Tammy Nichols — Asks whether the proposal was brought forward because of rural-area demand.
Tammy Nichols — Asks about whether the issue is common in rural areas.
Tammy Nichols — The transcript appears to mishear a senator name as 'Senator Summer Roth'; likely a member is being addressed for a motion, but the exact speaker is uncertain.
Tammy Nichols — Recognized as the senator making the motion.
James Woodward — Senator O'Connowitz introduced legislation concerning foreign national students on athletic teams at higher education institutions and explained that the proposal had been modified to better address concerns raised by athletic directors and a community college president, asking for its introduction.
Christy Zito — Senator Zito indicates she will make a motion when ready, then follows through by moving to send RS 33271/3371 to print.
Christy Zito — Christy Zito shares a personal example about her son to argue that students should not be judged only by standardized tests. She explains that he could demonstrate knowledge verbally and had strong abilities, but would not sit for a test, and notes that he even balanced work and night school while pursuing a pilot’s license. She concludes by emphasizing her support for education tailored to each student’s needs.
Carrie Semmelroth — Carrie Semmelroth introduced herself and presented RS 33335 as a revised version of Senate Bill 1245. She explained that the bill removes three repeal sections that had been included in error, clarifying that the specialty diploma provisions were intended to be reorganized rather than eliminated, and asked the committee to print the bill.
Sam Abrams — Sam Abrams is introduced and then delivers a continuous presentation about education reform. He briefly shares his background as an educator and superintendent, then argues that the current system overemphasizes seat time, age, and traditional grading rather than actual learning. Using examples like a traditional grade book, the Carnegie Unit, and a parachute analogy, he contends that compliance is rewarded over competence and that students should advance by demonstrating mastery. He describes a growth-based model he implemented in Qatar, where students progressed by showing learning over time, and says this approach produced strong gains, including for English language learners. He closes by transitioning to the next part of his presentation.
Dave Lent — Thanked by Mr. Abrams for the invitation.
Dave Lent — Referenced as the senator whose packet contained the handout.
Dave Lent — The speaker said they prepared this material for Dave Lent and had talked to him about it.
Dave Lent — The speaker says they have talked to Senator Lent about making the approach available statewide.
Mr. Abrams — The chair asked him to adjust the microphone so online viewers could hear.
Mr. Abrams — A committee member asked him to be more formal and guide the discussion.
Mr. Abrams — The speaker thanks the committee and says he is doing the work in North Idaho and wants to continue it.
Cindy Carlson — Noted as looking at the grade book handout.
Chris Brown — Chris Brown’s science classroom grade book is cited as an example, with the discussion emphasizing that it tells a story about the students and their experience.
Marge — Marge is used as an example in the grade book discussion: she is a student who already understands the subject, but because she is bored, sometimes absent, and not complying with the system, she is still penalized with an F despite being competent.
Carl — Carl is used as a student example in a grading discussion: he is introduced by name and then described as earning strong grades—4, 4, 4, 80%, and a B plus—which results in him passing the class.
Seth — Example student who masters the content by the end but is penalized with a D for early performance.
Bart — Bart is presented as an example student whose father owns a parachute packing or skydiving business, which is used to illustrate that he could complete the work easily despite attendance issues and an F being noted.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Senator Ward-Engelking comments on school accountability and assessment, noting that charter schools have more flexibility than traditional public schools and that rigid testing can limit innovation. She argues that test scores do not fully capture student well-being or progress and expresses support for more flexible assessment approaches, such as portfolios and mastery-based reporting.