Transcript Highlights:

• Since 2020, numerous school districts have adopted a four-day school week or a hybrid school schedule
• As a result, I filed HB1209. time, to prohibit schools from adopting a four-day school week with some
• fewer, meaning rural, smaller school districts will be unaffected. and can maintain a four-day school
• charter schools.
• school weeks.

Bills: HB 1209, HB4746

Keywords: school funding, instructional days, education, public schools, school performance, four-day school week, performance rating, school governance, school calendar, education funding, emergency closures, school district, school operations, Texas education, public school accountability, academic distinction designation, postsecondary readiness, career and technical education, CTE, P-TECH

Transcript Highlights:

• Schools have a mandate this on school.
• You say that this bill isn’t ready. No bill is ready.
• You say that this bill isn’t ready. No bill is ready.
• You say that this bill isn’t ready. No bill is ready.
• You say that this bill isn’t ready. No bill is ready.

Bills: HF751, HF3550, HF3764, HF1490

Keywords: parental notification, school safety, bullying, harassment, violence, prohibited conduct, student discipline, charter school, school district, data practices, student privacy, parent rights, guardian notification, school incident reporting, cyberbullying, restraint, reasonable force, anti-bullying policy, school administration, student conduct

Transcript Highlights:

• School counselors are required.
• On the counselors, I have taught 17 years at the high school. And public school teacher.
• I'm in elementary school now.
• high school students.
• And when I was in high school, we had so many college counselors in the high school that I went to.

Bills: S0920, S1036, S1216

Keywords: mathematics education, career pathways, applied algebra, college readiness, technical education, school counselors, educational standards, certification requirements, evaluation criteria, professional development, public school personnel, salary adjustment, performance salary schedule, cost-of-living adjustment, school administration

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met with a quorum present and first temporarily postponed SB 920 on mathematics education. The committee then took up SB 1216 on public school personnel compensation, sponsored by Senator Rodriguez, which would give districts more flexibility in educator pay by restoring meaningful cost-of-living adjustments for teachers with direct student contact, allowing recognition of relevant advanced degrees, and removing rigid performance-pay caps. Several senators spoke in support, emphasizing teacher retention, compensation, and education as a state investment. The bill was reported favorably on a unanimous roll call vote. After a brief recess, the committee considered CS/SB 1036 on school counselors, sponsored by Senator Calatayud, to address counselor shortages by removing certification barriers tied to classroom teacher requirements. The sponsor and supporting testimony described recruitment and retention problems, high counselor-to-student ratios, and the need for counselors to focus on student academics, mental health, and college/career readiness rather than administrative duties. Public testimony came from students, educators, and school personnel who described limited access to counselors and the impact on student well-being and college planning. Committee members broadly supported the bill while noting that counselors are often overburdened and that additional support personnel, including BRACE advisors, may also need attention in the future. Senators also discussed broader efficiency measures and the need for schools and colleges to improve access to guidance services. CS/SB 1036 was reported favorably by unanimous vote. At the end of the meeting, members recorded their votes on the two bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in the post-secondary ready pathway and in the workforce ready pathway, it gives a student an either-or
• Prior to this school year, we had an option where schools would use the ACT for their testing accountability
• Prior to this school year, we had an option where schools would use the ACT for their testing accountability
• Because when we went to Choice Ready, I think we struggled with how do we implement the military-ready
• on line 18, so after school it would say life-threatening emergency on school-owned facilities and grounds

Bills: HB1404

Keywords: HB 1404, North Dakota scholarship, scholarship eligibility, student aid, high school graduation, college readiness, career readiness, career and technical education, CTE, dual credit, advanced placement, AP exam, International Baccalaureate, IB exam, ACT, SAT, WorkKeys, ASVAB, JROTC, Civil Air Patrol

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met with six members present and first took up House Bill 1404, which would update North Dakota scholarship eligibility language by allowing the NDA Plus assessment to be used in place of ACT scores in certain pathways. The Department of Public Instruction explained that the bill does not eliminate the ACT entirely, but removes outdated references tied to ACT accountability testing that will no longer apply after this year’s seniors graduate. Members discussed how the change affects public and nonpublic schools, then voted 6-0 to give HB 1404 a do pass recommendation. The committee then returned to House Bill 1363, a bill dealing with school emergency response planning and automatic external defibrillators. Members adopted an amendment clarifying that the requirements apply to school-owned facilities and grounds, replacing language about school events and venues, and revising the planning language for school-based events not held on school-owned property. The committee also debated whether the bill should be mandatory or permissive; a motion to change “shall” to “may” failed, with members noting the bill’s liability protections. The committee then voted 5-1 to pass HB 1363 as amended, with Senator Gerhardt carrying the bill. Before recessing, the chair noted that House Bill 1533 would be taken up later in the day after additional information from DPI was received.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's for school enrichment for public school students as well.
• members school board. um school board members school board. um school board members across<00:32:
• districts school districts so school districts school districts so school districts won't<00:37:48.079
• Schools. Proceed. Schools. Proceed.
• our school.

Bills: HF3714, HF4399, HF4176, HF2544, HF60, HF4231, HF4232

Keywords: foster care, child welfare, enrollment priority, education programs, child care assistance, education, school board, elections, local governance, school district, site-governed schools, education reform, local control, autonomy, interchange, bond issuance, transportation, infrastructure funding, Sherburne County, student eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Some school districts, including Austin.
• Actually, when I was getting ready to start school, we were living in Finland, and it was a school that
• And so in a school that Representative Schoolcraft mentioned, if you have a school where children always
• The fear and the problem in the school.
• Since starting high school...

Bills: HB295, HB824, HB1579, HB1581, HB2189, HB295

Keywords: bullying, antisemitism, school policies, school discipline, education, education policy, Texas Education Code, hate speech, student rights, civics education, high school curriculum, government, voting process, elected officials, Texas Seal of Biliteracy, biliteracy, bilingual education, multilingual, language proficiency, high school diploma

Transcript Highlights:

• Texas public schools.
• high school.
• instead of 10 schools.
• It's 130 out of 273 schools are NES schools.
• Charter schools can pledge with their bonds against the Permanent School Fund.

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• schools.
• And they are there through the end of the school year. But not summer school? Not summer school.
• high school.
• it's the 130 out of 274, 273 schools are NES schools.
• Charter schools are public schools.

Bills: SB451, SB762, SB1490, SB1262, SB1459, SB1750, SB1962, SB2252, SB2253, SB2365

Keywords: instructional materials, public schools, Education Code, adoption, rejected materials, local funds, open educational resources, Texas Education Code, school districts, open enrollment charter schools, funding restrictions, environmental regulation, business compliance, local authority, economic development, state preemption, local control, open education resources, SB 762, Texas public schools

Transcript Highlights:

• Public School Accountability System.
• There is a breadth of opinion among our public school educators, even some of our public school advocacy
• and I am ready for fourth grade.
• how they end the next school year.
• including the Department of Education, is supporting those schools, not just the schools.

Bills: HB8

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, I don't understand how, whichever road the domains compare schools, how we're comparing schools
• We need a system that reviews schools more closely, reflects true readiness for success, rejects outcomes-based
• school children.
• But I want our school—when I'm looking at the schools and how well my school is doing—I don't think that
• As a public school educator and parent... ...of school-aged children that attend public schools in Texas

Bills: HB8

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

Transcript Highlights:

• the public school accountability system, a grant program for school district local accountability plans
• then how they end the next school year.
• What would have happened to those school districts?
• , not just the schools.
• Yes, it is the rating of how that school is supporting the students in that school, but the whole system

Bills: HB8

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

Summary: The House Committee on Public Education met to hear House Bill 8, which would replace STAAR with a new assessment and accountability system beginning in the 2027-28 school year. The chair described the bill as reducing testing time, limiting benchmark tests, adding beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments, requiring faster score turnaround, involving Texas teachers in test development, and tightening accountability timelines and transparency rules. Members also discussed provisions on A-F ratings, cut scores, CCMR, local accountability plans, and TEA reporting requirements. Committee members and invited witnesses split sharply on the bill’s approach. Supporters, including the chair, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath, and Ed Trust’s Nicholas Munyon Penny, argued the bill would reduce high-stakes pressure, provide quicker and more actionable data, limit over-testing, and better align assessments to Texas standards while preserving criterion-referenced accountability. They said the new system would help teachers and parents intervene sooner and would improve transparency, including parent access to student responses and automatic rescoring in some writing cases. Opponents, including Rep. Hinojosa and student witness Ella Moran, argued the bill still increases testing and replaces one high-stakes test with multiple TEA-created tests. Moran testified that STAAR creates anxiety, disrupts instruction, and does not reflect real learning, while Hinojosa said the House had previously passed a better bill based on a nationally norm-referenced model and criticized the new proposal as a concession to the Senate. Questions also focused on AI scoring of writing, rescoring rates, and whether the bill’s new accountability rules would be reliable and fair. The committee did not take a final vote during the portion provided, but the chair said a vote on HB 8 would be called after public testimony later in the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• their school um goals. their school um goals.
• Parent Child Plus is an international early childhood school readiness program, and it's working across
• readiness program and it's school readiness program and it's working<01:14:24.360> across<01:
• prepared for school. prepared for school.
• speak at all to heading off to school speak at all to heading off to school ready<01:19:42.280><

Bills: HF1660, HF1824, HF1926, HF1002, HF994, HF1915, HF1336

Keywords: children, youth programming, needs assessment, community engagement, state funding, education, funding, school districts, state budget, rural schools, food support, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, food shelves, grant funding, Minnesota FoodShare, early childhood, Head Start, education funding, developmental programs, literacy

Transcript Highlights:

• elementary schools.
• Prior to that, I spent 19 years as a high school principal at Hopeville High School, Wumpa High School
• , and Pratt High School.
• schools.
• schools.

Bills: HB332, HB166, SB336, HB447, HB244

Keywords: computer science, K-12 education, public schools, graduation requirement, digital literacy, coding, programming, STEM, artificial intelligence, AI, computational thinking, technology education, computer literacy, high school credit, middle school, elementary school, teacher training, professional development, distance learning, virtual school

Transcript Highlights:

• School districts will access across the state with an $8.5 billion investment.
• Importantly, this bill does not harm any other school district.
• without harming other schools.
• I'm a public school teacher testifying on my own behalf for HB56.
• the school for certain children of foreign military members.

Bills: HB123, HB5606, HB549, HB2757, HB4359, HB5381, HB1939, HB123

Keywords: HB 123, kindergarten readiness, early literacy, early numeracy, reading screening, math screening, foundational literacy, foundational numeracy, dyslexia screening, reading intervention, math intervention, teacher academy, literacy academy, mathematics academy, interventionist academy, K-3 assessments, school readiness, prekindergarten, tutoring grant, parent-directed tutoring

Transcript Highlights:

• in the public school accountability system.
• under the public school accountability system.
• However, you can't do LOTC unless you're in middle school.
• You can go in as a senior and complete one school.
• Yeah, so two different schools, two different classes.

Bills: HB 1079, HB3651, HB4980

Keywords: Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Leadership Officer Training Corps, public school, career education, military readiness, public school accountability, funding allotments, healthcare, insurance, cost control, patient access, regulation, affordability, public health, JROTC, automobile maintenance, high school education, elective course, student skills, practical knowledge

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members, school psychologists. or licensed specialties in school psychology.
• the Foundation School Program.
• We work in over 70 schools and community sites across Central Texas providing in school, after school
• school or even middle school, but there are lots out there who would do that, so.
• But I also know that school districts and schools lean on us.

Bills: HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797

Keywords: education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not under the Foundation School Program.
• school where I care for more than 560 students and over 70 staff.
• I'm a national certified school nurse, a member of the Texas School Nurses Organization, and a practicing
• school nurse for more than 20 years.
• I started teaching middle school kids in 1968, and the last 22 years of my career were spent as a school

Bills: HB 1178, HB1411, HB1441, HB1773, HB1813, HB2107, HB2598, HB2911, HB2967, HB3672, HB5263, HB3797

Keywords: education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:20:06.160> innovative school in schools to adopt innovative school in schools to adopt
• , on weekends, during school after school, on weekends, during school breaks,<00:55:47.680> including
• school.
• school.
• 01:07:27.200> schools<01:07:27.520> know letting school districts or schools know letting

Bills: HF630, HF1435, HF1607

Keywords: short-call substitute, substitute teacher, substitute teaching license, pilot program, teacher shortage, education workforce, school district, charter school, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, background check, paraprofessional, education support personnel, temporary license, substitute training, retaliation, teacher pay, daily substitute pay, Minnesota education law, education innovation

Transcript Highlights:

• For over a decade, Texas schools have had the option to recognize high school students... leading with
• Senator Menéndez, are you ready? Always. Always ready. You are always ready.
• I was a high school teacher, I was also a high school counselor, and I was a mom.
• Senator Menéndez, you ready? Thank you. Mm-hm. All right.
• Higginby, are you ready? Okay.

Bills: SB750, SB2995, SB1716, SB2430, SB203, SB1679, SB2683, SB1414

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, public institutions, laboratory fees, education code, financial aid, education, student support, scholarships, nontraditional education, student enrollment, financial assistance, Texas students, foreign adversaries, trade secrets, research integrity, security measures, international agreements, student privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• For school taxes, there was a major change.
• Because like with schools, we have looked at what we want to invest in.
• voted to increase school funding. by $8.5 billion.
• Of course, school districts have an approximately 2.5% limitation.
• School, other deputies, sheriffs, rooftops never pay for themselves.

Bills: SB9, SB 9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit, school assessment