Transcript Highlights:

• That's at the university level, the teacher prep programs that future teachers go through.
• take such as that the future teachers take such as the<00:11:00.480><c> AAP</c><00:11:01.680><c> the
• I remember when teachers took tests at one time in the state of Alabama.
• ><c> so</c><00:15:15.120><c> but</c> They're coaching our teachers, so but They're coaching our teachers
• </c><00:17:08.079><c> in</c> we tend we we evaluated teachers in we tend we we evaluated teachers in

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sarah Espinoza, transitional kindergarten teacher on behalf of the California Teachers Association, I
• Kevin Kung, chemistry teacher at Palisades Charter High School, member of the California Teachers Association
• Paul Amerigan, California Teachers Association, teacher, and Castro Valley, opposed.
• Kevin Cung, a member of the California Teachers Association, a teacher in Los Angeles, and I oppose.
• I'm Kevin Kung, a CTA member, and I've been a teacher for 28 years, a chemistry teacher in Los Angeles

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this could actually help teachers in that way. It also could help teachers.
• make a lot of money as teachers.
• make a lot of money as teachers.
• I always felt like I was more valuable than the music teacher or the PE teacher.
• It's just teacher jobs.

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because again, thinking back to my days as a teacher, it could be me teaching Algebra 1A and Teacher
• As far as the students are concerned, being an educator myself, once a teacher, always a teacher.
• That granted teacher unions the M.
• So when teacher unions negotiate raises for teachers with school districts...
• The first: teacher unions.

Summary: The Education Pre-K through 12 Committee heard a presentation from Florida High School Athletic Association Executive Director Craig Damon, joined by student athletes Sydney Daniel and Taylor White. The students spoke about the value of education-based athletics, leadership, and the need for safe, equitable opportunities. Damon then discussed FHSAA issues including rising sportsmanship problems, ejections, violent incidents, recruiting allegations, transfers, mental health pressures on student athletes, and the need for qualified coaches. He said the association tries to be proactive, work with schools on discipline, and emphasize that school changes should be for academic reasons rather than athletics. Senators asked about mental health, transfer rules, and a recent Jacksonville incident; Damon explained the current transfer exceptions and said the association lacked authority over the Jacksonville football game because the schools were not in FHSAA football. The committee then heard a panel on high school coaches’ compensation led by Florida Coaches Coalition Executive Director Dr. Andrew Ramgett, with Coach Mike Hickman, Coach Charlie Ward, and superintendents from Okaloosa and Walton counties. Ramgett argued that coaching supplements are outdated, have not kept pace with the expanding year-round demands of coaching, and amount to very low hourly pay in many sports. He also said Florida’s restrictions on booster club funding and minimal certification requirements contribute to turnover and difficulty retaining qualified coaches. Hickman and Ward described coaching as a demanding, year-round profession that affects students beyond athletics, including academics and mental health. The superintendents said they value coaches but must balance compensation against limited district funds and other staffing needs; one noted Walton County uses a dedicated administrative lane for football coaching and athletic administration. Senators discussed whether booster club funding should be allowed, whether compensation should be tied to performance, and whether any increase in base student allocation would actually reach coaches. Public commenters, including Florida Athletic Coaches Association Executive Director Shelton Cruz and former coach Tyrone McGriff, urged support for coaches and emphasized their broader impact on students’ lives and school safety. At the end of the meeting, the committee took up confirmation hearings for appointments on tabs 3 through 6 and, with no appearance forms filed, voted unanimously to recommend confirmation. Senator Burgess then moved to adjourn, and the committee concluded the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill seeks to strengthen employee screening for school teachers to help identify teachers with a
• Enrollment in teacher preparation programs A teacher shortage is an unfortunate, persistent reality.
• teachers and the reality that teachers are human and sometimes have unexpectedly take time off from
• At a point where, as teachers know better than I do, I'm not a teacher, you know, that relationship has
• started to take hold, at least temporarily, where between the teacher and the student and the teacher

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• teachers will also be cut.
• I am a math teacher.
• . instruction for teachers.
• </c> teacher salary. teacher salary.
• </c> teachers. So I I agree with it. teachers. So I I agree with it.

Bills: SF0059 , SF0053

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: language proficiency, literacy education, reading interventions, dyslexia support, Montessori methods, individualized reading plans, amateur status, high school athletics, student eligibility, sports regulation, monetary compensation, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> teachers, and staff. teachers, and staff.
• So phase two teachers are those middle school and high school teachers who engage in English language
• </c> time periods where licensed teachers time periods where licensed teachers need<00:07:52.400><c>
• </c> from teachers. from teachers.
• Uh we have designed a teachers.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• towards... ...raising teacher pay.
• So, as a teacher, I knew I wasn't going to get rich, but I became a teacher.
• I am a public school teacher.
• So as a teacher, I knew I wasn't going to get rich, but I became a teacher.
• I am a public school teacher.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sarah Espinoza, transitional kindergarten teacher on behalf of the California Teachers Association, I
• Kevin Kung, chemistry teacher at Palisades Charter High School, member of the California Teachers Association
• Paul Amerigan, California Teachers Association, teacher, and Castro Valley, opposed.
• Kevin Cung, a member of the California Teachers Association, a teacher in Los Angeles, and I oppose.
• I'm Kevin Kung, a CTA member, and I've been a teacher for 28 years, a chemistry teacher in Los Angeles

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue measures. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, gas, energy, and general living costs. Supporters said it would help working families, farmworkers, teachers, and others; opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and the California Teachers Association, argued California already has a progressive tax system, that refundable credits are costly and can be difficult to administer, and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenues and Proposition 98 funding. The bill was held on call after extensive debate and no motion was made at that time. The committee then heard SB 1287, which would create a targeted tax credit to encourage private investment in short-line railroad infrastructure. The author and rail industry witnesses said the credit would support safety, bridge and track upgrades, emissions reductions, freight efficiency, and rural and agricultural supply chains, while opponents argued a direct grant program would be preferable to a tax credit. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call after a motion to move it forward. SB 1407 would exempt military retirement pay and surviving spouse benefits from state income tax, with the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups arguing it would help retain veterans in California, support second careers, and keep federal retirement dollars in the state. The California Teachers Association and California Tax Reform Association opposed it as another tax expenditure that would reduce General Fund revenue. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, with several members voting aye and others not voting, and the bill was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 1349, which directs the Legislative Analyst’s Office to review major tax expenditures and evaluate their costs, beneficiaries, and effectiveness. Supporters, including CTA, AFSCME, cities, counties, and many teachers, said the state needs more accountability for roughly $94 billion in annual tax expenditures and their impact on schools and the budget. The bill was moved with committee amendments and placed on call. Additional measures discussed included SB 1078, authorizing Santa Cruz County to seek voter approval for a temporary local sales tax increase to fund health care and safety-net services; SB 1120, extending the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and making it refundable for certain strategic industries; and SB 1275, which would convert the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden. SB 1120 and SB 1275 both received support from business and industry witnesses, with no opposition testimony noted, and were moved on call or with a due pass as amended vote as the committee continued through the file.

Transcript Highlights:

• can continue to recruit a bilingual education teacher. in the way that that allotment works.
• But the teacher pay at that point would be temporary.
• Emerging teachers and our best teachers are leaving the profession.
• You're right about teacher pay. It's a critical point.
• Could you just keep the teacher pay raise permanent but also skew a little?

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we had a teacher shortage then.
• And how much will it cost for that teacher? That teacher cost in...
• My teachers have gone a... whole nine weeks without any data to work with, which hinders my teachers'
• From last year's cohort of our new Teacher Academy, we have 100% of those teachers in our district, and
• That's just improving our teacher preparation, our student teacher, our resident...

Transcript Highlights:

• The teachers would have the option to choose any of these groups.
• Teachers decide; school boards don't get to decide.
• I don't feel like that teacher was fairly represented in those legal negotiations.
• To decertify a teacher has to publicly stand up and start that process.
• And yet, for some reason when we get to teachers, we forget that teachers are choosing the organization

Bills: HB3407 , HB1242 , HJR1081 , HB3443 , HB3781 , HB1939 , HB4237 , HB3430 , HB3321 , HB3905 , HB3329 , HB4253 , HB4421 , HB4311 , HJR1046 , HB2015 , HB3244 , HB4265 , HB3941 , HB4203 , HB2941 , HB3695 , HB3380 , HB3132 , HB3673 , HB3134 , HB3383 , HB4490 , HB4058

Keywords: property rights, abandoned homes, manufactured homes, notification, salvage, real estate, Oklahoma Tax Commission, landowner liability, redemption, HB1242, cervidae, deer, elk, sales tax exemption, agricultural exemption, livestock, ranching, farm tax, agricultural sales tax, agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• You did recognize teacher or provider awards.
• community coming together to appreciate our teachers and staff.
• So what's the basis for the award for a teacher? Years of service. And we have Teacher of the Year.
• And we use the criteria that the state puts out for their Teacher of the Year awards to run our Teacher
• We certainly want to appreciate our teachers.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Summary: The committee met to review education audit reports and adopted the minutes. Legislative Audit reported 103 education audits total, with 89 having no findings and 14 containing findings. The committee first heard from Camden Fairview School District, which had findings for spending operating funds on an end-of-year employee banquet and for unauthorized credit card charges. District officials said they had implemented stronger internal controls, stopped using the affected card, and would limit future events to comply with state law and constitutional requirements. Members questioned the district about prior practices, donated funds, and how teacher appreciation could continue without using operating funds; the report was filed as reviewed. The committee then reviewed Forest City School District, which had a finding for spending $33,000 in operating funds on an off-campus end-of-year celebration and entertainment event. District representatives said the money came from a long-standing Pepsi-related donation fund, but acknowledged confusion over whether it should be treated as operational funds and said they would stop using it that way and provide training to staff and the board. Members discussed whether the funds were private donations or operating funds, the lack of a formal board vote, and whether the event was intended to recognize staff and growth; the report was filed as reviewed. The committee also received notice of more serious findings that were referred to the prosecuting attorney and attorney general, including Conway School District for misuse of district funds and resources by former maintenance employees, Magnolia School District for undeposited activity funds, Westside School District for undocumented and personal credit card charges, and Boonville School District for paying a board member’s son in excess of the statutory limit without an approved exemption. The remaining eight reports with findings were filed en masse as reviewed, and the 89 reports with no findings were also filed en masse. The committee adjourned after noting that most districts reviewed had no findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• My mother is a high school, or was—she's a retired high school English teacher.
• I believe classroom teachers need to have a voice in educational decision-making.
• It's great to have the second grade teacher. Happy birthday to your mother, 87th.
• I always believe that giving teacher voice.
• Teachers are other teachers' best teachers. So I think that's the collaboration.

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• touched the teacher herself.
• What this would do is require the municipality that's employing the teacher to dismiss the teacher and
• That's the crux behind it: DESE would take away the licensing of the teacher and prevent the teacher
• So what this would do is require the municipality that's employing the teacher to dismiss the teacher
• That's the crux behind it: DESE would take away the licensing of the teacher and prevent the teacher

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a public hearing on a large slate of bills, with much of the testimony focused on school discipline and student equity. Bills discussed included measures to address inequities in suspension and expulsion, clarify school exclusion rules, reduce discipline for dress and grooming violations, and expand protections related to fair educational practices. Committee members repeatedly reminded witnesses of the two-minute limit and asked for written testimony to supplement oral remarks. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on the RAISE Act and related school discipline bills, including H. 730/S. 376 and H. 731/S. 380. Testifiers from advocacy groups, legal services, and the legislature argued that exclusionary discipline disproportionately affects Black and Latino students, students with disabilities, low-income students, and DCF-involved youth. They said current law is overly broad or unclear in areas such as “assault on educational staff,” indefinite suspensions tied to felony complaints, and definitions of weapons, leading to unnecessary removals from school. Supporters said the bills would add due process, clearer definitions, and better accountability, while one legislator testified in support of the discipline reforms and opposed several other bills on the agenda. The committee also heard testimony on H. 576/S. 368, which would prohibit suspensions and expulsions for dress and grooming violations and require clearer, non-discriminatory dress code policies. Witnesses cited research and personal stories about disproportionate enforcement against Black girls, girls of color, non-binary students, and students wearing religious attire, and said the bill would prevent physical contact used to enforce dress codes. Another major topic was H. 641/S. 349, which would add “special medical status” protections in education; supporters said it would prevent exclusion based on medical decisions or conditions, though members questioned how it would interact with existing disability law and vaccination-related school requirements. The committee also heard testimony on H. 625, which would extend the ban on corporal punishment from public to private schools, with witnesses citing research on harm and disproportionate impact. Additional testimony covered bills on accelerated learning and gifted education, with parents, educators, and advocates saying Massachusetts under-identifies advanced learners and lacks adequate acceleration pathways. A senator also testified for S. 406 on recovery high schools, saying the funding formula should be updated to better support students in recovery. No votes were taken during the hearing; the chair closed testimony on several bill groups and noted that written testimony would remain open for a week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, some special education teachers have five, all the way to high school teachers who have multiple
• </c><00:49:07.119><c> must</c> prescribed way that the teachers must prescribed way that the teachers
• ><c> who</c> the way to high school um teachers who the way to high school um teachers who have<00:50
• , an art teacher, a theater teacher, or any number of people, not necessarily, you know, a push teacher
• Um I think a teacher and a parent.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the students are concerned, being an educator myself, once a teacher, always a teacher.
• That granted teacher unions the... ...your coaches were teachers in school.
• That granted teacher unions the... ...your coaches were teachers in school.
• So when teacher unions negotiate raises for teachers with school districts...
• The first: teacher unions.

Committee: Senate Education Pre-K - 12

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Florida High School Athletic Association Executive Director Craig Damon, joined by student athletes Sydney Daniel and Taylor White, on current issues in high school sports. Damon said the association received more than 309 allegations this year, including 113 recruiting complaints, but only two coaches were suspended for recruiting violations, and those were self-reported. He focused on rising sportsmanship problems, violent incidents, and ejections, saying the association is working with coaches and athletic administrators on prevention and positive-behavior campaigns. He also discussed mental health pressures on student athletes, the effects of frequent transfers and school choice on team stability and community pride, and the need for more qualified coaches on campus who understand interscholastic rules and student support responsibilities. Senators asked about the transfer system, violent conduct, and whether the association would propose changes; Damon said he would support guardrails that protect school choice while limiting midseason athletic transfers. The committee then took up a panel on high school coaches’ compensation led by Florida Coaches Coalition Executive Director Dr. Andrew Ramgett, with Coach Mike Hickman, Coach Charlie Ward, and superintendents from Okaloosa and Walton counties. Ramgett argued that coaching supplements are outdated, often amounting to very low hourly pay despite year-round duties, and said Florida’s system has not kept pace with increased responsibilities, inflation, or neighboring states. He also criticized restrictions on booster-club support, minimal coaching certification requirements, and turnover among coaches, and urged changes that would allow coaches to negotiate fairer compensation and receive external funding. Hickman and Ward emphasized the long hours, family strain, and mentoring role of coaches, while the superintendents said districts face finite budgets and must balance coach pay against teacher, bus driver, and other staffing needs; they also warned that booster-funded pay could create inequities between wealthy and less affluent communities. Senators discussed whether booster-club funding should be allowed, whether compensation should vary by performance, and whether any new funding should be categorical. Public comment followed from Florida Athletic Coaches Association Executive Director Shelton Cruz and former coach Tyrone McGriff, both of whom stressed the broader educational and safety impact of coaches and asked lawmakers to support the next generation of coaches. After the presentations, the committee took up confirmation hearings for appointments on tabs 3 through 6 and, by a single roll-call vote, recommended all appointees favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill seeks to strengthen employee screening for school teachers to help identify teachers with a
• as well as with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the California Federation of Teachers, and other
• We continue to face an unprecedented teacher shortage, even as California continues to invest in teacher
• During a teacher shortage, teachers who have studied hard-to-staff subjects such as math or special ed
• temporarily, where between the teacher and the student and the teacher standing before those students

Summary: The committee began without a quorum and first heard AB 302, which would prohibit schools from requiring students to use addictive social media feeds as a condition of participating in extracurricular activities and would require schools to offer a non-social-media way to communicate with students and families. The author and a student witness argued the bill protects minors from being forced onto addictive platforms, while senators asked how coaches and clubs would communicate; the author said email, built-in messaging, and other direct methods would still be allowed. The bill was held on call for absent members. The committee then took up AB 2504, creating a pilot program to train creative-industry workers for AI-related changes through partnerships among community colleges, employers, unions, and tech companies. Supporters from WME and the Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office said the program would help workers adapt to rapid industry change, while senators discussed the pilot’s size, geographic diversity, and sunset date. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 1534 followed, adding state guardrails for federal Workforce Pell short-term training programs, including limits on tuition, restrictions on certain financing products, and transparency rules for partnerships with unaccredited entities. Support came from TICAS, EdTrust-West, and the Campaign for College Opportunity; senators questioned the scope of state authority and why private institutions were not clearly included, and the author said the broader approval framework was being handled in trailer bill language. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The committee also heard AB 1381, a gut-and-amend proposal to strengthen screening for school teachers with histories of egregious misconduct while balancing due process and privacy concerns. Supporters and opponents both emphasized student safety and the need for reliable information-sharing, and members noted the bill was similar to a previously held measure; the author said amendments were still being worked out. The bill passed to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to coordinate statewide efforts, drew broad support from school board and education groups but also concern that it could duplicate existing work and add bureaucracy; after extended debate about whether the commission would identify causes or solutions, it passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Finally, AB 1547, requiring a UC feasibility study for a branch medical school in Kern County, drew local support but opposition from a senator who argued the Legislature cannot direct UC’s internal operations under the state Constitution; the chair said the Legislature can make recommendations and the bill remained under discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're going to tell that teacher that...
• But if a teacher...
• This may be a teacher who just has a flag up... ...may be a teacher who just has a flag up on their wall
• can call me" teacher can call me Billy.
• Please don't burden students and teachers with this. Thank you.

Bills: SB211 , HB96 , SB215 , SB257 , SB13 , SB13

Committee: House Education Policy

Keywords: school safety, local law enforcement, superintendent, complaints, school bus regulations, National Signing Day, athletic scholarships, military enlistment, postsecondary education, apprenticeship programs, high school students, educational commitments, education intervention, State Superintendent, local boards, provisional release, subpoena authority, compliance, educational operation control, fundraising

Transcript Highlights:

• And they're also working with our ESOL teachers, those teachers who are supporting our students that
• It's about collaboratively planning with teachers. It's about data analysis.
• It gives real-time feedback for the first time to teachers and leaders.
• I have one fifth grade science teacher, I have one algebra teacher, geometry, biology, so on and so forth
• I have one elementary school principal, I have one fifth grade science teacher, I have one algebra teacher

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum and first heard a Department of Education program review on three district support programs: assistance to low-performing schools, the Florida Partnership program, and regional literacy teams (RAISE). Dr. Paul Burns described how the Bureau of School Improvement supports schools with D/F grades through regional teams, classroom observations, professional learning, and targeted funding, noting that 104 of 168 low-performing schools improved after 2022-23 and that the share of failing schools fell from 6% to 4%. He also outlined the Florida Partnership’s $4 million annual appropriation for advanced-course teacher training and student access, and the RAISE literacy program’s $5 million funding, universal/targeted/intensive supports, and progress monitoring results. Senators asked about rural participation, post-COVID reading data, parent support, and how long schools remain under monitoring after improving; Burns said rural districts can participate statewide, parents can access school and department support, and schools continue to receive monitoring after exiting low-performing status to prevent recidivism. The committee then received a presentation on the school district education foundation matching grants program from Suzanne Pridgen, who explained that the Consortium of the Florida Education Foundations administers the grants, which require private matching funds and support tutoring, literacy, STEM, career education, professional learning, books, and supplies. She said the program leverages about $1.44 in private support for every state dollar. The committee then moved to the regional education consortia, where representatives from PAEC, NEFEC, and Heartland, along with several rural superintendents, described the consortia as member-led organizations that provide economies of scale, professional learning, HR, risk management, purchasing, legal and operational support, crisis assistance, and leadership development for small and fiscally constrained districts. Superintendents from Lafayette, Holmes, Calhoun, Union, DeSoto, and Hendry counties testified that the consortia are essential because rural districts often have very small staffs, multiple-duty administrators, and limited in-house expertise. They cited support with insurance and hurricane recovery, training for new finance and HR staff, instructional coaching, CTE and leadership programs, and help with turnaround schools. Members emphasized that these districts can be high-performing despite limited resources, and several senators praised the consortia’s value. Senator Gaetz asked about additional back-office collaboration, possible regulatory relief, and FEFP issues tied to scholarship-related enrollment swings; rural superintendents responded that more local control would help. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.