[0:01] Good afternoon, everyone and members.

[0:07] We're going to go ahead and begin while everybody starts taking their way in.

[0:10] They're one of those, sure.

[0:13] For today's consideration of the bills, we're gonna be holding SB 1131.

[0:19] And we will start with, in the order of bills SB 104074,

[0:25] 1423 and 1754.

[0:28] So that'll be the Order of The Bills.

[0:30] And represent the student, will you please move the first bill, bill SB 1074.

[0:37] Do things differently here.

[0:40] Thank you, Madam Chair, and with the SB10, so for the return of the due pass recommendation.

[0:44] Okay, Justin, can you face it by the vote?

[0:48] Madame Vice Chairman, Senate Bill 1024 stipulates that if a teacher moves a student from a classroom according to student.

[0:55] conduct rules, a principal or administrator may direct a student to return to the classroom only if the principal

[1:00] or administrative provides the teacher a written certification that states the

[1:04] principal

[1:04] or administrators authorizing the student be readmitted and that describes any

[1:08] disciplinary action taken in response to students behavior with that. I'm available for questions members any questions for Jasmine

[1:15] Seeing none. Okay.

[1:17] I think I saw Mr. Kevin or senator Kevin outside if he's ready

[1:22] Thank you

[1:35] Welcome Mr. Senator Kavanagh, we're ready to ready for your bill SB 1074

[1:45] Okay, sorry I got way laid

[1:49] Constituent there number one of course. Thank you members

[1:52] one the leading

[1:54] courses of losing teachers is

[1:57] Burnout and one other causes of burnout is that they don't feel that. They're supported by the administration

[2:05] And this bill attempts to address a small part of that.

[2:10] When a teacher refers a student for discipline to the principal,

[2:14] then the teacher should expect that the principle will do something.

[2:19] And at their every least, the teachers should know when the student gets back,

[2:24] that student did in fact go to principal and what happened.

[2:27] You know, we do this for crime victims, that the voters amended the state constitution to say that victims have a right to be informed in all steps of a court process where they were a victim.

[2:39] Well, this simply says that teachers should be told what was the result of the disciplinary referral that they made?

[2:46] Was it even dealt with?

[2:55] Let's make teachers feel a little bit more wanted and respected and

[3:00] we'll lose less of them, and I stand for any questions.

[3:04] Thank you.

[3:04] Members?

[3:05] Thank You Mr. Chairman, Senator Cavanaugh.

[3:09] Have you spoken directly with teachers and they come to you to ask for this bill?

[3:14] No.

[3:15] Teachers have not come direct, I'm sorry, Mr Chair.

[3:17] No, however, any teachers who want to speak to me, my door is always open.

[3:20] I speak the teachers, but none have seen fit to discuss this Bill with me.

[3:25] Madam Chair, while I am a teacher and I know that a lot of the issues that we have when

[3:32] you have a child that is being disruptive is that there is a

[3:37] deeper something going on.

[3:40] So I'm interested in knowing why you haven't proposed a bill

[3:44] that teachers and staff and educators would be interested

[3:47] in doing such as like hiring more mental health

[3:50] and psychologists to be able to help those students get

[3:53] to the root of the issue so that the disruption

[3:56] in a classroom can just be can be permanently gone rather

[3:59] than just removing them for the moment.

[4:03] And I have done that over the years. We've increased funding for counselors and safety officers and schools in jail.

[4:10] I've been there 20 years, we put a lot of money into those type of things. So I done

[4:13] that. But this is a matter of respecting you as a teacher. You should not be left out of the loop.

[4:19] You shouldn't know what's happening with your students. Don't you agree?

[4:23] Madam Chair.

[4:24] Please proceed.

[4:25] Yeah, I know that there's usually a route to why a child is acting out and as a teacher,

[4:30] it's my job to have that communication with them and be able to talk to them about it.

[4:35] And I, in the past, have not had an issue with my principle in that regard.

[4:40] And it is interesting to me that you would propose a bill that

[4:43] you have now once spoken to teachers about or nor did they ask you to present this bill.

[4:48] So, without a matter.

[4:53] referral. Do you think they should be told that? Would you like to be

[4:58] told? And I'm sure I am not answering questions right now anymore. Thank you.

[5:02] That's I think it is much thank you for answering itself. Any more questions? No

[5:07] we can't move on to the speakers. All right thank You Madam Chair. We're with

[5:11] again with we'll have two agains we have a solo blog with Arizona Education

[5:21] You'll have two minutes.

[5:23] Two minutes, okay.

[5:25] Celebrant with the Arizona Education Association, so we are here to express the concerns with Senate Bill 107.4.

[5:31] It's a solution looking for a problem.

[5:34] So there's the quote off and attributed by Einstein.

[5:36] The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[5:41] I say this because this will reflect that pattern.

[5:43] Variations of this proposal have been introduced before and yet it is the Amazon Department of Education who continues to introduce the bill.

[5:51] and has yet to actually speak with the Arizona Education Association.

[5:56] You know, there's claims that they want to help educators and we do appreciate the attempt of trying to

[6:01] help and support educators. But again, this ongoing exclusion highlights a

[6:06] deeper disconnect, particularly in how we address the court issues related to discipline in our schools.

[6:11] Let me be clear, removing a student from a classroom

[6:14] Already happens and this is not the right solution. Educators already know when removal is necessary.

[6:20] The real issue is what happens next. How that student receives a behavioral emotion on academic support they need to successfully return to learning.

[6:29] Senate Bill 1074 does not address that.

[6:31] Instead it prioritizes a procedural punitive approach that ignores root causes and

[6:36] fills both students and educators.

[6:38] And with all kindness and respect to Mr. Kavanaugh, he noted that when we're in a criminal defense that we should know,

[6:46] and that was very kind of inappropriate because students are not criminals.

[6:50] Sometimes, as we know classrooms are under extreme strain.

[6:54] There is, this is the 10th year of teacher shortage, and when I see teacher

[6:57] shortage I'm talking about the qualified educators who went to school who learn

[7:01] how to do management, classroom management all the things. Schools, you

[7:07] know, it should be implementing discipline, positive things, I am just

[7:11] going to end with this.

[7:13] A lot of times when a student leaves the classroom and goes to admin,

[7:18] oftentimes the educator may not know what is happening in a child's life because of FERPA.

[7:24] And educators and administrators cannot violate FerPA, and for those reasons we stand opposed to Senate Bill 1074 and I stand for questions.

[7:32] Thank you. Any questions, members?

[7:35] No, thank you, you said.

[7:36] Thank You.

[7:38] Okay, we'll go with Jay Kupresse.

[7:43] And you will have two minutes.

[7:47] Madam Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Jake Rosie here today on behalf of

[7:50] the Arizona Charter Schools Association with a little bit different opposition to this bill.

[7:56] We may even concede that this may be best practices and for how to manage that classroom.

[8:03] However, it is our position that these kind of classroom management.

[8:08] discipline and administrative questions should be left to the individual charter school into the

[8:13] individual school. We are concerned by the number of mandates that we that

[8:19] we are seeing more and more commonplace to address what are likely limited issues.

[8:26] We don't fault the notion of trying to apply best practices,

[8:32] but we don t feel that statute is the appropriate place to

[8:35] micromanage these key functions of schools.

[8:38] I'm happy to answer any question.

[8:40] Members, any questions?

[8:41] Seeing none, thank you, Mr. Caprosi.

[8:44] Thank you.

[8:45] Next speaker.

[8:49] We're going to go with the Camilla.

[8:53] Strong.

[8:56] So Camilla, sorry.

[8:59] Thank you.

[9:00] Welcome to two minutes as well.

[9:03] Madam Chair, members of the Education Committee, my name is Camola Strong, and I'm here on behalf of Superintendent Horne.

[9:13] I'd like to thank Senator Cavinaise. He correctly stated this is a common sense bill that addresses one of

[9:21] the most common

[9:23] uh significant issues that we see when it comes to retention and recruitment.

[9:30] Each year over the past three years under Superintendent Horn's leadership, ADE has conducted teacher

[9:38] retention in recruitment studies. The data can be found on our website asa.gov in the most recent

[9:52] Over 2,500 teachers responded.

[9:56] 68.4 listed student behavior and discipline problems as an issue.

[10:03] These are teachers that have left the classroom.

[10:09] 59% of respondents listed a lack of support of administration regarding student behavior

[10:16] and discipline as an issue. And 54, 56%

[10:22] of the respondents were dissatisfied with administration.

[10:27] 31%

[10:28] of

[10:28] the

[10:28] respondents felt unsafe in the classroom.

[10:32] On September 3rd of 2024, ADE warned of the crisis in attracting and retaining classroom

[10:41] teachers, citing administrative support, discipline and pay as the top three issues.

[10:50] Based on that survey, and that was nearly 1,000 teachers that responded, who had left

[10:55] the classroom in 2023.

[11:02] is common sense, it encourages communication

[11:07] between administrators and the teacher in the classroom.

[11:12] And we ask for your support in this bill.

[11:16] Happy to answer any questions.

[11:19] Thank you.

[11:21] Thank, you, any members, Any questions?

[11:51] Okay members I have to remember I motion for it with no objection to recess for five minutes

[12:02] Okay, roll call vote has been called

[12:08] Representative abatia

[12:14] Members we're gonna vote because I needed recess four five minute. So we are voting on the motion to recess for 5 minutes

[12:20] And if you can hold your, if

[12:21] you could address the chair when

[12:23] you're doing it.

[12:26] Representative LaVatia.

[12:28] Madam chair, it's to recess.

[12:30] Correct.

[12:31] Correct, Nate.

[12:33] Representative Piusucci.

[12:36] Representative Fink.

[12:37] I.

[12:38] Representative Garcia.

[12:41] Representative Gutierrez.

[12:43] Representative Hernandez.

[12:45] I

[12:47] Representative Marshall.

[12:50] Representative Olson.

[12:52] Aye.

[12:53] Representative Rivera.

[12:56] Representative Simichek.

[12:58] No.

[13:01] Vice Chairwoman Pena.

[13:02] Ayes.

[13:03] Chairman Gress.

[13:11] Six ayes and four noes.

[13:15] Thank you members with six aisles and

[13:16] four nos we're gonna recess for five minutes.

[13:23] the Education Committee, thank you.

[13:41] Thank you, everyone.

[13:42] The Education committee at this moment, we're going to adjourn.

[13:50] For this afternoon, and we will get with the chairman to continue on the bills, so thank you

[13:57] The education committee is adjourned

03/17/2026 - House Education

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