Transcript Highlights:

• >> Yes, so the two amendments clarify some of the language around IEP and 504 plans, and when students
• There's a lot of research that shows us that the benefits to our youngest learners of screen time do
• The state currently mandates in the English language arts standards that early educators teach specific
• must be in an environment that is rich in print, full of language, and with their peers.
• full of language and with their peers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They improved their English language arts scores. And we saw overall attendance improve.
• learners.
• learners.
• learners.
• Now is the time... ...followed by English learners and students in low-income households.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals for universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools, with the kitchen infrastructure grants, Tier 2 ELOP funding, and ongoing community schools funding as the main budget issues. For universal meals, the Department of Education and the Department of Finance supported continued investment in school meal infrastructure and explained that federal changes, inflation, and underreporting in meal counts could affect future funding. The LAO recommended rejecting a fourth round of kitchen infrastructure grants, arguing prior rounds are still being spent and that future funding should be tied to clearer goals and data. Several public commenters and school groups supported continued kitchen grants and universal meals, citing supply-chain delays, workforce needs, and benefits such as more freshly prepared meals and higher participation. For ELOP, the administration proposed $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding and an additional $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended fully fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579 and tying future changes to program requirements, while CDE supported the proposal and said the program is improving attendance and academic outcomes. Senators and witnesses discussed whether ELOP should remain a standalone program or be folded into LCFF, with concerns raised about accountability, flexibility, and whether the program should better serve older youth. CDE said new CalPADS reporting and the biennial report will provide more data soon, and public testimony largely supported stabilizing Tier 2 funding while also asking for more support for middle and high school students. For community schools, the Governor proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding to expand the model to thousands more schools and to support existing sites, along with new accountability through annual self-certification and future accreditation. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, warning about reduced flexibility, administrative burden, and the state’s capacity to support a much larger number of grantees. CDE strongly supported the ongoing funding and asked for additional support for county offices and technical assistance. Committee members questioned how accreditation would work for a model meant to be locally tailored, and administration staff said technical assistance would come first, with schools losing eligibility only if they failed to meet standards after support. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive of community schools, with parents, students, county offices, and advocacy groups describing gains in attendance, graduation, mental health supports, family engagement, and student belonging, while some commenters urged clearer eligibility rules, stronger reporting, and continued support for related programs such as MTSS and homeless student services.

Transcript Highlights:

• California's English learners are entitled to instruction to help them learn English.
• This is serious consequences for our English learners.
• Over 30% of the students we directly serve are English language learners, while 20% of the local school
• district students are English language learners.
• Washington Unified serves more than 7,400 students, including over 1,300 English language learners.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And a department or a department designated school with a significant English language learner enrollment
• And for a student who has an English language learner, the importance of developing the student's home
• And believe me, well, actually, I can't read Korean, but often parents of English language learners are
• their English language proficiency.
• So that for a department-designated school with a significant English language learner enrollment, training

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires that the literacy instruction for English learners, such as bilingual and dual-language instructional
• This also needs evidence-based practices for biliteracy, that that be included for English language learners
• English learners increased by 8.1.
• language learners and bilingual or dual-language programs.
• language learners and those in bilingual or dual-language programs.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That includes students with disabilities, English learners, multilingual students.
• EPPs are also intentional in their approach to English learners and multilingual students.
• learners to pedagogical courses that develop instructional practices for teachers to support English
• language learners.
• I'm also licensed to teach English language arts or social.

Transcript Highlights:

• learners, Specific student groups, like low-income students, like English learners.
• This money was intended for at-risk English learners.
• language learners.
• language learners.
• In addition, our ELL students, we redesignate our English language learners at an average of 12.4% per

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:

• language learners and so forth, and I guess PD.
• Yes, so they shift from ESA, PD, English learners to pay for ALE.
• We're at English. We're at English learners? That's correct.
• We're at English. We're at English learners? That's correct.
• It's related to English language acquisition, so I think which is targeted towards English learners.

Summary: The committee first approved the March 9 and 10 minutes, then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program featuring three third-grade teachers from Poyen, Drew Central, and Cabot, along with Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long collaboration among 23 merit-pay recipients from across the state, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about teacher experience, how the fellowship information is shared locally, the role of merit pay, and how teachers are addressing third-grade reading and retention concerns under the ATLAS assessment system. The teachers emphasized early intervention, relationships with students, small-group instruction, progress monitoring, and communication with families; they also described community supports such as churches, food backpacks, and local donations. Several members raised broader questions about poverty, trauma, social services, DHS involvement, and whether similar professional learning should be expanded to more teachers. Secretary Oliva said the fellowship is a small subset of a larger merit-pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is working to improve literacy supports, clarity, and alignment across grades. He also said ATLAS results are now available to schools and families much faster than in the past, often within 24 to 72 hours, and that the state is using the data to identify at-risk students earlier and support intervention before retention decisions are made. The committee then moved to the adequacy/resource allocation presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research. Staff explained that the report is part of the statutory adequacy review and focuses on state funding sources beyond foundation aid, including categorical and supplemental funds. They noted that districts and charters spent more than $7 billion in the 2025 school year, with roughly 49% from foundation funding and 51% from other sources over the last three years. The presentation outlined the four categorical funds—Alternative Learning Environment, English Learners, Enhanced Student Achievement, and Professional Development—describing their restricted uses, student-based funding formulas, and the ability of districts to transfer some money among categoricals while keeping it within allowable purposes. Staff said categorical funds account for about 4% of total spending, or less than $300 million, and reviewed superintendent feedback on whether those funds met district needs, with responses varying by category and district.

Transcript Highlights:

• English language learners in bilingual or dual language programs or similar settings shall support literacy
• And a department-designated school with a significant English language learner enrollment, training and
• And for a student who has an English language learner, the importance of developing the student's home
• And believe me, well, actually, I can't read Korean, but often parents of English language learners are
• So that for a department-designated school with a significant English language learner enrollment, training

Summary: The committee first heard a detailed staff presentation on the LESC FY27 public school support recommendation. Staff reviewed the budget structure and explained that, despite a downward revision in state revenue estimates, the recommendation still relied on recurring and non-recurring revenue to support educator compensation, insurance, transportation, literacy, math, special education, and other school programs. Major recurring items included a 3% compensation increase, funding for an 80-20 health insurance cost share, insurance premium growth, and transportation adequacy funding. Staff also flagged a possible supplemental need of up to $35 million for virtual education tied to rapid enrollment growth in Chama and Santa Rosa, and members raised concerns about the quality, accountability, and funding model for virtual programs. Members asked questions about transportation for rural districts, the Martinez-Yazzie lawsuit fees, the treatment of enrollment declines in the school funding formula, and whether the word “average” in salary language should remain in the budget. Staff explained that the SEG should remain whole, that the insurance and transportation recommendations applied to all public school employees but not contractors, and that the budget included multiple math-related investments spread across several lines rather than one single appropriation. There was also discussion of out-of-school learning grants, school meals, literacy center operations, special education training, and the Public Education Reform Fund, including the use of multi-year, evaluation-based appropriations for high-impact tutoring and community schools. After discussion, the committee adopted the LESC budget recommendation. The committee then moved to endorsed legislation proposals. It endorsed a bill allowing the secretary to suspend an individual school board member, with notice and appeal procedures clarified, and a bill creating an 80-20 health insurance cost-share requirement for public school employees, along with a study of the sustainability of public school insurance programs. It also endorsed a bill on attendance provisions for students with severe medical conditions, which would keep those students from being classified as excessively absent. Finally, the committee discussed a teacher residency bill that would raise stipend levels, allow residents to complete service anywhere in New Mexico, and remove the requirement that sponsoring schools must hire them, though the bill did not include an appropriation. Members also raised questions about bilingual, Hispanic, and Black education funding, cultural and linguistic supports in teacher preparation, and where various programs should be placed in the budget or PERF framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they shift from ESA, PD, English learners to pay for ALE.
• We're at English learners? That's correct.
• It's related to English language acquisition, so I think, which is targeted towards English learners.
• It's related to English language acquisition, so I think, which is targeted towards English learner.
• It's related to English language acquisition, so I think which is targeted towards English learner.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Native American students, our English learners, our students with disabilities, and those who may
• This is a powerful combination in supporting all students, but most especially our English learners our
• Learner Students with Disabilities.
• These workshops support special education, bilingual, multicultural education, English learners, and
• These workshops also include why accurate identification of English learners with disabilities is so

Transcript Highlights:

• My question has to do with English language learners.
• English language learners serve students identified as not being proficient in the English language.
• And there's been funding set aside at $384 for each identified English language learner in the 2026-27
• English language learners serve students identified as not being proficient in the English language.
• year. for each identified English language learner in the 26-27 school year.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > for English learner Services advances for English learner Services advances for American<00:
• > learner language learner language learner population<00:47:14.720> we're<00:47:14.920
• <00:59:32.760> learner raised basic skills English learner raised basic skills English learner
• However, how does allowing school districts to shift the funding from English language learners to elsewhere
• <01:43:02.440> Learners shows it includes all English Learners shows it includes all English

Bills: HF957, HF877

Keywords: education, mandate relief, school funding, local control, state laws, fund transfers, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Language Learner funds, as well as many other funds such as student growth and declining enrollment
• I don't know if there are any schools that give a special incentive if you teach English learners or
• learners, or, you know, your classroom is filled with English learners, etc., or in special ed, to have
• She asked how much training a mentor teacher receives in working with multilingual learners, English
• or english learners and also in special ed in other words how much how much training do they have in

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee first received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors explained the report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants to school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, with most funding coming from the Public School Fund and federal sources. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance grants. Department of Education staff clarified that the audit report only shows distributions, not how recipients ultimately used the money, and noted that some funding declines reflected the end of one-time federal COVID relief dollars. Senators also asked about the special-language appropriation for Economics Arkansas and the use of public school fund revenues. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, followed by a detailed adequacy-study update on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. The teacher report covered teacher counts, education levels, experience, shortages, preparation pathways, licensure exceptions, survey results, and salary trends. Key findings included about 32,800 teachers statewide in 2025, an average retention rate of 87%, and 30% of surveyed teachers saying they were considering leaving the profession. The report also noted shortages in special education, math, science, and other areas, growth in alternative preparation pathways, and the phaseout of several licensure exceptions under Act 304 of 2025. Members asked extensively about survey methodology, teacher satisfaction, preparation for classroom environment and special education, the cost and return on investment of alternative licensure routes, and whether exit-interview data exists statewide. The presenters said they could follow up on several questions, including details on alternative programs, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and comparisons to other surveys. On salaries, the report said the statewide average teacher salary in 2025 was $60,254, with districts averaging slightly higher than charters. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average salary in 2025, though 36th when adjusted for cost of living, and average district salaries had declined 8% in inflation-adjusted terms since 2016. Members also discussed the LEARNS Act minimum salary floor of $50,000, salary disparities among districts, and whether the state should focus more on retaining experienced teachers as well as raising starting pay.

Bills: HB95, HB111, HJR1, HM7, HM17, HM4, HM22, HM3, HM11, HM14, HM15, HM21, HM34, HB2, HB32, HB33, HB61, HJM2, HM23, HM24, HM26

Keywords: HB95, additional judgeship, district court, judicial district, First Judicial District, Second Judicial District, district judges, court administration, judicial staffing, caseload, access to justice, New Mexico courts, judiciary, judge vacancy, court backlog, state courts, water law, state engineer, civil penalty, compliance order

Transcript Highlights:

• They improved their English language arts scores. And we saw overall attendance improve.
• learners.
• learners.
• learners.
• Now is the time followed by English learners and students in low-income households.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals for universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools. On universal meals, the Department of Education supported continued funding for the Universal School Meals Program and a fourth round of Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants, citing meal-count growth, improved meal service, and the need to offset federal uncertainty, inflation, and reduced direct certification tied to immigration-related policy changes. The LAO recommended rejecting another kitchen grant round, arguing prior rounds are still being spent and the state has not clearly defined unmet need. Members also raised concerns about the state’s ability to backfill federal meal funding and about how federal requirements affect programs like Summer EBT/SUN Bucks. Public commenters largely supported school meals and kitchen investments, with some urging support for plant-based milk options and continued infrastructure funding. For ELOP, the Department of Finance proposed $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding, including $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended going further and fully fixing the Tier 2 rate, saying rate uncertainty complicates district planning. CDE supported the proposal and said the program has improved attendance and academic outcomes, while noting new CalPADS reporting will provide more data soon. Senators discussed whether ELOP should remain a standalone program or be folded into LCFF, and whether the state should require stronger outcome reporting. Public testimony generally backed stabilizing Tier 2 funding, but some speakers urged more support for older youth and more timely, user-friendly reporting. On community schools, the administration proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding to expand the model to thousands more schools and to support existing grantees, along with stronger technical assistance, statewide alignment, and an accreditation/self-certification framework. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, warning about reduced flexibility, administrative burden, and the state’s capacity to support a much larger cohort. CDE supported the ongoing investment but asked for additional county office and technical assistance funding. Senators and public commenters were broadly supportive of community schools, emphasizing improved attendance, graduation, and student engagement, while also debating accountability, accreditation, and whether non-classroom-based charter schools should be eligible. Public testimony strongly favored ongoing funding and highlighted community schools’ role in mental health, family engagement, and wraparound supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:03.240> language<00:15:03.640> arts<00:15:03.920> academic English language
• It establishes new definitions for English language learner concentration factor and poverty concentration
• Then there's also the English learner literacy aid weighted by the concentration of multilingual learners
• > and<01:26:53.000> then<01:26:53.120> a English learner literacy aid, and then a English
• English language learner, which are highly correlated to reading outcomes.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• language learners and students with disabilities. during that time.
• The other piece is our long-term English learners.
• it's not just English language, but it's. learning english as a second language and uh... uh... more
• Long-term English language learners. another population, not doing well at the state level, not doing
• A, we call them LTELs, Long-Term English Language Learner.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the same philosophy that is applied to special education and English learners.
• This is the same philosophy that is applied to special education and English learners.
• Currently, these other things, like free and reduced lunch, special education, English language learners
• Just as an example, in Columbia Public Schools, we've got about 1,300 students in the English learner
• There is money for those English learners and their teachers and their programming, and we are just lucky

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• language arts and English language development.
• learners, speaking over 60 different home languages and dialects. 17% of our students are English learners
• Less than half of our kids, 47%, are English language learners. 7.
• Less than half of our kids, 47%, are English language learners. 7% are newcomers. 20% of my students,
• language learners or our newcomers.

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.