Transcript Highlights:

• I am a math intervention teacher and a parent on Cottonwood Classical.
• When I was in eighth grade, I attended math intervention at Cottonwood.
• Programs like math intervention exist because of at-risk funding.
• Programs like math intervention exists because of at-risk funding.
• She just finished math intervention, as well as some other interventions.

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:

• If a student is failing math, maybe they're not bad at math; maybe they just keep missing math class.
• If a student is failing math, maybe they're not bad at math; maybe they just keep missing math class.
• happening if a student is failing math happening if a student is failing math maybe<00:07:37.840
• :40.960> the just keep missing math class but if the just keep missing math class but if the home
• have MCA data for for reading math have MCA data for for reading math science<00:08:09.520> for

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, growth in math achievement and student pass rates in math courses increasing are going to
• What I would like to do next summer is to expand the summer reading program to include math interventions
• The next item is math and STEM.
• That did the same thing for math.
• that are heavy on phonetic interventions.

Transcript Highlights:

• or math classes.
• the math class and the math teacher says, “Hey, Rob, we were just meeting about you.
• are really good at math, right?
• And then if you look at math, there's one that sticks up. And that's 10th grade math.
• But then with math, you can see our students in math are well above the 75% of the country.

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:

• Those math scores.
• courses, not math education, but math courses were there.
• on math education.
• We have the math plans.
• Math was every place.

Bills: SB234, SB210, SB243, SB244, SM16, HB8

Keywords: foster children, school transportation, education funding, public education, child welfare, New Mexico Highlands University, soccer field, women's sports, infrastructure improvement, funding allocation, student athletes, appropriation, New Mexico State University, nutrition, travel support, funding, education, university support, financial assistance, parenting students

Transcript Highlights:

• or math classes.
• the math class and the math teacher says, 'Hey, Rob, we were just meeting about you.
• really good at math, right?
• And then if you look at math, there's one that sticks up. And that's 10th-grade math.
• Math, you can see our students in math are well above the 75% of the country.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2252 supports Math Academy, ...demonstrate a deep knowledge of math pedagogy.
• to provide strong math instruction.
• Even if it's not a math job, you are going to still need math skills, that understanding of algebraic
• Additionally, the bill requires the commissioner to develop math and reading intervention academies,
• The math works.

Summary: The committee continued hearing testimony on Senate Bill 2252, which would expand early literacy and numeracy screening, parent notification, intervention supports, and teacher training, including math academies and early childhood supports. Supporters from Texas 2036, Good Reason Houston, Texas Business Leadership Council, and several parents argued that early identification of skill gaps, clearer data for families, and stronger teacher preparation would improve student outcomes, workforce readiness, and long-term earnings. They cited low math proficiency statewide, the importance of early intervention, and examples of districts using screeners and data dashboards to guide instruction and resource allocation. One witness also highlighted home visiting as a family-support model, while another urged more funding for pre-K partnerships and stronger support for parents with reading materials and guidance. A district special education administrator testified neutrally, saying the bill reflects practices already used in her district but expressing concern that it could reduce local control and teacher discretion by standardizing screening and tying it to funding. A Texas Classroom Teachers Association representative supported the intent but warned that mandatory math academies and intervention academies could burden teachers if implemented like prior reading academies, and a substitute teacher/teacher-of-the-year witness asked for clearer protections around special education information and pay for alternative certification candidates. After public testimony closed, SB 2252 was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2253, as substituted, which would phase out routine hiring of uncertified teachers over time, require parent notification when a teacher is uncertified, and expand high-quality preparation pathways such as university programs, residencies, improved alternative certification, and grow-your-own programs. Senator Creighton said the bill responds to the rise in uncertified teachers and aims to strengthen the teacher pipeline with more structured preparation, mentorship, and oversight by SBEC. Invited testimony strongly supported the measure: a Texas Tech researcher said uncertified teachers and fast-track programs are associated with significant learning losses, while year-long residencies and mentored pathways produce stronger outcomes and higher earnings for students. Leaders from Dallas College and Sam Houston State University described successful residency and grow-your-own models, high completion and retention rates, and the need for paid residencies and stipends so candidates can afford to enter the profession. Committee members asked about the difference between mentorship and residency, the cost-effectiveness of paid residencies, retention incentives, and how to scale the model statewide. The committee also adopted the substitute for SB 2253 and later paused to vote out several other bills, including SB 1191, SB 1786, SB 226, SB 326, SB 570, SB 870, SB 991, SB 60, SB 365, SB 1401, and SB 1067, all of which were reported favorably, many with unanimous votes and some placed on the local and uncontested calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am a math intervention teacher and a parent at Cottonwood Classical.
• When I was in 8th grade, I attended math intervention at Cottonwood.
• Programs like math intervention exist because of at-risk funding.
• Our small class sizes, our IB prep, and our reading and math interventions.
• She just finished out math intervention as well as some other interventions.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While implementing these types of interventions is challenging and costly... ...year for a child.
• Early literacy intervention works.
• boost Texas' math proficiency as well.
• She has an A in math. She has an A in social studies. But she's got a C in reading.
• We have early childhood interventions if a child's already, you know, identified as having..."

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a quorum and announced a full agenda, including combined public testimony for two bills related to student personal communication devices. The committee first took up Senate Bill 1262 by Senator Nichols, a school safety cleanup bill following House Bill 3. The bill would allow TEA to commission peace officers for school safety purposes, require annual renewal of good-cause exceptions to armed guard requirements, create a new report based on intruder detection audits and vulnerability assessments, and require behavioral threat assessment teams to include someone with specific knowledge of a special education student’s disability. Committee members asked about the difference between TCOLE licensing and TEA commissioning, the scope of the officers’ authority, and how the good-cause exception would work. The committee substitute was adopted, and public testimony included support from school safety and drone-response advocates, Disability Rights Texas in favor of the special education provisions, and a student witness raising concerns about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns and the need for immediate, reliable school safety responses. The bill was left pending after testimony, then the committee briefly recessed and later reopened testimony to hear the student witness. The committee then laid out Senate Bill 2252 by Senator Creighton, a major early literacy and numeracy bill for kindergarten through third grade. Creighton said the bill builds on prior literacy efforts by funding teacher stipends for literacy and math academies, providing free and clearly administered screeners and assessments, expanding screening options, clarifying how results are used, supporting high-quality pre-K, and increasing the early education allotment. He emphasized low reading performance and the need for early intervention. Members discussed how the bill differs from earlier academy models and whether the assessments are diagnostic or high-stakes; Creighton and witnesses said the tools are intended to identify students needing support, not to serve as punitive testing. The committee adopted the substitute. Witnesses for SB 2252 largely supported the bill. A Uplift Education representative described strong gains from small-group literacy tutoring and said students receiving targeted support can make more than a year of growth in a year. An education specialist explained that the bill aligns general education screening with existing dyslexia and special education practices and helps districts identify students who need intervention before a disability evaluation is required. A Commit Partnership witness cited statewide reading data, the importance of high-quality pre-K, and the need for transparent, consistent progress monitoring and parent engagement. Members asked about the meaning of the growth data, how dyslexia screening works, and how the bill would help identify struggling students earlier. Before finishing all questions, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair after the floor session.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:40.720> while<00:25:41.120> also and intervention while also and intervention
• The secondary um math meet this.
• So that is intervention teachers.
• The intervention sort of approach.
• The intervention sort of approach.

Bills: HB0023, HB0024, HB0025

Keywords: extracurricular activities, public school participation, enrollment, Wyoming, student access, charter schools, application process, authorizers, public hearing, community support, scholarship, education, eligibility, continuous enrollment, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's why 20 other states have integrated early math assessment into their math improvement strategies
• And it's why 20 other states have integrated early math assessment into their math improvement strategies
• Every child deserves the Early math assessment into their math improvement strategies.
• Every child deserves the right to build confidence in math before they decide that they're not a math
• The math crisis in California is real.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard a long slate of education bills, beginning with SB 685 on nonpublic schools for students with disabilities. Senator Cortese and the California Department of Education described the bill as a response to the Ninth Circuit’s Laughman decision, removing the obsolete “non-sectarian” requirement while preserving secular use of public funds, nondiscrimination protections, background checks, credentialing, and incident reporting. There was no opposition, and the bill later passed 7-0 to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 1181, a pilot grant program for violence prevention, student wellness, and school safety in Central Valley and other schools. Supporters framed it as a prevention measure, while opponents from EFF, ACLU Cal Action, and community advocates warned it could increase law enforcement involvement, surveillance, and use of fusion centers; despite those concerns, it ultimately passed 5-0 to Appropriations. Members then considered SB 1067, which would create a statewide framework for annual K-2 math assessments starting in 2028-29 to identify students needing early intervention. The author and supporters argued California faces a serious math achievement crisis and that early assessment would help close gaps, while CTA and several educators and administrators sought additional clarity and amendments to ensure alignment with existing diagnostic practices and limits on high-stakes use. The bill drew broad support from educators, parents, and advocacy groups and passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1107, a school shade-structure bill, would expand eligible shade projects and allow bundling through design-build to reduce costs; it received support from LAUSD, school boards, and climate-focused groups and passed 7-0. SB 1128, on take-home devices and screen time for kindergarteners, was presented as a modest first step to give families more flexibility and reduce early screen exposure, with support from early childhood advocates and no opposition, and it passed 7-0. The committee also approved SB 1048, creating a voluntary State Seal of Climate Literacy for students who complete climate coursework and hands-on projects. Supporters, including Ten Strands, students, teachers, and county offices, said it would recognize real-world climate learning and green career readiness; it passed 7-0. SB 1140, sponsored by CFT, would require LEA construction contractors to follow campus security provisions during school projects to reduce unauthorized access; it drew support from labor and gun violence prevention groups and passed 7-0. SB 930, requiring end-to-end encryption for proctoring companies handling K-12 exam data, was presented as a student privacy measure in response to cybersecurity risks and passed 6-0. Finally, SB 1083 was introduced by Senator Perez as a follow-up to last year’s Safe Learning Environments Act, with extensive committee amendments to refine the statewide misconduct data system, disclosure rules, contractor fingerprinting, and access requirements; the transcript cuts off before the bill’s full hearing and vote are shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Math ability is not a personality trait. It is a... ...grade level in math.
• And it's why 20 other states have integrated early math assessment into their math improvement strategies
• Every child deserves the... ...early math assessment into their math improvement strategies.
• Every child deserves the right to build confidence in math before they decide that they're not a math
• The math crisis in California is real.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So maybe you excel at teaching math and you can teach math.
• The AMIRA math, or ISIP math, is part of our state assessment.
• plans. math plans.
• And like math.
• Invest in early math interventions, sustain and expand early literacy programs into the...

Transcript Highlights:

• That's math, and I can't change math.
• I was a math teacher too.
• Um, kind of on the whole thing on the, the math, there are, let's see, 123 of us that were math teachers
• Um, I'm gonna be a little bit obnoxious as a math teacher, but I'm gonna represent the math teachers.
• It's why math is one of the main topics we're going to be talking about this summer is math and math

Transcript Highlights:

• That's like upper-level math courses if you're going to be a math teacher.
• Math Coursework.
• of general math education courses and professional math coursework.
• How do you Teach math. How do you really understand math?
• Let me switch Over to stuff around math and numeracy as a math teacher.

Transcript Highlights:

• It focuses on instructional improvement, early identification of math deficiencies, evidence-based interventions
• It focuses on instructional improvement, early identification of math deficiencies, evidence-based interventions
• It focuses on instructional improvement, early identification of math deficiencies, evidence-based interventions
• It focuses on instructional improvement, early identification of math deficiencies, evidence-based interventions
• It focuses on instructional improvement, early identification of math deficiencies, evidence-based interventions

Keywords: Education - Room 216, 22 January, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several education-related bills. Senate Bill 2071 would allow school boards to vote on providing health insurance to board members and their dependents using local, not state, funds; it was advanced after Senator Brian objected that it could create an incentive for people to seek school board seats for the insurance benefit. Senate Bill 2072 would move the deadline for teacher supply cards earlier, from August to July, using EF funds, and it was reported. Senate Bill 2103 would require school boards to adopt policies banning or restricting student cell phone use during school and class time, and it was also reported. Senate Bill 21103 would remove a requirement that school counselors follow the National Association of School Counselors’ code of ethics and instead align them with the Mississippi teacher code of ethics; it passed without opposition. Senate Bill 2236 would authorize the use of LifeVac choking devices in schools, with the sponsor saying the devices are inexpensive and could be provided free to districts; it passed as well. The committee then spent most of its time on Senate Bill 2242, the Mississippi Math Act, which would create a statewide math improvement initiative within the Department of Education. The bill would deploy math instructional coaches, require K-5 universal math screeners three times a year, create individual math plans for students below benchmark, support algebra readiness, protect data under FERPA, and establish a fund for grants and other deposits. Senator Boyd said the bill is modeled on efforts in other states, especially Alabama, and is intended to build on Mississippi’s literacy reforms by focusing on support, intervention, and professional development rather than retention or punishment. Members raised concerns about cost, the proposed anti-lapsing language for the fund, and whether the bill should require high-quality instructional materials statewide rather than leaving curriculum choices to local districts. Senator Hopson estimated the program could cost about $3.5 million and suggested the anti-lapsing language might be removed or handled through appropriations. Senators Blunt, Hill, and Wiggins argued that the success of literacy reforms came from requiring standardized, high-quality instructional materials and accountability, not home rule alone. Senator Wiggins offered an amendment to require high-quality instructional materials for math statewide, and Senator Boyd said he was supportive of that as a friendly amendment. The discussion ended with the amendment still being worked through and the bill not yet finally disposed of in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Math Corps marries the people power of AmeriCorps with evidence-based math interventions to accelerate
• <00:01:06.200> interventions with evidence-based math interventions with evidence-based math
• interventions to<00:01:07.439> accelerate<00:01:08.080> students<00:01:08.520> math
• importance of math Corp and her<00:01:15.000> school's<00:01:15.320> intervention<00:01
• Math Corps' approach includes providing evidence-based interventions to students individually and in

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of that review process for intervention of that review process for intervention in<00:53:33.799>
• important math scores 8th grade math important math scores 8th grade math scores<01:03:04.680>
• <01:03:35.000> has<01:03:35.119> a math core changes that math core has a math core changes
• , as we need math educators.
• , as we need math educators.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Students take a reading and math NAEP test in 4th and 8th grade.
• We're not seeing it in math, as Rachel indicated.
• We haven't invested in math instruction and in interventions. It hasn't happened.
• We need to continue the interventions like our literacy programs, we need to do it in math too.
• coaches would be a best practice for increasing math scores.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll have the math and science and then, excuse me, math and reading.
• So you're looking here at math. So we have one side for math, one slide for ELA. This one's math.
• It's not like 3 through 8 where you're just doing 5th grade math, 6th grade math, 7th grade math, right
• For math, it's just three credits of math.
• For math, it's just three credits of math.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then received a lengthy DPI presentation from Stanley Schauer on statewide reading and math assessment data for students with and without disabilities. He explained the assessment systems used over time, the absence of 2019-20 data, and how North Dakota’s standards are set by educators. Members asked about alternate assessments, cohort trends, the apparent drop in proficiency in higher grades, and the new NDA+ assessment. Schauer emphasized that the biggest pattern in the data was the relative stability of students with disabilities, the post-pandemic drop and partial recovery, and the need to focus on reducing the novice category. He also said the state plans to revisit high school standard setting and that future data could be broken out by program, disability category, and schools using science-of-math or other initiatives. Public testimony from special education staff suggested that the flat performance of students with disabilities during COVID likely reflected continued services and intensive supports, and committee members discussed whether the current disparity goal is realistic and whether growth measures would be more useful than simple proficiency buckets. After the presentation, the committee took a short break and then moved into discussion of special education funding models. Chair Richter said members should contact Schauer directly with ideas for additional data views and noted that the committee would continue its work on funding and possible model changes. Brandon Bomback of Grand Forks Public Schools began a presentation arguing that the special education funding formula, especially the weighting factor, should be reconsidered if the committee wants a system that better reflects accountability and student needs. He said his comments were based on the perspective of a larger district and focused on the special education weighting factor rather than other parts of the formula. The remainder of his presentation was not included in the excerpt.