Education Committee - Senate

to allow a certain policy that works for that school system to go through. Well, great question, and thankfully we have a direct democracy process where all of us in this room have the ability to be a part of that process. All senators and all House members, there are ALC and rules promulgation process will have complete. So if, if there is anything that is overbearing or out of line, we will all be able to work directly for our constituents back or our school districts back to DC to make sure that nothing is overbearing. And thank you for that answer. I know well it sounds easy to say, sometimes that is a very difficult uh. Process. Do you see that this uh state Board of Education will have direct input in this process where we can petition our our school uh state board of education. I do. I, I, I believe this will be a very open feedback process. I think the the only um I think the only concern is if if there is a school district that is just not in compliance, um, then that would be, that's why there's this, this final approval process, um, I, I think if anybody is following the legislative intent, there will be no issues with with any school district following this. So if you have a school district that just refuses to follow and they, they're disapproved for their policy and they're just continuing to act on their own interests of their own. Citizens, do we just remove their accreditation? Is it state takeover or what's, what's the next step? It's, it's the same process if if any school district didn't follow any of our state laws that that we that we have. There there's a review process, there's a citation you'll see in the end of the bill. It's, it's, I think the phrasing is a citation review of their accreditation. All right, thank you. Any other questions from the committee. We have one person signed up to speak against the bill. If you give your name who you represent, you'll be recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair and committee. My name is Steve Grapp. I'm with Standup Arkansas. We are direct democracy organization that's trying to connect the will of the people to the legislators and back and forth so we can work together. Now I know that there's a lot of things about this bill that I agree with. I think there is a problem in our schools. I have a daughter that's just recently graduated from a rural school, Roset Budd, and there are problems with cell phones in schools, but it has been mentioned multiple times school districts going to make these rules, and they already make the rules now. And this seems like a a General Assembly overreach because we need to be looking at what's best for our local communities and letting our local communities make those type of decisions. This is, this seems like in some committees we're talking about, we're we're going to pass laws to make, make it for the local communities and take the power away from the state and in other committees we have bills that do exactly the opposite. We need to get consistent. The other thing about this is the inconsistency with just public schools. Why is this not applied to private schools that take public money. If all these things are bad, Why don't we get consistent across all schools that take the public money through the voucher system or whatever. I think it's important also to realize that in rural communities, we have less resources. The schools have less resources, and I do know that they say if allowed by the school, but this isn't just about about cell phones. All we've heard today is cell phones, but this is tablets, laptops, any electronic devices, phones on your watch. There's all kinds of things and in rural schools where we don't have the resources, this becomes important. So I urge you to think twice about passing the bill as is because there's some overreach and if we're going to pass this bill, let's make it fair for all schools that take money. Thank you. Thank you. Sinner these Would you like to clothes for your bill? Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, members. I, I know there's um this is an important bill like we talked about. The statistics show that clearly and um to, to the questions about local control. I really want to make sure that we reiterate this. Local control is listening. We're listening to our school districts. We're listening to our superintendents to our teachers. And they're asking for help. We've got teachers that have said we're kind of going to follow it. We don't know. We've got teachers said we're going to follow it strict and the students are left in limbo. We've got teachers that said, I don't want to be the bad guy. Will someone please just make a law on this and just help us and give clarity. So local control is listening. That's what we're doing today. Also, local control is putting in in the bill where they have the ability to be a part of the implementation process. They get to decide what's best for their school district. And then to the questions about should this be applied to private schools. No, it shouldn't be just like it shouldn't be applied to homeschools. We don't have jurisdiction in making our decisions on what people do in their home schools. This is actually what people were afraid of when we were passing learns that there was going to be strings attached that we would go in and continue to have policy. Now I highly recommend every student and every family adopt this policy and find a school that that follows these policies because we know it's important. But we only control what we control, and so this, this is so important that we have to make sure we put this policy in, but it doesn't mean we go into people's homes and tell them how to run their families and tell them how to run their home schools. And so that that's where our jurisdiction lies, but in fact we do, I'll end with this, we do have a constitutional charge to provide a fair and adequate and safe environment for our students, and that's exactly what this tries to do. It's very simple. And I think it's going to be well received. In fact, just by the pilot program numbers alone, you could see people are aching for this, and so I'm thankful to bring this to you, and I would ask for a good vote. 2nd. All in favor. Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to say thank you for this very thoughtful bill. Russellville was one of the pilot school districts, and I have 4 children from kindergarten to 11th grade in the Rustenville School District and teachers are literally begging for it, um, we've had a policy in place for several years, but really looked at enforcing through this pilot project, um, and it's really dependent district to district on administration willing to enforce it and tell This is our policy, and we're not going to back off. So when you speak to teachers in limbo, feeling like the bad guy and some are more strict than others. It's because they need administration backing them up and in a lot of districts, they don't necessarily have that. So having this in law, giving them the flexibility to say you can put it in pouches if you want, you can put it in your backpack, um, letting districts determine that, which a lot are already doing, and they have what works for I think is really good, um, you've limited bell to bell, so when you look at extracurricular activities, can they have it when they're out running across country around the school and for practice and stuff like that. That was a really big debate we had in Russellville, and I think it's a very thoughtful the way that you put this language in place to ensure that if they're out, you know, at the track or wherever practicing that they have access to their phones. Parents were really concerned about that, so I think it's very, a very thoughtful you've threaded. the needle very well in my opinion to say we're going to do what's best for students in the school day, and that's making sure that there are as minimal distractions as possible so they can learn and hear what the teacher is saying, but then also acknowledging that there's health, you know, some students have health issues or IEPs or 5504s. I mean that there might be an emergency and so letting parents um have the flexibility to have access to their students when they need it while also ensuring that they're paying attention in the classroom. I think it's um it's very good. It's very thoughtful, and I appreciate you running this spill. Any other Senator Bryant, Madam Chair, and this might be just a question, broad question for the committee just because I. As testimony was happening, I, I may have missed it. Uh, does this prevent a teacher from Allowing students to use it if it's school issued, so if I'm teaching a lesson or I want the students to do, um, I don't know there's several math programs that assist to facilitate learning. Um, through electronics. Does it allow them to do that, um, therefore, does the school have to provide that in order for them to use it, or can they release them to go get their personal device under their supervision. to hold it to use, I think it's called cahoot, you know, there's several different programs that are very beneficial and I know my my son uses it at home because, and so I let committee member has it. That answer, I'd appreciate it. where it restricts that. I just see it prohibit the use. During the school day, like broad statement. Of electronic personal electronic device which does include tablets and cell phones and pagers and Except for health reasons except for extracurricular activities except for Emergency use except if a policy for the IEP. IEP or planned development or rehabilitation Act. I'm just concerned, are we? The generals to ask the sponsor of the bill, if, if I may. Go ahead. Yes, thank you, thank you for that question and clarity. I'm happy to provide clarity on that. So, um, Yes, electron electronic um and technology is not prohibited. You're allowed to have technology in the classroom. It just needs to be provided by the school or part of the school system. We're just, we're trying to protect the students engaging with their personal devices so that there's not additional distractions and issues there, so this is not an anti-tech bill. This is an individual protection from students things if it's if it's so important that it needs to be involved and I think there are are things we need to involve and engage in the classroom, but the school district needs to have those just like we have Chromebooks and other pieces of technology already today in in schools. All right, thank you, Madam Chair, that answers my question. Senator Murdoch. OK, uh thank you, Senator Deeds for bringing this uh strongly support the bill co-sponsor actually, um, I will note the it's not a perfect bill. The only issue I have with the bill, and I will be supporting it. I am supporting it is. Where the money goes that we don't follow. I do feel very strongly that wherever the state funds, we should send those standards in our oversight should go. That's just my opinion on that strong opinion on that as relates to all the dollars that we move, but again, I support the bill. Senator Murdoch, I, I would add that um a financial study has been done on this bill. There is no financial impact, um, according to the audit agency, um, but I do hear your point and make sure that we're we're clear on that. Yeah, I mean, you know, with private and home, that's what I mean. Any further discussion? So what is the will of the committee? OK. OK, very good. All in favor? all post. Thank you very much. Passed your bill. Thank you, members committee. Appreciate it. OK, I think we have one more on our list here and that is Senator Dodson. Good morning. You recognized. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee. This is Senate Bill 164. And this is a fairly simplistic bill that Does one simple thing. It allows the local schools or open enrollment charter schools to either hire an employee or allow volunteer chaplains within their schools. The rest of the bill kind of lays out the process and the criteria for that, but that's the simplicity of it. It allows the option. It doesn't require anyone to hire anything, they would obviously have to create their own individual hiring or volunteer criteria for their local school district, but it does put in place a framework for um if they choose to have a chaplain within the schools, kind of the criteria those chaplains have to meet in order to be eligible as well as the background checks that they have to pass in order to be within our schools in a position of some authority there, more than happy to try to answer any questions. The questions from the committee. There's nobody to speak for or against the bill. What is the will of the committee I make a motion do pass. Like All in favor all posed. They pass your bill. Thank you. OK. That is it for today. We will reconvene here on Wednesday.