Education Committee - Senate

Eight two Concur in the amendment that house amendment to the act. Senate bill two ninety four so Senator Davis would you like to go through the amendment with us. That because. Everybody has a copy of the amendment. The identify yourself you'll be recognized. Yes thank you madam chair Breanne Davis state senator for district twenty five. Am Ninety four I'm in this committee two weeks ago and if you look through the amendment and and there are several technical corrections just I would like to make reference to is and pages Page six. Nine fifteen we clarified that language that and there will be an employee's right to notice of a recommendation for termination from the public school district superintendent and an opportunity for a hearing before the public school board of directors concerning an employee's recommendation for termination Service clarified that language and to ensure that it is very clear teachers still that have due process and and we clarified again later in the bill and Page seventy and and we also include on page seventy we're we're clarifying and the right to a timeline of notice of termination and hearing in front of the board we also clarify that school districts and shall adopt an employee's salary schedule and so there was a lot of discussion about that and we just wanted to ensure that and that was our intent in that school districts would be required to adopt a salary schedule for their school district. And. As I said and most are small technical corrections and and one other thing I guess I will mention is We ensured that in regards to school safety plans on that those would not be liable and to ensure that that is using once and I'll tell you. Page twelve said the bill. Page. A page to the bar I'm sorry I see you guys are looking as well I apologize yeah Page to the bottom of the page and you can find it in the bill within on page twelve and that those will be conducted in an executive session convened by that public school board and board of directors or enrollment and public charter schools governing body so we just want to insure that their safety plans are protected and not public information. That I'm happy to take any questions. Senator Hammer you're recognized and it. Everybody that we have a copy of the bill in your. Senator Hammer thank you measure Senator Davis on the Weyrich require that each school district shall implement a. A scale. I would term. Can you drill down on that a little bit what that's going to look like and how that plays out at the local level in the school because that's that's been one of the hot topics is that the senior teachers have been overlooked in what we're trying to do so can you just kind of talk through and develop that out how that's gonna look please sure so and when we scratch state mandated minimum salary schedule the Max line on state mandated salary schedule is actually lower than the new minimum so it was important that we market out for those reasons and we wanted to give school districts the ability to have flexibility in the way that they and develop their salary schedules they know what is most important to recruitment and and retention in their area in their districts and and they know the best way to make sure that their teachers feel valued through their salary schedule and so we have a new minimum of course at fifty thousand dollars for starting teacher pay but we're allowing that school districts to have the flexibility and to develop salary schedules that best fit their school this. Shows the option orders and I'm trying to find it on our sheet yet what what was the page number you cited for that issue it is not an option and I will tell you page four of the amendment. Okay. Where's the shelf in its. Yes Is that if the bill is higher okay yes senator Hammer so what I guess what I'm wondering is. Where was the confusion in the first place that they thought that they wouldn't have the opportunity to have the you know have the up. This is the salary schedule that now we have to go in an amended put it in there that's part was trying to understand yeah I just I think just that the language wasn't in there say well that was our intent that they would then develop out of salary schedule and we wanted to put it in there to ensure that to provide that level of comfort that yes it they shall adopt salary schedule it is mandated at school districts do that and it'll follow the same process now that the department of ed and checks to ensure each school district has a salary schedule and it'll fall that same process to make sure that they've got one plus thank you. Chesterfield did you have a. Thank you for your Mike. Thank you madam chair and thank you senator Davis making some I think a. Improvements in the bill. My question is what we'll get NINETYFIRST mail right. Provided by the laws of god I don't know what the laws are you talking about. This is on page four. Page four yes all of the in this would be on page seventeen delete lines twenty three through twenty six and substitute the following this subdivision shall not be interpreted as denying personnel rice provided by of the loss but the laws are you referring to. And. I'll just yeah we just met called the. Remember attorney from department of an. For me. The temperamental at at good afternoon court in solace four G. counsel for the department of education and Senator that was intended to be catch all language so that if there was any laws in existence or that would come into existence we didn't want this to be seen as limiting the rights that would be afforded to teachers under any in our future law we used to have What we call just because in the law. Which was a standard that was established to say. You need to have a real good reason and yet we have struck just cause from the bill and it is the standard to which most of the courts have grown accustomed because this is been in place I can't remember how long over twenty years we have at this very dismissal act and as a result of that our our legal folks you know exactly what the term just calls means now that's gone I standard is what then because it's not just cause anymore what is the standard just. What we know so as stated in the bill the teachers had and employees of by basis of their contract has the right to notice and a hearing so they have their right to be informed and the reason for their termination but it doesn't have to be but just because it just has to be you know you're gonna get fired and we don't really have to give you a good reason but you know you gonna be fired that's in essence what we're saying in this bill thank you provided a reason and that would have to be a non discriminatory reason under the protections of the federal law once that reason was presented by the superintendent who makes the recommendation for termination and that would be up to the local school board to determine whether they felt that was an appropriate reason for ad for termination if the school board it did go ahead with the termination and that person always has the right to appeal that to a District Court and they make a final decision we have seventy five different standards of the seventy five counties on the school districts AS two hundred six hundred we have two hundred different. There's no standardization of costs and I guess that's that troubles me that we need a standard no matter where I go I know that if I don't do stuff then this is the these are the reasons that apply and so I guess that's of concern let let's move on since you have said that because you continue to refer you have continue to refer to. Amendment five in a minute is it article five amendment five and fourteen I noticed amendment fourteen so is amended five and fourteen yes ma'am as the legal standards that you're using let us then at the salary schedule because in addition to the to the fifty thousand dollar salary each person is to be afforded a two thousand dollar bonus. You're school B. and your sports jokes Turkey. If you provide a salary schedule to give somebody a ten dollar increase in salary for education going vertically and can dollar increase review cation going horizontally that is a salary schedule. Yes. And I guess that's why I'm concerned that we did it there was a reason we had a minimum. This is the least very least you can do people we're talking about will many of these our schedules and more years in the salary schedule in the state that's true. It never was supposed to be the maximum of it was supposed to be the floor this is the minimum you can do if a person gains years experience than that person ought to be granted this percentage higher in their salary or this individual gain fifteen hours of education more and they should be granted this amount of increases percentage increase we no longer have that in the law and the school districts then we'll have to do it as best they can is that what we're saying now. Yes school districts have the ability to make them so we could range from five dollars of four credit hours two five hundred depending upon the size and the wealth of the district. And well I'd also say we also have in that section that school districts must spend eighty percent of the funds that they received in the teacher's salary line item in that matrix on teacher salaries and so and of course they can apply for a waiver because we want to ensure that would not that schools and fiscal distress but they have to posted on their school website and I think that's important for transparency so that and teachers know what schools are getting from the state for teacher salaries and what schools are actually spending on teacher salaries so I think that's a very important component in and it'll just help inform people and teachers specifically on what exactly is being spent and then they can ask questions of their local school district and their school board on why they're not and spending more of the money allocated on teacher salaries and think that's important piece and we have come to believe that they're going to be more responsive to what we say then the legislature is to what they say as well. A I rest my case thank you and I'd like to say one more thing and just in terms of teacher contracts that that and contracts provide for the terms of their employment and so they're also protections there in the contract that teacher sign every year centers want to point that out as well. There are the questions. I is What is this rule making process begin that you're supposed to be which was the making the rules to make all this come to life what is it again I was invited to the table this time yes so we have actually already started at the Department by a identifying the different topics through the bill we're going to be sending out information invitations to the public at large but particularly educators and every school district who are willing and desire to participate to send us their information so that we can bring and representatives from all areas of the state all levels to the table and we want to have a maximum input as we begin the rule making process it will be a very lengthy process the rule making process is already and so by in incorporating these meetings that we're starting immediately because we know it's going to take us a little while to get them done I'm seeing a number of people in the audience and look like they're not teachers but they look very much like their students and I welcome to your Senate Education Committee we're happy to have you here thank you for wanting to be a part of this process let me ask you this. Will those rules of the rule making process be available to the public so that young people. We had an opportunity to participate in this process have access to that so that as we make the rules that will so greatly impacted them will they have an opportunity to have say so in this process yes absolutely as is required under the APA we will have a public comment period and a public hearing probably multiple public hearings but in addition to that we are doing the work groups specifically in which we will be inviting the public and again educators and anyone is welcome to apply to participate in that but then everyone has the opportunity during the public comment period before while we had and we had an agreement is there would not be these meetings held during work time. Because so many parents do work how we going to have these meetings not at the convenience of the department of education but at the convenience of the citizens of the state so that they are held after hours of the parents we don't have access to the internet. many of them in the in these areas so that they would have an opportunity to participate we having a weekend or something of that sort to enhance participation in something this important I'm sure that something we can certainly discuss and and try to make it is available as much as possible I would appreciate that very much thank you thank you mentioned. Senator Hammer you're recognized. The. Thank you after just one question following up on that the state and maybe you said I just in here the selection. And I appreciate very much the opportunity that people are going to have to apply to be on those working groups I think that's great it's more than prior we've had before you know in the past not on this but just in the past so my question is the selection of who's going to be on those committees are as I understand it they're gonna make applications people bill Smith resume if I'm wrong and this straightening out and then from that group that applies will be selected those would likely end up on the working group in my in my right so far. Yes that way we can ensure that we have a broad representation we will be selecting from the submitted resumes to try to get as diverse of a representative group as possible okay so just the questions want to ask is this who who's gonna make the final determination and how will we as legislators be involved in that process just so it doesn't turn out to be a group that is going to be a yes group that just rubber stamps really doesn't get room and ask the tough questions and you know they get they get hurt because that that's what everyone knows who's who's going to do the actual selecting of who ends up on those committees so I don't speak for the secretary and we've had those discussions to my knowledge there's not been a final determination as to who would make that but I would imagine it would be a collaborative process and then with the Secretary having the final say. It in Senator Hammer I mean no one wants a working group that yes people like we want this to be successful which means we need impact we need hard comments we need water madam chair point of order if I may. Madam chair yes we'll try to be respectful in here beach others time and rude interruptions such as what just happened right there I think is hello the standards of what we as a Senate are expected to conduct herself in public meetings doesn't convey a strong message to the young people that are in the room that you can just make comments under the radar that are heard and I would just simply ask the respect that we give to each other to have the questions answered in this summer once push button and light up and make a comment I think that be great and that's my point of order madam chair and I just asked the chair would recognize that please. I was just saying I mean we we want this to be successful at there's a great work ahead and there are people in the classroom in schools that are doing hard work every single day and so it's important that we have those voices and have input from all walks and continue to have that input and so I feel committed to that process another department does too because that's how we're successful together through this okay I just I just want to transparency that when those committee will select committee groups are selected that we as legislators would have the opportunity to review that so that it and I'm I'm really trying to dress a concern that's out there's been expressed means we're going to get much committees are gonna be rubber stampers and just rubber stamp it through so if you're if you're public testimony on behalf of the department in center Davis is that those work groups are going to be represented good selection of of people that agree with what the bill says even those that don't I'll take it on face value and I appreciate your answer thank you thank manager. They're Chesterfield. Madam chair and your point is well taken however I was very it was incredulous that we would talk about inclusion. Because this whole process has been one big round of democratic disinclination if there is such a term so you'll X. you'll excuse me if I was just incredulous that suddenly we decided that everybody's gonna be involved in this process concerning everybody was not. And so it is it has been a thorn in my flesh. I am still going to express that the one in my class. Because we could have done this much better and we could have all gotten together and said listen I know you have a point of view I have a point of you all got shall we got a point of view and they should be value and going forward it is my hope that that is exactly what you do thank you mention. Are there any other questions from the committee. Is there anybody in the audience who would like to speak for against on the amendment you cannot speak on the bill but you can speak on the amendment so we have a list of folks here. Is that better Jackson. Hey remember you can only speak on the amendment the things that are in the amendment not on the bill. Okay. And you have two minutes. He died push that little button there. No on your on that Speaker. Then give us your name all right hello good afternoon my name is Becky Jackson and I'm a senior at Little Rock Central High School alongside my fellow young what does I'm speaking against the bill as amended and more specifically I will be speaking on the apparent lack of desperately needed amendments to section sixteen I'm sorry but you can only speak on this piece of paper this amendment that's all you can speak on you can't talk about the rest of the bill or what amendments ought to be there you can only speak on this amendment these corrections that have been made. Thirty one speak on those not on the amendments that were not heard or the people's comments were not heard for the amendments unit on the lack of the limits that were made for public comment. Your the amendments are made don't get to talk about those you only get to talk about the things that are in this amendment right here. Well then I guess you might. My comment. just feel first well let me apply shall become it When will we get to the main after this amendment is adopted then they will be able to speak is that what you're saying now that we are concurring on the amendment that's all we're doing that then you have to vote on the amendment is a main motion. A pine you have to vote on the amendment as the main motion and they should have the right to speak yes and no on the main motion on the amendment that's already we're doing today is the amendment Jane English if I could The amendments are made to reading is amendments. These are inconsequential an insufficient I feel to the bill itself this bill is very convoluted very long or you just get don't get to talk on the bill but if you want to talk on this amendment specifically things that are in this amendment then you're free to do that but you cannot speak on the bill. The particular lines in here that you disagree with that you could speak on that but it but you cannot speak on the bill. Thank you for your time thank you. The so we have next weekend's. Back to state my name and yes okay. My name is Max reckons I'm a ninth grader at Little Rock Central High School with the young leftists I am speaking on the bill as amended as amended it is sitting on the amendment you do not get to speak on the bill as amended just the amendment that. I want to speak on the amendments as a whole if you find things in here that you disapprove of it did you just like you want to disagree with I think that the Irish Amendment I think that the amendments are not sufficient they do not support what the bill you can only speak on the amendment this amendment right here that's all you can talk about. I am speaking on the amendments they are not sufficient okay thank you very much. And don't even speak on this that is all you can speak on. Is this amendment right here all these words that are in here for the insufficiency of the amendments does not permit me to to talk about it thank you for your time thank you. I see this. Ethan Walker. When you're a child you might. Push the button. Thank you of. Thank you. Even everybody my name is Ethan Walker and I'm a junior at Little Rock Central High and here to speak about the amendments and how they do not go far enough to carry out an does only get to speak I'm worried that are in here I'm sorry I am only gets talking about words not what you'd like to see as an amendment but what is in the amendment at all you get to talk about I am speaking on the on the amendments to the minister and the. Thank you have worked on this amendment yes. Thank you can go through here and talk about the things that you're seeing in this amendment that need to be changed or that you don't agree with that's what we have to do today yes ma'am. I feel that it's pretty parent now so they got the got the amendment you're going through the amendment in the urban yep that's what you have to do is go through the amendment and tell us those things in the amendment that you disagree with. So I think it's again pretty apparent that these amendments just don't really address what's wrong with the bill and I'm not talking about the bill I'm talking about these amendments I have with these amendments but these amendments just do not do enough I think that's what we all need to understand here is that like these petty little wording rearrangements it doesn't work it doesn't help thank you very much you anything to actually address this bill is thank you. All right let's see If the. Rathbone Kita. Identify yourself you'll be recognized. Well yes. My name is Ron could I'm part of Central High and the software I'd like to speak on the amendments and the insufficiency of these amendments but I will address amendments directly. On there's an amendment that says page ninety line three delete quote and and substitute quote or. A the reason I believe this and this amendment is that is because it should actually say you're deleting the voucher program on section sixty three because the voucher program absolutely reallocated resources from the working class American idol and Arkansans in the allocates that the Arkansas in upper class thank you appreciate you telling us to come on page ninety five the lead line twenty one and substitute the following B. one public a public school district or open enrollment public charter school located in the State of Arkansas that should actually say we are removing section sixteen because indoctrination causes is the unprecedented censorship of certain groups I'm sorry exist in this country that you're not you're not speaking on this amendment you're on the bill so I'm speaking in sufficiency of these amendments as it relates to the bad guys that's not what we're here to do I think it is the is amendments relate the bill don't they are they just amendments that are these passwords not reference to the bill Senate bill two ninety four. They are and they're insufficient well that that remains to be seen but these are the words this is what is going to be an amendment to the that's what we're voting on or these words so this committee will vote to determine whether or not we we accept these amendments as they are. What we do not accept those amendments that we give you the very relevant to the conversation if amendments are sufficient or not if you're going to vote on the sufficiency of the amendments isn't that literally the conversation we're having. The amendments to the bill the technical changes to the bill that's what we're voting to accept those changes I'm telling you why you shouldn't accept them I'm speaking on why you should not accept the sentence well I'm sorry to directly what we're speaking on you don't you don't get that with this committee gets to decide what we do we're taking your opinions that that you two minutes of. Thank you for your time. Lance Senator. Hi I'm plantations and sophomore at Little Rock Central High School and I'm here to talk about the amendments on this bill. I believe that they are again like like here's a sad incredibly insufficient specifically like you're just NIT picking that specific lines your for example on page twelve line eight delete and what is not going to do for us how is that solving anything I believe that these specific like NIT picking staff are incredibly insufficient and so far as we need to actually do actual change with this bill rather than just have deleted and deleting or adding and adding or grammar doesn't matter here we're talking about actual lives of children that are going to be affected by this bill really really proposing that foster children don't get the same access to education as children who have actually like have parents do because it's literally saying that like foster children can't go to can't to have like this same voucher program that you very much ACT three states that were focusing on indeed or all my goodness that I will be or is it is to do at the amendment to the bill and that's all you can speak on top really appreciate your time thank you thank you. Six. I make sure that is at you dont you Donte. Hi my name is in honour Donte I'm a junior at Little Rock Central High School and I'm here to speak about these amendments. Again as everyone else's that these amendments are incredibly insufficient and they are not addressing the true issue at hand here I'm sorry but you only get to speak on the amendments that are here those that are pieces those words that are on that this amendment would you agree or disagree with line. Page three line twenty six through thirty six those that's what you get to talk about I disagree with that amendment I disagree with this bill as a whole thank you. Current and. Yeah as. let me say. We are here is Griffin may. Hello my name is Griffin may I'm a senior at Little Rock Central High School and I'm here to speak about the amendments to the proposed bill. The Amendment that says page ninety eight line three delete and and substitute or is insufficient because there is nothing that and then the clause that is talking about having school choice policies that will make it so that students who are minority groups will be left in public schools while privilege students go to private schools thank you I think you have to speak more on the specifics that are right here yes there's also an amendment that is on page six it says page sixteen line thirty six delete reading and substitute school rating I think it should say delete reading and substitute school rating that will make it so that minority students will be unable to get into the private schools that are receiving more funding and resources and public education once this bill is passed. I also think that on page two one it says Page twelve line eighteen delete and is insufficient because it does not address the part of the bill that is speaking about indoctrination and see our team which is not fully addressed because the definition is incorrect the bill and this these amendments here do not address this definition which is not fully encapsulating the meaning of C. R. T. and therefore wrongfully makes it so that we cannot learn about American history which is a contest in security thank you very much for your time thank you. Let's see here. Hi Roy Q. one. On the amendment. Hello my name is ram acumen from Central High School I'm an eleventh grader and I'm here to speak on the amendments I start off my speech here by saying that I want to thank you for the opportunity to speak however I take that back because they are not allowing us to speak or not allowing for public comments on the way that we want to give it to you and that is an over reach an unfair we are just and serving children I'm going to phone line your voices from the public that y'all don't care here on site but you have to speak on the amendment and yet not your personal thoughts in thank you very much appreciate your time. Sorry. Okay let's see. Alicia. Hi is it on yes. Hello my name is Alicia Majeed I am the co president of Little Rock Central High School south Asian students association and I want to speak on this amendment so. On. Page two. Of Page twelve line one delete annually I think that these amendments lack that believe up for students like me the minorities to have of public education and I think that such an amendment and such a bill and general would really take away from minorities and would really have a saying that you're really only can speak on this. I cannot speak on the bill well Page five. Page ninety line three delete and and substitute or I think that public schools are special and are unique and allow for students to have a unique experience of the real world and the US I think that the funding from public schools really because a lot for minorities like me and other people and I've enjoyed my time in public schools thank you. I am. Is that and a need to amend a. It all. Hi my name is and we. Hi my name is Amit Chowdhry and I'm a freshman at Little Rock Central High I'm also a member of the central south Asian student association. So on the topic of these amendments how many questions about them I mean how do these amendments. How do we improve the quality of public schools when T. in this bill itself is causing uncertainty for teachers and students in my nor only speak on this amendment right you cannot speak on the bill. Right all right so and unless you can just to look at each of these lines what is our technical changes. They're at and that's all they are is technical change right how do you how do these technical changes affect anything you know when this bill is speaking so many things like a foreign nation really appreciate. Okay say we have lance. Our yes. Hello I'm last live or private citizen. Making on the amendment specifically. I would like to talk about the amend there's a couple spots in there one it is make it to the right spot here since I have to be very specific about you might have missed it somewhere else on page four. You have aligned seventy that speaks about the salary schedule I'm talking about some of the things they were added with that salary schedule and that concern Senator Hammer mentioned some very specific things he expected on record to be in there that weren't addressed so the salary schedule we speak about creating a salary schedule the problem is we don't define what a seller schedule this will five got certain amounts of funds that I've put all my funds into and they're up to this level all under fifty in the state comes and gets the not fifty thousand more for each but give me the amount to get them all the fifty thousand now I have no additional funds beyond what already had to create a schedule this as anything more than everybody gets fifty thousand dollars there's my salary schedule salary scale the other problem with that as we talk to in the salary scale is about the funding and where it comes from so they say federal funding there's a way to get more well federal that salary scale because we have to create a salary scale if I have to create a salary scale based upon what you're giving me and I have to have funds to be able to support that salary scale. Okay so those federal funds required that part come from poverty so let's for increasing poverty I cannot bring those people out the fifth set to the fifty thousand on the scale that I'm required to build. As well as maintenance of effort funds that I have to bring in so there's no issue with that on the scale because we have talked about a pay scale and that is not part of the amendment that the minutes as I have to build the scale they find the Bennett says I have to have a pay scale and I pay scale I'm telling you the pay scale your requiring us to build for those that have money less than fifty thousand will be fifty thousand dollars across the board and even lower for those that don't have the additional box thank you very much appreciate your time that she two minutes thank you. Thanks to him. Allen E. Nolan. Thank you I had identify yourself. It is Allie Noland I'm a member of the Little Rock School board. The part of the amendment that says. Go get a hearing before termination which is part of the amendment. Does not include contract non renewal which is covered under the Arkansas teacher for dismissal act so does not fully address the concerns that were raised in committee prior to the amendment. I'll also point out that several points in the amendment to your. Say. Public schools might. I'm looking at the safety and security provisions I'm looking for camp on the FAQ page but I'm it does not apply to private schools receiving vouchers that is a part of the amendment that should be included. I will also say. The way that you all are treating the students who have shown up to participate in the legislative process by pointing out things that are not in the amendment but should be which is speaking on the amendment. Is. It is so disappointing that the adults in this room are going to treat children who came to try to participate in this process in this way. By talking to them and cutting them off in this way believe me you are giving them much more of a platform then you would have if you would just listen to their criticism of the amendments in the first place they showed up after school on their own time to tell you that these amendments do not satisfy their concerns that is speaking on the amendments that is telling you why the amendments are insufficient to satisfy the concerns raised about the bill does exactly what you are trying to evaluate when deciding whether or not to adopt the amendments now also point out that you after adopting a minute I believe have to adopt the bill as amended they will all signed up to speak. On the bill as amended so they can raise all the concerns that they tried races now. Thank you very much. I think that all of the folks we have Senator Davis did you have something claim. I was gonna make a motion at the proper time to concur in the house amendments I think those are. That point you have discussion did you have something you want to say yes. House second motion so it is there but just as far as discussion if I may just I want to thank all the students that came. And participate in the process I understand it's a frustrating thing to speak on just the amendment. That is all we are considering today is the amendment itself The rules joint rules of the house and Senate. Prohibit us from making any further changes to it I mean it would have to go back through be taken back to the house to amended so we we can only consider the amendment that is here. voted up or down. So that's what we're considering that's what we're discussing today and just wanna make sure that. Everyone in the room is aware of that but thank you very much for coming and participating in the process. leading. Thank you madam chair I also want to thank all the students who showed up today and just but you know they're Senate president pro tem senator Mark has different Cave Springs I consider this bill a priority enough that he's in the room this afternoon to watch is proceeding so he might be willing to give you a few minutes of his time at the end of this hearing thank you. They're more discussion. Senator Davis you have a motion on the floor and senator Bob Johnson second is there any discussion. Call for the question all in favor. All opposed. Thank you very much the. Amendments the concurrent to the bill has passed thank you thank you all for being here and that. This. We are adjourned.