Dave Cortese — Dave Cortese welcomes CASC to Sacramento and follows by noting that the restorative justice bill has been signed into law, expressing hope that it is doing good and that the hearing will inspire additional legislation.
Dave Cortese — Senator Cortese discusses concerns about declining civic education and its connection to low voter turnout, drawing on his experience in local government and school governance. He asks whether the presenters have identified historical best practices in public education for civic engagement and whether a legislated civic engagement day could include voter registration activities at schools. He also notes that voter registration is nonpartisan and that current law already allows pre-registration for students who are turning 18.
Dave Cortese — Senator Dave Cortese is called on and then asks whether requiring at least one student board member would force boards to add an additional voting member to avoid tie votes.
Dave Cortese — Referenced as the author of SB 1445.
Dave Cortese — The speaker thanks Senator Dave Cortese multiple times, acknowledges his expertise, and appreciates his offer to help and facilitate follow-up. The discussion remains focused on Cortese’s assistance and the suggestion to continue coordination through his office, ending with thanks to the panel.
Dave Cortese — Senator Cortese responds to the proposal by saying he understands the approach and agrees that multiple strategies may be needed to address urgent mental health needs in schools. He describes successful examples from the San Jose area, including wellness centers in middle and high schools, county-funded professionals stationed on school sites, and systems that connect students to clinicians and peer referrals. He then asks whether the proposal considered expanding wellness centers and campus-based clinicians as part of the solution.
Dave Cortese — Acknowledged for being present throughout the hearing.
Fia Nicolaescu — Is invited to begin opening remarks, though the transcript briefly interrupts before the formal introduction is repeated.
Thea Nikolaescu / Fia Nikolaescu — Introduces herself as the Student Advisory Board on Legislation Education Conference Director and a senior at Bella Vista High School; describes the organization's conferences and student proposals.
student delegation — The student delegate thanks the committee for the opportunity and introduces the first group.
Pia — Is thanked as the panel is being welcomed up.
Sophie — Sophie introduces herself as a sophomore from Newport Mesa Unified School District in Newport Beach, California.
Ryan — Introduces himself as a junior from Mountain View Los Angeles Union High School District.
Addie — Introduces herself as a senior at Vista Del Lago High School in Folsom.
Ava — Identified as a council member attending Woodland Joint Unified School District.
SB745 — Referenced as a separate measure developing a civics curriculum aligned with civic recognition goals.
SCR48 — SCR 48 is referenced as the measure that established High School Voter Registration Week, highlighting its connection to encouraging voting and voter registration among high school students.
Leticia Castillo — A student from Woodland Joint Unified, possibly named Ava, is referenced as the inspiration for the proposal; the speaker notes that the name is uncertain in the transcript.
Leticia Castillo — Assemblymember Leticia Castillo responds to the proposal by drawing on her background as a dual-licensed psychotherapist. She argues that mental health issues should not be shifted onto schools, saying the proposal places too much responsibility on teachers and school systems. She explains that becoming a therapist requires extensive education, specialization, and thousands of supervised hours, and questions whether brief training could adequately prepare educators to handle mental health concerns. She further compares the proposal to therapy practice, noting that effective skills must be developed and reinforced through real-world experience over time.
Liz Ortega — The chair turns to Senator Reyes, who praises the presentation and emphasizes the importance of students developing their own political opinions rather than simply inheriting them from their families. Reyes then asks a follow-up question about the cost of implementing a one-day civic engagement day, referencing Woodland as an example.
Sahaj Dinsa — Introduced himself as representing Canyon High School from Anaheim Hills.
Buddy Yang — Introduced himself as being from Troy High School in Fullerton.
Justin Ackle — Introduced himself as a freshman at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley.
John Harabedian — Assembly Member Patel is referenced as part of the ongoing discussion, with one speaker noting that the point may be building on Patel's earlier question about the issue.
Lakshmi Jula Conti — Introduces herself as a sophomore at Santa Susana High School in Assembly District 42 and Senate District 27.
Andrea Zavila — Introduces herself as a junior from Beaumont High School in Assembly District 40.
Ethan Hong — Introduces himself as a sophomore from San Marino High School in Assembly District 49 and Senate District 25.
David Alvarez — David Alvarez is identified in the meeting and then asks whether the proposal would change the adopted instructional materials for seventh and eighth grade curriculum.
Raylan Chaco — Introduced self as a sophomore at Monavista High School in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
Kapil Shastri — Introduced self as a sophomore at Mountain View High School in the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District.
Ria Manoge — Introduced self as a junior at Chino Hills High School in the Chino Valley Unified School District.
SB274 — Cited as a 2023 law banning suspensions for willful defiance in grades K-12.
AB1919 — AB 1919 is introduced as a 2024 bill requiring districts to adopt at least one restorative justice practice, and it is later cited as supporting research showing that the restorative justice practices outlined in the bill are effective in restoring justice for students across California.
SB1445 — Cited as authorizing inclusion of a student board member in closed-session expulsion hearings.
AB2598 — Referenced as a prior bill whose best-practices report could serve as a blueprint for restorative justice training.
Josie Song — Student presenter introducing herself as a student at Kate High School in Senate District 21.
Angelina Santos — Student presenter introducing herself as a student at Lincoln High School Stockton in Senate District 5.
Tristan Perugnan — Student presenter introducing himself as a student at Santa Susanna High School in Senate District 27.
SB224 — Cited as requiring middle and high schools to include instruction on mental health topics in health education.
Rodney Tapsis — Rodney Tapsis introduces himself, first with an apparent transcript inconsistency, then clarifies that he is a junior at Piedmont High School in Oakland and is associated with an AI/classrooms group.
Bryn Jones — Student witness from Piedmont High School who supports the AI and classrooms presentation.
Arjun Probram — Student witness from Santa Santa High School in Simi Valley; presents the group's AI policy argument.
SB128 — Cited as the bill that created the AI Working Group.
SB1288 — SB 1288 was discussed as a bill to establish clear standards for AI use in public education, with support expressed for its adoption and reference made to its responsible use rubric and implementation timeline by June 2029.
Gregg Hart — The speaker twice endorses Senator Cortese’s position, first noting agreement with what Cortese had said earlier and later stating that Cortese is exactly right on the issue.
Heaven Ortega — Introduces herself as a senior from Wheatland Union High School before delivering testimony on supporting students with disabilities.
Hevin Ortega — Introduces herself as a senior from Wheatland Union High School and identifies her legislative districts.
Serena Jean — Introduces herself as a sophomore at Kate School and identifies her legislative districts.
Ittian Rikas — Introduces himself as a senior from Calistoga High School and identifies his legislative districts.
Sasha Pérez — Identified as the chair of the Senate Education Committee who is absent due to travel conditions.