Representative Gayla H. McKenzie

State Agencies & Govt'l Affairs (House) — March 9, 2020 (51:29)

recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And Representative Gonzalez got one of my questions. So, I would like to know, and I don't know, and thank you, by the way, for this presentation. Excellent work. Thank you. With regard to the registrations now with the paper that are incomplete, inaccurate, what's the process? Are those just tossed? Do we try to follow up to see what do we do with those now?

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — Jan. 13, 2021 (13:04)

I chose to be on this committee. I'm really happy to be here. I work with children a lot in my other life, and I also work quite a bit with seniors,

Aging, Children & Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs (House) — Jan. 13, 2021 (12:57)

Madam Chair. I'm from Northwest Arkansas, District 92. I'm as northwest as you can get in Arkansas.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (50:20)

option for these parents. I don't think it's the prime option, but they could if they think their child's ready to go to school. They homeschool them for one year, and they join what would have been their classmates if they were able to test.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (50:03)

if they had been able to start at that August 12th,

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (49:30)

So I understand that. I'm just trying to get where I'd want to fall on this and what's most helpful for parents, too, and districts. So my question is now then, if a parent then decides my kid's already close to reading or reading and they're going to be really bored if they have to wait another year, they're going to be well ahead of their classmates, I'll homeschool them then. What are the requirements then? If I homeschool my child for one year, do they still have to come back in at the year that the school says you should be? or can they come in and join what they would have joined

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (48:59)

Okay, but I assume they're always granted? I'm not aware of any that haven't. Okay. So I'm trying to decide where I'm going to land on this. I understand the need for a firm date, so to speak, But obviously, I see the other side when you have kids that are almost seven coming into kindergarten. They're probably already readers by then, some of them. I can think of some instances where the kids are going to be readers by then and bored out of their minds and be more of a challenge for their teacher. Now, the same could be said for a September 1st, September 2nd kid.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (48:39)

this body. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Representative McKenzie. Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I may be the only person in this room that doesn't know this, but we do allow parents to hold their children back, correct? Yes. And that's totally at their discretion, I'm guessing. Well, they do have to submit a

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (36:57)

I kind of wondered about that. But they don't have to. But, again, I know this is self-serving, but there are plenty of kids in that. My question is, when did we change it to August 1st? Way back when, and I'm just behind the times by a lot. Do we not win?

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (36:24)

So school starts, what, 18th? I guess it changes. So I would be five, but according to this law, you've got folks like me waiting another year. My brother would be bald playing basketball if we did that. I would probably be trying to teach the class. I would just, I like this, and I know I'm self-serving here, but you've got kids turning five before school even starts in some of these cases, and yet we're telling them you sit home another year. You give some flexibility here, whether it's the principal or the superintendent of the school board.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (36:10)

that brother of mine over there. We're both August 12th babies, so I'm biased here a little bit. I didn't even know that we had a hard and firm August. You have to be five August 1st, or you don't go to school. That's right.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (17:14)

have to be submitted to the state. So that was my wondering. In the state, since we're asking for it, are

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (17:05)

Okay, so thank you. That was helpful. So this report does not go to the state. This report is just from the superintendent

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (15:53)

I hadn't done those reports. So I really got angry. So I'm wanting to know, are we reading them? Are we feedback to the schools? Are they serving a purpose for

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (15:23)

report. And I'm also curious, with these reports, we've been doing these now for what, two years, one year? How long has it been effective with the bullying reports that we did in the 92nd? Just one year, just this past year. Do we know who's reading these, responding to these? I know with the FCC, for 27 years, I filed a room full of reports that not one person ever read. And yet, I would have been fined crazy if they showed up.

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (14:44)

This is not substantive as far as here are some policies we think that you should enact school

Meeting — Feb. 2, 2021 (14:11)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think I'm putting a show on over here trying to get your attention. I can't see that away. Just for clarification, as I mentioned with you, I had some school board members who had some questions. So there is no additional training. The additional discipline training is just that first year. And with regard to the discipline training, this is on how to fulfill the bullying requirement.

Education Committee (House) — Feb. 4, 2021 (1:04:36)

no opposition to this, your defense attorneys, no one has a problem with changing your response times? I have not heard of any opposition to this. All

Education Committee (House) — Feb. 4, 2021 (1:03:30)

well, that would be a crime anyway. Slice it. Unless I guess we're just talking about maybe flirting allegations and we're worried we're trying to stop it. before it gets there. So I'm wondering how this coordinates or jives with a criminal prosecution and mandated reporters if you get a complaint of we believe there's an inappropriate relationship with a teacher. Do we have these two? Surely they're not tracking together. We've got criminal prosecution involved and defense attorneys. So I'm trying to understand how this process works.

Education Committee (House) — Feb. 4, 2021 (1:03:18)

McKenzie. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm just trying to wrap my head around this, and I apologize if I'm belaboring something, but the scenario that you mentioned, me, of an inappropriate relationship with a teacher and a student,