they otherwise could not offer. No formal votes or actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the grade band.
• level or grade band.
• the grade band.
• the grade band.
• Every child in that particular grade level or grade band.

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:

• Representative Fauler, as a graduation requirement, but there's no specified grade—not ninth grade or
• tenth grade...?
• Because ninth grade is packed. You can't...
• We're only specifying those three grades.
• a school like Albertville that's about 24% in those three grades. ...about 24% in those three grades

Bills: HB298, HB342, HB332, HB344

Keywords: athletic classification, public high schools, English language learners, state education policy, athletic associations, religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, educational intervention, State Superintendent, local boards of education, subpoena, accountability, state control, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today, we trail peer states by more than a full grade level.
• to read; after the third grade, they're reading to learn.
• They don't want students going to the fourth grade.
• If you're in the fourth grade and you read at or below first-grade reading level, that is an absolute
• so that they don't fail the test when it comes to the third grade.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• To give you a background on our school, we serve 315 students in grades kindergarten through 8th grade
• <00:45:29.760> um especially with the younger grades um especially with the younger grades
• access we have access to student grades access we have access to student grades and<01:16:27.600

Bills: HF984, HF921, HF922

Keywords: education funding, nonpublic schools, counseling services, guidance services, transportation for students, HF921, tax increment financing, TIF, excess tax increment, school district aid, levy adjustment, property tax levy, education finance, Minnesota education aid, decertification, local government finance, school funding formula, state aid reduction, referendum equalization aid, debt service equalization

Transcript Highlights:

• > read<00:05:20.400> act readed well by third grade the read act readed well by third grade
• Phase two teachers will need to be trained by June 30th of next summer. grade level using grade level
• the kids ready to take that third grade the kids ready to take that third grade MCA<00:06:44.800
• third grade third grade MCA<00:08:14.120> we<00:08:14.240> are<00:08:14.479> also
• at a certain place at a certain grade at a certain place at a certain grade but<01:42:14.800>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• levels in one classroom because the level of those kids, whether they're fourth grade, fifth grade,
• Schools serving grades TK–3 and grades 9–12 will never receive This risk is even higher if the State
• Schools serving grades TK–3 and grades 9–12 will never receive This risk is even higher if the State
• Schools serving grades TK–3 and grades 9–12 will never receive Schools serving grades TK–3 and grades
• However, the dashboard currently measures growth only in grades 4 through 8, leaving grades TK through

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:18:14.480> what was in the ninth or tth grade, what was in the ninth or tth grade, what
• going into the 11th grade we can sure going into the 11th grade we can make<00:22:16.080> sure
• . grade. grade.
• I was at the school checking on my son's grades.
• athletes come into the ninth grade athletes come into the ninth grade is<00:34:47.440> going<

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Are you aware, let's start with third grade because I know it's different for every grade.
• So you're saying that schools will be graded?
• Chairman Buckley: ...of grading.
• grades for schools?
• 3rd grade takes certain tests, 4th grade takes certain tests, has any of that changed?

Bills: HB8, HB12, SB 3, HJR1, SB 11, SB 16, SB 14

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:

• So this is just 11th grade. >> This is just 11th grade. >> Yes. Yep.
• So this is just 11th grade. breaking. So this is just 11th grade.
• grade, fourth grade, fifth at our third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade<01:32:23.760> tests.
• Um grades.
• So, there's only two science tests, fifth grade and 8th grade.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved corrected minutes from October 6 after members noted and fixed several transcription and spelling errors, including a clarification that a comment about SAU numbers came from former Senator Jim Rubin. The vote to approve the corrected minutes was moved, seconded, and adopted with one abstention. The main presentation came from Chuck Bates of the New Hampshire Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), who described the organization, its certification program, and the role of school business administrators. He explained that ASBO members handle accounting and financial management, facilities, food service, HR, information systems, transportation, and risk management. He also outlined the certification program, which includes 21 courses, most online, plus four in-person workshops unique to New Hampshire, and noted that many members are not certified because the state licensure requirement was removed. Bates then addressed the committee’s interest in SAU consolidation and county-wide restructuring. He said business administrators often manage multiple budgets, attend school board meetings, and serve as a visible point of contact for the community. He argued that consolidation would create operational and financial challenges, including staff and facility relocation, differing accounting systems, lack of a standardized chart of accounts, and uncertain return on investment. He said the biggest obstacle would be local control, especially in small towns that do not want outside decisions affecting school closures, class sizes, or student transportation. Committee members questioned him about the distinction between administrative and academic control, the size of district offices in larger cities, and what might reduce administrative costs; Bates responded that many administrative costs stem from legislation and that consolidation would be difficult to implement without local support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then it would be brought into there's a written requirement at 5th grade that you have to do essays
• and that they are proficient in algebra by 9th grade.
• And so they can select from 4 options for grades K through 5.
• It can help them generate quizzes that are aligned to the grade level in the content area with writing
• Is it 3.20, minutes a day and tell your into 4th grade and then you can do 30 minutes a day.

Transcript Highlights:

• children between the grades of preschool and<00:21:10.000> grade<00:21:10.320> 4.
• actually given in the 11th grade because you're measuring 10th grade knowledge.
• measuring their 10th grade knowledge. measuring their 10th grade knowledge.
• They're just taking it in 11th grade. They're just taking it in 11th grade.
• Does every 11th grade student grade.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on school governance and a proposed shift in responsibilities related to SAU consolidation, with committee members first discussing how school board members and other local officials would be selected for future testimony. The main presentation came from the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, whose executive director Brady Belair and several principals argued that mandatory statewide administrative consolidation should be approached cautiously and that any consolidation should be voluntary and locally driven. They said anticipated savings may not materialize, citing possible higher personnel, transportation, and technology costs, and warned that forcing changes could create disruption without improving student outcomes. Principals testified that their jobs are already broad and demanding, centered on instructional leadership, student safety, staff supervision, family communication, and day-to-day crisis response. Kathleen Murphy of Amherst described working 60 to 70 hours a week and said principals spend substantial time coaching teachers, handling student issues, and supporting school climate; she said adding more administrative duties would compromise student learning and teacher growth. Adam Osborne of Bow Memorial School similarly described principals as daily problem-solvers who set school-level direction and create conditions for schools to thrive. The witnesses also emphasized that principals, superintendents, school boards, and business administrators have different training and responsibilities, and that specialized tasks such as special education compliance, FERPA/HIPAA issues, and labor matters require appropriate expertise. Committee members questioned the witnesses about overlap between superintendent and principal duties, the completeness of statutory responsibility lists, and whether some functions such as curriculum, discipline, hiring, and evaluation are shared. The principals acknowledged some overlap and collaboration, but said superintendents typically handle broader system-level, legal, and central-office responsibilities while principals focus on building-level leadership and teacher support. One member raised the earlier expectation that districts might move to a principal-plus-business-manager model, but the witnesses said that model did not develop as expected and that district structures vary widely. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's great to have the second grade teacher. Happy birthday to your mother, 87th.
• For those second grade teachers' students that are watching, I'm sure they feel just as proud of you
• students who are in eighth grade and are ready for Algebra 1 to be able to take that course.
• Gonzalez's second grade class is still watching, they should be very proud of their teacher.
• successful they will be in school as they continue to climb up into each grade level.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Arthur Krantz to the Public Employment Relations Board and Christopher Ferguson, Brian Haynes, Anna Marie de Mars, and Ronald Fiore to the Student Aid and Student Athletic commissions. The committee also approved references of bills to committees by a 5-0 vote. It then heard testimony from Julia Montgomery, nominated as General Counsel to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, who described her long career serving agricultural workers and said the ALRB’s mission is to protect workers’ rights, support fair bargaining, and ensure access to information and resources. Questions to Montgomery focused on card-check unionization procedures, signature authenticity, outreach to farmworkers, and enforcement of make-whole orders. Senator Grove raised concerns about workers being pressured or not knowing what they signed, while Montgomery said objections and unfair labor practice charges can be filed and investigated, though the office does not independently verify signatures unless there is an allegation. Senator Reyes pressed on delays in collecting make-whole awards, including the Tri-Fanucchi case; Montgomery said appeals, bankruptcies, and employer closures often delay relief, but the agency seeks settlements and enforcement when possible. The committee voted 3-2 to advance Montgomery’s appointment to the full Senate. The committee then considered three State Board of Education nominees: Cynthia Glover Woods, Brenda Lewis, and Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez. In their testimony, all three emphasized long careers in education, support for students and teachers, and the importance of early learning, community schools, professional development, and aligning instructional materials with standards. Members questioned them about math achievement, the 2023 mathematics framework and Algebra I access, the state’s low national rankings, transitional kindergarten access, and a proposed change to education governance. The nominees said they support flexibility for students ready for Algebra I, believe recent instructional materials and professional learning will help improve outcomes, and had not been involved in governance-structure discussions. Public witnesses from school and child-serving organizations spoke in strong support. The committee then advanced Glover Woods and Gonzalez on 3-1 votes and Lewis on a 4-1 vote for full Senate confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• age difference between in e8th grade age difference between in e8th grade those<00:24:36.919>
• eighth grade eighth grade uh<00:24:59.720> that<00:24:59.840> our<00:25:00.039>
• offer beginning algebra in eighth grade offer beginning algebra in eighth grade but<00:25:04.600
• That's when she discovered her 10th-grade son was reading at a third-grade math level.
• <01:47:03.040> uh 12th grade uh artistic 12 uh grade uh 12th grade uh artistic 12 uh grade

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 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.
• Madam Chair, Leader De Los Santos, in current statute, you have to be in 12th grade.
• 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:

• And because of tremendous overwhelming response, we were asked to take this through fifth grade.
• all the way up to 12th grade.
• /c><00:05:38.160> grade.
• And um the first four up to 12th grade.
• Um that's pretty the way to 12th grade.

Keywords: 1136, house, all