Education Committee- House
Video
Transcript
1 document
Bills discussed (38)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1496
Act 304
· 4 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…SCHOOL IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN A HOME SCHOOL. HB1496 Andrews TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO ENSURE…”
|
TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO ENSURE ARKANSAS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT BY QUALIFIED … | Andrews | Notification that HB1496 is now Act 304 |
|
HB1477
Act 303
· 3 mentions in chapter, transcript, agenda
Matched: “HB1477 Barker TO ALLOW THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN OPEN-ENROLLMENT PU…”
|
TO ALLOW THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO SUBMIT AN APPLICANT … | Barker | Notification that HB1477 is now Act 303 |
|
SB226
Act 247
· 3 mentions in agenda, chapter, transcript
Matched: “…ENSURE ARKANSAS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT BY QUALIFIED TEACHERS. SB226 G. Leding TO AMEND THE SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST PREVENTION ACT…”
|
TO AMEND THE SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST PREVENTION ACT; AND TO MODIFY THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL … | G. Leding | Notification that SB226 is now Act 247 |
|
HB1398
Act 352
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1398 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT, ESTABLISH, AND IM…”
|
TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT, ESTABLISH, AND IMPLEMENT A CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN THAT INTEGRATES … | L. Johnson | Notification that HB1398 is now Act 352 |
|
HB1457
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1457 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT DATA AND OTH…”
|
TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL … | L. Johnson | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1482
· 2 mentions in chapter, agenda
Matched: “HB1482 Gramlich TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE RE…”
|
TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A … | Gramlich | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1490
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…ENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST AND RECEIVES A GED. HB1490 Wardlaw TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUD…”
|
TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT RETURN TEMPORARILY ISSUED ITEMS, RESOURCES, MATERIALS, … | Wardlaw | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1541
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…PMENT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS RELATED TO SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST. HB1541 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDI…”
|
TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1542
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL. HB1542 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL S…”
|
TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE … | Wooten | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1601
Act 354
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…estrictions designating areas as 'Members and Staff Only'. HB1601 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHE…”
|
TO REQUIRE STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO PROVIDE CAREER COUNSELING AND OTHER RESOURCES TO … | L. Johnson | Notification that HB1601 is now Act 354 |
|
SB135
Act 399
· 2 mentions in agenda, chapter
Matched: “…D INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING. SB135 J. Boyd TO AMEND ELECTION REQUIREMENTS IN THE CASE OF AN UN…”
|
TO AMEND ELECTION REQUIREMENTS IN THE CASE OF AN UNCHANGED RATE OF AN ANNUAL AD … | J. Boyd | Notification that SB135 is now Act 399 |
|
HB1017
Act 904
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ERTAIN SCHOOL YEARS. DEFERRED BILLS Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1017 A. Collins TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE…”
|
TO AMEND THE LAW REGARDING PAID MATERNITY LEAVE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES; AND TO REQUIRE … | A. Collins | Notification that HB1017 is now Act 904 |
|
HB1020
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…O PAY FOR INCURRED COSTS FOR APPROVED PAID MATERNITY LEAVE. HB1020 A. Collins TO REPEAL THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FR…”
|
TO REPEAL THE ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM ACCOUNT PROGRAM; TO CREATE A NEW EDUCATION FUNDING … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1023
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS. HB1023 A. Collins TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AN…”
|
TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1025
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…EPAYMENT AMOUNTS UNDER THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM. HB1025 McGruder TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025.…”
|
TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025. | McGruder | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1027
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…McGruder TO CREATE THE TEACHER FAIR DISMISSAL ACT OF 2025. HB1027 D. Garner TO CREATE THE BRIGHTER START ACT OF 2025; AND TO…”
|
TO CREATE THE BRIGHTER START ACT OF 2025; AND TO REQUIRE THE TREASURER OF STATE … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1030
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TING AND FUTURE ARKANSAS BRIGHTER FUTURE FUND PLAN ACCOUNT. HB1030 T. Shephard TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW ENF…”
|
TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO OBTAIN CERTIFICATION IN YOUTH … | T. Shephard | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1031
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…OUNSELOR TO RECEIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING. HB1031 D. Garner TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATIO…”
|
TO CREATE THE ARKANSAS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE EDUCATION ACT OF 2025; AND TO ENSURE THE HEALTH … | D. Garner | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1051
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…IC SCHOOLS ADDRESSES CERTAIN HEALTH ISSUES FACING STUDENTS. HB1051 Andrews TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL START DATE REQUIREMENTS.…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL START DATE REQUIREMENTS. | Andrews | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1062
Act 565
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Andrews TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL START DATE REQUIREMENTS. HB1062 R. Scott TO CREATE THE TEACHER AND STUDENT PROTECTION ACT O…”
|
TO CREATE THE TEACHER AND STUDENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2025. | R. Scott Richardson | Notification that HB1062 is now Act 565 |
|
HB1081
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…THE TEACHER AND STUDENT PROTECTION ACT OF 2025. Richardson HB1081 B. McKenzie TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMEN…”
|
TO REPEAL ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. | B. McKenzie | WITHDRAWN BY AUTHOR |
|
HB1139
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. HB1139 B. McKenzie TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. HB11…”
|
TO CREATE THE RELEASED TIME EDUCATION ACT. | B. McKenzie | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1197
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…REPORTING REQUIREMENTS TO WHICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE SUBJECT. HB1197 S. Meeks TO PROHIBIT SCHEDULING, HOSTING, OR REQUIRING AN O…”
|
TO PROHIBIT SCHEDULING, HOSTING, OR REQUIRING AN OUTDOOR PRACTICE, SCRIMMAGE, GAME, OR ACTIVITY FOR AN … | S. Meeks | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1239
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…THE HOURS WHEN AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING HAS BEEN DECLARED. HB1239 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CATEGORY … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1242
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…NT AT EACH MEETING OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS. HB1242 J. Mayberry TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES A…”
|
TO AMEND THE MECHANISM BY WHICH SCHOOL NURSES ARE COMPENSATED. | J. Mayberry | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1283
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…DITIONAL CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING. HB1283 J. Mayberry TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECON…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DIVISION OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION TO INCLUDE DIGITAL MEDIA STANDARDS IN … | J. Mayberry | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1312
Act 909
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…AIN STUDENTS. PENDING FISCAL IMPACT Number Sponsor Subtitle HB1312 Brooks TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUB…”
|
TO AMEND PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003. | Brooks | Notification that HB1312 is now Act 909 |
|
HB1483
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE TWELVE LIBRARY MEDIA STANDARDS. HB1483 Gramlich TO ALLOW A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO USE STATE FUN…”
|
TO ALLOW A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO USE STATE FUNDS TO PAY FOR AN ADULT … | Gramlich | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1484
Act 910
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…UNDING AMOUNTS UNDER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003. HB1484 Gramlich TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDITS A STUDENT MAY OBTAI…”
|
TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CREDITS A STUDENT MAY OBTAIN IN A COURSE CREDIT RECOVERY … | Gramlich | Notification that HB1484 is now Act 910 |
|
HB1492
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…S A STUDENT MAY OBTAIN IN A COURSE CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM. HB1492 Gramlich TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OPEN-EN…”
|
TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO IMPLEMENT A MOBILE … | Gramlich | Recommended for study in the Interim by the … |
|
HB1495
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WITH A WEARABLE PANIC ALERT SYSTEM DEVICE. HB1495 Hawk CONCERNING THE TRANSFER OF A STUDENT'S PERMANENT SCHOO…”
|
CONCERNING THE TRANSFER OF A STUDENT'S PERMANENT SCHOOL RECORD. | Hawk | Died in Senate Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1528
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “AGENDA (Revised 3/3/25 @ 2:05 PM) Moved HB1528 to Deferred Bills House Committee on Education Tuesday, Mar…”
|
TO REQUIRE A REPORT CARD TO INCLUDE A STUDENT'S CURRENT READING GRADE LEVEL. | McGruder | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1539
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ERNING THE TRANSFER OF A STUDENT'S PERMANENT SCHOOL RECORD. HB1539 A. Collins TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003;…”
|
TO AMEND THE PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING ACT OF 2003; AND TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL EDUCATION … | A. Collins | Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment. |
|
HB1545
Act 501
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TIONAL EDUCATION CATEGORY OF FUNDING FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION. HB1545 K. Brown TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSI…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSITIONS ACT OF 2021. | K. Brown | Notification that HB1545 is now Act 501 |
|
HB1561
Act 473
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…THE ARKANSAS MILITARY CHILD SCHOOL TRANSITIONS ACT OF 2021. HB1561 Painter TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION…”
|
TO ESTABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025. | Painter | Notification that HB1561 is now Act 473 |
|
HB1571
Act 502
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…STABLISH THE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2025. HB1571 Ray TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS ADULT DIPLOMA PROGRAM ACT. HB1580…”
|
TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS ADULT DIPLOMA PROGRAM ACT. | Ray | Notification that HB1571 is now Act 502 |
|
HB1598
Act 474
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…CREATE THE RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACT OF 2025. HB1598 Brooks TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH…”
|
TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS; … | Brooks | Notification that HB1598 is now Act 474 |
|
SB223
Act 400
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…TYPE 2 DIABETES WHEN OTHER HEALTH INFORMATION IS PROVIDED. SB223 M. Johnson TO CREATE THE RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS…”
|
TO CREATE THE RELIGIOUS RIGHTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACT OF 2025. | M. Johnson | Notification that SB223 is now Act 400 |
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- October 2, 2026
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
0:07
he's here with us today and Lee is uh the vice president of education policy and Interesting, OK. I get part of it anyway, so uh we're glad to have her today, uh, they, their office is out of Atlanta but she travels up here so often to see us and talk to people, so you and the education committee want to talk to her. She could tell you a lot of things that, that SREB does and it's a very vital part of Arkansas. We are members of that and I've served on one of their committees for a long, long time along with Sonia Barker and and
others here so uh we just uh glad to have you Dave Lee. Thank you.
Welcome, Lee. Glad to have you here. We also have a group, uh, from UCA Student Government Association from UCA, so I could recognize them. They're right here. There may be some other groups that I don't know, so feel free to throw something at me or yell at me, um, to let me know if you are here and I didn't recognize you. Uh, so members without objection we're gonna go a little bit out of order this morning. You all know the bills that we're gonna hear, uh, uh,
we're gonna begin with SB 226 since uh the great Senator Leding came to see us first thing we're going to recognize him if you would please, Senator,
uh, introduce yourself as well as Vice Chairman McKenzie for the record and then you're recognized to present your bill. Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
1:25
committee, Senator Greg Lening from Fayetteville. Brit McKenzie, uh, Spresentative Rogers. Good morning, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, an honor to be in front of you this morning. I served on this committee in 2015, but I don't think I've had
to come back to the House Education Committee since, um, so glad to be here. Uh.
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:48
up here at the start? No, this is a great, this is a great bill. Senator Lening reached out to me to be his co-sponsor. I was thrilled at the idea. This is a I Kind of like the uh Ebony and ivory of uh of uh education legislation in terms of uh the two sitting down here, but great Bill and I'll let Senator letting uh lead on it. So in
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
2:11
2017 passed the sudden cardiac arrest prevention bill that was brought to us by a couple who had tragically lost their infant son to sudden cardiac arrest, and what we did with that 2017 bill was make sure that schools were prepared to handle um if a student athlete suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Schools had long had to have policies in place. To address concussions and other incidents that student athletes might have, but there was no cardiac arrest component, so that's what we did with that 2017 bill, and in part because of that bill and others for a time, Arkansas ranked number 5 in the country in terms of the policies it had in place to
protect student athletes. We have since fallen to about 23, and so the Arkansas Athletics Association believes that by passing this bill in which we are adding a CPR component to that 2017 law that we can help protect more student athletes, and it did have Jason Cates, the athletic director for Cabot public schools, uh, testified with us in Senate education. He was going to try to be here this morning, but I'm guessing he is not here, probably because of the weather, but
Speaker 10
3:05
he did plan to be here today. I'll just add
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
3:08
one more thing. I'm also pretty cognizant of professional development adding requirements on to teachers and,
and staff that already have a lot to say grace over, but in terms of needing to increase their capacity and capability. It has to be in my mind or one thing that will instantly clap us into a different category is compelling interest, and I don't know if you've ever been to a sporting event or practice where someone goes down with a um a non-apparent uh uh contact injury. It's very scary and you wanna make sure if it were your children. or someone in your community, someone around them is at least qualified to, to take care of their needs until uh emergency
personnel can be present, so I think it's a great opportunity. It does build capacity and capability for everyone who works and walks into a school, so. And the only other thing
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
3:54
I would add is that the fiscal note shows there'd be no cost associated with the legislation. Amen to that.
Senator Laing representative McKenzie had presented the real the questions from the committee, uh, Representative Duke, you recognize. Thank you, Mr. Chair and thank you both
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
4:09
for bringing this bill. I don't really have a problem with it. I think it's a good bill. I just have a a question. So, um,
Does this fold into because you you're on top of me with the PD you know I was going to ask it, does this fold into their existing PD hours and do they have the discretion as a school district or DEI on how they lay that out in the years to come. I think it's a good bill. I got kids who are coaches. I had kids who had those, um, injuries from a heart, from a concussion, so I understand the need for it. Just want to see how, how, what the flexibility is or if it's prescribed. That is my understanding that we'll be
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
4:43
part of their existing training because again they're already policies in place for them to have to learn about
concussions, dehydration, and other things, and this will just be part of the training that they are already required to participate
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
4:54
in. Follow up. And this is specific to the coaches in PE or just just the coaches and athletic trainers. It's outlined
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
5:00
there in the second paragraph of the bill. It does include athletic coaches, licensed teacher coaches, registered volunteers, and competitive or non-competitive spirit coaches, and we'll fold in with like they would
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
5:08
basically here's your portion of PD you're gonna go do this in the like elective portions of PD. That is my understanding. OK. Thank you.
Speaker 32
5:19
and codes are you recognize. I promise. There we go in Mayberry you recognize. Thank you,
Representative Julie Mayberry
Unverified
5:29
Mr. Chair. um, I, I love the bill. Anything we can do along these lines, I think it's great. I just had
a question, so Lee Johnson has a bill at 1398, that is kind of similar. Well these complement each other? Do you, have you seen that bill at all? Is it still needed? I haven't seen it. I did hear that he was working
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
5:51
on something. I think his is a little bit broader. This one is focused specifically on student athletes. OK. So I don't think they're in any kind of conflict with one another, OK, just.
Representative Julie Mayberry
Unverified
6:01
has raised that issue today. OK, just kind of wondering because they were very similar. I just wanted to make sure that they
Speaker 37
6:08
weren't doing the exact same thing that maybe his. One is
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
6:12
athletics, one is general. OK, personnel specific as well as the expansion of the requirements, so yeah, I don't know about his bill either directly, but um this is specific to the individual roles
and the types of people that are in those
roles. OK, thank you. Just for clarification, Representative Johnson's bill is more broad based in terms of uh creating a, a an emergency response requirement for an entire school. Uh, so it's specific to that but also more broad from the school standpoint. See no additional questions sorry, Represent McGruder didn't see your light on, you recognize, um, first question
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
6:46
is which of you is Ebony and which of you is ivory
Speaker 44
6:52
I'll I'll let you go. You're the one that
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
6:55
brought it up. Go ahead, Greg. Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair, uh, uh, I, I do actually love the bill being a a coach, uh, uh, remembering what happened with Mr. Hammond a few years ago, uh, but I wish it was, I would like for more, uh, especially in these small districts where you don't have uh an athletic trainer, uh, and I've been in a small district. I, I would like for something along those lines to be added in the future. I know we can't do it right now, but, uh, athletic trainers are very important, uh, especially in areas where
serious things like this happen. Coach. Try their best, but uh we have a whole lot to deal with, but I want to thank you guys for bringing this bill forward. Thank you.
See no additional questions, is there anyone who'd like to speak for or against the bill. See no one signed up. Are you re you recognize to close your bill?
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
7:41
I'm closed and I just appreciate the vice chair's co-sponsorship of this piece of legislation. Senator by Sher McKenzie, close for
Speaker 50
7:46
the bill. I make a motion to pass with a motion of do pass. Is there a discussion on the
motion? See no discussion emotional if I ever say aye. Popos, congratulations, your bill's passed. Thank you. Yeah Members, we will move back
up the calendar now to HB 1477 Representative Barker. and Barker, if you would please introduce yourself for the record and you're recognized to present your bill.
Speaker 56
8:30
Sonia Barker, District 96. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee, this is. Just a bill to add our open enrollment charter public charter school, teachers to um be eligible
Speaker 57
8:40
for the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. That's what the whole bill does. You'll see it
Speaker 56
8:47
just adds or open enrollment public charter school except at the bottom of the first page and it strikes the language that said shall be reduced to 16, the finalist applicants, um.
Speaker 57
9:01
And when we include the open enrollment public charter schools, teachers that becomes contradictory language because not every open enrollment public charter, can I just call them charter schools? Thanks. All of our charter schools are not part necessarily of an educational co op, so that became contradictory in the language so now every public and open enrollment can send an applicant and the
Speaker 58
9:25
department will choose by merit and and everyone's represented.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
9:33
But Are there any questions from members? Representative McGruder, you recognize for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is in regards to, uh, page 2, lines 1 through 6, by submitting an application. Of Arkansas Teacher of the Year or school district or governing body of open enrollment public trial agrees that if the applicant is selected, the school district or open enrollment public charter school show place the teacher on paid administrative leave for the school year immediately
following his or her selection as provided. So we're saying we're gonna take this teacher out
Speaker 57
10:08
of the classroom for the year. That already happens. Yes, that goes sort of like an ambassador if you win a pageant and you're Miss Arkansas and you spend the year representing Arkansas, they spend the year representing teachers in Arkansas, helping to develop curriculum. All kinds of things. I am
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
10:22
amazed I guess because I was never nominated for Teacher of the Year. I'm sure that was an oversight. I can't understand it, but a great teacher leaves the classroom for a year, that
that was just surprising to me, so uh. That's not
Speaker 57
10:37
a change in policy. It just adds the open enrollment public charter school teachers. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. If
Speaker 21
10:43
I could nominate you up for some gruder, I would, but I don't know they would allow that. Other additional questions about
the committee? no additional questions. There's no one signed up to speak on the bill. Representative Barker, would you like to close for your bill? I'm closed.
Speaker 57
10:59
Appreciate the questions and make a motion to pass.
Represent Barker is closed for a bill's motion to do pass on the tables discussion
on the motion. Say no discussion, all in favor say aye. All opposed. Congratulations, Representative Barker. Have you passed your bill. Thank you, Chair. Thank you committee. Members will move to HB 1496 Representative Andrews, Representative Andrews, if you would please
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
11:31
introduce yourself and you recognize to present your bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Committee, uh, Representative White
Andrews, District 98, and if, uh, Mr. if you'd allow about Secretary
Leva to the table with me. Mr. Secretary, if
Speaker 73
11:48
you would please introduce yourself, you're recognized.
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
11:53
Good morning, Jacob Oliva, Department of Education. All right, good morning, committee. So, um, HB 1496, so currently here in Arkansas, um, this, this talks about teacher licensers and currently here in Arkansas there we have multiple
different pathways and some of it can be kind of confusing, um. And what this bill does is allow the department to streamline this down to redo some things and kind of go through the rules process of revamping our licensure here in Arkansas. Um, I think it's very important for our students, um, to have qualified and licensed educators, um, it's important to have um our teachers who do very hard work, um.
Make sure they know what they're doing and have the right qualifications. And so this is gonna allow the department to work through all the rules process to revamp the license process and um Secretary has assured us, assured me and this committee that um. We're gonna be included on when we
get to the rules making process so. So,
Speaker 77
13:00
uh, just kind of do a little bit deeper overview. Thank you, representative for introducing this bill. I think
Speaker 78
13:09
You all heard me testify before around the importance of having highly qualified educators, the research is very clear that the greatest impact on student learning is the adult standing in front of them each and every single day. And what we have found is that not everybody comes to the classroom following one approach. People come from very different walks of life. People come into the classroom with different experiences and background and what we want to make sure is that when we put adults in front of those students, they have the qualifications necessary to meet
the demands of what's in the classroom each and every single day. One of the things that we're trying to undo is make it a little bit more streamlined on defining the process so that we don't have unnecessary obstacles and burdens that don't look at how the impact of that teacher can lead to a standard license. So with this bill does is uncomplicate a lot of those pathways to make it so that when we have a highly qualified, high
impact educator, and we know they're making a difference. They can be on a path to a standard. license. One of the biggest waiver requests that we have as a state in an organization and you've heard me talk about the amount of waivers. We have over 8400 waivers in the state. The biggest one we get is around teacher licenses. Most of those aren't people that went to school to become a teacher. So if you go through a traditional teacher education program, you're going to school to become a teacher when you graduate, you either put on a
standard license or um a provisional license. Based on where you are in that process where we get um kind of a little bit nuanced and maybe sometimes over overburdensome, unnecessarily is if someone's coming to the classroom without going to school to be a teacher. So maybe I went to school and I was an English major. Maybe I was a math major. Maybe I was a history major. We have folks that have the content knowledge and experience to stand in front of our students each and every single day, and we want to give
them a license to say that they have met that expertise. an area of content knowledge and if there's a way for them to demonstrate performance, we want to count that. Currently our pathways do not allow that, so the biggest things that this bill does is one, it gives back flexibility and local control the school districts because right now when you look at a teacher's 190 day contract. 36 of those hours. Of their contract are in required professional development that we dictate as a state.
Now I think the school district, the superintendents, the principals might know what better pro professional development that a teacher needs than us at the state. So what we're doing is limiting what their requirements are from the state. Excuse me. Now there are things that Teachers have to do as far as um understanding child maltreatment, professional reporting protocols, um, how to recognize signs and symptoms of students that may be in distress, how to deal with bullying. There's some standardized professional
development that we're going to continue as a state, but we want to drop that 36 hours of required professional development at the state to 8 hours and give flexibility back to the school district to help build the buckets in those teachers so that they can understand the strategies. The curriculum that works best for their students. We want to look at additional ways to achieve that standard or provisional license that's not just taking a test, right, right now, typically the most biggest
pathway or barrier to a lot of people that we know are in the classroom each and every single day, and they keep falling in this non-licensed bucket is because they may not be a good test taker. This allows us to open up different ways to demonstrate mastery. whether it's through observations, whether it's through teacher student test scores and put them on a pathway that's faster so that they're not stuck in a cycle of being non-licensed for 5 years that they can demonstrate success and maybe within a year, get them to a standard license where they
belong, and we know that they deserve and that we can keep our high quality talent in front of our students. This is gonna be a great effort into teacher retention because we don't want to discourage people from unnecessary um of some bureaucracy to getting that license where they just throw their hands in the air and say it's not worth it. If you're doing a great job, we, we love you. We want to keep you, and we want to reward you and recognize you with that standard license. Overall, that's what the spirit of this bill does. Any questions?
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
17:48
Representative Duke you recognize her question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. OK, I have, I have 2, with leniency. Um, my
first one is you referenced, um, that we don't have a non-traditional pathway right now for teachers? I, I,
Speaker 78
18:02
if I said that that was in there, a lot of our about 50% of our teachers overall and that's just kind of a generic percentage do not come to the classroom through a traditional pathway. They are on a non-traditional pathway. What happens is a lot of times in order to keep them, sometimes we
require them to. get a master's degree or we make them have to pay past a competency test 3 practice tests, or do a bunch of other stuff, and we're not looking at their performance. So what we want to do, because that's where we get a lot of the waivers are for those teachers on a non-traditional pathway is let them demonstrate mastery of success and lead them to a standard license. OK, thank you for that clarification because I knew of two engineers
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
18:41
who became teachers in my district and I was like, oh I don't know what happened there. OK, and my second question, if I may, is,
um, on the professional development hours. So I, I like the reduction. Are you, but what I've heard for a long time from, from administrators is we have 60 hours, we have to do the 60 hours. So does this still require or school districts still going to say we have to have 60 hours of PD because that's what our contracts are and it's too much of a hassle or whatever. the stories are unchanged, or is it down to the 8 hours? What does that look like? Is it still 60 hours total of PD that suit the school district gonna have only 8 required by the state.
36 hours. What's that number? So I'm a big
Speaker 78
19:25
believer in professional development, right? I think if you feel like you've arrived, you still have a lot to learn cause the science is always changing. The research is getting better. We want to make sure that uh professional educators are engaged in that cycle of continuous improvement. You, you have a 190 day contract. So in the 190 day contract, let's say 178 of those
days are with students. You may have some required teacher planning days and then you have professional development days. Of those professional development days, our agency takes a big chunk of them out. What we want to do is unchunk that in a power back those educators to help support teachers with the science of reading. High quality instruction materials matter. Understanding the latest strategies that work best for the students that work for them, real practitioner in classroom support is gonna go a long way.
We should it be micromanaging that at the state level. So those buckets of required professional development, that's part of the teacher contract. And I think teachers overall, I know we have some in this committee who will say, If it's good professional development, I'll go on the weekends above and beyond, I give up my summers cause that's what a lot of teachers do. If you're making me sit and require professional development that is not improving my craft. That's where they get frustrated because we are truly wasting their time. One more follow
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
20:49
up if I may. So, so they're going to be able to focus.
That PD course-specific for everybody in their school district. They would have that autonomy, yeah, if that's what they that's what they chose to do we have, as you know, sitting in PD there's not necessarily relevant to their. Um, to their class, to what they're teaching for the point of what we just had a minute ago with Representative McKenzie's bill, the cardiac stuff, particularly very important for our coaches and stuff for a body case could be made obviously, but for them. So that would fold in necessarily to them or and then
OK and I and I can tell you I I I've, I've been as
Speaker 78
21:28
a former high school principal, I used to meet with teachers about the PD that we were required from the big bad district to give our teachers and I would meet with the teachers and say, what kind of I've experienced that works better for you. And I remember talking to our our auto shop teacher. It was like, Jacob, I haven't been in a garage in 10 years. Can my PD be just to go to the local mechanic and see how technology has changed. Sorry, we don't have time to do that on your own free time, do that in the summer. The culinary arts teacher wanted to work in a kitchen, but we, we,
our history teachers wanted to go to history profession development, not necessarily just literacy development because that's what the, the district may have been focused on the time. So if we can unblock some of this requirement. professional development, then districts can work with the teachers and give them real experiences that we know is going to help them improve. That's the intention. Represent involved you recognize for a question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I really appreciate this bill. This is something that,
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
22:30
um, I've been trying to do for several sessions now, trying to get the PD where it's more applicable to what they're teaching, um, and not all of this other stuff in the background because I do think it's such a waste of time for them to sit through certain PDs that really are not enriching them to help them do a better job in their classroom or understand something better, so I really do appreciate this bill and the of a bill and I just wanted to that to be online. Thank you. Gonzalezor than you recognize.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
23:03
Yes, um, thank you, thank you for bringing the bill forward and I just have a couple of questions. Um, this is so school districts have professional development days. And all the teachers go through that professional development. So, um, so essentially let's just say it's 8 hours, an 8 hour day, full day of
PD, so. Is that separate from this or that includes? Maybe both. So they, they're
Speaker 78
23:33
gonna have in their contract so many days of professional development. Right now, we monopolize a lot of those days with the required professional development. Now there are some things that where I said we want to limit it to 8 hours that we have to do statutorily and teachers need to know, you know, what we're not going to compromise school safety regardless of what you teach, the training around safety, you're hearing some bills that are trying to make school safety. Those are non-negotiables. There's some gonna be some district initiatives, right? We don't, we don't wanna micromanage the district because they should be
looking at their data and coming up with plans to address improving outcomes based on programs, demographics, 10 area, whatever they need. But then also, maybe there's some autonomy for that professional educator to look at their own personalized professional development, because I can tell you, we talk about differentiated instruction in our classrooms all the time, because not every student's on the same grade level. Why don't we differentiate professional development. Professional development for a master teacher should look different than a novice teacher, and when you
handcuff those days, it doesn't give the autonomy and flexibility for school districts to be able to differentiate. So what we want to do is empower our districts, um, to support the professional growth of their educators, and I hope, uh, to your point that they're able to find ways to differentiate that and if districts need support with that, that's what our agency stands ready to do.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
24:58
Um, follow up, OK, so, so basically that if it's a, if they have say 2 PD days built into the school calendar, um, then.
Essentially, if each of them are 8 hours, which I know they wouldn't be totally 80, but we'll just say 8 hours then, then this would be fulfilled essentially. This PD requirement, the teachers would go to the to the district PD or to their building PD on a PD day and whatever it for the 8 hours that we're still gonna require, it could be, yes, so those could be one and the same. It wouldn't be separate school districts would could still do their PD days and as long as the teachers are there.
With the PD day learning from the PD PD day then then those 8 hours would count for their PD to help renew
Speaker 104
25:47
their license. Yes, if it's a, if it's a
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
25:51
prescriptive 8 hours, yes. OK OK, I just As an educator, I just feel that that's. That's not enough, um, 8 hours. I, I love the idea of differentiating the individual teachers differentiating the um PD, but.
There are many teachers would like to take additional PD. Um That ties in with their ties in with their instructions. So that's what I was just wondering because it may not necessarily totally fit their. So let, let me, I think that's a great
Speaker 78
26:28
comment. Typically in a standard teacher contract built into that contract is 10 professional development days. At the state we were taking up about half of them. We want to
take up one of them and give 9 back to that teacher and to that school district. So they're still gonna have, it's not just 8 hours. We want to prescribe. That's why I wanna make sure I'm clear. We want to prescribe those 8 hours because there's some things that are non-negotiable and that typically starts with school safety and student safety. Those are going to be required and we're going to do this every year, but we want to differentiate and give local power back to the districts to prescribe maybe those other 8 or 9 days. So I want to clarify, yes, thank you.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
27:13
I have one more question, OK? Um, and it is
related to renewing your teacher license, I guess I'm looking at um line 26 and 27 on page one. Based on the teacher's evaluation and professional growth plan under the teacher excellence and support systems. I'm just wondering, are we doing away with teacher observations or, you know, you have a new
teacher, they, they're gonna be mentored observed, you have a a room many years. That is that observation or growth plan,
still gonna be included in that. I'm just asking since this was deleted. I'm, I'm just
Speaker 78
27:59
big believer in observation. I, I think you have to inspect what you expect, and that's something I'll always tell my, my, um, principals, you can't lead a school from your office. You got to be in the classrooms, supporting teachers, talking to students.
What this does is it takes all that prescriptiveness away. But it allows that teacher to be on an individualized, um, personalized growth plan where that evaluation and their scores could lead to licensure. But why this is stricken is because you have to do this, you have to do that, you have to do this, this, this, this and this. We wanna unhinge that and find different ways to demonstrate mastery. So observation is definitely going to be a part of that student outcomes is gonna be a part of that. If a teacher still wants
to take the traditional route and pass the test, they can do that, but then. There's other ways to basically make a portfolio, demonstrate mastery on a portfolio level to give that teacher a standard license because if, if the teacher can make the magic happen, we want to keep them in the classroom.
Chair
Unverified
29:08
OK Thank you. Representative McGruder, you're recognized for a question. Thank you
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
29:14
Mr. Chair. Page 3, it's my concern in
regards to The emergency teaching permit. I'm trying to understand are we saying that we're no longer giving out uh. Teacher licenses to those individuals or or how is that going to work. Well, page 3's got
Speaker 81
29:31
a lot of different sections, so I wanna make sure I'm talking about
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
29:35
the which section or page 34, and it goes all uh line for and goes all the way down to uh Line
Speaker 81
29:43
21. Right. So, basically the reason we want to update
Speaker 78
29:48
this is because we have a lot of candidates that will come through a traditional program and qualify for either um a provisional license, meaning they've met a lot of the um qualifications, but there's still a couple of things they need to check off their box to get to the standard. Some may come straight out of the um university system and get their standard license. 50% of our teachers don't follow one of those traditional pathways. What this does is allow us to evaluate that person
in their journey on how they got to the classroom and look at different criteria other than if you had so many hours past a master's or if you have a master's or if you have so many years of work experience, or did you pass 5 different tests. This allows us to put them on a plan and highlight what they need to do to lead to a standard where observ and student outcome can be a part of that, and it opens up different ways to demonstrate that mastery that that we don't have right now. No cars. Mr. Chair.
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
30:52
So the path to teacher certification. Can you explain the traditional one and the non-traditional certification, and I think that should be my last. So thank
Speaker 115
31:01
you you you want to answer that traditional licen
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
31:04
uh, you know, tra traditional be, you know, get a 4-year degree, take practices, and you get a license and
non-traditional would be. Maybe like MAT, a master's of arts in teaching that route or
um. You talk to other I'm not totally familiar with this. So Trish
Speaker 78
31:28
or I might go to school to become an elementary ed teacher, right? So I, I, I get my training, I take, um, different practicums. I do an internship experience. I, I learned how to teach math. I learned how to teach reading. I learned how to do all my content area. I graduate. I graduate from that institution, I still have to press my practice, my subject area exam, and maybe some other competencies to get a standard license. Most candidates are going to do that.
Let's say I graduate du ate but I don't pass my practice. They may be given a provisional license till they pass that practice. We have other students that may or candidates that come to the classroom that may have been a math major and never took that educational pedagogy as part of their um Degree seeking program, but they have demonstrated content knowledge, but they may have not demonstrated all of the pedagogical requirements that we have of educators to lead to that standard requirement. Right
now, we require them to still pass all those tests. We may even prescribe, you have to take 3 more courses like a class on classroom management. Maybe you have to take a class on data analysis and take stuff that may have not been in their degree program and we put them on that licener pathway. What this does is instead of that teacher coming to the classroom who has that knowledge and experience, get a waiver from a district. It actually works with that candidate so they can get a personalized prescribed plan
that says if you do these things, here are 3 options so that we can get you a standard. One of which is including that they can teach and their students are learning. That's not a pathway right now to getting a standard license. So this is actually saying, you are a math major. We hired you to teach calculus. Our kids are all passing the AP exam. We want to keep you. Here's the standard license right now we can't do that. OK, OK. Mr. Prescription garner, you're recognized for a question. I
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
33:26
have a question on logistics, um, and, and it says the district your
mic if you would please. Sorry about that. um, I just have a quick question on logistics. It says the district and then
y'all will the district makes the plan and then y'all will approve. How does that work exactly? Like the principal works with the
Speaker 81
33:44
teacher and good question. When, when a, when a person that's
Speaker 78
33:47
coming through a non-traditional pathway and wants to enter the classroom before they can get put on a plan, they need to get hired. So the district will say, I want to
hire Jacob. I'm, I'm gonna say I have a degree in physics, wouldn't that be great? And we want him to teach science that that will never happen, but in my world, this hypothetical scenario that just happened. Um I could be someone that has a degree in physics and want to become a teacher, but I'm not gonna be given a pla a pathway until somebody hires me, the district notifies us, we evaluate the transcripts, we tell the district. These are the
Speaker 81
34:17
things that they can do so we can get them to a licenser. That's what that is. So it's probably
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
34:23
the hiring and then they have 3 years to finish
Speaker 78
34:27
that, and so we, we put them on a plan for 3 years, but there's also an an opportunity to allow for extensions because sometimes life happens and there's extenuating circumstances, but our goal is to expedite, reduce the number of non-licensed teachers and qualify those teachers, we know they're having an impact and increase the number of teachers that have a standard license. Thank you. Thank you. Represent Gonzalez
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
34:51
and you recognize. Thank you. So what about, you mentioned that's kind of the non-traditional route.
What if you have a student, a pre-service teacher, and they have completed all their coursework. They've earned their bachelor's degree, um, in elementary ed, um. But they're having difficulty passing the praxis, the, the, the exams required for licensure so. What happens to that individual that's already completed everything, but they're having difficulty passing the praxis, the required practice exams. So, unfortunately that happens a
Speaker 78
35:29
lot. So that candidate would be given a provisional license, right? And then historically, they'd be told, you got to keep spending money to keep trying to pass this test, we'll put you in a teacher prep program or help tutor you, that could be a pathway to a standard license, but another pathway that we want to open up is if that person is teaching on their provisional license and has a high impact on student learning, we can take that snapshot and date and say you've satisfied this requirement over
here. Let's move you to a standard because we can use student performance now. OK,
Speaker 126
36:05
thank you. Garner, do you have another question? No,
I'm sorry. Seeing no additional questions and there's no one signed up to speak on the bill. Represent managers would like
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
36:22
to close for your bill? Yes Um Committee, thank you for listening to Bill and um I, I
hope this will go a long way and make sure we have a. Qualified teachers that are well rounded, you know, it's important that our students get a well rounded education, um, the point this is is to make it easier for these high performing high qualified teachers to get into the classroom and. So that chair I'm closed and I make a motion to pass. Res of Andrews is close for his bill
with a motion of do pass on the table. Is there discussion on the motion? See no discussion on the motional in favor say aye, all
opposed. Congratulations, Representative Andrews, you've passed your bill. Thank you. Members, we will now move to So you're looking for Representative Johnson. He is not here yet. Uh, so we will go ahead and move to HB 15441 with
Representative Wooton. Representative Wooton, if you would please introduce yourself and need to recognize to present your bill. Thank you.
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
37:34
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and committee. I'm Jim Wooten, representative from District 59 BB Garner. That area. I'm here today to present 15. 41, is that the one you called up? Yes, a representative. This is simply a bill to require the private schools to accept Who accepts state funding.
Of any type to provide transportation to certain students enrolled in the school, um, and for other purposes. Now, the main reason for this is the fact that Oh, most all or all public schools provide transportation. To those who Um, attend the school. The private schools do not do that. The aim of learned was to.
Uh, reach out to the homeless, the underprivileged, uh, and, and the disabled and the challenged. And a lot of them do not have transportation and ability to go, which precludes them taking advantage of a private school because some of them live on the other side of the city, you take care of Little Rock. I've used the example. You have a homeless person, a child, young person
who have parents and they live under the freeway bridge. How's he going to get or she going to be able to transgress across the city of Little Rock to the west side of town to the private schools. And the same thing is true in the uh Country areas in the rural areas of the state. Many people who could take advantage of a, of a private school if they wish to
be uh in one enrolled in one, they would be able to, uh, they, they would be able to have transportation to and from the school. So this is not This is nothing more than affording the students the same services that state provides be provided by a private school. So it's uh incumbent. Upon us as representatives of
the total population of the state to fill those voids and to see that those voids are taken care of and that those students are, are able to participate and able to attend school. Transportation should not be a hindrance to them being able to go to school. So I don't think it's any asking any more of them than we uh do the public schools. I realized
that it's not mandated that they provide transportation, but all districts do. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Epson Woo
and a couple of quick questions that I've got, um. What um, what was the,
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
41:01
the rationale for the 35 miles? Within 3 generally, uh, we didn't want, I didn't want a situation where a student uh lived in the circumference of
the, say, the Little Rock School District, and they wanted to go to Academy or uh CAC or whatever to be excluded because they lived, uh, outside of the, the district. And I see there's no fiscal impact noted here. What
would be the actual cost? Do what? What would
be the actual cost to the schools that were requiring. It
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
41:37
depends upon the type of transportation that they use, if they were used vans
versus buses, whatever the number of students that they had to to transport, it would be left to their discretion. Assuming most schools use
school buses as, as we would typically expect the yellow school bus. Um, how many students would we expect them to have on each school bus. I have
no idea what's the Average cost of a new school bus. I have no idea. And do we know how many, how many school buses that will be required maybe per school.
Do what now? Do we know how many school buses will be required per school, uh, to fulfill
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
42:22
this requirement of statute? Well That would depend upon the enrollment of the school relative to the cost that they had to incur. We have to incur the cost at the state level. Uh, in the district, uh, we provide transportation allowances. And uh the private schools would have to do the same thing. So since we provide uh in fiscal
year 26, we're looking at providing $345 per student, uh, to our public schools was about 162 million-ish, um, they were providing, so should we increase funding for EFAs for this requirement. For the private
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
43:01
schools? No. They, they're receiving uh money. Through the student enrollment. Through the freedom accounts. It says no fiscal impact on the state of Arkansas.
Representing Andrews, you're recognized for a question. Thank you,
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
43:22
Mr. Chair. Uh, is this gonna apply to just the students are on the, who are on the EFA
program or would it apply to every student within a private school. Will that be
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
43:32
up to the private school, but they have to provide it to those that have the state funding. that received the uh freedom accounts if they wanted to extend it. To the rest of their student body, that would be their decision to make. OK, so your, your intention, this is just for
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
43:50
the students who are using the EFAs to run
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
43:53
the go to private school, and the reason, the reason for that is because, uh, initially, uh, the, the initial group that were Because Take advantage of the freedom of accounts were supposed to be disabled and problems or difficulties and that type thing. So we mandated that they
be able to go to school now and all fairness. Most, most, uh, private schools don't take those that are disabled. those that can. And just yesterday, I got a, a, a email from an individual who pointed out to me that my law school, not all private private schools have speech pathhologist and that, that is interfering with some doctors suggesting that a
person has an IEP and individual educational plan. So You know, for us to mandate or make the money available to the private schools, then if we want the students to have access to transportation to be able to attend, then the private schools should meet the same, uh, responsibility that the public schools are making but providing transportation. But Sherman because you
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
45:26
recognize. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to What was asked and what was said is not what the bill states. I want to be very clear because you, the question was relevant to EFA students and the use of transportation dollars within an education freedom accounts. You don't have to go very far in the bill. Line 26, a private school that accepts state funding of any type shall provide transportation. This, this bill and in its brevity says nothing about EFAs. This bill creates a mandate on
private schools if they take one student with an EFA or a succeed scholarship or if they take 100% of their student population, so I just want to make sure that it's noted that what was answered is not accurate, um, to that
Speaker 65
46:12
point let me ask, what, what were you saying was not accurate? Representative Andrews asked you if this was for the purpose of students
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
46:19
with EFAs, your answer went to, to, to the point of saying, well, the purpose of EFA was for students that have transportation needs, it goes to
pay for that. This bill doesn't have anything to do with EFAs outside of if a school accepts any EFA dollars, so from a binary state of $0 accepted from an EFA to 1, they are now required to provide transportation for all students. So I just want to make sure that's clear and I do have a follow up. So in your opening, uh, you made mention of something and you, you mentioned it and I appreciate that, uh, that currently in statute, public schools are not required to provide transportation. You did
say that all districts do. Uh, I would, you know, I, I. don't, from the last time we discussed this and learns, there were school districts that did not participate in forms of public transportation for their students. There were. based on the rural nature of some of them are consolidated schools, they didn't have that. Um, they were working within a community system to provide transportation, not through the school, so. Um To that end, wouldn't you agree this again is another instance in which we create disparity or
in fairness is a theme of a lot of the conversation we have, uh, in this bill. This promotes a lack of fairness because we're now requiring something of
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
47:42
private schools that we do not require of public schools. Wouldn't you agree? Well, they don't provide transportation at all now in private
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
47:54
don't follow your this is you're requiting you're creating a statutory requirement for private schools, a statutory
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
48:03
requirement does not exist for public schools. That that may be, that's true. OK. Thank you description makes you recognized. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I'm, I'm gonna go back to that 35 mile radius that you've got here in the bill. Um, that, that would, from here to the Capitol, that would mean that any student pretty much between Greenbrier and all, all the way down to Whitehall, almost all the way to Pine Bluff, and then from Carl Watlile all the way over to the far side of Benton would be the
school would be required to provide transportation for students across that huge of an area from 70 miles from one side to the other. And I'm just wondering Are there any public schools in the state that get anywhere near that size radius of having to do transportation, and I just within that 70 mile diameter, I mean, there's, you know, 1012
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
48:56
school, public schools. You're comparing apples to oranges. Private schools have a greater far outreach than public schools, potentially.
So they, they need to be required to provide transportation. We can, we can debate whether this school or that school provides transportation, but if we're going to feel fulfill what learns intends to do, then my bill will help to be sure that that is done. But, but I mean, it's just, it's just like what, what, uh, uh, the Secretary of Education just stated.
with all those rules and regulations on public school teachers, but we do nothing. To control the teaching, transportation or anything that a private school does, we just send them $7000. The A in learns is for accountability and right now, And right now there's no accountability from a private school and some of them didn't even respond.
To the reports that gave test scores so that parents would be able to evaluate. So Representative, I would ask that we just continue to
speak specifically on this bill. We're not talking about test scores. Let's stick to the transportation questions, uh, in front of us. Are there additional questions about the committee? See no additional questions we do have.
We have one person signed up to speak on the bill. Yes, Tony Rose, sign to speak on the bill. If you would please introduce
Tony Rose
Unverified
51:03
yourself for the record, then you're recognized. It was screen. Thank you. My name is Tony Rose. I'm with the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, and I'm here to speak against this bill.
Uh, an answer to one of the questions earlier. A 100,000 mile. 10 year old used bus that holds 70 people. Uh, will run up to $40,000 apiece. Transportation for students is a benefit that some many public schools don't uh do provide. Uh, the aim of learns, I would say, uh, based on my understanding.
is to acknowledge that we need to do better in our public schools, and we are, we're making great improvements, uh, thanks in part to y'all passing uh the Lawrence Act. And um In the meantime, we wanted to also acknowledge that uh taxpayers, parents have been paying into and for public education many years whether they have children or not, and before, during and after their
children are in the school system. So to me, This is, this is something that I think parents, uh, and public and private schools were fearful of is that once they started accepting. Um, taxpayer funds. That we would start piling on exceptions to uh and rules and
regulations that would one interfere with the word private in private schools and then the other thing is, look, Here is 8 pages and 11 point type. Of private school requirements that they signed up for in order to accept vouchers and now this bill adds another expensive requirement in order to accept
those vouchers and we're still very, very new into the program and y'all have asked a lot of good questions of this bill, which I agree with. Um So by requiring transportation or other requirements other than what was signed up for very recently. Um, we're, we're adding a lot of cost that is going to require
the private schools to either increase their cost. Which is going to limit not only what the parents signed up for way before the Learns Act passed, but or they will have to uh make decisions based on the cost of this equipment to perhaps not offer some things that public schools don't offer that were attractive to the, uh,
uh, parents and the children, you know, people are in private schools for a lot of different reasons, and some children flourish in private schools where they didn't in public. But we're also In my opinion, a little bit taken away from the advantage that a public school has or most public schools have, and that is that um, they get a free ride to school and to and from school. So, I would say let the public
schools retain the benefits that they have. Let the private schools continue to be private and, uh, let the Learns program work its way through, uh, what the recent studies show that um parents that are been enrolled in the Learns program. Some of the retention is in the mid-40s and some of the retention is 100% and there's different reasons for that. So I would encourage, um, you to consider not only the answers to
the questions you've already asked, but this testimony to not pass this bill, and I thank you for your time very much. Any questions? Other questions from Ms. Rose from the committee. I see no questions. Thank
you for your time. All right, thank you. See no one else to sign up to
speak on the bill. Representative, would you like to close for your bill?
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
55:58
Public schools provide transportation. That's a very simple known fact. There are those students that are covered under learns. That do not have the capability, capacity, or earning ability. To be able to provide transportation to those children. Who choose to to maybe their situation. That they would flourish in a private school.
But they ought to be afforded the same services that are provided. To them In the public school and one of those is public transportation. And to be able to have uh a way and the ability to attend the school of their choice. And as I said, the A and learn stands for accountability. And that's one area that they do not
Flourishing in in the private sector. And it's a decision that they have to make. Because they're a business. And they had to make the decision what they will offer in services. If they're gonna be competitive. Then they have to offer transportation. Thank you. Thank you committee. Representable Williams closed for his bill. What's the will of the committee?
Seeing no emotion when your bills failed. son Wootton, you are recognized to
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
57:44
present HB 1542. HB 1542. is a bill that I introduced last session. And I feel this is relevant today as it was then. Uh, simply an act concerning private schools to require private schools to administer.
An annual statewide student assessment and to require private schools to admit each student who applies for admission and intends to use state funding to cover the cost associated with admittance and attendance at the private schools and for other purposes. The background to this bill is the fact that The way it came about was, uh,
and I shared this on uh with 11:44. published by the Department of Education a list of schools and they're testing requirements and the, if they, it was a report that's required that they comply with. Several of them did not even report. To the, to the Department of Education. There was no report. It was blank. Several, there are about
anywhere from 25 to 35 other tests. Varying test. There's no way for accountability relative to the private school versus the public schools. And the last speaker that spoke against uh the transportation bill. Made, made the point that public schools had a lot to improve upon. And, and she also made the
point that they, some children flourish in private schools. And, and I agree with both of those. But We need to keep in mind anytime we're comparing scores. From one test to another from one school to another, that in the state system, they're all alike. You're comparing apples to apples because they administer the same test. In private schools, it's not that way.
So parents Been empowerment. Do not have the ability to be able to look and get a fair Viewpoint or a fair evaluation. Of the testing because the testing is different. There's 30, like I said, there's 30, 25 to 35 different tests and private schools and then in the public schools, there's just one test. And again, the A.
And learns is for accountability. And this is not an attack on learns. And the point is made about the parents of the Children paying taxes for years and years before we ever had a voucher program. If you're gonna live in the state of Arkansas or any state in the union. You're going to pay taxes. And most of it goes, half of it goes to the public schools.
That's just a known fact. Because our Constitution clearly states it's the state's responsibility to provide an adequate and equitable education to the young people of this state. It doesn't say private schools anywhere in the Constitution. And we're sending $7000. A year without any accountability and
accountability is one of the conditions of learns. That's so no accountability. Well, accountability of who? We just, uh, Representative Andrews and uh and uh Secretary Olivia, uh, We're up here just a moment ago, talking about PD professional development. And I'm the first to agree with
Representative Duke and others that it needs to be looked at and re-evaluated. But we're here again, we're putting all the accountability on public schools, and we have none on private schools. And we don't have our venture to say I, I know of no. Stay contract. That doesn't have Parameters of accountability.
To the state, and when, and when you use the state, you're using the taxpayers. We have a responsibility to the taxpayers of this state. Now, All we're talking about in private schools is 16,000. We have 440,000 other young people in this state. that attend public schools.
And this be honest, not one of them can afford to go to a private school. Not every one of them has access. You, you tell me the children and your Dora. Dermont, Lake Village, Helena, West Helena? For a city Northwest parts of some parts of the states and Madison County. Boone County and others.
they, they don't have access to private schools. And then On top of that, We're going to make available. For everyone. And the governor this week gets up and brags about the fact that all universal. So we're, we're we're, we're funding. An education, and we're not asking any accountability, but
yet, you heard the secretary and others that have spoke talk about What we're going to make the the public school teachers do. an order to be licensed. And I agree with the fact that they're backing out, apparently, uh, from some of the requirements uh for for professional development. And that leaving it more to the local district. But we're still requiring
accountability of the public schools and the public school students. And the testing is a very small minute part. Of what we require of public schools, but yet we require nothing of private schools, no accountability. Uh, you can have a page of 11 things to fill out, but we all know they're gonna get that money regardless. And we won't, I won't even go
into what it's done to athletics. And still no accountability, so I'll be happy to answer
any questions. Thank you, Representative Wootten, I wanted to ask just a couple of questions to start off, uh, you just made the statement that we require nothing um of schools that accept EFAs, uh, would you agree that in Les it does require that any student accepts EFA, that the school must administer an exam, an annual exam to them?
Do what now? Would you agree that within learns the statute requires that any student accepts an EFA, the school is required to administer an annual annual
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:06:09
exam to them. Well, they, they, they are required to administer annual exams, but there's 35 different exams. How do we know what they're testing? I just want to hear on the point that you said they require
nothing, so I wanted just to clarify that there's requirement there, uh follow up on that, so, um, Really, I actually want to deal with a later on portion of the bill that you didn't talk about,
uh, as we get to page 5 talking about uh admittance requirements. Could you discuss that for just a moment? Page 5, page 5 of your
bill. OK, Section 10, page 5 of your bill, you didn't talk much about the admittance requirements. Could you discuss that? On page 5. Yes, sir, page 5 of
your bill starting on line 19. Give me just a minute. And
Speaker 161
1:07:04
story went line 19. Yes, sir. Well, I
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:07:15
just, it's very clear if they have to, uh, admit each and every student that comes to the front door like a public school does. Thank you. So does he, does every public school
have to admit every student that comes to their front door. Do what? Does every public school, is every public school required to admit every student
that comes to their front door? Well, yes, they are. They kept turning a student away. Maybe it's just an example, let's say that my, my 9th grader, uh, really loves uh Parkview High School's banned because they're an outstanding band. Let's say he wants to be admitted to their drum corps where they have to accept him for that. Well, if my, if my 9th great son
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:08:06
wanted to wanted to be admitted to Parview specifically for their ban. I'm glad you brought that up, Mr. Chairman. We have school choice. We had school choice before we had learns. And I pointed that out with a, with 1144. But yes, if he goes to a school, And he wants to enter because it has a better score. Or a better academics or for
some reason they can transfer to that school. But, but are they required to
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:08:45
admit him. To that school. Or could they possibly could, could they possibly I'm gonna be very point blank here. I'm offended. That you asked me that question. Because of the fact that you yourself are biased. Toward private schools. So I'll go ahead and cut
respect, with all due respect, Representative Wootton, with all due respect, the questioning is relative to that section of your bill about everyone being admitted and I want to make the point, I'm just asking the question. I want to make the point that we do allow for instances for schools to choose based upon certain admission requirements. We do public schools do have the opportunity to make a choice based upon Their particular requirements, for instance, Parkview High School from their website.
Says If accepted, So if accepted into their school, So are there not potential specific situations where they may not accept a student based upon certain
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:09:51
grades or other specific schools do. I just know that all public schools have the responsibility to extend themselves to whoever comes to their front door. Absolutely promise they don't.
Speaker 94
1:10:10
Are there additional questions from the committee? ball you recognize for a
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
1:10:19
question. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So Representative Wootten, um, This is more like what my district has asked for, like make the test applicable. Make admissions be fair both sides. Like if I have to take a kid that's within my district that is whatever it might be. No matter the grades, no matter if they have, um, 501, 504s or
whatever that's called, Help me out there, Representative Duke, um, if they've been expelled from another school, my school has to take them and they don't even really know why this other school has been, uh, they've kicked them out. I, I like the bill, so. There might be a couple of things that you might go to me to make a few more people feel a little bit more comfortable about what you have here, but I do think you're on the premises of what most public school
parents feel like learns did was set private schools above public schools instead of us doing them equally across the board. So I appreciate that in the bill, and I, I don't agree with uh the chair because I do my, I know my schools have to take every child that comes to their door. Um, and I've never heard of any of them being able to turn away anybody for any reason. So I do appreciate the, the spirit of the bill. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a brief comment on that.
Uh, I believe that that schools do have
certain requirements, for instance, uh, Parkview magnet requires that to be admitted into their science but it's still a public school to be admitted to their their science and math programs you must maintain a C level grade average. They would not admit my son if he had less than a C grade average, they would not admit him. They
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:12:04
would be allowed to not admit him to that. OK, that's a designated magnet school, but still it's still part of our. the policy of the entire district.
I know that, I know that, uh, 95 9595 to 100% except all who come, except in situations where you have a charter school or you have a, a, a, um, Magnet school. And that's, that's, that's different. And now they're designated a specific area of study. And a specific area.
Why, why, why do you take offense by that or ask the question on that when private schools every one of them. Have admissions exams, and I've shared this before. A member of a member of the board of directors of a private school, told me personally, Oh, we take everyone. I said, you take everyone that comes. He said, well, yeah. I said, well, do you have an admissions test or exam or a
board that looks over them, and he replied, yes, yeah, we tell them, I said, well, what do you do if you get a student that doesn't meet your specifications or what you feel needs to be met. And he said, Well, we tell them we don't think they can matriculate in our school. By McKenzie you
Speaker 52
1:13:38
recognize for a question. Cool. Um, OK. So,
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:13:49
I want, I don't want to get lost on the fact that we're here as a deliberative body to look at a bill. Um, the plural of anecdote is not data. This has been the 3rd or 4th iteration of we come down and we see these bills and we're using hyperbole at best in non-factual data at worst to to promote an agenda, um, and it's, it's frustrating I
Speaker 137
1:14:11
take objection to that. Please let him answer, ask
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
1:14:13
the question. Sorry, uh. I get it. We have, there are pedological and ideological
differences to the future of how we're going to, to try to promote student success and parental empowerment in the state. But the purpose of a bill presentation is to come in front of us and present the bill and then the supporting facts or the support of outside stakeholders or groups, um, wouldn't you agree? It's misleading to this committee to to take an anecdote of a single person from a private school and say every private school has an admissions test. The, the, the, the private school in my district or the two do not have admittance tests.
Therefore, the statement that we're making in front
Speaker 65
1:14:51
of a camera into a microphone is misleading. Wouldn't
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:14:58
you agree? No, I wouldn't. And, you know, I'm on, and you can, you can talk all you want to about private schools, and I've taken it from this committee and I the point to where I'm telling you, we have 4,040,000 other children in this state. That need to have the services that are provided to them.
And that when you're spending $200 million a year and you can sit and look me in the eye, Mr. Chairman, and tell me that that doesn't hurt public education. It's wrong. We're the only state in the union. That's under a court order for adequacy and we're striving to meet it. And when you take 200 million and eventually $400 million.
And DFA themselves said 178 million. You want factual statements. I can give you factual statements all day. To cover the 440,000 other children in this state, and you don't require any accountability period. From the private schools, and I'm, I've, I've had it up to here with the, with the private school. Crap. It's being put out.
And you, you can sit there and spark and you sit there and say things about public schools and just the grade them. But I'm telling you, they are many other social and societal issues that the public schools are being asked to deal with. That private schools do not scratch the surface on. Representative Kozar you recognized for a question?
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
1:16:57
Thank you, Mr. Chair, probably might be part of the statement, part of the question, but Representative Wooton, again, I Applaud your passion You're, you're very passionate about what you do and how you do it, and I agree the way you present this bill in the, in the remarks you make and the data you have is what data you have, so we shouldn't question your data. We should just agree or not agree with your data. I think we kind of get into a lot of debate here because we believe something different, um, I go to different committees. I
get lied to a lot in committees about what they believe is right. It might be right for somebody's area, might be wrong for my area. Those kind of things happen so we can't always, you know, we got to take everything with a grain of salt and we have to, we have to make a judgment on our own whether it's right or wrong, uh, I'm not gonna sit here and say you're right or wrong. I know you're passionate about it. I agree with a lot of what you're saying, uh, I don't agree with 100% of it, but I agree with a lot of what you're saying, and I think a lot of the people at this table agree with
what a lot of you're saying, but Laws Act has made us enemies against each other. And uh I hate to say that. I don't dislike to Learns Act I think it's doing a, a good job for what it's doing, but it's, uh, it's made a lot of us enemies against each other and I think we, we bring that down here and we show that here where we shouldn't, so I, I just uh would ask you, do you agree? I agree. I totally agree and I appreciate it. And it, and, and
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:18:32
My passion sometimes exceeds my civility. But I, I just, I just, you know, I'm thinking and this sounds self-serving, but I'm thinking about the 4,040,000 other kids in this state that we have a responsibility to. And all I hear is private schools, parental involvement, parental empowerment. And that's good. And that's one of the problems that public
schools faces today face today is the home. The home situation. I've shared with you, Coach McGruder. I've shared with the committee, not a month went by, I didn't have a student come to me and say, coach, I slept in my car last night or my truck. And I'd say, why? And they'd say, well, I went home and my mom and dad were into it, and I couldn't take it anymore and I left, or they ran me off my boyfriend of my mother's ran me off.
Or I went home and my parents were high on drugs, had their friends there. And we're asked to deal with that in public schools. The teachers are asked to deal with it. So I agree with one representative Cozart said. I don't, I don't feel ill will toward, uh, private schools except in their athletics. But that's neither here nor there.
But I, I just, uh, Uh, and I do, I, I agree with, with Casart, with Representative Cazar. Reverend Gonzalezor you
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:20:20
recognize for a question? Yes, it was mentioned earlier, uh, as part, as part of the contract or MOU or in order to have uh a private school, um, there, there had to be a an annual assessment. And I just was wondering that assessment.
It remains with the private school only or does that assessment go to the state and it and it's, it's. It's because they're private, it's a private, a private, um, assessment it's not it's not open for
Speaker 174
1:20:52
public view. I, I just wanted some clarification on that. I don't know that
there's anyone from the department here to specifically answer the question about how the information disseminated. Mr. Rogers, you might be the only one from the department here.
We can get that question for you representative later on. If I may, Mr. Rogers, could you potentially get the solace for. I think she may be right outside the door. Welcome, Miss Ossford. You just thought you were gonna sneak away. If you would please introduce yourself for the record and
Speaker 179
1:21:34
Gonzalez Worth and has a question. Good morning, Courtney Salis
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:21:37
Ford, Department of Education. Thank you. I'm wondering, I know it was mentioned earlier that part of the application process
of having a private school, um, that there is a state there there is an assessment. There needs to be an annual assessment, uh, for the private schools and I wondered when that assessment is completed, then what happens after that? does that go to the the department and and then it was continues to remain private, the results. Or is there a
manner in which those results are disseminated broadly to the, so yes, thank
Speaker 179
1:22:15
you for the question. Any, any student who receives an education freedom account, um, is, is required to take an assessment from an approved list. Those results have to be reported to the department, and if we can, um, aggregate them in a de-identifiable way, then we make that information available. Of course, if then, if only a few s students take a particular tests such that we can't report it without it being traced back to that particular student, we can't report that information,
um, but since many of the students take some of the same few tests, um, we do make that information available. We provide that in a report to the legislature. There are, um, provisions in the law where if they are, and I apologize, I don't have it in front of me, but if they are not, um, showing progress, then we will, you know, contact the school or a parent, if it's a homeschool student and make sure that they get put back on track. So, yes, there is accountability with, with the assessments. So.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:23:19
So it's it's presented to the legislature, but it's not presented broadly to the public.
Speaker 179
1:23:24
Is that? Um, typically when we submit a report to the legislature, they will, um, present it at a, at a public committee where the public is available to come in here and, um, make comment and then usually it's posted on their website as well. So it is available to the public.
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:23:38
It's it's published on the Department's website as well. Is that what you said? Um, typically it's on
Speaker 185
1:23:44
the Bureau of Legislative Research website. OK, so that's where the
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:23:50
assessments are disseminated for private schools. That's where a person could find the
Speaker 185
1:23:55
results. Then is that in a in a aggregated report. Yes, it's not like it
Speaker 179
1:24:00
lists every assessment with every student's scores. It, it's typically again, an aggregated, um, you know, this many students took this many tests and this was the range of results. It's not an individual student. Is it
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:24:12
individuals or is it an individual school? I mean, I can understand, you know, not having, just having a few
students, but is it per school that it's reported or is it all? Um, 16,000 or whatever the number is, it's just one report showing the test and how they did or or is it by school? I believe that it is by school and by assessment,
Speaker 179
1:24:34
but again, I apologize, I don't have that information in front of me, but I'd be happy to get that for you in the, in the committee. OK, I, I
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:24:43
appreciate that because I wondered, I wondered about that. I mean, that's what I think that's the spirit of what
Representative Wootton is trying to, you know, how can we see how the private schools are doing, they are required that annual assessment. And so, um, where can we see, you know, what each of those um assessments per school, um, and so just check with BLR at the end of the year or how does that typically Um, yes, I, again, I, I'd have to
Speaker 179
1:25:13
look back. I believe that it is at the end, following the end of the school year when that report is given by our
Speaker 191
1:25:22
department to BLR, um, but you can also contact us as well and once that report is, is made
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
1:25:29
available, we can provide that to you. OK, and, and mainly it's basically just the the assessment, not, not anything beyond the assessment. Um, when compared to a public school report card, all
of the information on the. That that's in a in a report card. Correct. That's correct. OK.
See no additional questions we do have one person assigned to speak up on the on the bill, Ms. Rose. Mr. Chair, I have nothing. Nothing further to add, so no one else signed up to speak on
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:26:16
the bill. Representative Wotton, would you like to close for your bill? Yes, it would, Mr. Chairman. Um Is a is a stated when I started. Um The Arkansas Democrat Gazette Representative Gonzalez. Published
The, the, uh Testing that was done. By school. Uh, district or by school and it was provided in several of the private schools didn't even respond to the report that's required by the department and then several of them, there's, there were 25 to 35 roughly other tests that were used where we use one test in the public
schools so that par par parent parental um involvement is permitted and they can look and see. So, in, in closing, I want to make it clear that what we're attempting to do here is not an attack on learns, but it's simply to get to the point to arrive at the point where parental involvement can be, they can discern whether they
Affordability of the private school that they're paying that it's worthwhile for them to go, you're comparing apples to apples, not apples to oranges. And with that, I, I think enough has been said. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Representative Wootton. Representative Wootton has closed for
his bill. What'so will be? Reson McGregor has a motion to pass. Is there a discussion on the motion?
Represent Gonzalez Worthy. Just one quick thing to add. I wanna make sure I clarified my point from earlier on relative to discussion on the motion. Uh, yes, public schools do accept those who
come. Uh, however, we have made allowances within our public school system, AKA the part of Little Rock School District, such as Parkview Magnet who can make decisions based upon eligibility criteria. They can reject a student from their website. Only students who meet eligibility criteria may participate in specific
programs, so we, we have allowed. That within our public school system within that framework that there are certain, certain areas uh they may specialize in, uh, they may focus on and they are, they are allowed to choose who may and may not participate in that situation. My original question that I asked was about my 9th grade son, uh, and so based upon their eligibility criteria, if you wanted to be a drummer, uh, he would probably present erratic behaviors and seriously distract from his performance, according to their website, because he's not a great drummer and so that would
give him a lower score, whereby they would not accept him into that program. So again we've, we've chosen within our framework, uh, to allow for that within our public school system, which is the point that I was making. Represent McKenzie, did you have, uh, additional comment, say no additional comment. There's a motion on the table. Do pass. All in favor say aye. post, say no. Sorry, Representative, your bill has failed. See no additional, oh, I'm sorry, I believe that Representative. I'm sorry?
Speaker 196
1:29:40
See to hands for a roll call, call the roll, please. Representative Nazarenko.
Speaker 197
1:29:58
Representative Nazarenko? No. Representative Gonzalezoren. Representing Gonzalez were and yes, Representative Barnett, Representative Barnett, yes. Representative McGruder. Representative McGruder? Yes, Representative Andrews,
representative Andrews, no. Representative Painter. Representative Pater? No. Representative Duke. Representative Duke, no. Representative Walker. Representative Walker? Yes. Representative Furman, Representative Firman? No. Representative Gardner. Representative Garner, yes. Representative Mayberry. Representative Mayberry, yes, Representative Barker. Representative Barker? No. Representative McCollum.
Representative McCollum? No. Representative V? Representative, yes, Representative Brown. Representative Brown? No. Representative Beck. Representative Beck, no. Representative Cozart. Representative Cozart, yes. Representative Meeks Roe Meeks? No. Representative McKenzieresentative McKenzie? No.
you wouldn't your bills failed. Is Representative Johnson here. Seeing no additional business before the committee, House Education stands adjourned.
Agenda
REGULAR AGENDA
Number Sponsor Subtitle
HB1398 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT, ESTABLISH, AND IMPLEMENT A CARDIAC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN THAT INTEGRATES NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ELEMENTS.
HB1457 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO SUBMIT DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT'S INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM USING A UNIFORM STATEWIDE DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM.
HB1477 Barker TO ALLOW THE GOVERNING BODY OF AN OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL TO SUBMIT AN APPLICANT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE ARKANSAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
HB1482 Gramlich TO CREATE AN EXCEPTION TO THE SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A STUDENT WHO TAKES A GED TEST AND RECEIVES A GED.
HB1490 Wardlaw TO REPEAL THE REQUIREMENT THAT A PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT RETURN TEMPORARILY ISSUED ITEMS, RESOURCES, MATERIALS, AND PROPERTY BELONGING TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN A HOME SCHOOL.
HB1496 Andrews TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE TO ENSURE ARKANSAS STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT BY QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
SB226 G. Leding TO AMEND THE SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST PREVENTION ACT; AND TO MODIFY THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS RELATED TO SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST.
HB1541 Wooten TO REQUIRE A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT ACCEPTS STATE FUNDING OF ANY TYPE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL.
HB1542 Wooten TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDESTUDENT ASSESSMENT; AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMIT EACH STUDENT WHO APPLIES FOR ADMISSION AND INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING.
SB135 J. Boyd TO AMEND ELECTION REQUIREMENTS IN THE CASE OF AN UNCHANGED RATE OF AN ANNUAL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX LEVIED BY A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
HB1601 L. Johnson TO REQUIRE STATE-SUPPORTED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO PROVIDE CAREER COUNSELING AND OTHER RESOURCES TO CERTAINSTUDENTS.
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE, Mar 4, 2025 | Agenda | 3 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Bruce Cozart
Unverified
Representative Keith Brooks Chair
Unverified
Senator Greg Leding
Unverified
Speaker 13
Representative Brit McKenzie
Unverified
Speaker 10
Representative Hope Duke
Unverified
Speaker 32
Representative Julie Mayberry
Unverified
Speaker 37
Representative Jessie McGruder
Unverified
Speaker 44
Speaker 50
Speaker 56
Speaker 57
Speaker 58
Speaker 21
Representative Wade Andrews
Unverified
Speaker 73
Speaker 77
Speaker 78
Representative DeAnn Vaught
Unverified
Representative Justin Gonzales
Unverified
Speaker 104
Speaker 81
Chair
Unverified
Speaker 115
Representative Denise Garner
Unverified
Speaker 126
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
Speaker 65
Representative Stephen Meeks
Unverified
Tony Rose
Unverified
Speaker 161
Speaker 163
Speaker 94
Speaker 52
Speaker 137
Speaker 174
Speaker 179
Speaker 185
Speaker 191
Speaker 196
Speaker 197