Education Committee - Senate

Immobilien trying do we've got about twenty people left so we're going to try and set this up so Jessica Disney. It. I'm sorry I Laura Kelly. In crystal joiner thank you both kind of come up who are they still here. Not here. All right so then how that Dennis Copeland. He's here. Yeah good afternoon my name's Dennis Koppel nine when the Director of the Arkansas roulette Association and I want to thank you guys for listening and giving everybody an opportunity to speak we have two hundred school districts that are members of the Arkansas roulette Association some small some large all fifteen of the education service cooperative are members of our organization as well. So far there's been a lot of questions and I appreciate the senators asking the questions and I think Senator Davis and secretarial either did a great job of answering those I know the preparation for this as you take a long time on their part we didn't have very long to come together and look up questions but several of the questions that the senators ask with some of the concerns of some of our members and also I wanted to get three points here that I think they touched on that maybe didn't go as far as what we probably needed and to I thank number one is the funding sustainability it was mentioned and I know is a two year thing and you guys will probably come back in two years in the next legislative session and maybe address some of the concerns that happened. the second one is unintended consequences and I think a bill with this amount of information in it will probably of. I have some money can unintended consequences that developed over the years I think funding is very important to our small schools and some of those could end up being closed there's could be could be reduction in force of staff members and this year was unbelievable with one point billion surplus I'm not sure that we can count on that for the next few years I hope we can hope we see that in the growth in the state budget keeps going but says this is something that happened this year in which a lot more than the rest of the time you got to wonder that if that's going to be sustainable or not and secretarial leave a kind of touched on this out in the lobby earlier I think the third thing is making sure that there's practitioners that are at the table when the rules and regulations are developed into he mentioned earlier and I think that's going to be really important those only things that I had I appreciate the time that you gave us and appreciate each one of you doing your due diligence and making the decision on on this bill thank you thank you very much for your comments okay they're trying to sell his discussed this move this up a little bit so the next Speaker is Emily Murray and if Misty Mitchell would come along behind and then we'll make sure that we can move things along pretty quickly. That she here. Misty Mitchell are you here. Okay. Emily Murray are you here. Okay misty have a C.. Good afternoon my name is misty Mitchell I am from northeast Arkansas and I'm coming as a parent I have a son who is now fourteen years old for seven years he was in the public school system and. He struggled a lot. And there's actually instances where on one instance since they were unable to reach a on the level that he is that he We had a lot of behaviors and he was treated differently and was actually separated from the general population of the school they were unable to accommodate his needs within the school and for seven years I battled that. And then I found a home school coop. That. Helped him he was above before he went in he was a grade level afterwards now he is above his grade level and he thrives he has social interactions and that is based off of being able to have that option to be in a home school setting and. That is what we are and we're really really. Meeting because when he was in home school or in the public school he had anxiety back making me not to let him go to school because he didn't want to have to deal with it. Isn't it he was even at twelve years old threatened with your mom's gonna have to go to court if you don't do this worksheet the way we say to do it. And we worked and we worked and I tried we did a whole and nothing was working we have to have those options available to help him grow as a person so now he is happy and healthy and able to to do all the work he does everything he laughs you place and that. What is the most important thing for our kids is what environment is going to keep them happy and healthy thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Same. Sailor. Skyler. Skyler here. Okay how about Karen. You. Bradley. Six. Katie Sir Sir. Katie Sir see here. Only the gardener. Good afternoon madam chair and members of the committee my name is Olivia Gardner I'm the education policy director for Arkansas advocates for children and families and I think you guys for coming back today to hear the rest of us it's greatly appreciated I have a few concerns with the bill that I'd like to address I first although the starting salary for educators is being raised to an applicable fifty thousand dollars in my opinion it is not appropriately addressed average teacher south. Dad I am concerned that it makes the floor the ceiling additionally repealing the tier a teacher for dismissal act will be incredibly harmful for educator work force by effectively silencing them our efforts should be focused on recruitment and retention and this bill only focuses on the former not the latter. Additionally we have decades of research on the impact of school vouchers on students in our neighborhood schools that have shown us that vouchers do not improve educational outcomes for chip for students who receive them I specially for students of color English language learners and students with special needs. At the same time they were sent outcomes for students remaining in public schools by decreasing the valuable resources available to them this legislation will and out of the drain resources from our public schools over time. It will become even more problematic given that unlike private school unlike public schools private schools have an adequate transparency at their identical transparency still about how effectively are fairly they are educating our children. This in turn will reduce the ability of policymakers and taxpayers to hold them accountable for how our tax dollars are being used. This legislation will effectively create a tiered system for education in Arkansas with those who have access to private schools on one side and those who either cannot afford it even with the educational freedom accounts those who have children with disabilities or those who live in rural areas for him private schools are not an option on the other side. I am of course not arguing that parents or families should not have the ability to send their kids to a private or parochial school however the Arkansas taxpayer Arkansas taxpayer dollars for education should be invested in public schools exclusively so that every child in every Arkansas community has access to world class education thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. Jennifer Jennifer hood. Is Cindy Wilson here. Yes you might come on up come on up you should be ready. Thank you if you to identify yourself please hello my name is Jennifer hood my boss tells me that I talk real loud so I apologize ahead of time. You can hear you and before twenty seventeen school choice was never even on my radar I have and three children two of them have always been in public school and my youngest was diagnosed with autism in twenty seventeen and when he was it was time for him to go to school I found out that basically the school system couldn't handle him and they just wanna quipped to handle his behaviors and so I was kind of at a loss of what to do like what am I gonna do with him and M. I found a private school that basically serves children with autism like a few of my other fellow have came up here and said and my son got to go on a field trip for the first time about two weeks ago and I'm so grateful for that and I just I don't I don't feel that teachers and public schools are equipped to handle autistic children they don't have the training that they need and I'm very grateful to have that choice to be able to send my son to a a public I mean a private school and that's basically all I wanted to say. Thank you thank you very much for. Cynthia Wilson she here. okay very good we won't ask you to call them if you didn't sign up. This is Bethany hill here. You didn't sign up either. All okay all right okay. Is that how about William Rowntree it is really a part of that group to. William Rowntree are you in the room. Okay. How about Dustin Parsons. Okay super come on down. Parsons thank you go ahead good afternoon thank you for allowing me to testify today my name is Dustin Parsons and I'm a public school teacher here at box school districts problem problem modern proud of my school but I come to speak state against SB two ninety four as a public school educator for twelve years I have found a lot of great things in this bill and I think it's it's commendable the amount of people that are wanting to be at the table for once over the last twelve years it's been hard to get everybody there but. My issue is. If we want to pull this back to as a classroom teacher. The amount of time that I've had to read this and if I did that to my students in the classroom I'd be called on the carpet quickly. Test evaluation I'm actually level for this year I have to go through the full Senate we're talking about effectual ineffectual teachers this is the one of those things that I would get Ding dong to be considered in effect and I don't say that as a criticism to anybody here I say that as reality I want to get it right. That's what I want to see when I first started teaching at the wonderful pleasure of having a lot of veteran teachers they got to mentor me and one of the things that they said they said Dustin every few years you're going to hear they're going to want to change things over and over And my concern is if we rush. How how much longer is it till we got to fix it again or going to change it again. today I heard so many great comments a great testimony from members on both sides. But there was so many things that need to be fixed I ask you today to let's postpone this vote for a little while for everybody to come together and let's fix it so we don't have to come back and you know because as a classroom teacher I'm just twelve years I have a lot of wonderful years ago but I have to think about the long term impact of what I need to do to better my students I love what I do and I feel really passionate about what to do but all I ask you for you today is what's the rush. We know we've donors there's a need in Arkansas education for a long time. So let's do things right. And let's take our time to make it right thank you thank you very much for your comments. This state seeks. Capping Okay C.. How about to is a joy S. U.. Let's see. Mr Hoffmeister off Mr. Okay. If any. To the near. Okay all right that's. Okay this is. Allie Noland. She here. Kimberly. Crutcher. A question okay. Come on down. Incident. Yeah you might put push the button on the of that one next you as being yeah. Just push it on this one no one that's got the red light on it yeah are you gonna okay okay I'm good afternoon my name is Kimberly courts building I am a classroom teacher here in Pulaski County twenty four years thank you for hearing us today the first thing I want to say is I would Wednesday to speak with you and I am your constituent Senate to English and I'm here to ask you and all the senators here to please table this bill let's look at it piece by piece by piece. If we would do in a classroom we don't teach history all in one why we don't teach math all at one time we teach things piece by piece by piece so we as educators can make sure our students know what we are trying to do no what we are trying to teach them. And before I go on I just like to extend its a Davis last week when you table a bill to raise classified gives classify members that raised you said let's table this okay this coming up in a bill later on. I hope that your woman of your integrity in you know now your mistake your bill does not address classified employees that are working well below poverty levels that you make a motion to one table that in moving on to the Senate floor. I would implore you do that before you give any teacher right that you understand with that one with telling you that she has to work two and three jobs. To feed her kids to keep the lights on one. And she doesn't have an opportunity like you do seems to Davis to be a great parents. Our hearts have. So I want you to really think about that next week when the army that you I think was Senate bill one forty nine if I'm not mistaken that you send out to the floor and you give classified people the raise they deserve. Back to this this act. Indeed I'm dismissal of the fair teacher act. Principals can already hire and fire the please my principal essential hired me by principal when I was M. Cleland hire me my principal when I was in the West Memphis school district hired me not the superintendent not the school board not the parents my principal. So they have the leeway to hire implied here as they see fit there is a process already in place to do this if you have any effective teachers Senator Davis the principal is supposed to do what we call class classroom walk throughs DO observations come in and see if that teacher is not being effective then give that teacher the help they need to be effective in the classroom and if they do not do that then they can. Are there. That process is there. So in the added if it's not broke why fix it if so I haven't heard any any superintendents and I've ex if you were they for this and I would just like for them to go on record in state yes we want to be able to get rid of the teacher for dismissal act. Secondly school choice it seems the kids that came up here earlier today yes what they had school choice the mother they came up here and created a school she was able to provide an opportunity and a new place for education our hearts out and others the young want young woman that just came up with her son in hat in his school public school option was not good she has school choice it looks like to me school choice is working already so again if it's not broke. Why fix it I want you also look at these things we have intervention is we have missile programs we have a lot of this stuff that this bill is saying that we do not have public schools are not feeling well public schools need is teachers. To be able to teach and not be bogged down with constant assessments that don't as this our curriculum. Constand's paperwork constant professional development that do not help us be great authentic teachers that's what we need and we need for our legislators to come to us because I haven't seen anyone with my my sorority sister in great Senator Chesterfield in the school this year I haven't seen any of you are before so come to the comes to our schools in Little Rock School District go to Pulaski County school district I want you to go in and I want to see how hard those thank you very much for your confidence he creates are not just an assessment thank you thank you. Carol Fleming. Hello I'll just give me Senator Davis. Can you Thank you madam chair I just want to clarify that we did have that conversation earlier this morning about classified staff that is being addressed through the adequacy recommendations that we will take on so there will be increased funding in that budget line for classified staff if the president is superintendents cheese to get those rates so that has been addressed that's what we talked about earlier and there is increased funding coming yes ma'am I'm addressing your questions that we talked about that at length earlier and also to point out one more thing is he's parents coming up here that are talking about having their kids and and private school and and any other other and school options besides and public schools is because they've been a part of the succeed scholarship which has given the money to be able to go to the schools which is exactly what these educational freedom accounts are which will open the door for more parents to have the opportunity to have a choice in their child's education so that the school system can meet their kids educational needs and that's what this is about these parents coming up in two years the testimonies of their kids with special needs are on the spectrum that are not having their needs met in a traditional public school as great as traditional public schools are my children all go to one and I'm proud of that but sometimes kids need different options that has been the focus of today that we are failing our kids one size does not fit all and these parents today that have seen success with their children we want to replicate that for other families that need that opportunity for their kids to succeed in their educational journey thank you. So you may take takes it appear. in my yes I am on. Good afternoon I am Carol Fleming a speech language pathologist serving as president of the Arkansas education association madam chair my Senator madam vice chair my colleague and committee thank you for taking the time to hear my testimony on behalf of our members which include as firing educators certified teachers licensed employees support staff higher education and retirees the Arkansas education association has been the leading advocate for student and educator rights including school policies employee benefits working and learning conditions compensation and due process since eighteen sixty nine. Details surrounding the learns Act were announced two weeks ago in just two short days ago the bill was filed where educators parents community leaders and stakeholders have begun the process to comprehend the magnitude of this proposal as noted there are many questions and those asked this morning have sparked conversations that we appreciate we need to continue to have robust conversation surrounding this legislation in order to provide what is best for every child in our state a quality education that prepares them to live and succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. I would like to note that this bill proposes programs resources and funding that we support such as pre K. literacy enrichment school safety and student interventions but there are still many details lacking which include our concern for individuals to access these services and supports for students with special needs we have public schools in every community across the state and our energy should be focused on making everyone of those schools great instead of putting all of our energy and resources into the classroom and school environment this bill puts the onus of a quality education on parents and they shouldn't have to think twice about the education that their children are receiving. Quality neighborhood schools should be given an include smaller class sizes to allow for more one to one intervention and attention teachers who are qualified and supportive environments where the social emotional needs of our students are met. At a time is to be as severe shortages we should be focused on how to attract train and retain great teachers every child deserves a great teacher in the classroom and every teacher deserves respect for the work that they do. There is no doubt that educator pay should be increased but what about our veteran educators raising the starting pay is a good beginning but we need to consider how districts are going to compensate experienced and highly educated teachers there is still concern with the removal of a standard salary schedule for teachers and a return to local control for a debate for developing a scale should there be oversight from the department or state board to ensure that districts are adequately using the funding to compensate their staff how will we be able to attract recruit and retain the best and brightest to Arkansas with no guarantee of future employment or salary advancement while there is a focus on increasing the starting pay for certified teachers there is nothing nothing to address the severe shortages and school support staff by adjusting their compensation hourly rate of pay although I know we just heard something Arkansas is facing worker shortages for critical school staff which includes professional bus drivers school nutrition staff school nurses counselors and other critical school employees our schools do not and cannot work without them it takes all educators to support our students we've seen the stories of kids who can't get to school because the buses can't run or schools are felt forced to only offered sandwiches because they can't hire enough staff to offer nutritious hot meals one alarming provision found on page one one would actually send kids to school in unaccountable ride sharing vehicles such as Ober and left rather than school buses in closing we understand and appreciate the time that it's been dedicated to create a bill that addresses public education in our state as mentioned some sections of the bill have raised questions praise and consternation from our members while it has been said that the bill was created from focus groups and. Is it throughout the state I would be remiss if I did not go on record to say it is disappointing and unfortunate there are voice was not included the particularly since we are the largest professional organization representing thanks very much tam comments thank you any hope to be part of the conversation thank you. Well it on his new role von. That. of skis. I just have one follow up commented that I want to say what we send me your name again I'm sorry it's Carol fled the speech language pathologist thank you so Carol I actually did call the EA in early December to trying to get a hold of you when you're out on vacation that week or something it was that Friday morning and I spoke with someone in the office and and actually had a good conversation and said we want to hear input from the ADA and they told me that they would run a poll for two consecutive weeks to get back and get information back from teachers and that they would send that information back to me before the holidays and I left my cell phone number and all of my information and I never heard back from anyone and so I do you want to I just like I don't want to argue about it and I want you to respond yes and but but I did personally myself call and have that conversation was told that you guys would be running and pulls and getting feedback from teachers across the state so I appreciate that however I have not had a vacation since I took this job almost four years ago and so I was not on vacation and we do not have it on record that you had called I know Senator Hester had said that his office had reached out to to my building and had said the exact same thing that you were saying but I will tell you the eighty eight we don't conducts surveys there is another teacher organization in the state that is renowned forced doing surveys before they take action but that would not be the Arkansas education association and I do hope that we can start a conversation as the rules making process begins and there will be some clean up language moving forward absolutely I'm happy to pull up I pull my phone logs to show I did call the office if they maybe or just out that day I don't know but they told me you were not there and I'm happy to pull my phone logs to should that or have a conversation thank you thank you. Senator Hammer would. A question I'm sorry thank you I keep trying to get away. One of my be short sweet okay. The governor when she ran and began her campaign. Over a year ago or so made it very clear very known that education was gonna be her number one priority. So what did you do to reach out to her or to organization and say we'd like to schedule a meeting with you would like to schedule a meeting with your key staff members or whoever it is it's going to be developing policy what did you do to reach out to make sure that you initiated action to be included in a discussion on the was her number one priority thank you so very much Senator Hammer we did reach out to her campaign staff particularly during the summer had multiple conversation and text messages with Christian who was part of her campaign who would set a who told us that he would try to set up a meeting for us to meet with her and then as it got closer to election day he told us that her schedule was too busy to meet with me or to meet with less after she was elected again we reached out to the office I have numerous emails with Emily who even as recently as a week and a half ago has told me that we are in the scheduling queue and that when our name comes up in the scheduling queue then we can have that conversation but we have been. Working diligently to have those conversations thank you for asking you're welcome because it strikes me as ironic that you can't respond to senator Davis's enquiring for messages but all your efforts directed toward reaching out to governor Sanders but yet there's there's no establishment of communication that once it became known that Senator Davis was going to be the sponsor of the bill which I'm not sure how long ago that's been honestly but it seems to me that for all that effort you've also or somebody would reach out directly to her and said Hey we hear you drafted a bill. Thank you but I can say that we have other staff in the building and I'm not sure if one of them had reached out to senator Davis or not but I know that on my phone records I do not have any indication that Senator Davis nor Senator Hester had reached out to the office. Time will tell thank you thank you. Thank you very much okay just wanna make sure before I get up again done okay. Okay let's see well I bond. All right super. How are you I want to thank you guys for allowing this my name is Roy von I am a nineteen year educator a military veteran and I love public education I'm here today to speak in opposition of this not because there are that the entire bill is bad but because there's certain parts of it that definitely warrants more conversation and more research moreover I feel like we're trying to paint the entire restructuring of our schools and one brush stroke when we really knoll every artist now that one brushed will never paint a masterpiece you have to have multiple brushes to do that and I do not think that one bill like this is the way that we restructure our education system. Looking through the bill it seems like of everyone was provided a way to swim private schools public schools and charter schools however the only ones that we're giving weights with their ability to swim what's public schools because public schools are supposed to. Literally educate everybody every student any students with any disability any ability that comes to our doors we have to educate them no matter what if they are billing every test that we put in front of them we still have to educate them and in this bill we see that if students are not meeting with the expectations of certain private schools or maybe even some charter schools they have to go back to their public schools that's the way we're measured in the same litmus test as these other schools that have all of these glowing scores and different things like that but we are happy to educate every student so that needs to be looked at but even further than that. When we look at teacher per dismissal teacher prep dismissal is one of the single most important parts of this bill and we're let in it's literally taken out at every level. Being able to have the security that because I have a personality conflict with my of superior I'm not fire because we don't set forth his personality wise that's literally something that could happen based on teacher for dismissal being gall we have got to stand up a you guys have got to stand up and state teachers deserve a safety net but I appreciate the fifty thousand dollar raise that all will raise our minimum but again we still don't have a full way to bet that as well that collect the collapsing of the salary scale is so much in this one bill that literally five minutes I can't discuss every part of it of that brings me up that brings me great pain but all as the educator but also as a people person living within a community so as we continue to go through this I encourage you all to not vote for this but I know that there are certain parts of it that can be good let's have a chance to make it good the with the time constraints it's not right now and I do not think that we can do it in the next few minutes which seems to be the answer to everything quick and fast thank you. Thank you very much for your comments. The C.. Crash. Mosby. Good afternoon my name is Christy Mosby and I am a public school educator I am in my twenty seventh year of serving our students in the little rock school district and I am here because there are some parts that Senate bill to forty nine that are really good and there are some parts that we need to put a pause on and say let's take a deeper look at this that's evident by all of the questions that were answered by the committee itself but then also some things that some inconsistencies that were brought out through the community so yes you've heard this before the fifty thousand dollar base salary is wonderful we need that for starting teachers. However. Repealing the teacher for dismissal act as you heard from Mister bond is something that you really need to reconsider because it is it does require due process it does allow educators to feel more secure in their job roles I've heard over and over again that because the teacher for dismissal we have bad teachers I want to disagree with that that if they teacher is ineffective in her job role that teacher is still there because the administrator has not followed the process that's been set forth through teacher for dismissal we don't have that teachers because of that act you have bad teachers because the process hasn't been followed. The other thing that I wanted to bring out is you is the voucher system or the education education freedom Act accounts. You know I just have a problem with sending using public funds to pay for private schools and such I do understand what the parents who are here earlier come from that they that public school may not have been the right choice for them however I have an issue with using public funds to cover those costs what I have the. The privilege of being a product of both I've spent most of my years of education in public schools the very and I was transferred to a private school my parents didn't use public funding to cover that they work hard they work sometimes two jobs to provide for my private school education and so if my parents can do it and they are not rich they or they were just basic middle class parents who work hard to do what's best for their children. So I'm gonna ask you to please reconsider that because if you're pulling pulling funds from public public dollars then that is going to hurt our public school system you know we're already under funded our children are already suffering but it's it you know we need that funding to help to help our students be more successful we The teachers are not feeling the student's. Is the system. That's feeling the students. Our kids are struggling because the system has packed up classrooms. And with all the diversity in all the trauma that our students face today it is near you have made it nearly are nearly impossible to reach every child at the level where they need to be reached teachers work hard every day you won't find a teacher that's still in the school building that does not want to see every student in his or her classrooms succeed it is the system we have said consistently we need smaller classrooms we need better support for teachers in the classroom to make that system successful taking money away from an already suffering system is not going to help it it's going to make it worse so what is my ask I ask that you put a pause on this bill allow more time to really digest it twenty forty hours has been stated earlier is not enough time to read and I just a hundred and forty four pages you might have had a chance to read it but have you really had a chance to digest it. So I'm asking you to please put a pause on that so that it can be really looked at and some of those inconsistencies and concerns can be properly addressed thank you for your time. Thank you very much for your comment. A great gracious Stroud. C.. I'm not sure hunter white. Can't quite read the first name. Good afternoon. My name is the cost center hunter white I am a proud parent and three children who have came to the little rock school district and one through Pulaski County I'm also a parent to many of my students and I established educator a daughter and of. Excuse me a daughter a mentor of and in addition to that I also work with an of on the company called because as bows created by styles is the performance education based program as well as packets positive attitude control which is also a youth program and I am currently a member on the board for the Beren cross neighborhood association from North Little Rock I had the opportunity to work with a multitude of children over the years I wanna say that twenty two years I've been in education as well as a mentor I have worked with a multitude of multi faceted personalities too many children and I currently am a teacher in special education through the Little Rock School District specifically self contained autism and I have all meals. And I will get to that a little bit later I agree with many of the things that were stated here today are spoken before me on this bill has good intentions but is an adequate as a whole I'm also perplexed by why repeal the fear dismissal act when it's already quote unquote fair. I'm also. And a highly qualified teacher and after receiving my master's degree my second master's excuse me through education I am still required to pay for testing that I cannot afford. In addition to that. I would also bring up the fact of as this special education teacher and hearing many of the parents today who has stated that public education has failed from help them unfortunately I hate to hear such a thing because I see it every day I'm living it. I have required or screens requested that. Aaron's actually send their children to private schools because not I at that the fact that I don't believe I'm a great teacher I know I'm a great teacher I know I'm an excellent educator but I am of I am firmly aware that we do not have the resources. It's not only the fact of having the resources as an educator I think it's great to state a starting salary but once again I am what is I would be called a veteran educator I am a traditional educator I've been in the system for quite some time and it is affected me personally as well as my family I I sometimes have to go back and forth not only from the fact of being that educator but also being that parent. And being the parent to see. That it is a system that is currently filling us and I understand with this particular bill we are trying but it does need additional time I also want to bring up the fact of according to the ACT aspire only thirty five percent of our students read on grade level how will this bill address the needs of the sixty five percent who cannot. Not only that. Mike students right now my artistic young men in my classroom are being held accountable and required to take standardized testing without their proper modifications or accommodations. This is something that is very concerning. This bill does not state that either back into the same form of stating where is our is our help for our special education students not only them but our children in general my daughter is in public education right now and if I could afford it she would be in private even if we did a quote unquote voucher which is proven to undermine public schools do not only Harvard but Stanford research as well but it undermines our public schools and our opportunities for our children. If not for my husband and his job as an electrician I would not have been able to even afford. To take care of my family as an educator for the amount of years that I have been in this this skews me this state. And the amount of years that I have taken and love and put all of my passion and compassion into my children and students our children are being failed by this particular system because we are rushing things we are rushing it why would private schools receive public funding when public schools are already dire in dire need of resources and staff educational concerns seem within the public schedules spectrum not private entities in addition private schools will not be held accountable for the same standards as public schools. Thank you so much for your comments. We appreciate them thank you. And it appears that we have taken all of the comments what can I may address one last thing and it was for the department of education to not allow the district by district to have certain policies stated for us for sick leave for maternity leave maternity leave I specifically say that because I add a year later I experience it myself I I transfer from little rock school district due to a high risk pregnancy this just happened in twenty twenty one. I from Little Rock School District I lost my maternity leave and I was not able to take care of my family for two months I wish I also paid into the teacher retirement and to sort of very good comments but that we had sent. Thank you. Senator Hammer I want to ask your question ma'am chair quick one go ahead you've been education twenty one years that's right so it heard. I've been in education for sixteen I've been a mentor for twenty two how long you think the education system has been failing. Since I've been in school. Because that's when the first time I was able to reflect on. A skewed system. Could you take a pre dated you getting into education. Source okay so I need not thank I only believe that because of where I physically grew up in my background yes ma'am and and we have a chance to change that and I and I appreciate it thank you thank you thank you very much. Okay Senator Davis would you and. Secretary like to come back to your table. So are there additional questions from the committee that the White House Senator Davis. Madam. I am sure that we are in the discussion portion of this process okay they questions. Senator Hammer thank you. Senator you've heard all discussion today okay I've got a quick list of things that I think will need to have some amendments to get out of here and is dealt with on the on the. House and if that's what we choose to do we can either do it here with the Senate down there they'll be more public comments that have the opportunity to draft a one time Amendment hopefully and then come back to us and we'll give him a punch list of unity in writing I want to see in the amendment a clause for the fair teacher dismissal act I want to see the to I want to see the subject of sex ed tightened up. Of want a technical corrections made. I want the on the fiscal analysis I want the retirement system to present documentation as to the financial impact it's going to have on the system given the fact we're about to do the races I think that's critical so we don't set the retirement system up for potential okay catastrophe in the future. I want I want to quality. Of the expectation. On the private schools given the option that after period time they can dismiss a student at the rate of we're going to need to. Deal with that and then the last thing is the secretary has committed that we can work to rules we got emergency clause on this bill and one of my great concerns is that with the emergency clause on the bill and the amount of rules they're going to have to be crafted around this if it makes it out is we are going to put the department in a real crunch or we are going to set ourselves up for failure because of the rules and and that is a great concerns of of a will expect or want an amendment that deals specifically with the requirements on the department to have the rules out give the fact we're going to build this out if we do with an emergency clause on it does other things I've got on my list my question for you is are you agreeable to address these issues in in the discussion of an amendment that we could when I if we're not gonna be here it's gonna be done on the House inside I just like to hear your response or public commitment on those issues yes senator Hammer and every time I've spoken publicly on this I've been clear that and we are continuing take comments from members and feedback from them either even people outside of the legislature and and anticipate that there will have to be an amendment on the house and and the reason that we're doing it that way is insurance one clean amendment so we're not passing several different things throughout this process but that will be in consultation with both the house and Senate working on it and working through a lot of these things in sitting down together to ensure that we're all on the same page and through the amendment process. Good thank you thank you like measure. Thank you senator Chesterfield thank you madam chair I listened with interest when it was said that a child was gone to public school or charter schools to When the charter school I know and several of them they suggest a return to public schools. But the money stays there. And I need to know what we're going to do to correct that because the the school district no longer has the money I need to know if we're considering putting something in place that say aye the remainder of that money if the child is not in that is not under charter school for like nine weeks after that nine week period then that that money that was sent there for the totality of the year because you know we based on the previous year. I need the money to go back to public schools and public schools due to because we've taken on a kid that I obviously can't make it there but they have to go back to regular school and tried to make is there what what are your comments on that senator well that's actually in the bill center Chesterfield we're at at the payments at any. I know you can go get it is over there but it says that money will be distributed in four quarterly payments so and if they're not gonna get the money all up front and so with that student leave that school that money follows them it does not follows them I just mean doesn't continue to get paid to that school when I saw that part but it does not speak specifically to the charter school. And charter schools money going back to the regular classroom that public charter schools are free. Well I'm not like that the public charter school serving if none of it sorry not public education or public charter is in my view well we send monthly Senate seven thousand per child okay and what I'm interested in just a conversation it may or may not happen but that's seven thousand dollars it goes to the charter school to educate that child and then at the end of nine after they've gotten the money they say the child is amended on your end and fitting in seven thousand dollar stays over there with the charter school are we looking at saying as we did in a portion of that bill that that in that we would paid quarterly and the rest of a go back I like that part of your bill but I'm saying that we don't have that right now for charters some of them keep kids long enough for the October count to take place in the ease them out of the schools Senate back to public education and they keep the money. In the public schools have to have to up to trade and I'm just interested in your thoughts on that Secretary. Yes thank you I was gonna say if you don't mind like to jump in there and that's not addressed in this bill I do think it warrants to a conversation for we want we want a whole folks accountable we want to make sure that the dollars that are falling sooner being used how they're intended to be deployed but also just it's a little bit more nuance when you start looking at how those if he counts are when you look at the foundation formula and the different components of the matrix because if that if that student per se let's say was in a public school the homes on school left there to go to it charter school is there for a year so it's not working out or was there for half year I want to come back even though that with the declining enrollment categorically even though that student left the zone school the school district gets paid for another year on this to do that leaves and then the following year gets paid a half a year so we're going to look at on the ones that I think we need to look at on the other side as well I want to look at it all right that's the Senate the that's because the money she's not on the cards are in I don't that's not a party okay different conversation all right thank you for that and I know that we talked about the school safety and making sure that that was not public record. dealing with school safety and I think that's. Probably prudent. We're talking about establishing of the safety things and people should not have just public access to what the plans are the problem is Arkansas law says you can only go into executive session for the purposes of personnel the on anticipate. Amending the bill to deal with that particular issue. So I think that's something that we want to make sure we're research because the intent of the language at the end of this section was to outline the fact that any conversations around school safety and identifying vulnerabilities would be exempt from from the public whether it's a meeting whether it's with the school board those conversations would not be done a public because you don't want to identify vulnerabilities in that that that would not be a good thing when you're talking about school safety what I'm saying is the knowledge that school boards. According to state law right now unapproved mission it can only go into executive session to discuss personnel matters and so I'm wondering if you have thought about adding it to the bill so that we can make sure. That that is private conversation and making sure that that goes into the bill or if it indeed maybe legal counsel can tell us if indeed we need to change the law around what school boards can go into executive session for because we gonna discuss safety. And you wanted to make that thing as private as possible for the good of the building for the good of the children thank you need a mechanism to make that a part of what we're trying to do I'm not trying to fight you on this at all I'm just trying to to get some understanding. Because current law being from school out back to the school board member and the loss and we can only go into executive session for the purposes of personnel so do we want to change that so that it can also include school safety issues that will impact whether or not schools they say that's all I'm asking. My understanding from the folks in the legal side the whole practice language. That put the statement in that section of the bill to do just that but it but we we will commit to is going back as I'm not a lawyer and I'm not gonna ever pretend to be one in the long run away. But I'm not aware he said at a level will come back to this but we care and if there is some additional language to make that call issues that no don't don't see it. Well if you can clarify if I may let you. That could Council clarify. She did not run away she she came back came back she can hear him hiding behind those. Hi there. How you. Thank you senator no I would never run away I don't mind coming up answering questions is sweet Again as a secretary leave us that I think we commit to going back and looking that and clarifying because I do agree with you that the conversation and not just the document should be exempt from any sort of public disclosure and so I agree will commit to looking at that wording and making sure that we're allowing those conversations to be held either in an executive session or some other non public setting all right thank you so much. Thank you. Senator Leding. Thank you madam chair. Several of us to talk about this today of this situation that search was just talking about we actually had an amendment drawn up to offer in Committee presuming that there would be other amendments and it sounds like there is a push from all members on both sides for going to amend this I know you said that we can take care of that on the house side and and having served in the House for eight years before going down to the Senate my heart will always be in that chamber and I have full confidence in our house colleagues they could clean up after is but I really do feel for the matter of just sound policy that we should send in the legislation in the best possible forms of their senators on both sides agree there are changes that need to be made I don't know why we wouldn't do that now and then send the bill to the Senate or to the house you know we are at best halfway through the session we have time and and we know the votes are going to change but I think it's for the purpose of getting that the language is tight is possibly should be we should address these matters on our end. Well as I stated in the beginning of my opening statements that this really has been the most collaborative comprehensive and piece of legislation that I've worked on in partnership and we've done everything an exact partnership with the house and so I believe for us to amend over here and then some over there in the house and then and that was sort of lose that sense of partnership and so it's not to me that we're just sending it down and letting them fix it it's that there's also the fact that we're getting from house members can as it makes its way over there we want to ensure ensure that we include everybody's and feedback and we've worked through everything because if we if we amend something and then they amend something that messes with what we amended with like that's what we need to do a comprehensive education reform we need to work through it in partnership with both chambers to ensure both chambers for on board with the amendments that we want to actually put in this bill and that's why I think it's so important that we do that together and at one time. I can appreciate that sentiment again love to hear the word collaboration I still feel that you. The Senate has a responsibility to make sure the legislation is at the best possible place and if we amended and then send it to the house and they have further amendments that is part of the process that's the way it works and we do still have been in about fifty seven or eight weeks to go before out here so I really do feel like we have the time to take care of this on our end thank you yeah thank you and again it's part of our partnership and collaboration this bill is still going to be out traveling through committees and the floor for a good two weeks like it's not speeding it up and in any way by waiting what it's doing is giving us time to work together in collaboration so that we are on the same page for the minute we want to make like I I just want to be clear about that like I understand what you're saying and yes typically that is what we do but on something of this magnitude I think it needs to be done in consultation of both chambers and at one time so we're all on the same page with exactly what we're doing and I do appreciate that and this is my last comment you by not fixing this so on our side we're going to have to be casting a vote on legislation knowing that there are things that we need to fix that we've agreed we're going to fix without knowing exactly what those fixes are going to look like and with that I'm there thank you thank you. Senator Hammer. The one thing I want to ask is the list that I gave you a while ago that. I don't mind working with the bill drafter in order to get the amendments worked up because there's feedback coming in but I will say that what I think is going to be clean and an effort for joint cooperation and I know senator Brooks is representative Brooks you have my place one day but not today representative Brooks is on the house side of things I would rather the amendments personally speaking all come from you income from him in one clean amendment so we don't have a bunch fragmented amendments floating around out there because I think that's gonna be confusion I think that's going to give the people of pause if they can't and then get it engrossed in the bill so it's easier read that's in order to get my vote when this is all said and done and clean comes back to the Senate that that to me is going to be the best and cleanest way to handle it are you agreeable to that yes that it comes from my set myself a representative Brooks I would I would prefer all the amendments come through both of you being that your primary sponsors on this thing instead of us getting I mean I can go get six or seven of these drawn up myself but for the process I'm I'm I don't feel that I'm yielding any power although I think as the Senate that it would have been better if it would have all been on this in but in the spirit of cooperation I'm willing to do that I just I just would rather come to you and representative Brooks as far as all these amendments that that are going to be done so I'm just expressing that publicly to you yes thank you I mean that is the plan so if someone wants to try to run a hostile men men I mean that's their prerogative as a mirror but that's the anticipate thank you thank you. Senator Chesterfield yes so after all of this collaboration. That Pataki about your. It goes to the house this is where the amendments will be at. Which means then it will come back to the Senate. Engrossed. So that we can read the hundred forty four pages with the amendments will we be given more than twenty four hours to do that. All the the bill is filed in it and amendments work there process where they have to be engrossed if they're introduced on that in and then come back to us so it's going to follow normal legislative process okay comes back to us it will be engrossed and we will be able then to vote on on the bill as engrossed with the changes hopefully that have been made but if the house does not wish to make those changes it does not have to do that is that correct that's correct all right thank you. Okay. So Senator Davis would you like to close for your bill yes thank you madam chair thank you members for a lovely day and appreciate and all everyone I want to clarify one thing that I said during questions I said the School parents can be audited and when we were working through like he's being audited in what capacity and I just want to clarify that what I was specifically talking about was that the educational freedom accounts can be audited that's it not personal accounts of families and who choose to participate in the educational freedom account so I just wanted to make that correction on the record. So in closing I like to say that you know contrary to so much testimony today this bill is the single largest investment in public schools in Arkansas's history hundreds of millions of dollars new dollars are going to be going in our public schools from this bill so please keep that in mind this is a public school bill and it is the largest investment in public schools in Arkansas sister. In closing I want to leave you with the words of Robert Kennedy from a speech that he gave in nineteen sixty four. His words are as relevant today as I imagine that they were then. He said the hardest task is to appoint men and women with the power and willingness to look at our difficulties dissect them criticize areas of shortcoming and make meaningful suggestions sometimes it's hard to accept that sort of recommendation it can carry with it announcer implied criticisms of programs that have failed us in the past. Change means that someone's professional feathers will be raffled. That the glass top desk might be moved to another office or abandoned that pet projects might die. Progress is a nice word we like to use but changes its motivator and change has its enemies. The willingness to confront change will determine how much we will really do for our youth and how truly meaningful our efforts will be. The test will not be how elaborately make our proposals for new programs and funds but how well these programs affect the inadequacies of old how well we are willing to change the old. We have proven data driven information on how to make learning success for students across Arkansas. The status quo is failing our kids and if you refuse to confront the desperately needed change even when it's at the expense of your own comfort then you are a protector of the inadequacies of old and you are an enemy to check. Today we are challenged to change the old and I hope you're up for the challenge with me. Members with that I'll make a motion do pass for Senate bill two ninety four the lands act do I have a second second from just one moment second from sender Dotson and discussion on the motion Senator Leding. A witness what okay. Thank you madam chair up just again want to reiterate that there's bipartisan agreement that the bill should not pass as it's written in the center Chesterfield point again what we have all full faith in the House once Senate center to the House it'll be up to the house to see to it that the things the Senate wants fixed are addressed so I just wanna make sure that's clear before we vote on this and as to the. Opposing something that expense my comfort I'm a Democrat in Arkansas have been comfortable in in quite some. Thank you. I think that's fair and two thirds of our kids across Arkansas can't read and the system has been failing and we our state leaders and we need to be here to address those failings and to support our teachers and invest in public schools and that's exactly what this bill does regardless of whatever other narrative people are putting their that's the truth about this bill. So what is. You are here we have we have a motion all you have sorry. Yes your motion is the motion thank you so much I do believe that there excellent parts of this bill. Mmhm. Part of this bill that I could support in a heart beat. If they were separate parts of this bill. But they're not. And for me to sit here and vote to end fair dismissal. In a society that has not been fair. Would for me be disingenuous. Will someone else change for the sake of change does not always result in progress. While I'm a big big advocate of leaving your comfort zone too much change can result in confusion is organization and a lack of confidence and I think when you show a build us roads and say take it or leave it. In less than forty eight hours. It is causing confusion this organization and lack of competence I didn't have the opportunity to be a part of any discussion groups that took place. And. I find that rather surprising since I'm the only educator on this committee. A lady does not matter that let me move on past that. I believe that teachers should receive a fifty thousand dollar floor salary but I believe that teachers who are experienced or I have in place the salary schedule that recognizes their education. And recognizes their experience that is not in this bill. All the other great things. Those two will preclude and I don't believe in public money necessarily going to private education that is not held to the same standard. The public education is. And people continue to tell me that this bill is about public education public education has not had a huge increase this is a big increase because of specific things what the price still the path and we keep slicing it up and sending one more money out of public education and expect a big education to be successful. Little Rock schools have lost so many schools and the more schools they lose more resources they lose the less able they are to be successful. So I ask that you think about it I believe in change changes necessary for life with change for the sake of change can also lead to the same confusion and disorganization I think this bill each to I would urge a no vote I know that's not gonna happen I thank secretary leave I thank miss miss Davis art work I thank the members of the committee and the chair for indulging me in my conversation. Senator Hammer. Thank you madam chair of a vote yes for this but I want to put this out in public because I want it to be on record that it has been commented today how gracious the governor has been to work with various people and to be accessible to various people come and visit with her and for that I'm very appreciative but this is also our first test of a new administration with the Senate and with the house both of which are controlled by Republican majority this is a opportunity to build trust in the future personally I would have liked for this have been put out there we've had a good discussion today I think that the discussion is going to continue I've heard people say that they haven't had time to read the bill but yet they sit at the table and they've written speeches and they've given comments that would indicate that they have read the bill that they have gone in depth or they have been in private groups or in the conversation always or whatever the case may be so there is a level of comprehension of what the bill does maybe not down deep in the weeds but to the administration I would like to share this that this is the one opportunity to build trust between the house and the Senate because we as a Senate are about to turn over if this gets voted off the floor tomorrow with great trust that the house is going to recognize the amendment should have been recognized today and if these things are not addressed if some of these critical things like the fair teacher dismissal act or not included in that it is going to be a long future as far as a trust having been violated and I want that on the record that it is to be understood that we as a Senate and what we're about to do with this though China here that there's a great level of trust that has to be respected and has to be honored and if not it will not be a fun future for us this session or for the remainder of the time and with that I will be voting in favor this bill so we can continue other discussion received feedback from our of various entities that have already communicated on this bill thank you madam chair. Senator Dotson. Thank you madam chair So this bill. You know it's obviously an education bill education reform bill. You know is it about teacher salaries yes. It is about parents absolutely. Within the day this is about students. The future of our state. The definition of insanity is doing what you've always done in and expecting a different result. This is a bold new direction. For education our state and it's long past time support this bill. Thank you. Thank you okay so we've added a motion and a second any discussion and so what is the will all of the. You're in favor say specified by saying aye. If you're opposed nay. Thank you I believe the ayes have it thank you very much thank you very much folks for all of this has been a long day Preciado everybody having all the patients but I think it's been very productive and certainly appreciate everybody here who has come to offer their thoughts and ideas. Thank you. Thanks for. After. Ladies ladies ladies. What a day.