Assembly Standing Committee on Education

Good afternoon, everyone. I'd like to call the hearing of the Assembly Education Committee to order. We do not have a quorum yet, and so I'll hold off on establishing quorum. I'd like to welcome the Vice Chair and Committee Members to today's hearing.

We have 20 bills on file today with file item number 20, SB 1477, being pulled by the author. So if you are here for file item number 20, Senate Bill 1477 by Senator Ashby. That Bill has been pulled by the author. There are nine bills on consent. They are SB 380, SB 445, with amendments SB 480, SB 1063, with amendments SB 1091, with amendments SB 1244 SB 1248, with amendments SB 1288. For this Bill, amendments have been agreed to by the author, which will then be processed in the Assembly Privacy Committee and last, SB 1391.

So for those nine bills, if you're here for any of those nine bills, they're not going to be heard today because they will be voted on collectively as consent items on the consent calendar. Bills will be heard today in sign in order, with the exception of the special order for Assembly Bill 1955.

And as a reminder, for each Bill, we will have up to two witnesses in support, two witnesses in opposition, each of whom may speak for up to two minutes each. Members of the public in the hearing room will have an opportunity to state their position.

Please limit your comments to your name, affiliation and position on the Bill only. Members of the public are also welcome to provide comment through the position letter portal on the education Committee's website. And we expect a lively conversation today. And so I'd like to read a standard statement that we have about disruptive conduct at hearings.

Conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the hearing is prohibited. Such conduct may include talking or making loud noises from the audience, uttering loud, threatening or abusive language, speaking longer than the time allotted, extended discussion of matters not related to the subject of the Bill or the hearing, and any other disruptive acts.

To address any disruptive conduct, I will, as chair of this hearing, take the following steps. If an individual disrupts our hearing process, I will direct them to stop and warn them that continued disruptions may result in removal from the Capitol building. I will also document on the record the individual involved in the nature of the disruptive conduct.

And if the conduct does not stop, I will request the assistance of the sergeants in the room and escorting the individual from the Capitol building. So hopefully we will not have to do that.

Before we proceed, I would also like to note that we have a long agenda today, and we will need to adjourn by 05:00 due to our scheduled floor session. So I will appreciate everyone's cooperation in moving through our agenda in an efficient manner.

And so with that, I'd like to begin with our special order file item number one. Assembly Bill 1955 by assemblymember Ward. Assembly Member Ward, the floor is yours.

Well, thank you and good afternoon, chair and Members. I'd like to first start by thanking the chair for coauthor's important measure in supporting LGBTQ students, their families, and educators.

And I'm proud here today to be able to present to you Assembly Bill 1955, the support academic futures and educators for today's Youth act, or the Safety Act, which is back in the Assembly on concurrence.

There's been a growing national attack on LGBTQ people with policies that explicitly require teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender, being approved by California school districts in numerous states, and with, since its last hearing, two additional states in our country having enacted such policies since this bill was introduced.

These policies are known as forced outings. Forced outing policies harm everyone, parents, families and school staff by unnecessarily compelling school staff to involve themselves in family matters and removing opportunities for families to build trust and have conversations on their own terms.

Although many LGBTQ youth have supportive families, some unfortunately continue to face rejection and are exposed to serious harm if prematurely forced to reveal their LGBTQ identity. Young people thrive when they have parental support and feeling safe, and they feel safe sharing their authentic selves at home.

In fact, when LGBTQ youth have their parents support, they thrive and feel safe sharing their identities with them. Unfortunately, not all young people are able to be their authentic selves, and it can be very harmful for youth to share their full identities before they are ready.

This is why, due largely to the lack of acceptance for their identity, we know that LGBTQ youth make up a disproportionate amount of those experiencing homelessness as well as those in the foster care system.

Forced outing policies also have a measurable impact on the mental health of LGBTQ students and student community at large and have led to a rise in bullying, harassment and discrimination. When forced outing policies are enacted, we have seen an increase in amount of calls to the crisis hotline.

For instance, after Chino Valley Unified School District passed their forced outing policy, nearly 1500 of the total number of calls were received solely from those who identified as residents of that district.

The mental health impacts experienced by residents are among the countless Californians who are heavily and negatively impacted by force outing policies, and we know that when one population of the student body is bullied, harassed, or discriminated, all students are impacted.

As such, the Safety Act was introduced to strengthen existing protections against force outings of LGBTQ students in schools, and it does four things. First, the Safety act prohibits and invalidates any policy, rule, or administrative regulation that requires forced outings.

Second, this bill affirms that teachers and employees shall not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity of students and shall not be compelled to disclose such identity unless required to do so by state or federal law, such as due to suspicion of harm.

Third, this bill protects teachers from facing retaliation for simply doing their jobs, teaching, and providing a safe school environment. And fourth, and importantly, the Safety act provides parents, guardians and families of LGBTQ students with critical resources in order to support them in working towards acceptance on their own terms without interference from outside actors.

Now, by strengthening the existing protections and supporting families, we will ensure that all students are safe, supported, and not isolated due to any part of their identity, as well as ensure families are supported so that they can have personal conversations and work to family acceptance on their own terms.

With me to speak in support of AB 1955 is Kristi Hirst, a parent and co-founder of Our Schools USA, and Shay Stevens, a teacher and a parent herself. Also with us for technical questions if necessary is Jennifer Chao, the interim Director and Staff Attorney from the ACLU.

Thank you. Before we proceed with your first witness, I'd like to call the role to establish quorum.

[Roll Call]

All right, we have quorum. Please proceed. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Kristi Hirst. I am a public school parent of three children and the co-founder of Our Schools USA, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting quality public education for all students. Parents across California contact us daily concerned about forced outing policies and the extremist school boards that pass them.

Expressing that forced outing is harmful, does nothing to improve education and is a waste of public resources. After my hometown Chino passed a forced outing policy last July, I received almost 100 letters from my community. You can see for yourself. Letter after letter states that students are not safe in the school under the forced outing policy.

It is discriminatory and it creates a climate of fear and bullying. It's not just Chino. Every time a school district even discusses forced outing, students are sent into crisis. Rainbow Youth project reports. The number one reason for a crisis call in California is, quote, my government hates me and doesn't want me to exist.

Why would anyone think that? Well, here are just some of the things said publicly by my own school board in defense of forced outing regarding transgender people. It is an illusion. It is a mental illness. A non affirming house doesn't mean they're dangerous. Some would say a non affirming house can actually be more healthy.

Another Chino trustee likened gender identity to a, quote, death culture, stating, it's not going to end with transgenderism. You got to put a stop to it. My husband and I are lifelong Chino residents with three kids in school there.

This policy is destroying the fabric of my community, and our district is on track to hit $1 million in legal fees this year. In the push for forced outing policies, Members of known anti LGBTQ hate groups traveled to my school Board Meetings to threaten and intimidate parents, teachers and students.

They've churned public meetings statewide into sites of harassment and violence. The students most impacted by forced outing feel unsafe speaking publicly. Forced outing policies harm and discriminate. We can't survive another year of this not being resolved by the state because the extremists won't stop wasting public money and resources on their political crusades.

The time to resolve any ambiguity is now. Pass the Safety act because we need quality public education for all our students. Thank you.

Good morning. My name is Shay Stevens and I'm a high school teacher and mother in one of the 12 districts that has passed a forced outing policy. I'd like to share a personal story about the impact this has had on the culture and safety of our school.

When we became privy to the fact that our board would be voting on this policy, the forced outing policy, we encouraged our students to come to the board meeting and be part of the democratic process. Inevitably, many in our LGBTQ student community felt compelled to attend.

We all sat in our school's library listening to grown adults berate our most vulnerable students by referring to them as abominations, accusing them of pedophilia and calling them numerous dehumanizing names. Some even brought prepared signs to hold up in front of the crowd. Only one identifying student spoke at the podium amid sneers and whispers.

As I looked around the room, many of the kids sat in silence with tears streaming down their faces, unable to find the courage to stand up and defend themselves against those who are supposed to protect them. Encouraging those students to attend that meeting was the greatest mistake of my career.

Since then, it has been one discriminatory policy after the next from the ban of all flags save the American or state flag to attempts to ban mental health services for our students. Board meetings have gone from the traditional 45 minutes to four to 6 hours.

We are chasing our tails trying to do our day jobs while also fighting to maintain a self safe and healthy environment for our students. Teachers, students and community members are scared and intimidated to attend our Board Meetings.

It has become blatantly clear that this push from outside political propagandists has nothing to do with parental rights and everything to do with discrimination against our most vulnerable populations.

This imbalance of power made it clear that I, having the privilege of being an educator with a voice, had to come here today and speak to the damage these rogue boards are doing to our children. Student safety should never be compromised by extreme ideology.

It is our duty and our obligation to serve and protect every student who walks into our classrooms. Free and fair public education is the cornerstone of democracy, and our kids are watching. Please stand with educators and pass Assembly Bill 1955. Thank you

Thank you witness or members of the public in support of this measure, please come forward to the microphone again. Please only state your name, affiliation and position on the bill.

Lizzie Cootsona here on behalf of the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in support thank you.

Annie Chou on behalf of the California Teachers Association in support.

Craig Pulsipher on behalf of Equality California in strong support

Jonathan Clay behalf of Trans Youth Liberation in support

Jorge Reyes Salinas on behalf of Arts of Living, Center for Immigrant Protection, LGBT Asylum project and Part of Our Bay Area, Contra Costa, Stop moms for Liberty, El La Pada Trans Latinas, Heart of LA Democratic Club, Kinder Future LLC, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Mixeco and Tijena Community organizing Project, National Center for Lesbian Rights and the National Women's Political Caucus of California in strong support.

Kat Besse with the California Alliance of Child and Family Services in support

Rex Carpenter, Placer County I'm in favor of this bill. Thank you.

Kim Lewis, representing the California Coalition for Youth and support.

Shonda Wesley with Our families Our voices, on behalf of the organization and also on behalf of the following parents and extended relatives of Trans youth who have asked me to express their support for AB 1955.

Christy Barnas, Claire DeVries Folsom, Claudia Vieira Allen, Constance Passada, Elena Sabrante, Elizabeth Campbell, Emily Levy Santa Cruz, Eric Hatch, Long Beach Gillian Levi, Escondido, California. Jean Alonghi, Joshua Clark, Kelly Stout, Kristen Stout, Kim Mickelnay, Christina Niemi, Laura Barrett, Megan Phillips, Melanie Bean Miss Gaboudre and Erica Baumann Whittier, Morgan Cotton Nicole and David Beckstrom El Cajon, Nicole Roberts, Paula Knoll, Quinn Boos, Renani Stokes, Stephanie Baxter, Susan Nibel Reseda, Sylvia Romo, Tamara Maloney, Valerie Hanley, Valerie Oldham, Emily Hurley, Allie Heatherly, Marilyn Standinghorse, Ariel Rodriguez, Emily Lowe Davis, Allen Lofaso, Sacramento. Rebecca Barrett Martinez, Scott Austin Monrovia, Amy Braden, Kim Mickelnay Folsom, Randy K.

Stevens, Colleen Kiley, Devorah Herzog, Natalie Mercado, Elisa Lakich, Melanie Bean, Christy Stone, Amy Hinese, Kim Carter Martinez, Heather Sullivan, Hilary Crosby, Kate Fullmer.There are more, but I will bear you more time away from your agenda. Thank you.

My name is Mara Hughey. I'm a retired teacher. I have served 35 years with the students of Sacramento. It has been my pleasure to serve for them and I am in favor of this bill.

Thank you.

Karen Lewis, mother of three public school students in Sacramento county, here in support of this bill.

Sarah Diaz I'm a mom of a public school student in Sacramento, in support.

Ryan Souza, on behalf of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and support.

Thank you.

Chris Myers with the California School Employees Association in strong support. Thank you.

Regina Wright, resident of Yolo County, in support.

Mahdi Roby with Trans Family Support Services and Trans Youth Liberation and my colleagues, Evan Johnson, Jasmine Hadid, Kieran Pearson, Jocelyn Intencamp, Katie Limone, Amy Mudd and Kathy Mullig.

Hello. Genesis Gonzalez, on behalf of Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kunalakis, in support. Thank you.

Hello. Esperanto Cellada with Seneca Family of Agencies and strong support.

Hello. Matthew Howery, as a prior suicide and crisis counselor for the Trevor project and a current teacher in the State of California for over a decade in strong support.

Good afternoon. Dorothy Johnson, on behalf of Acts of the Association of California School Administrators, please to support. Thank you.

Tiffany Mok on behalf of CFT, in strong support. Thank you.

Thank you Mister Chair. Megan Subers, on behalf of the Los Angeles LGBT Center and support.

Good afternoon. Symphony Barbee on behalf of Planned Parenthood affiliates of California in support.

Hello, Brandon Tate with the Youth Mental Health Equity Coalition here in support.

Ebony Harper, on behalf of California Transcends Translatina Coalition and the Lieutenant Governor's Office Trans Advisory Council in support.

I'm Case Fritz, the co chair of the Sacramento Democratic Socialists of America in Strong Support.

Emily Smet of the Sacramento Democratic Socialists of America in strong support.

Hello, Tom Temprano here on behalf of Our Schools USA- Carlsbad, Our Schools USA- Los Angeles, PFLAG, San Jose Peninsula, Public Council Public School Defenders Hub, Riverside LGBTQ plus Pride, Stop Moms for Liberty, Tom Haman LGBTQ Law Association, Viet Rainbow of Orange County, Westside Activists, Westchester-Playa Democratic Club, Women's Foundation California, Yolo County Stop Moms for Liberty in strong support.

Angie Gavant, on behalf of GUSD Parents for Public Schools, Glendale Out, Safe Redlands Schools, Westside Activists, Amanee Sahadi, Trans teen Milo Easley and mom Amber Easley in strong support.

Good afternoon, Millie Yan, Placer County parent in support.

Good afternoon, Sabrina Knaves, President of the Sacramento chapter of PFLAG and on behalf of all of our parents, friends, families, allies and Members of our community, strong support.

My name is Liam. I'm from Yolo County and on behalf of my two amazing non binary kids who had the opportunity to come out when they wanted, I support this completely.

Scott Zucco with the Liver Coalition of San Diego, the LGBT Center in San Diego and Christie's Place in San Diego in strong support.

Maya Steinhart, non binary educator in Sacramento and representative of Jewish Voice for Peace in strong support.

Kathleen Fay, on behalf of California State PTA, in support.

Luca Greco, parent and support.

Howdy. Jacob Daruvala from the Inland Empire, representing Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance and Divine Truth Unity Fellowship Church, in support of this bill. Thank you.

Eve Bannis, on behalf of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center in strong support.

Daniella Zimmerman, PFLAG Board Member, Greater Placer County and mom, and Placer County LGBTQ Plus Center and strong support. Thank you.

Anuradha Gupta, proud mom of an LGBTQ kid and board Member of PFLAG, Danville San Ramon Valley Chapter, in strong support. Thank you.

Frank Treadway Redding, Shasta County supporter of LGBT activists and graduate of Anderson High School 1959, where this was not an issue, in support of this bill, thank you.

Diane Cannon, public school psychologist and strong support.

Jessica French, on behalf of Shasta United for public education, Stop Moms for Liberty, Shasta County and myself, a mother of two public school children and strong support.

Carrie Fantham, placer County mom of a LGBTQ child in strong support.

Laura Brubaker volunteer with Yolo County Stop Moms for Liberty, also a parent of students in the public school system. Strong support.

Marilyn Dijkstra, the bi and LGBTQ and mother of two young adults. Volunteer admin with California Stop Moms for Liberty and volunteer admin for Alameda County Stop Moms for Liberty, strong support.

Good afternoon. Shawn Harrington, I'm the father of a public school student, retired law enforcement, and I'm here in strong support.

I am Isla Torres, a fifth grade student, and I support this bill.

Stephanie Camacho Van Dyke, representing the LGBTQ Center OC in Orange County. I'm here in support.

Frank Guzman, former school board Member for Pomona Unified School District, current Executive Officer of Pomona Valley Pride, in strong support of the bill.

Becca Kramer-Madder on behalf of ACLU California Action and strong support.

Hi, I am Katherine Gardner, public school parent of LGBTQ Kid, also representing Our Schools USA Los Angeles, Our schools USA, Inland Valley, Contra Costa, Temecula, Murrietta, East San Diego the following citizens Holly Ramos, Diane Dawson, Kathy Goodson, Elizabeth Stagner, Penelope Wakeman, Eric Godall, Stacey Barrows, Rob Brownstein, Alex Brownstein, Rebecca Niederlander, Stephanie Gluckman, Araceli Cesar, Don Rock, Nathaniel Rock, Abel Rock, Joshua Rock, Mark Wied Hayes, Laura Collin, Ireena Fix, Julie Ross as well as Lou Morton, Jennifer Goldenberg, Theodore Goldenberg, Savage GoldenBerg, Anne marie Cofer, David X. Cohen, and Patty Cohen. Thank you so much. In strong support.

Daniela Torres, on behalf of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, in strong and proud support.

Meg Wiese I am a parent in Placer County schools, and I'm also the Chair of Our Schools USA plus our county, and I'm in strong support.

Nicole Morales, on behalf of Children Now and strong support.

My name is Chris Boucher. I'm a high school chemistry teacher in the Beverly Hills Unified School District and a Member of the board of directors of the California Teachers Association, and I rise in strong support of this bill.

Adrienne Miotti, Orange County Public High School English teacher, in strong support.

Mandy Redfern, public school teacher in Los Angeles County and mother of two, in support.

Brendan Jacobi, San Luis Obispo Tenants Union in support.

Kobe Pizzati, I'm a Washington Unified School District, Trustee and strong support.

Good afternoon. Janice O'Malley with Ask Me California and support. Thank you.

Sylvia Solis Shaw here on behalf of the City of West Hollywood and also on behalf of, sorry, the California Medical Association, both in support.

Thank you Renee Bayardo here is a parent today in strong support.

Nicole Wortleman, on behalf of The Children's Partnership in support.

All right, thank you very much. Seeing no further public comments in support of the Bill, can we have our two witnesses in opposition to the Bill please come to the witness table? Just two, please. We did not allow any technical advisors for the proponents, and so we will not allow it for the opposition. Yes, please. Thank you.

All right, two minutes each. Proceed, please. Hit your microphone.

What is happening?

Oh, it didn't look like your didn't sound like your microphone was working okay. Working okay.

Okay. My name is Sonia Shaw. I'm the President of Chino Valley Unified School Board. For 10 years, the CDE has misled schools, falsely claiming that teachers must withhold information from parents, citing a non existent state law granting children privacy rights against their own parents. Yet there is no such law.

Schools were convinced to deceive parents, but were caught in that lie. Teachers and parents sued, and our board, along with a few others, have implemented a policy against deceiving parents. You didnt like that? So you wrote AB 1955, using a gut and amend tactic, deceitfully claiming to establish a law that you also lied about.

You know the notification policy doesn't refer to kids being gay, yet you lied again. Notification only occurs when a school actively treats gender dysphoric children by affirming a transgender identity. Only when the child's asking to come out to their peers. This bill also prohibits transparency, takes away local control, violates FERPA, the California Constitution and the US Constitution.

You guys up there, and myself along with the author, took an oath. And I cannot support a law that infringens on parents constitutional rights. Chair this weekend, you absurdly claimed that if parents learned of their child's Trans identity, they would beat them. Where's the data that is also a lie?

In Chino, we informed at least 12 parents of their child's transgender identity and not one of them were hurt or abandoned before we were sued by Tony Thurman and Bonta. Presuming parental violence is yet another law, ask Mister Ward what happens to a teacher who refuses to lie inform parents about their child's gender confusion?

Will they be fired and receive a $360,000 settlement like Jessica Tapia? Will parents need to sue, as in the Marabelli case? Will parents continue receiving payouts for schools deceiving them? The Bill removes parents from helping their child and protects teachers like those in spreckels who spied on middle schoolers Ipads to fill their Trans club.

The Elk Grove teacher who invited third graders to discuss sex and gender. The Encinitas teacher who used fifth graders to teach kindergartens to reject their bodies, but not teachers like Tapia in Chino. We won't allow a school to lie to any parent. AB 1955 makes lying legal and a requirement in school.

Let me remind you, when you guys say this is your children, they are not your children. They are ours. Now I heard the force outing thing. Let me remind you, how can a child come out to thousands of peers and staff Members and us not be able to tell the parents?

We have a duty as a school board Member and you should know best chair that they need to be provided a safe environment and to do that includes their parents.

Thank you.

Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Ariane Adam Chicova and I live in San Francisco. I'm a progressive Democrat and I have been a CTA high school teacher for 22 years. I am a lifelong LGB Activist. I am a mother of a formerly Trans identified son. 10 years ago, no students identified as transgender.

Now every class has at least a few students who identify as something other than their own sex. My son's Trans identity was a result of anxiety, loneliness and too much time on the Internet like so many other youth.

Sadly, these children who reject their sex believe that they were born wrong and dissociate with their natural bodies, which results in a downward spiral of their already fragile mental state. We, as teachers are told, trained, mandated to accept the child's pronouncement at face value and keep this secret from parents.

We game the students records to automatically change names and pronouns depending upon the recipient and lie to parents. Senators said teachers do not want to be the gender police. That is true. Teachers also do not want to be liars or co conspirators in the social transition of students.

Parents should be trusted to make decisions for their own kids. We should not be making an assumption of guilt about parents when it comes to their own children. Teachers should nurture, not obstructed, the parent child bond. Teachers are evaluated on how well we value and respect students families and their role. AB 1955 obliterates that mutual respect.

The Senate was filled with coming out stories and the bill's author erroneously equates coming out as gay to the adoption of a transgender identity. Being gay carries no chance of irreversible medicalization to fit a sense of self, nor does it require active deception by schools.

The time is a police wrap up in children.

Trans ideation is almost always accompanied by other serious mental health issues secrecy from parents is not the answer. This bill will only hurt children. Thank you. Vote no. And thank you.

Thank you. Public comments in opposition to the bill, please come forward to the microphone again. Name, affiliation and position on the bill only.

Tara Thornton, co founder of Freedom Angels and we all know I could stand here for hours listing Californians who oppose this.

Denise Aguilar, co founder of Freedom Angels and candidate for Assembly District 13, in opposition. And let's see, Kenneth Prado, in opposition. Sonia Shaw's husband Chris Shaw, in opposition.

My name is Nick Wilson. I'm a retired police officer in strong opposition,

Tina Revelis, Mary Aldrin, Jessica Romero, Rosario Ortiz, Rafael Hernandez, Roberta Hernandez, Veronica Martinez, Michelle Montoya, Denise Valeri, Elizabeth Williams, Liz Espinoza, Laura Munoz, Claudia Landivier, Cole Everyman, Kami Lopez, Gabrielle Ingram, Laurie Radcliffe, Darren Ellis, Crystal Osborne, Christina Acevedo, Christina Garnido, Natalie Carballo, Alexia Knight, Jessica Romero, Wendy Pelletuni, Juana Arenas, Rosario Ortiz, Ayanna can't read her last name.

Lynette Gonzalez, Claudia Landerbeer, Patricia Luna Esmeralda Arenas, Victoria Viscari, Mania Ortiz, Dulce Zavata, Monica Lopez and Gina Moreno.

I'm Doctor Glenn Holstein, professional biologist from across the river in Davis. I'm strongly opposed. Thanks.

Good afternoon. Erin Friday, Democrat, mother of a daughter who used to believe that she was a boy. Also Member of Democrats for Informed Approach to Gender and Protect Kids California we strongly oppose, oppose this bill. There are 3000 Members of our duty who run their names.

Thank you.

Nicole Pearson, founder of Facts, Law, Truth, Justice, in strong opposition to the bill, along with Amber Erling and Angela Macbeth, Ann Kalva, Barbara Kangas, Blair Britt, Colleen Griggs, Dave Hawkins, Julie Assepore, Julie Schneider, Carrie Botten, Kristen Malayabas, Kristi Yeager, Laura O'Neill, Liz Simons, Lindsey Metzenhe, Nicole Ramos, Portia Fisher, Roseanne Destanislow, Stacey Jones, Paul Jones, Rosie Avila, Lawrence Pearson, Monica Pearson, Stacey Harris, Summer Fry, Penny Nicole, Jacqueline, Nicole, Devon, Nicole, Eric, Nicole, Mike, Nicole, and Claire Edwards.

And the list goes on. But I'll spare you.

Gene Johnson, President, Merced County Republican Assembly strongly against this diabolical bill.

Monique Lopez from Whittier Parent Alliance. We strongly oppose this bill. And I am also a mother of a son that's openly gay and a daughter who is openly a lesbian.

Hello misses G from Orange County, California. I'm represented here myself for my three children in public and private schools and I'm here to represent Shan from California Parents Rights act now and for Patty from Bonita Falls. Thank you and I oppose.

Henny Abraham. I'm the co founder and Chairwoman of the Iranian American Republicans of California and the group leader for Placer County Moms for America. I'm here to oppose the bill on behalf of myself and Our Moms for America. Say liaison Miss Barbara George. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sabrina Williams. I am here on behalf of Mom Army California. I represent several battalions up and down California. We all oppose. In addition to Adam Vina, Jessica Unos, Wendy Minas, Harrison Tinsley, Christina Marin, Elizabeth Nemchek, Stephanie Dawson, Alicia Lal, Gabriel Brichke, Patrice, Robert Lopez.

Hello, I am Karen Darnell, Doctor of counseling and registered nurse, and I oppose this bill. Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Tammy McMan-Gorens. I've been a public school teacher since 1986, and I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Bill Scott. I represent a group of people in Clovis that want to see our schools get back to educating our kids instead of indoctrinating them. This bill is just wrong. Vote no.

I'm Kim O'Brien, California public school teacher since 1985. I strongly oppose this Bill.

Janine Pera from Marin County, founder of two charter schools in Marin, and former board Member and health advocate for families, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Jeanette Loudon from Fresno County. I am a retired nurse. I see these things, and I strongly, strongly oppose.

My name is Sarah Renner, 25 year teacher and advocate for students with disabilities, and representative from education impact, and I strongly oppose.

Hello, everyone. How y'all doing? My name is Wendell Bennett. First of all, I'm a citizen of the kingdom of God in heaven, and I'm with Make California Gold Again. And I strongly, strongly in God's name, oppose this.

Hi, my name is Suzanne Perez. I'm a grandmother of children with Glendale Unified School District, and I strongly oppose this bill and also for Darren Ellis.

Hello. My name is Martin. I'm with Make California Gold Again, and I stand on behalf of all California parents and strongly oppose AB 1955. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Sarah Stevens. I'm a wife of a veteran, a mother of six children, and I have an organization called Make California Gold Again and Time to Stand. I strongly oppose this bill, along with Pray California, TV Next, Leave Our Kids Alone. Mom's on the Ground, Turning point, USA Faith, Our Watch, Blexit, Public School Exit.

Take Our Power Back Show, California Moms for America, The Cross TV, The Salt and Light Council, and over 800 churches that are connected with Harvest Rock ministries. So, thank you. We obviously oppose this bill.

Hi, my name is Joshua Stevens. I am against this bill, and I'm with Make California Gold Again. I am against this bill.

Hi, my name is Bella Minor. I'm a mother of a child who is a formerly self identified Trans. I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi, Jessica Wagner, public school teacher and parent of two, strong opposition As well as representing Minouk from Leave Kids Alone, opposition. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Cynthia Cuevas, concerned mom, grandmother, and retired registered nurse. I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Max Bonilla. I'm coming here on behalf of Rebuild California. In opposition.

My name is Rachel Bordoli. I'm a San Francisco voter, registered Democrat, mother of a Lesbian, socially transitioned at school, 15 years old, believes she needs to have double mastectomy and cross sex hormones. I'm also here with Women are Real and with Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender. Thank you.

I oppose this bill with every fiber of my body.

Cynthia Cravens, Democrat, lifelong liberal, also former candidate for California State Senate district 11 and affiliated with Parents are Not Mushrooms, Bring them back into the light, Do Not Keep Them in the Dark, and allow them to know about their students. I definitely oppose this bill.

Hi, I'm Jean Chadbourne, lifelong Democrat, Oakland resident, teacher of over 20 years, a Member of Women Are Real, Women's Declaration International and part of the coalition of Boys Don't Belong in Girls Locker Rooms or Sports. And I strongly oppose this bill.

Hello, I'm Kathryn McBride, 24 year substitute teacher and with California parents Union, and I want to strongly oppose AB 1955 along with Kasia Williams, librarian in Placer County. We're also in Placer County, oppose this anti parent bill. So please vote no. Thank you very much.

Good morning. I'm Sandy. We The People speaking in strong opposition to this unconstitutional bill and also speaking for Kathy Warner of Placer County, Deborah Caporosso, Sacramento County, Debbie Woolley from Sacramento County, Lee Fryer, Placer county, and Linda Haugen from Placer county. Please oppose this bill. Thank you.

My name is Dave Capazano, and I strongly oppose this corrupt bill.

Barbara Lewis Jensen. I'm a former retired elementary school teacher and community college teacher, the mother of an LGBTQ son and a grandmother, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Good afternoon. My name is Jim Hicks from San Joaquin county, and I strongly oppose this unconstitutional, nonsensical bill on behalf of myself. I'm also the President of the San Joaquin County Republican Assembly, Harvest Bible Church, and a Member of Jim Shoemaker for Senate campaign, and we strongly oppose this.

And I could read you 2,500 plus names, but I won't. But thank you for listening to us. Thank you.

Hi, my name is Marilyn Hammond. I'm a mother, grandmother. I'm also on the Senate campaign for Jim Shoemaker. I'm also representing many people from Harvest Bible Church and various other churches, including, but not limited to, Phyllis Carvalho and Calgirls for Jesus, Ruth Maung, Tony Field, Cecilia Trujillo, Silvana Harvest, and Carol Matsonaga. Thank you.

I strongly oppose this bill.

I'm Margie Mateuse from Atwater, California. I homeschooled my kids to protect them from what I was seeing in the schools. They now homeschooled their kids. I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Ellen Apodaca, and I'm a grandmother of 10 grandchildren, and I oppose this bill.

I'm Laura Katte from Sacramento County, a very concerned mother and grandmother and represent Pray California, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Kim Calabro. I live in the 22nd district. I strongly oppose this bill. I am a mother and a wife of a veteran and a mental health advocate. Thank you.

Jose Chavez, Chairman of the North Valley Young Republicans and resident of Assembly District 13, in firm opposition of this bill. Thank you and God bless you.

Gary Grigsby. I am a resident of Heath Flores district as well as Susan Eggmans district. I am also the treasurer for North Valley Young Republicans, the Political Director for Central Valley Impact Republicans, and a Committee Member for the San Joaquin County Republican Party, and I strongly oppose this bill. Have a great day.

My name is Florentina Diginaro, formerly democratic mother of three, representing Yuba County Republican Central Committee and part of Freedom Coalition and Glad Tidings, and we strongly oppose.

Good afternoon. My name is Miji Rovera. I'm from Alameda County. I'm a mother and I'm representing Freedom in Education, a national parent organization, and also I'm the co President of California Parents Advocate, and on behalf of millions of parents, we are strongly opposed to this bill.

Good day. My name is Peggy Delgado Fava. I am the Executive Director for Bridge Network, a local nonprofit that works with at risk youth trauma, sexually exploited, and trafficked youth. I'm also a school board trustee for Pleasant Ridge Union School District in Nevada County, and additionally, I'm a brain health professional affiliated with Amen Clinics.

I strongly oppose this bill. Thank you.

My name is Rochelle Connor. I am the legislative liaison for concerned women for America, standing on behalf of thousands of families across California. Also, I am an abolitionist with the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California, one of the oldest civil rights organizations in California. And we strongly oppose this bill and respectfully ask for your no vote.

Hi, I'm Nancy Thornton, and I'm here with Concerned Women for America, and I urge you to oppose this bill.

Hello. My name is Patricia Pistoni. I'm here also with Concerned Women for America. I'm a retired teacher and still subbing from Auburn, California. And I strongly oppose this bill hurting the children and the parents. Thank you. Please oppose it.

Hello, my name is Kathy Lane. I live in Fair Oaks. I'm a business owner long term, and I strongly urge you to oppose this bill.

Hello, I'm Karen Keeter. I'm from Santa Clara County. I'm a member of Youth for Human Rights, and I very much oppose this bill because it violates the rights of parents. It's not the state who owns the child. Thank you.

Good day. I'm Lisa Disbrow, and I'm with Informed Parents of Contra Costa County, Women are Real, Real Impact, Our Duty, Law Marindans for Education. I'm a 34-year veteran bilingual teacher who refused to undermine parents' rights, so I retired. I'm also the veteran, a mother of a veteran, and member of Chino Hills church. And we demand no one teach children to lie to their parents. I also am representing Breta, Lizzie, and.

And let me remind folks name, affiliation and position on the bill. Thank you.

Hi, my name's Linda Rich. I'm a first-generation American. I'm a Placer County mom, grandmother, and former Girl Scout leader. And on behalf of myself, my children, and my grandchildren, I oppose AB 1955. Save parental rights and keep Cal.

Hello. My name is Stephanie Swela. I'm here representing my two children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. I'm also a part of rebuild California. I strongly oppose this. You are not taking away my parents.

Hi. Heather Keller, California parent in strong opposition.

Thanks. Mike Murray, on behalf of myself, is a father of young children and the American Council in opposition to this bill.

Lance Christensen, father of five public school children and Vice President of the California Policy Center, opposed AB 1955. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Brena Sheehy, representing Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids Advocacy in opposition.

Good afternoon. My name is T. I am a legislative liaison on behalf of Tulare County Coalition for Freedom, Unmasked Tulare County, Porterville Blessings of Liberty. Stand Up Sacramento County, Gabrielle Ingram, Kayleigh McKenna, Mister and Misses Matt Werther, Mister and Misses Bruce Kinberg, Cindy Timbrook, Bob and Karen Locke, Vanessa Chavez, Tonya Rice, Mister and Misses Steve Gordon, Pastor Michael Clark, Rock Harbor Church Bakersfield, Calvary Visalia Church, Bakersfield, Red Rover Parent and Child Coalition for Strong Families United.

We all stand in strong opposition of the state government overreach of AB 1955. Thank you. May God guide your decision.

My name is Rachel Seisinger. I'm a public school teacher and a parent representing the education system, and I strongly oppose AB 1955. Thank you.

Molly Sheehan with the California Catholic Conference in opposition. Thank you.

I'm Katie Gorman. I'm also a public-school teacher and I represent Shasta County Moms for Liberty in opposition of this bill.

I'm Arianne Geringer. I am a lesbian millennial volunteer for LGB Alliance USA, and I am in opposition to this bill. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Sherry Meek. I'm a registered Democrat from Oakland, and I'm here today in strong opposition to this bill.

Hi, I'm Tom Fox, Vice President of Citizens in Support of El Dorado Hills, and I'm against this bill which would harm children. Thank you.

Cheryl Fox, retired licensed marriage and family therapist, 20 years with a high school in the Bay Area, and I'm against this bill.

Hi, my name is Georgia Luber. I am on the board of Our Duty USA, and I'm a liberal Democrat, and I oppose this bill.

Hi, I'm Christine Goff, and I'm a parent and an educator and a registered democratic voter and a member of Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender and I oppose this bill. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Lauren Wall. I'm a public health professional of over 30 years, lifelong Democrat with Democrats for an Informed Approach to Gender, and I'm against this regressive bill.

Hi, I'm Virginia Tevlin, and I am here because I'm concerned for parents, grandparents, and all those who regret their sex change. They can't reverse it. And I strongly oppose this bill. Thank you.

Hi, Elisa Overhault, Women's Liberation Front, also a member of the LGBT community and Desistere. I oppose this bill.

Hi, I'm Marisol Candeles, a business owner in San Jose, California. I'm from the Firehouse Community Development Corporation, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi, I'm Lewis Cabrera. I'm also a business owner, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi, I am Alonzo Altamirano. I am a business owner in Santa Clara County, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi, I'm Doctor Linda A. Lara with the Truth Seekers and pastor of Star David Church in San Jose, California, and I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Doctor Sunny Lara from San Jose, California. I'm a gang expert in working with young men and women, getting them out of the gang lifestyle, and we totally oppose this bill.

Hi, my name is Sofia Vera. I'm with Silicon Valley Truth Seekers. I'm also a mother in San Jose, California, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi, my name is Filiberto Vera. I am a business owner in San Jose, California, and father of six, and I strongly oppose this bill.

I'm Laura Ivanovich from Fremont in Alameda County, and I'm a mother and a future grandmother. And I oppose AB 1955.

My name is Judy Martinez. I'm from San Jose, California. I work in the education system. I represent Silicon Valley Truth Seekers, and I oppose AB 1955.

Hi, I'm Beverly Talbot from San Francisco, California. As a Member of Democrats with an Informed Approach to Gender, Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance and a gay resident of San Francisco, I strongly oppose this bill. No child is born in the wrong body.

I'm Yvette Corcoran, resident of San Francisco, mother of two teenagers, registered nurse, and member of Women are Real. I strongly oppose AB 1955.

My name is Barbara Walker and I'm from Alameda. On behalf of womenarereal.org and affirmingreality.com and as a Bay Area mom of three kids who I want to protect, I strongly oppose AB 1955. Trans is not the new gay.

Hi, my name is Judith Cahill. I'm a registered Democrat. I'm a mother. I'm here representing affirmingreality.com and a member of womenareal.org. I strongly oppose this bill.

Good afternoon, Chair and members. My name is Karen Amagon. On behalf of the RNHA, we respectfully oppose this bill.

My name is Tracy Schroeder. I've been a public-school teacher for more than 20 years. I sit on parent, student, teacher support teams to help children. There must be congruency in our classrooms and in our schools to help kids. I'm also.

Good afternoon. My name is Rosalba Villanueva. I am a mother, a grandmother, and a 25 year teacher from Los Angeles, and I oppose this bill.

Hi. My name is Margo Engels. I have been registered Democrat in this great state for 45 years, still am, proud mother and ally of a gay son, and public school teacher, and I strongly oppose this bill. Thank you.

Elizabeth Cronin, lifelong Democrat from San Francisco and 35-year member of California Teachers Association. I oppose this bill, and I will not lie to parents.

Good afternoon. My name is Brandi Woods. I'm a mother of six, grandmother of five. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I'm a member, and I represent This Is Pentecost Fellowship Ministries, and we will not support this bill.

Good afternoon. I'm Stephanie Degree. I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother. I'm a licensed, registered pediatric nurse. I'm here as a representative for California Nurses United and Take a Stand Stanislaus, and we oppose this bill. Thank you.

Hello. I'm Steven Barossa. I'm a senior member of the Gate Community. I'm against the classroom-to-gender-clinic pipeline, and I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Josh Fulfer. I'm a father of three, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Good afternoon. I hope you guys are having a nice day. My name is James Hoke, father, school board trustee, American, and child of God, and I strongly oppose this bill.

My name is Jessica Tapia, and I'm the California teacher who was fired for refusing to lie to students, to lie to parents, and to myself. I never had a transgender student in my class, yet was terminated on how I would hypothetically be honest with students. Freedom of speech--

No testifying, ma'am. Again, name, affiliation, position on the bill to be respectful of everyone else's time.

I'm Mike Greer. I'm a school board member from Del Norte County. I'm on the Legislative Committee for the School Board Association. I'm a director of one for Humboldt Lake, so forth, and I strongly oppose this. I was a CTA union president.

Hello. My name is Tim Thompson. I'm a father, a grandfather, the Senior Pastor of 412 Church in Temecula Valley, and the founder of Our Watch, strongly opposed to this bill.

Hi. I'm Dalila Epperson, candidate for Assembly District 30, founder of ACT Monterey Bay, President of the Republican Assembly, and we all strongly oppose this bill.

Hello. My name is Fay Smith from Monterey County, and I oppose this bill.

Hello. My name is Amanda Kovattana from San Mateo County. I'm a long-term lesbian activist. I oppose this bill as a member of Women are Real, Women's Declaration Independence, and Protect Kids California. Thank you.

Hello. Margaret Orator, mother, former Democrat. On behalf of myself and millions of loving mothers and fathers who cannot be here today to defend their right to protect and parent their children because they are working to support and caring for those children, including Arthur Mark, Charlotte Johnson, Audra Sterrett, Amy Rush, Kathryn Blankenberg, Jonna Burke, Rachel Califon, Sarah Wolf, Cherie Porter, Charlene Wilson, Laura Dixon, Beth Bourne, Rick Mortensen, Nicolle Young, who's also the Chapter Chair of Placer County Moms for Liberty.

Wendy Beal, Karen Frost, Chapter Chair of Los Angeles County Moms of Liberty, Robert Schwanca, Ann Schwanca, Genevieve Pelisi, Chris Pelisi, Alicia Contreras, Hernan Contreras, Angie Montestier, Santiagos Montestier, and Jessica Anderson, united in resolute objection to AB 1955. Thank you.

Hi. My name is Amy Anderson. I live in Sacramento, and I'm the mother of five, now a former Democrat, and I'm here as a member of Women are Real and another advocacy group for women in Sacramento, and I am a special education teacher, and we strongly oppose this bill.

Hi. I'm Julie Lane, a former Democrat from San Francisco and a big lesbian. I'm here with Women are Real, the Coalition of Sane People, Ellen Page and all the lost lesbians, and the Joint Task Force investigating craven politicians damaging families, especially Rob and Mia Bonta, and I strongly oppose this. Gut and amend. 1955. You're--

Hi. I'm Ellen Danik. I'm here as the President of Coloradans for Sanity and the California General Assembly, and we oppose this bill.

Hello. Ally Novello, co-founder of Reality EnCompass Values for Our Women and Our Girls. Strong opposition.

Allison Santa Ana, mother of two daughters, member of Women's Declaration International, Women's Liberation Front, and the Coalition of Sane People, and I strongly oppose this bill.

Hi. I'm Jennifer Foote. I'm an education specialist and federally mandated to report on social emotional conditions per IEPs. I oppose this bill.

I'm Kathy McKnight. I'm the state leader of the National School Board Coalition, and I'm representing all of our members in California in opposing a bill that's dangerous to all children, including trans children.

Hi. I'm Nina Locker. I'm a resident of Yolo County and a public school educator. I absolutely oppose this bill that deceives families.

Thank you.

My name is Thea Blair from Davis, California. I am a mother of two, a boy and a girl, and I don't have to tell you what that is. I was a lifelong Democrat until a year ago. I'm a middle school teacher and I highly oppose this bill. Thank you.

Greg Burt, Vice President of the California Family Council, in strong opposition.

Mi llamo es Lorena Daniela Elias Cardinali de Bajorquez, here today to represent the following affiliated groups as follows: ninth, tenth, and eleventh generation Californians from the Anza Expedition, fourth generation mediterranean families from the Isola delle Femmine, families from the Slovenian Hall, a portion of Italian, Filipino, Mexican, mixed-race European families from the Diocesan Appeal of Stockton.

I'm an affiliated member of the Legion of Mary, families from San Joaquin County Victim-Witness, a portion of the families from the Lodi Unified School District, families from St. Luke's Catholic Elementary School, I'm a mother of four Salvadorian mixed-race daughters, a certified OSHA HAZWOPER site health and safety officer, and with a loving and humble heart, we are all in strong fervent opposition of Assembly Bill 1955.

Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Legislators. David Bullock of the SSB Alliance, the LA County Chapter of Moms for Liberty, Informed Alhambra, Neighborhoods of the 40th Assembly District for Sane Legislation, Truth Exchange, Taxpayer Oversights for Parents and Students, Parents Against Pervasive Obscenity in our School Libraries, Goat Governments--Goat Farmers for Good Government, and most importantly, Therapy First, a group of therapists around the world that advocate for therapy before affirmation. We're all in opposition. Thank you.

Ethan Lee. On behalf of myself, I oppose this bill.

My name is Liam Trent from Orange County with the group My California Go Again. I urge you guy to vote no on AB 1955. Thank you.

Move the bill.

All right, motion's been made and seconded. Let me bring back to the committee for questions and comments. Mr. Alvarez.

Thank you. Thank you all to members of the public for your, for your patience as we listen to all comments on both sides of this issue. I'd like to ask the author about something that was that I heard in the testimony. Asked for a response as a parent of two young kids, something that I heard that I thought was important that we get a chance to hear from you.

There was an assertion made and maybe I misunderstood, but I think it'd be good for you to clarify that. Your bill would require that teachers would have to lie to parents. I heard that a couple of times, and so I'd like you to respond to that.

Thank you for the question. I think there's a lot of--well, there's some broader opinion, I suppose, for many of the claims that were made, but on that question, it's categorically false. The teachers under this bill shall not be compelled to have to be able to disclose what they are hearing.

I think it's important that teachers use judgment, and that's supported by a lot of research, surveys of affected individuals, and that judgment lends them, first of all, one: nothing, in fact, is memorialized in the bill, two: should be inconsistent with state or federal law as mandated reporters.

If you see issues of decline, whether it's academically, socially, or, you know, otherwise, that there is a necessity to be able to have broader conversations, to really circle a loving network around that youth that can be able to help understand the totality of circumstances that might be at play here.

With that said, if you're coming in for a parent-teacher conference and a parent says, you know, what do you think my child might be transgender? It is up to the teacher to be able to have that discretion. The teacher is not compelled to do so were this to be law, but through that discretion, maybe you want to have that conversation.

You could say, well, maybe you should talk to your child, and you could kind of leave the teacher out of being in the middle of it. But importantly, why we had wanted to introduce this bill is because teachers just want to teach. I'd like to, maybe, if I could allow for elaboration, refer to my teacher witness as well on how she might respond to such a question.

We actually dealt with this where, you know, we were being told that we needed to let parents know within 72 hours if we noticed that their student was non-gender-conforming. And the logistics of that, to me, are impossible. To have 72 hours, to not have any background in how to relay this information to families--this is a very sensitive topic to talk to parents about--and then to be given the directive that when we do that, we can do it by email, we can do it in a letter home, or we can do it in a phone call home.

As a parent myself, I can't imagine receiving that letter or that phone call in that way. I, as an English teacher, do not have the ability to have these conversations. These sensitive topics are outside of my purview of teaching English, and I don't think it's fair to the student or the parent for me to be the go-between there. And that's how most of our teachers feel. We did a survey with our teachers, and they all feel--the majority, I won't say all--but the majority, 93 percent, feel the same way.

Can I interject for clarity, please?

Let's give her an opportunity to complete the comments, and we'll give you an opportunity.

Thank you.

If I could, as well, an important element to this bill is the fourth provision that also requires proactive resources so that if there is some tension there and you're not sure whether or not sharing this information is smart, you can refer individuals to other resources that are community-based, whether it's peer support groups or counseling services or, you know, a menu of options to be able to have that conversation.

Thank you. All right.

Could I add as a teacher--sorry--as well?

Yes. Turn on your microphone.

The teacher was never required to tell the parent. That was admin who goes through training to be able to have these kinds of conversations, and number two, what happens in a classroom where the child already said they wanted to be identified as another gender and the parent just shows up or an award ceremony?

Are we going to force the kid to have two different identities, one at school, one at home? Is the teacher going to ask the other children to lie and say, when this person's parents come or grandparents, you're to refer back to them to their birth name? That's a problem. That creates a lot of stress on a child, and again, I want to reiterate, we had a previous policy that kept seeing secrets only in regards to this. And you as a parent, I would never, as a school board member, I would never, ever want somebody to keep something like that that sensitive.

And I think we need to remember, when the admin goes to sit with the child, when they want to change that unofficial or official record, they ask, does your parents know? No. Why? Are you in harm? Are you going to be harmed? Are you in trouble? At that point, the child is able to say if they're going to be harmed or they think their parents are going to hurt them and we get them the help.

How are we all going to sit up here and say that these kids are going to be abused and not have any policies in place to make sure that these kids that are getting abused are put in a safe space? That doesn't make sense to me.

So I want to say that as a high school teacher, I have been asked in email form, along with many other teachers, to hide a student's identity that is in the official record at school but unknown to the parent. So we use Aeries, and Aeries is where we take attendance.

Students' new name and often gender are in there without the parent's knowledge. So as also a parent of a formerly trans-identified child, I understand that as a parent, if I knew that the teacher or the school were socially affirming my child's trans ideation, I would have the means to sue that school and I would also be very, very upset because social transition of a child is not a neutral act.

The studies and the evidence point to social transition of a child by all of their peers and all of their teachers at school can keep them thinking about and believing that something is wrong with their body for far longer than they need to.

Ma'am, I'm going to caution you that there's nothing in the bill that calls for any gender-transitioning treatment. Sir, that's your first warning. Oh, ma'am. Your first warning. Please abstain from disrupting the hearing or I'm going to have to ask you to be escorted out. You many finish.

Okay. So the bill says that the school, or does--I'm not sure, but is not, does not have to tell the parents, but if a child goes to a teacher or a counselor and says, 'I want to change my name and pronouns,' now, perhaps 1,500 members of the school will know, but the one person in the community that won't know are the parents, whether these--and we don't know anything about the parents, and we're just going on what the child says. This is already happening. So we need to really, really educate ourselves on what social transition means at school.

Thank you.

Can I--

No, actually--

Can I--I'm sorry. Can I address the harm component? I know that Misha made a comment that, you know, if a student says they're at risk at home, we call and we get them help and we call CPS. And I want to first make sure to make it clear that I also was an educator for 14 years. I'm fully credentialed. I've taught elementary, high school, and I've done administrative work. So I was a mandated reporter for many, many years, and you cannot preemptively call CPS to get them help.

And the fact that that is the out for that, you're placing these kids in a position to either have CPS called on their parents, which unfortunately might not result in actually getting them help, or go in the closet, and furthermore, when we were discussing the 12 students who were outed while the policy was in place in Chino, the students who came out without incident, most of those students, if not all, already had homes that knew of their gender identity. So those students were not being outed. And in fact, students could take it back.

So if a student said, I want to go by this name or this gender, they were then told, hey, we're going to have to tell your parents, so you have three days, and that student can take it back. And in fact, Ms. Shaw herself was speaking publicly this weekend and said that one of the students did walk it back and take it back, and that was seen as a positive outcome.

What we are doing--I think everyone in this room really cares about kids and their safety, and so it's really important for us to separate our feelings from the facts, and the fact is that when you put forced outing policies into place, you prevent students from getting any help.

The policies that were in place before this were designed to bridge communication between the students and the parents. They're always encouraging students to go to their parents if they say they're not comfortable. Under forced outing, however, a student will take it back and they will stay in the closet. That is the result of these policies, those students who truly are at risk at home.

No student wants to be taken out of their home by CPS. So if they think that is their option, they're gonna be furthermore not wanting to come out. There was--HRC released some data this week, and they said even more that queer students who are victimized in school often don't seek help. According to the research, 44 percent of LGBTQ youth say they have not reported harassment to an adult at school out of fear their parents would learn their identity.

A majority of sexual minority teen boys were threatened with outing by peers. So the fact is that if we do care about these students, forcibly outing them is going to prevent them from getting the help and support that they might need.

Thank you. Any other comments or questions from the committee? Mr. Hoover?

Thank you. Mr. Ward, a few questions, and please bear with me here, because obviously, you know, you're bringing this bill forward on clearly a very sensitive topic. You know, I think there are obviously a lot of opinions in this room. There's also a lot of considerations for this committee on whether or not this should be within the purview of local school boards or whether it should be in the purview of the state.

I think generally like to err on the side of local control, but, you know, you are also coming here as a parent, and you and I both know as parents, how much parents care deeply about their children and how much they want to be a part of their children's lives. And so I think my first question is, when a student is working through these decisions, would you agree that they need people around them to support them through that?

Yes.

So I think what I would like to know, and I understand the details and specifics in the bill, but do you think parents, to the greatest extent that they can, should be a part of that support system?

In a perfect world, that would be very helpful, but it's not always a perfect situation for every individual.

And I understand that. And obviously, we know that. I think collectively that there are obviously a lot of amazing parents. I would say, by and large, parents are very supportive of their children. There's obviously some parents that aren't. But should they be given the opportunity to be supportive, I guess, is my question.

They always have that opportunity. Nothing is preventing a parent, child from having these conversations.

So I guess my concern is, and, you know, my office has received a lot of calls, right, from all different perspectives on this legislation, but we've received a number of calls from parents of transgender students who strongly oppose this bill, and they oppose this bill because they want to be involved and to know what's going on so that they can support their child. So I guess my fear is that what this bill is going to do is it's going to encourage parents be kept in the dark.

I understand that may not be your intent, but that is essentially what I see this bill as encouraging. So how can parents both best support their student if they're kept in the dark about something as important as this?

So I'd like--

Hold off on the applause.

I'll have a response, and I'd like to defer to my witness, maybe for some of her perspective. I think coming out is a very difficult experience on top of an already difficult time in many youth's lives. It's not easy being a teenager, and it's especially not easy when you're wrestling with issues that might make yourself different than somebody else.

And I think what we have conflated here is that somehow this is preventing, obstructing, or otherwise making it difficult to have those conversations between a student, a youth, and their parent. Those are difficult conversations, and, in fact, I could tell you about the surveys, but I can also tell you by personal experience that it is very difficult to come out to your parent. That is the person, even though there's a loving relationship, that is the person that is, hopefully, the people in your lives that you're always going to have.

It's the last person that you want to reject you. And so some youth, right, they come out to their peers first because not that it's more accepting of an environment or you're sort of testing waters and you are figuring out your own identity, but you're doing so in a way that is your own--it's by a path that's of your own choosing.

And that's where it's an important fundamental here that we talk about, about the issue of privacy. That is embedded within individual right to be able to come out and come out to whom and when in the matter in which they choose. Now, I'm not--I'm cisgender, and I don't know what it's truly like to be transgender, but I know people who are. And I think another issue around this bill is that there are some that just don't believe that they are real. And I've had that experience.

Not knowing that, wrestling with your own sexual orientation, that you think that that is something that's real and natural to me. And so all this sort of tying together is to say, and to answer your question, it is a difficult conversation to have, and I understand why that can be a difficult conversation, but it is a conversation that that parent and child should have.

And we are trying to, through this bill, recenter the idea that schools should just be a safe environment, because, ultimately, that is the job of our schools, is to provide a safe and thriving environment so they can perform well. And some of that intersects with trying to make sure that we understand that kids are built differently, that they are real.

And so when those situations arrive, how do we design something that's able to be able to support them and thrive academically? When you are jumping ahead of an individual's interest or timeline to be able to have those important conversations, it can do an incredible amount of harm, and I'd like to be able to defer to my witness, maybe to elaborate further.

I just wanted to say that, primarily, I am a mom, and I work with moms and dads across the state all the time. And as a mom and as a former educator, I know that my child can--I have the right to have a conversation with my kid when we're ready because I know, as a mom, as somebody who has a degree in child development, that my child and my relationship will be stronger if I let them come to me when they're ready versus being forcibly outed. This is just the fact.

We know that forcibly outing kids is detrimental to the child and to your relationship with your kid. And so, as a parent, I want the right to allow my child the space to come to me when they feel safe. And if you've never experienced loving somebody who's in the process of coming out, I mean, they're always coming out. So many children will come out to one parent and then another a year later or more as they become more comfortable who they are.

But kids want their parents' love more than anyone else, so it makes sense that they might test the waters with their friends at school. They're doing that constantly with who they are, figuring out who they are. That's part of being an adolescent and growing up.

And my right is to allow my child that space to do that so we can develop a strong relationship as a mom and a daughter or a mom and my son. That is my right to do that. And if you take that safe space away from my child, I want them to have that safe space.

And I trust the school because I am in the school all the time, I am talking to the teachers all the time, and I want my child to have that space to feel safe because I also know that the more adults positive role models in my children's lives, where they feel safe to talk, they have better outcomes for themselves, for their sense of well-being and for their life.

I just wanted to add a closing thought about that, too, because mentioned being parents in our discussions. I know yours are just a little bit older than in mine on the range. I'm entering preteen years. It's tough. It's very hard to stay connected in these conversations and we're trying as parents so hard.

Maybe it's not easy, certainly, with the demands of our jobs, but we're doing our best. But ultimately, I want to make sure that she is doing very well at school. I can tell she's happy at school, and I can tell that she's learning and she's thriving, and I have an immense amount of trust for the school community, and it's on me to build a better relationship with my kid and I'm always trying. And that's, I think the distinction that I see here, that we should be from an education policy, you know, sort of aligning with.

Assemblyman Hoover, may I say something?

I think let's just--I'm gonna. Go ahead, go ahead. Through the Chair. Through the Chair.

When the notifications went out, we also offered counseling to ensure that parents and the child both had the support they needed if they weren't able to have this conversation alone. And if they were able to have the conversation, we also continued to offer free support for both of them.

So it gave them the resources that I would think that any parent would be appreciative, and we actually had parents thank us for those resources that were given to them in that. And I think we need to remember, without due process, the Fourteenth Amendment, parents shouldn't be deemed dangerous to their children without going through that due process.

Thank you. Assembly Member, I can hear the passion in your voice and I resonate with that because I think, and I would assume that the vast majority of parents in this room feel that passion too for their children and want to be there to support their children.

And I think one of the challenges to the witness that you bring up--and I fully appreciate you wanting your child to have this safe space--we also have to understand that our kids make a lot of decisions where parents need to be involved to give guidance.

You know, we're talking about, you know, in the case of teenagers, especially, we're talking about students who don't always know what the right decision is and need guidance, whether it's on drugs, whether it's on, you know, figuring out relationships between other peers.

I mean, there are a whole host of things where I think we would say that I don't necessarily want to wait for my child to come to me with that. I want a teacher, and in many cases, teachers will inform parents that their child is being bullied at school, their child is struggling academically.

They want to engage parents, bring them in to help support them through that. And so that is--my concern with this bill right now is that it almost makes this assumption that parents will not do that. And I think that is, as a form of public policy, not the direction that I would like to see us go.

But I will switch gears a little here because I want to ask you about something to clear up, something you said earlier in response to my colleague's question. So just so I'm clear, is it your testimony that this bill would not prohibit information from being shared to a parent on a voluntary basis?

That is correct. It's not always--the bill does not do that. There is some judgment that needs to be afforded.

Okay. So just for example, if a teacher, administrator independently has information, chooses to share that information about a student to their parents, will that be allowable under this bill?

Yes.

Okay. I just want to make it clear that, that, you know, on record, we know that that is not something that the bill attempts to take away. So I assume in the same way, I know there's a provision in this bill that talks about retaliation cannot come to those who choose not to share information. Correct?

I believe that's in the legislation. So in the same way, you know, there won't be retaliation to teachers who choose or administrators who choose to share information. I know we've had some issues with these lawsuits, and that's why I'm asking because I want to make sure that there wouldn't be retaliation in those cases either.

Well, the lawsuits have demonstrated and upheld the individual's position and restitution is afforded, so I think it's pretty clear how the law is interpreted on this question.

Okay. So I think my last line of questioning, I just, I want to, I really want to dive into and figure out, you know, I appreciate the testimony of your witnesses, but where is the line between sharing with parents and actively hiding information from parents? And I think that's where I still have a lot of kind of questions. So just to consider a scenario, and I think this was somewhat spoken to, but I want to get a little more clarity on it.

So, hypothetically, if a student has changed their name and their gender identity at school, and their teacher is aware of this information but the parents are not, and they enter into a parent-teacher conference, how is that teacher going to refer to that child in that parent-teacher conference? If they, you know, is it per these changes? Is it per, you know, different information? I mean, what, what is supposed to, what is the teacher supposed to do in that situation?

They could say something like, 'your child is doing very well and needs to improve in math.'

So, but again, you know, I mean, I think we've probably both been in parent-teacher conferences. They're quite a bit more personal than that. You know, they dive into--pronouns are obviously talked about, names are mentioned. How is a teacher supposed to refer to that child in those moments?

Can I say this is, first of all, an incredibly rare case when that would happen? But I know teachers who tell me--

Who wrote the bill, him or you?

So, excuse me. So just to clarify, we're in parent-teacher conferences every year with our kids' teachers. So when you say it's a rare circumstance, is a rare circumstance where--

Where the parent would not know the pronoun being used. You're already talking about an incredibly rare circumstance. Furthermore, you know, I would refer to her, too, but I can tell you I have teachers who will tell me they will use generalized pronouns when they go to those scenarios, but those scenarios are so rare that I could not even point to very many of them.

As a current teacher, could I refute that point? This is not--

If Mr. Hoover wants--

Through the Chair. Yes.

So that is not a rare occurrence. Every year, I have more and more students who identify by a different name and pronouns at school, and mostly these are young lesbian students who are afraid and have an internalized homophobia and do not want to accept their female-to-female attraction, and very few teachers have been LGB activists as I have been, and understand that gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia and dissociation from the body--

That is the second time--

I'm going to ask the sergeant to escort you out of the hearing room. Thank you. Please proceed.

Okay. So many of our daughters and our sons are struggling with other things going on, which is what I spoke about. There are other issues here. Some of it is societal homophobia. Sometimes it is internalized homophobia. And as our representative discussed, it can be really, really difficult as a young person realizing that you are same-sex attracted. And now you may be bombarded on social media with, well, perhaps your body is wrong. And that's the issue. That you're really not a young lesbian, but you're male.

Thank you.

And so I think that we need to really understand the difference between trans ideation in our young people and what it is to come out as a gay person. I don't know if a student is truly gay. I can only guess. It's not my job or business to know that.

And we don't--we're not talking about outing gay students. We're talking about students who are choosing a new name and pronoun at school where everybody in the community knows except the parents. And often the parent is the one who knows the child the best and understands possible former trauma that happened to their kids or what the reasons might be, but we have to bring that parent into it.

Thank you. I just want to ask, just to go back to a question of the witness because you mentioned using generalized pronouns in these situations. Is it your typical practice to use generalized pronouns on all of your students?

My typical practice is I have never, ever had this situation happened with a parent. I've never had to sit down with a parent and have this conversation. What I am dealing with at my site is these hypotheticals. I don't have a student in my class currently that's dealing with this. I had a student at one point whose parent knew of their transgender situation, and so there were conversations being had there. I think grace needs to happen on both sides, and I think that's what this bill does.

Instead of forcing us to out our students, it gives grace to both sides so that we as teachers can talk to parents about it if that child thinks that they're ready to tell the parent and if we see something and that we know that it's a safe place for them. I deal with alt ed students.

Most of my students aren't even homed by a parent. They are not with biological parents. So to put them in a situation like that, where I am writing a letter home to whoever they're staying with, their temporary guardian, that can be dangerous in so many ways for those students, and we know the statistics about students that are homeless live among the LGBTQ community, and it's because it is unsafe for them to tell certain people in their home about their gender identity.

Thank you. I'm gonna interject for a moment here. We've spent an hour and 40 minutes on this bill. We have 20 more bills to go. I encourage this committee to keep comments, questions concise, all the witnesses, so that we can move on. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, if I may, I'll close my comments, if that works for you. I appreciate that. Appreciate the responses. Look, I think this is my concern: we, in fact, you know, the witnesses just spoke to this point. Every parent-teacher conference I've ever been in, my child's name has been used.

My child's pronouns have been used. This idea that if you were in this situation where there was a situation where a teacher had knowledge of something and a parent did not, that you would even have a conversation about using generalized pronouns in that discussion to avoid that information being shared.

In my mind, that is actively hiding information from parents, and when you have a situation where--and again, this is all about finding where this line is between being required to share with parents, which I understand your perspective on that; I get that, but then actively hiding information from parents, as a teacher who is regularly engaging with that parent about their student, I think this bill opens the door in a way that I am not comfortable with and so will not be able to support the bill today. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further questions? Ms. Bonta?

Assembly Member Ward, I want to thank you for bringing forward this bill. I am a mother of an LGBTQ child, and I couldn't imagine her not being able to know that her school was safe in all aspects of her identity, and I think this bill is very straightforward, to be honest with you. It allows for an opportunity for teachers and educators not to be put in a position to disclose information that they are actually not really, at the end of the day, trained fully to be able to acknowledge, support, and be involved in that.

The part of this testimony from the opposition that I find the most troubling is this notion that parents stop being parents when their children are in school, that parents don't have the ability to communicate with their children every single moments of their lives, and what a parent chooses to do with their ability to communicate with their child is, frankly, on them.

We want to be able to ensure that our schools are safe. We want to be able to ensure that educators are safe in the basic function of teaching our children, and this is a very straightforward bill in allowing us to be able to do that. I want to thank you for making sure that my child and children who are in our schools, who are LGBTQ, have the ability to feel safe in their schools by bringing forward this bill.

Thank you.

Thank you. Ms. Addis?

I was in the classroom for over a decade. I worked with students with special needs immigrant families. Taught K-12 summer admin, a mandated reporter. And I want to echo what Assemblymember Bonta just said. I, too was going to say this Bill is very straightforward.

I have to say first and foremost, though, that there's nothing wrong with being Trans. It's not a pathology. And I didn't realize, sitting up here, how emotional it would be to say what I'm saying. But I think we have to recognize we're talking about kids and about humans. We're not.

And yes, we cite the data, and yes, we have a lot of opinions, but there's really nothing wrong with kids being who they are. And so I want to appreciate this Bill.

I think it does recognize that children deserve to be who they are, that they need safe places to learn, and that we do rely on teacher expertise. It's important that teachers have the knowledge they need. This Bill does that. It provides resources and it gives teachers a choice.

And it's incredibly important that we recognize that kids need that safe adult who does have a choice to know when to disclose information and when to navigate a situation in a different way. So that's why I seconded this Bill. That's why I support the Bill. I want to thank you.

Thank the LGBT Caucus for your bravery and your steadfastness. I wrote two op-eds last year about support for LGBT people in my community because of the rhetoric that was going on. And I know you've worked on this issue for a very, very long time and just want to appreciate your work. So thank you.

Thank you. Seeing no further questions or comments from the Committee. Thank you very much, Mr. Ward. Thank you to witnesses on both sides, as well as everyone who all had an opportunity to be heard today. For me, the bottom line is that our schools should be a safe and supportive place for all students.

And, you know, while we've talked about this, in an ideal world, teachers, staff should be able to, you know, communicate openly with the parents about the well-being of the child. We know that, unfortunately, we don't always deal with situations where households are supportive of a child's gender identity.

And for that reason, you know, I, as a parent myself, I mean, I would like to think that if my child was having, you know, was exploring gender identity issues, that I would be talking to my child and I would not be relying on teachers or school staff to tell me, you know, issues, whether my child is exploring gender identity issues.

And so, you know, in order to protect all students, to provide a safe and supportive environment for all students, I will be supporting this Bill. Mister Ward, thank you for the courage in bringing this measure forward. You have the last word.

Thank you.

I think we've had a long, a pretty thorough discussion here, and I almost wanted to start to think about things to close, but honestly had to echo so many of the things that were talked about here as well and for the complexities around this conversation that have happened here today and certainly many days and out in the community before things get a little bit muddy, a little bit confusing out there.

And so we try sometimes just to really simplify and crystallize what does this Bill actually do or what are we trying to achieve here? And the fundamental, I think, thread that we want to see for all California students and all California schools is that to your point, they deserve a safe environment in which to learn.

And some of that is informed, sure, by surveys and research and best practices.

But importantly, we've over the last almost a year now, been thrust into this space about what is the best approach when it comes to a requirement, a requirement to have to forcibly out somebody almost had a pilot program and been able to test that in certain communities across California, and it's not gone well.

It has torn apart the fabric of these communities. It has put teachers in a very awkward space. It has turned school board meetings, maybe enjoyably by some, into an absolute circus and away from the core mission of having to talk about the bread and butter of fulfilling that district's mission.

It has cost a lot of money and through a lot of lawsuits. And again, if that's something that some are willing to be able to expend with the limited resources that we debate annually, that's not good. That is going to disadvantage and leave some students and some school districts behind.

And so that is why we are at a place now of over the last 12 months learning about what these policies do and saying that is not the direction that we want to go, that we need to have a uniform policy that says what we do and we don't do.

And I've heard as well, based on some of the court conversations around here, and I want to thank again the leadership of the Attorney General and the Superintendent of Public Instruction who have been with us to really stand up for and vet some of these questions through that conversation.

You know, ambiguities in law have kind of come up, and some have articulated that it's the lack of statutory guidance that, you know, is still at play here. And so I have a statutory proposal, and I ask respectfully for your aye vote on AB 1955. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Madam Secretary, motion has been made and second to please call the roll.

File item one, AB 1955. The motion is to concur in the Senate Amendments. [Roll Call]

Three ayes. Two nos. The Bill is on call. Thank you very much. I'd like to entertain a motion for the consent calendar. Motion's made and seconded. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

The motion on the consent calendar is as follows. AB 380, do pass to Appropriation. Excuse me. SB 380, do pass to Appropriations. SB 445, do pass as amended to appropriations. SB 480, do pass to Labor. SB 1063, do pass to the floor. SB 1091, do pass as amended to Appropriations. SB 1244 due pass to Appropriations, SB 1248, do pass as amended to Appropriations.

SB 1288 due pass to Privacy. SB 1391, do pass to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

5-0. The consent calendar is adopted. Moving along to our very busy agenda, we're going to extend the Vice Chair the courtesy because he has witness issues to present Senate Bill 691 on behalf of Senator Portantino. Item number five.

Thank you, Mister chair. We'll keep talking about our witnesses. Come on up. But I want to begin by accepting the proposed Committee amendments and outline the analysis. SB 691 would simply require the State Board of Education to select two additional student members who serve on their board.

Currently, there is one board member to serve on an 11-person board. The goal of SB 691 is to help include more powerful voices for students so they can contribute to the development of policies that directly affect the public school system. With me, I have a couple witnesses.

I'll allow them to introduce ourselves, and we'll respectfully have the comments very short.

Good afternoon. My name is Javier Saini, and I'm a rising junior at Dublin High School and the Director of Policy at Generation Up, one of California's largest youth led organizations fostering educational equity.

I'm here to express my strong support for SB 691, particularly the provision to increase the number of student board Members on the State Board of Education from one to three. As students, we are the primary stakeholders in the educational system. And yet, far too long and too often decisions have been made about us without our input.

The truth of the matter is that the adults in the education system are constantly deciding what they think is best for us, always talking about students, but never actually to us. But what's more important is recognizing that students are not all the same.

We are a group with varied and diverse interests and perspectives, and our representation should reflect that. During my time at Dublin High School, I've seen firsthand how decisions made at the state level can deeply affect our everyday lives.

The student Member of the State Board of Education is one of the most influential offices a student can hold in California. But with almost 6 million k 12 public school students enrolled in the state, a single student board Member cannot effectively represent that diversity.

Increasing student representation on the SPE ensures that our voices are not only heard, but also have a much more tangible impact on decision making processes. I urge you to support SB 691 to ensure that students have a significant role in shaping the future of education in California. Thank you.

Chairman, Members of the Committee, thank you for this chance to speak in support of SB 691 by Senator Anthony Portantino I'm Kathleen Fay, Director of Legislation for California State PTA. We have long supported ways to make our public schools more welcoming and support family engagement. We do this to help children grow up safe, healthy and educated.

With school attendance as a top priority, it's important to include parents in decisions affecting their children's education and create a homeschool relationship based on mutual trust. A fast way to undermine that relationship is by threatening legal action. When faced with a challenge.

Imagine you're a parent, new to this country, still working on your English but doing your best to fit in.

You get a notice from your child's school and learn that your son, who always runs late, is truant, that you are obligated to compel his attendance at school, and that if you fail to meet this obligation, you may be guilty of an infraction subject to prosecution pursuant to Article six, commencing with sections 48290.

Do you feel comfortable reaching out to the school to resolve this problem, or are you hit with anxiety about how you'll pay for an attorney?

Or imagine you are an upstanding member of the community with a dazzling spouse and bright children with bright futures, including your teen daughter, whose backpack still contains the Doctor's note excusing her from school while she recovered from COVID In the mail that afternoon, you receive the same intimidating notification from the school.

Do you reach out to your administrator in friendship, or are you distinctly annoyed and frankly, insulted by this treatment? Does this particular form of school correspondence bring anyone together? Research shows that punitive notifications with legal Jargon about parental liability can be perceived as threatening.

We've also learned that making behaviorally informed improvements to parent communications on attendance boosted the impact of the standard letter by 40%. Simply replacing intimidating language with messages that are welcoming and supportive encourages families to work with schools to resolve attendance issues. That's our goal. PTA. Thanks, Senator Portantino.

And we urge the Committee to vote in favor of passage of SB 691. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Public comments in support of the bill. Please come forward to the microphone. Seeing none. Witnesses in opposition to the bill. Please come forward. Seeing none. Any public comments in opposition to the bill? Seeing none, bring it back to the Committee. Any questions or comments from the Committee? Any motions from the Committee?

So moved.

So moved and seconded by Mister Flora. Madam Secretary, please call the roll. Oh, I'm sorry, Mister Flora. Vice Chair Flora, would you like close?

Respectfully ask for an aye vote. Thank you.

File item five, SB 691. The motion is do pass as amended to appropriations. [Roll Call]

The Bill is on call. Thank you very much. Senator Laird, you have file number 19, Senate Bill 1440.

Thank you, Mister Chairman.

And once Mr. Flora gets back there, Members. I'd like to begin by taking the Committee amendments, and I'll commit to requesting a study from the Legislative Analyst's Office regarding the four-day school weeks as this Bill authorizes the Stoney Creek Joint Unified School District, which serves Glenn and Calusa Counties, to operate on a four day school week.

Stony Creek is a small and remote district that enrolls between 80 and 90 students. Over half of the student body are members of the Grindstone Indian Rancheria, which regularly engage in cultural practices and traditions during the weekday.

This, along with the fact that families experience challenges making medical appointments, which are often available weekdays and located in other towns, requires this change.

Both factors contribute now to chronic absenteeism, which can be addressed by this the district will still be required to meet minimum instructional minutes and reach an agreement with their bargaining units prior to operating on a four-day schedule. It's supported by their County Office of Education, the local tribe, the local teachers federation, and the school district.

We did receive some late concern from the California Schools Employees Association. We got it yesterday. I am confident we have set a meeting for next week. I'm confident we can work to address this so that there is not formal opposition to this Bill. This Bill also has the support from its legislative delegation.

Assembly Minority Leader Gallagher and Senator Dahle will be added as co-authors to this Bill once it's referred to the Committee at the appropriate time, I request an I vote. And with me to speak in support is Emily Pendell, the Superintendent of the Stoney Creek Joint Unified School District.

Good afternoon, Committee. My name is Emily Pendell, and I'm the Superintendent principal of the Stony Creek Joint Unified School District, a frontier district. I'm here today to discuss the unique needs of our students. For decades, the district's leadership has failed to meet the unique needs of our community. This has sown years of mistrust with our native families.

As a result, we see a lack of attendance among our students, a 41% chronic absenteeism rate. It's time to make a change, to show our families the respect that they deserve, to partner with them, to create an environment where our children can thrive.

We can do this by hearing their requests for more family time, for more time to attend to health and mental health services, for more time to participate in their cultural traditions without the fear of the attendance review board. This unique problem requires the unique solution of a four-day school week.

Our district is rural, spanning approximately 600 square miles and serving four small communities. Our student population is unique. 65% of our students fall into the category of socioeconomically disadvantaged, and 51% are Native American students from the Grindstone Rancheria of the Wind Tun Wallachie tribes.

Ultimately, we want our students to get their instructional minutes to give them the best possible chance in life. We want them at school. So we want to adjust our schedule to four days to meet their needs and increase our chances of giving them all those required minutes and more, with enrichment and credit recovery opportunities.

We are student-focused. We only want to do what's best for our kids. We recognize that the data regarding four-day weeks is varied. Therefore, we will track the data closely to determine the effectiveness of the schedule change for our students.

We'll look at not only state test scores, but data that is representative of the whole child and of our community, including attendance rates, local assessments, graduation rates, and student and family surveys.

Can I ask you to wrap up?

Yes. If a program's not serving our students and bettering our lives, we won't do it. So, in conclusion, transitioning to a four-day school week is not just a logistical adjustment for our district. It's a strategic move to better serve our students, support our staff, and be sense of needs of the community.

I ask that you respectfully support SB 1440. Thank you for your time.

Thank you very much. And as a reminder, the Committee, this Bill enjoys a support support recommendation. Please proceed.

Tiffany Mok, on behalf of CFT for the reasons of being brief and supporting our local educators, we support this Bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Public comments in support of the Bill.

Barrett Steiner of the Small School Districts Association in support. Thanks.

Thank you. Seeing no further public comments in support of the Bill. Any witnesses in opposition to the Bill please come forward.

Good afternoon. My name is Xong Lor with the California School Employees Association, and we do apologize to Senator Laird and to the Committee for this Late opposition. But this late opposition is really very much in principle for what has happened with our local classified unit.

CSEA is the exclusive representative of the classified employees at Stony Creek, and we presume that when the district is seeking a statutory change to this level, that the district must have done some analysis, some thought, planning on how this four-day workweek is going to impact their students and their staff.

And so our staff has asked continuously the question of, well, what does this look like for my schedule? I'm a five-day employee. What does that mean for me going to four days? What does my calendar look like? I'm a 10-month employee.

Is the calendar going to be extended because this district still has to meet the instructional calendar or the instructional minute? Also, what does it mean in terms of staffing need moving forward? Are we going to close the school down completely by that one extra day and only have operations on four days a week?

These are questions in which my Members have sought from the district and they have not gotten any answer. And so it finally got to our level, unfortunately, yesterday.

And so that's why we had the late conversation with Senator Laird's office, who very much we want to thank you for actually then engaging in the conversation of pulling both groups together and setting a meeting for us for next week. So without CSA having had opposed, we would not have a scheduled meeting on the calendar.

And I just want to remind that our Members are hourly employees. They're not salary, they're not similar to the other staff members. They're hourly employee.

Can I ask you to wrap up.

So then this change is going to affect their work day and their work schedule. And it's for these reasons that we oppose, not necessarily, that CSEA opposes a four day work week, because we do have other districts and other MOUs in place that has this four day work week.

Thank you thank you very much. Any public comments in opposition to the Bill? Seeing none. Bring it back to the Committee. Any questions or comments from the Committee? Seeing none. Thank you very much, Senator Laird, for bringing this forward.

I do want to briefly mentioned that the Committee analysis does provide, you know, summarizes a lot of the research as to the results, the studies on four-day school weeks, although it's growing in popularity across the country, that it does seem to have mixed at best, you know, results, findings in terms of academic outcomes as well as impacts on chronic absenteeism.

But nonetheless, as Senator Laird, as you asked, let's give it a try. So, Senator Laird, would you like to close?

Yes, thank you. I appreciate that. And if this Bill is passed, it's the fourth district in California out of all the districts, and they are small, I happen to represent one of the others.

The Big Sur district has 17 students in a K through 12 school, and unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to deliver a slide that closed the highway down the middle of their district. The flexibility that this gave them in a very small district allows it to work. And it's Leggett Valley up in the north coast.

And so I do not think this is whole scale in other places in the country. It is big districts that have gone to it. That's not what this is. And then, to repeat, we have set a meeting between the parties to address the issue that came.

And I want to also remind everyone that in the Bill, the Bill actually says that the district has to reach an agreement with their bargaining units prior to operating on the four-day schedule. So that's in the Bill. It hopefully empowers everyone to get to an agreement.

And with that, I think this was a much longer debate than I thought was going to happen. And I respectfully asked for an aye vote.

Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

File item 19, SB 1440. The motion is do pass as amended to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

3-0. The Bill is on call. Thank you. Senator Newman, you have three bills. Leave it up to you as to which order you'd like to present your bills. All right, we'll start with file number six, Senate Bill 897.

Sorry. Gathering my witnesses here. Thank you. Okay, Mister chair Members, thank you for the opportunity to present SB 897, which would make California's District of choice program permanent after 30 years of successfully offering students and families access to expanded opportunities within our public school systems.

Before I begin, I'd like to thank the chair and Assembly education staff, especially Chelsea Kelly, for all of the good work on this bill and also explicitly accept the Committee's amendments, which address many of the concerns that were raised, especially by the opposition as we move forward. And let me quickly articulate all of those amendments.

First, reinstating the 3% annual cap and the 10% lifetime cap for districts with an Ada of less than 50,000. Expand the scope of what is subject to annual audit.

Create a new role for the county officers of education to track transfers at the request of a district of residence with a temporary restriction on districts of choice from accepting new DOC transfers if they fail to comply with the county office's request to disallow ADA generated from any students admitted to a district of choice in excess of a district of residences.

Caps when the district of residence has notified the district of choice that it is restricting transfers. Authorize districts of residence to restrict transfers if the district has a qualified budget certification.

Require districts of choice to proactively notify districts of residents of the names and number of students requesting to transfer by January 15 and for districts of residents to notify the County Office of Education and the District of choice in writing by February 15, when the caps have been met and whether the district of residence has elected to restrict further transfers.

Those are the amendments. If I missed any, please clarify. Under California's District of Choice program, any student in California may transfer to a participating public school district regardless of their place of residence.

Unlike a standard inter district transfer, students transferring into a district of choice school district do not need to secure permission from their home district to transfer. Further, any student opting into a district of choice district must be accepted irrespective of academic performance, athletic ability, or any other demographic characteristic.

Originally enacted in 1993, the District of Choice program has succeeded in giving students access to new educational options not available in their home districts. At present, 45 school districts across the State of California are identified as district of choice districts.

Since its enactment, the DOC program has been reauthorized on six separate occasions and has been subject to two separate evaluations by the Legislative Analyst's office. Those evaluations found that the program has been successful in providing students access to, on average, five to seven new courses not available in their district of residence.

These include college preparatory courses and programs in the arts, music, and foreign languages. Moreover, the benefits of DoC were not limited solely to students transferring out of a home district.

The LAO's 2021 analysis of the program found that many home districts responded to the competitive local dynamic that DOC creates by implementing new courses and programs, thereby improving course offerings even for students who did not participate in a DOC program.

SB 897 seeks to make this successful program permanent by eliminating the sunset and implementing the LAOs recommendations to promote equity and reduce barriers to participation for foster and homeless youth.

By making the program permanent, SB 897 provides districts with the certainty they need to engage in long term strategic planning and for families, SB 97 will continue to provide much needed assurance that their students will be able to graduate alongside their friends and classmates, regardless of home address or the politics here in Sacramento.

As amended, SB 897 maintains and builds on many of the protections for districts of residents, including the ability to restrict transfer outs when that would harm racial balance or exacerbate a districts financial distress.

Further, SB 897 preserves the existing annual and lifetime caps, thereby protecting the districts of residents that have already met their lifetime caps from any new DOC transfers.

With me to testify today is Jeff Davis, Superintendent of Oak Park United School District in Ventura County, and Pitzil Avila Castellanos, who is the ASB President at Walnut High School in the Walnut Valley Unified School District and is a district of choice student. I respectfully ask for your aye vote today.

Thank you. Please proceed.

Good afternoon. Chairperson marisucci and Honorable Assembly education Members and Committee staffers want to thank you for all your time and hard work on SB 897. My name is Doctor Jeff Davis, Superintendent of Oak Park USD at 4400 plus students, we're the smallest district in eastern Ventura County and have been participating in DOC since 05-06.

Oak park is a high achieving, diverse district. Our numbers of ethnically diverse students and subpopulations have increased over time and the DoC program has been impactful on those students. We're asking that you support SB 897.

We believe that removing the sunset date would provide appreciated stability to our students and families and district operations and would also allow us to be able to continue to offer these wonderful programs we're able to offer and of course, the most important thing, student access to these programs.

With the DOC program, families select to apply to DOC and as Senator Newman said, all students are accepted to the program and we want to thank the Legislature for the 2017 updates to District of Choice.

Unlike the inter district permit transfer process where districts can refuse to release a student and also refuse to accept students based on grades, attendance and behavioral reasons, DOC districts accept all students that apply to the DOC program. In terms of advertising parents our parents report that they heard about DOC via word of mouth.

That's 99% of our parents hear about it. Word of mouth pretty much just like learning about the dance studios and music lessons, who's the best teacher, what's the best little league and all that. It's the same thing with DOC.

Our information is posted on our district social media accounts and our district website, and we place one ad in LA parent magazine each year. We do not advertise in our local newspapers per an agreement with the superintendents in our local area.

In terms of reporting, we've consistently met all required timelines and deadlines to the districts of residence and the County Office of Education over the time we've been in the program.

Sir, your two minutes are up. If you can wrap up, please.

Okay, sure. Last thing I wanted to say is that I urge you to support SB 897 so that our California families are able to pursue as many traditional public school options as possible so they can find the best school for their child that's not determined and not determined by their zip code. Thank you very much.

Thank you. And I have.

Hello. My name is Pitzil Avila Castanos and I'm currently an incoming senior at Walnut High School. For most of my life, I have been part of a single income family. Not being very financially secure has meant that we cannot afford to live in an affluent area such as walnut.

I have lived in Covina all my life and while I greatly appreciate that I have a roof over my head and food on my table, I understand that it does have implications on my education.

While schools in less wealthy areas are making great strides to expand their educational options, they still have only a fraction of the opportunities that schools such as Walnut High school offer. From a young age, my parents took note of my academic ambition. Always eager to learn and pushing myself to master more and more difficult concepts.

They knew that I would need to find a school that could provide rigorous coursework to push me to achieve my full potential as a student. We found that in College Wood Elementary, located within the Walnut Valley School District through District of Choice, I was incredibly blessed to attend College Wood, granting me the opportunity to pursue my academic passion.

This opportunity required diligence on my family's part. The last 12 years, I have woken up every morning before 06:00 a.m. my amazing mom has driven me over 30 minutes in each direction to help me attain the superb education.

In turn, Walnut has provided me with countless experiences such as first Lego League robotics team, which I competed in for five years. This program allowed me to fall in love with coding and open my eyes to the possibility of pursuing a career in computer science.

Once I entered high school, I elected to join the PLTW computer Science Pathway, a series of four courses that would provide me with hands on experience that would prepare me for higher education. My most recent accomplishment has been being elected as Walnut's ASB President.

I'm truly honored to represent my student body, equipped with the skills I have gained throughout my time in the Walnut district, such as passion, resilience, and empathy. A few of the colleges that have reached out to me include Harvard, Brown, the Claremont colleges, among others. The district of choice program has opened countless doors for me.

I push myself to be a better student and person every day because I know that I've been given an incredible opportunity. Access to quality educational options is not something readily available to everyone, but is something that has helped a lot of students like me flourish.

I made the decision 12 years ago that I was going to work diligently and not take the opportunity for granted. I hope that other students can be given the same choice that has changed my life, and for these reasons, I ask you to vote yes on SB 897.

Thank you very much. Excellent testimony. Public comments in support of the ill. Do we have the microphone working? We heard Tiffany mock with CFT.

Good afternoon. Chair Member Sam Nasher, on behalf of the Los Angeles County Office of Education in Support. Thank you.

Hi, Katie Hardeman with the California Teachers Association. We don't have an official position, but we did have some concerns with the bill, and those were largely addressed by the Committee amendments. So thank you for your work.

Wendy McCaskell, on behalf of Glendora and Riverside on behalf of the bill, Yes.

Samuel Preici, representing Riverside Unified School District, home of the number one high school in the state and number 10 in the nation. We are in support of Senate Bill 897. Thank you.

Betsy Castellanos, mom to that kid. Strong supporter and also representing Walnut Valley Unified School District.

All right, proud mother. Any witnesses in opposition to the bill, please come forward.

Good afternoon.

Hit the microphone button.

Thank you very much.

She's a pro.

Good afternoon, Chairman and Committee Members. My name is Doctor Julie Mitchell and I'm the Superintendent of the Rowland Unified School District, located in the San Gabriel Valley, Southern California. Today I represent not only the Rowland Unified School District but five other school districts in the state.

We'd like to thank the many parents, students, classified CSEA employees, certificated CTA teachers, administrators and board Members who have all traveled here today to share their concerns with District of choice. We came to lobby against this Bill and share our significant and substantiated concerns with the District of choice program.

However, with the amendments, we would like to share our thank you and appreciation to the chair. So thank you, chair Maricucci, for your work and for the tremendous work of Committee staff. I'd also like to thank Senator Newman for accepting the amendments.

And we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to serve the great students of the State of California.

Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman and Assembly Members. Doctor Dan Stepenosky, Superintendent for Las Virgenes Unified, representing district impacted by District of choice out in the Ventura County area. And as Doctor Mitchell, to my left, shared, we have experienced the negative consequences of the District of Choice permit program.

Specifically its expansion of racial inequity and leaving vulnerable populations with less support than would be optimal by due. As Doctor Mitchell said, we appreciate the Senator bringing forward the amendments. We appreciate the collaborative process here.

We appreciate the honorable Chairman staff working hard on this issue, listening with us, meeting several times, and as Doctor Mitchell mentioned, we appreciate our parents, students, staff, board Members from the districts around Rowland and Las Virgenes that have come and are sitting behind us. So we appreciate your great work. Thank you.

Public comments in opposition to the Bill, please come forward and please keep your comments to name, affiliation and position on the bill.

Hello, my name is Sandra Rodriguez from Pomona Unified District and I'm in line with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

My name is Yuleta Alvarado. I am a parent at Pomona Unified School District and I am aligned with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Hello, my name is Corette Ornelas, parent from Pomona Unified School District. And I'm in alignment with Doctor Michelle's comments.

Hi, my name is Anna Rodriguez Parent from Pomona Unified School District. In alignment with Doctor Michelle comments.

Good afternoon. My name is Christian Manjibar and I'm in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Hello, Charlene Brito, parent of Pomona Unified School District. And I am in line with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

My name is Maura Abundio. I am the Pomona Unified School District. I am in line with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Norma Aguilar, parent of Pomona Unified School District in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Hello, my name is Julissa Carrillo Alvarez, recent graduate of Diamond Ranch High School in the Pomona Unified School District and future student at UCLA. And I'm in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Hi, my name is Francisco Carrillo, proud parent of three at Pomona Unified District, including that little one. I am in alignment with Doctor Julie Mitchell's comments. Thank you.

Hi, I'm Patricia Tye. I'm the Vice President of the Pomona Unified School District. Board of. I forgot what I was. So anyways, I align my along with Doctor Julie Mitchell. And I sincerely thank you for agreeing to the amendments. I appreciate it. I owe you money.

Jacqueline Nahara, high school teacher at Azusa Unified School District, a Sousa educators Association in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's comments. Thank you.

Yolanda Rodriguez Pena. I'm the President of the board of education, Azusa Unified School District. And I'm in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's comment. Thank you for your time.

I am Patricia Sanchez, President of CCA, Chapter 299 of Azusa Unified School District. And I'm in line with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Good afternoon. I'm Mariah Santos, student board representative of Azusa Unified School District in alignment with Doctor Julie Mitchell's comments.

Good afternoon. My name is Marcia Santos. I'm a parent for Azusa Unified School District. And I'm also in alignment with Doctor Julie's comments.

Good afternoon, everyone. Arturo Ortega, Superintendent, Azusa Unified School District. And I'm in alignment with my colleague, Doctor Julie Mitchell's comments.

Good afternoon. Latasha Jamal, assistant Superintendent of Azusa Unified School District. And I align with Doctor Mitchell's comments.

Hi, my name is Summer Joyner. I'm a parent and a former student at Pomona Unified School District. And I'm in alignment with Doctor Julie Mitchell's comments.

I'm Christina Harrison, Director of student support services in the Conejo Valley Unified School District. And I'm in alignment with Doctor Mitchell and Doctor Stepnowski's comments.

Good afternoon. My name is Cindy Goldberg. I'm the President of the board of education, Conejo Valley Unified School District. And I am in alignment with Doctor Mitchell and Doctor Stepanofsky's comments. Thank you for their time.

Thank you. Good afternoon. I'm Lisa Powell. I am board Vice President for Conejo Valley Unified School District. And I'm aligned with Doctor Mitchell's comments. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Doctor Jerry Block, assistant Superintendent, Simi Valley Unified School District, and I'm in alignment with doctors Mitchell and Stepanovsky's comments.

Good afternoon. Doctor Jamie Snodgrass, assistant Superintendent in Simi Valley Unified School District, and I am also in support of Doctor Mitchell and Doctor Stepanovsky's comments.

Good afternoon. Rodrigo Blanchel, classified employee at Rowland Unified School District, also representing Rowland Chapter 133 for CSEA, and I'm in line with Doctor Julie Mitchell.

Good afternoon, my name is Derek Hollingsworth, teacher in Rowland Unified School District, current Association of Role and Educators, CTA President, and I am in alignment with Doctor Mitchell's opposition to this. Thank you.

Alejandro Flores, incoming Superintendent for the Rowland Unified School District, in alignment with both opposition's comments and thank you for your work for the amendments.

Thank you very much. Seeing no further public comments in opposition to the bill, I'll bring it back to the Committee. Any questions from the Committee? Seeing none. Thank you, Senator Newman, for bringing this forward.

You know, I asked you, we had a very robust conversation about your bill, not only in my office, but subsequent between our offices, and I asked you, why are you bringing this bill forward? And you brought your star witness from Walnut High School. And I see this is, she's the reason why you brought the bill forward.

At the same time, I appreciate all of the, especially all the students and families, parents, as well as of course, the representatives of the home or the districts of residence that came forward to express their concerns. And it was really that balancing act.

How do we give opportunities to students like you from Walnut High School, while at the same time making sure that we are not promoting the segregation of schools to ensure the well being of all of our students, not only the districts of choice, but also the districts of residence.

And so it is our hope that these amendments strike that balance in a responsible way. Happy to support the Bill as amended. Senator Newman, you have the last word.

And I do appreciate that. I want to thank my witnesses, especially Miss Avila Castianas, who was hanging in the balance, I'm sure, until you spoke. And one day, just one day, I want to have as many people stand in line and agree with me as they have with Doctor Mitchell just one day. So.

But, you know, truly, thank you, not just to Committee, but to opposition. We had a number of conversations. I think, I think we all very productive, all very collegial, and I think the end result is a Bill that I think we can all live with that does seek to find the balance, the chair just described.

We in California have embraced a number of models to try to find bases for improvement across California. Very complex educational ecosystem. District of choice is one of those models. It's been in place for 30 years.

I am a firm believer in its value, and I think you have validation from the schools, from the District Oak Park, but also from this young woman who did such a wonderful job. And so this is progress. I am grateful for that progress, and I respectfully ask for an. I vote.

Mister Flora. Vice Chair Flora made a motion. Mister Alvarez seconds. Madam Secretary, please call the roll file.

Item six, SB 897. The motion is due. Passes. Amended to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

The bill is on call. We'll wait for the rest of the Committee to, to add on with the bill. Thank you very much to everyone for coming out for this bill.

Thank you very much.

Sarah Newman, would you. Which Bill would you like to.

We will move on. Thank you, Jim. We'll move on to 907, second of my three bills today.

Okay, this is file number seven, Senate Bill 907 by Senator Newman.

Actually, one second. We had a little three-card monte problem with the notebooks. We're going to move to, if it's okay with you, 1263.

Okay. This is file number 14, Senate Bill 1263.

I do have a witness. Terrific. Thank you. Sorry about that little hiccup.

Mister chair Members, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to present SB 1263, which will require the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to convene a working group composed of classroom teachers, teacher educators, and performance assessment experts to review California's teacher performance assessment, also known as the TPA, in its current form, with an express focus on its implementation and its impacts.

I would like to start by thanking Committee staff, stakeholders, and our Bill sponsors for their work on the recent amendments that significantly amend the Bill to no longer entirely eliminate the TPA, but instead find ways to improve it.

These amendments remove most of the opposition, and we expect more groups to move to a neutral position after they have time to review the new version of the Bill.

As you're aware, teaching candidates in California are required to fulfill multiple requirements as a condition of being issued a preliminary teaching credential to include subject matter proficiency, teacher preparation course requirements, 600 hours of clinical practice, reading instruction competency, and a teacher performance assessment. As currently implemented, the TPA has become a largely duplicative and unduly onerous portfolio assessment.

One which has the net impact of detracting from a teacher candidate's ability to focus on applying the concepts and skills of teacher preparation in real classrooms while overseen by mentor teachers during supervised clinical practice.

While well-intentioned, the intense demands currently placed upon teaching candidates in preparing for the TPA tend to have the perverse effect of actually reducing the overall quality of teacher preparation, specifically by undermining the capacity of teacher candidates to focus on their clinical practice.

It is a widely accepted fact that California is facing a very substantial, ongoing teacher shortage that we will need to address for the 2023-24 school year counties reported nearly 25,000 teacher hires were needed to fill new or recently vacated positions. The state's existing educator pipeline, however, is insufficient to meet that kind of demand.

The 2022-2023 Commission on Teacher Credentialing Teaching report to the Legislature attested to that and found that the number of new teaching credentials issued during that period was actually the lowest in the history of that report.

In order to improve the overall teacher assessment process and to ensure a diverse and prepared, educated workforce, SB 1263 will require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to create a working group which will assess the current design and implementation of the teacher performance assessments and to develop recommendations concerning how to improve these assessments.

The Bill would require the workgroup to develop recommendations concerning these assessments by March 1 of next year for the Commission to vote and adopt a set of recommendations by July 1 of next year, and for the recommendations to be adopted and implemented not later than July 1 of 2028.

Through its amended provisions, SB 1263 will provide a better basis for teachers and teacher educators to make meaningful recommendations on how best to improve the TPA. Here to testify in support of SB 1263 is Mandy Redfern on behalf of the California Teachers Association. Also with us is Efran Herrera from CTA to answer any questions.

Thank you, and I respectfully request your aye vote today.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Assembly education Committee Members. My name is Dr. Mandy Redfern and I am the elected Chair of CTA's Credentials and Professional Development State Council Committee. The evolution of the teacher performance assessments over the past 30 years has led to the TPAs becoming high stakes barriers for aspiring educators.

The CTC's data shows that the TPAs disproportionately harm aspiring BIPOC educators, creating a barrier to a more diverse educator workforce, while at the same time we have more than 10,000 teacher vacancies.

We believe that the amendments to the Bill will lead to immediate improvements to the TPA for candidates without compromising adherence to the teacher performance expectations as well as provide potential for long term systemic improvements from the workgroup.

Through this legislative process, we've been able to reach consensus that the current implementation of the TPAs is fraught with concern, and we know that the first step in addressing a problem is admitting that there is one.

Teacher candidates are currently required to commit a significant amount of time to fulfill the TPA requirements, which detracts from the more meaningful clinical practice. Additionally, the vast majority of teacher candidates are taking on significant student loan debt. During the TPA process, Candidates also participate in coursework and clinical practice, which are all duplicative requirements.

89% of respondents to the CTA survey reported that the current iteration of the TPA had a negative impact on their personal lives. As such, we have an obligation to address the unnecessary and harmful barriers that the TPA is causing candidates. CTA is here, here to support these efforts in every step of this process.

We're also committed to keeping a watchful eye to ensure that our system is meeting the needs of our candidates so that they can meet the needs of all California students. We respectfully request your aye vote. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Any, did you want? Okay. Thank you. Public comments in support of the Bill please come forward.

Good afternoon, Committee Members. Brian Hou with the California Faculty Association. We're in strong support. Thank you.

Kathleen Fay on behalf of California State PTA, we support the Bill.

Mr. Chairman, I'm Brian Rivas, speaking on behalf of Ed Trust West. We've changed our position. We're now in support of the Bill. I want to thank your staff and Senator Newman for working out an agreement.

Good afternoon Sarah Vouches with Children Now. Dittoing Brian Reavis's Comments.

Chair and Members Jonathan Feldman, California Charter School Association, in support.

Jonathan Howard, here on behalf of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing in support of the Bill. Thanks to the sponsors and the author.

Tiffany Mok on behalf of CFT in support thanks.

Adrian Miotti, Irvine Unified School District English teacher, high school, and CTA Member on the State Council Credential Professional Development Committee in support of the Bill.

Hi, again. Chris Boucher, high school chemistry teacher, Beverly Hills Unified School District, Member of the board of directors of California Teachers Association. I rise in strong support of this Bill. Thank you.

Good afternoon. Cassie Mancini, on behalf of CSEA in support.

Hi, I'm Caitlin Redfern, a student at Lacunata High School, and I'm in support of this Bill.

Thank you very much. Seeing no further public comments in support. Any witnesses in opposition to the Bill? Seeing none. Any public comments in opposition to the Bill? Seeing none, bringing it back to the Committee. Motion's been made by Mr. Alvarez, second by Vice Chair Flora. Questions? Thank you very much, Senator Newman.

I want to especially thank the California Teachers Association and the negotiations, the agreement that you reached to, not entirely at this point, eliminate the TPA, but, you know, to work on how to improve it.

We want to make sure that our teachers, you know, are ready and prepared to teach, especially in addressing many of the issues, whether it's dealing with students with dyslexia or, you know, some of the other requirements that are embedded into the TPA.

How do we make sure that it is meeting the goal of ensuring that our teachers are prepared to teach our students while at the same time not being an unnecessary barrier that is further contributing to our teacher shortage, as well as to our efforts to diversify our teacher workforce. Very important Bill. Happy to support the Bill.

Senator Newman, would you like to close?

You have effectively done my close for me, Mr. Chair, and I do appreciate it. But I want to salute CTA especially, you know, what they set out to do, and will continue to, is really two things. One is to ensure that teachers are, in fact, getting the best by way of training, assessment, guidance, mentorship.

But just as importantly, that we're not doing anything that impedes the very serious challenge of expanding our teacher-educated pipeline, but also making sure that it properly reflects the demographics of the students whom they will teach. And so I thank the Committee for their work on this.

I look forward to continuing that work, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you, Madam Secretary, please call the roll.

File item 14, SB 1263. The motion is do pass to Appropriations. [Roll Call]

30. The Bill is on call. Thank you very much. Last but not least, file number seven, Senate Bill 907. Last for Senator Newman's bills. We still got more than 10 bills ago.

I promise. That's my last. This is my last bill. I promise. End of the legislative cycle.

As you know, Mr. Chair and Members, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present SB 907, a district bill which, when passed, will improve representation and electoral participation in Orange County by making two very sensible changes to the Orange County Board of Education.

First, increasing the number of trustees from the current five to seven Members, and secondly, shifting the board's elections from the primary ballot as currently conducted, and into the general election in November. My office has worked closely with the Orange County Board of Education on amendments that will now move them to neutral.

These amendments would increase the number of trustees as part of the next decennial redistricting process in 2030 while shifting the election of board trustees to the general election starting in 2026.

The Orange County Department of Education, formed in 1977 and jointly governed by the Orange County Board of Education and the County Superintendent, is responsible for providing alternative and special education programs to more than 91,000 students, many of whom are among the county's most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

The OCBOE is also responsible for funding and developing a variety of programs that support the nearly half million students enrolled in Orange County's 28 independent school districts, as well as serving as the appellate authority of last resort for charter school applications rejected by local school districts within their jurisdictions.

Since Orange County's Department of Education was established in its modern form, its population has nearly doubled, from 1.8 million people in 1977 to its current population of nearly 3.2 million, making Orange County now the third largest county by population in the State of California.

Of the state's 10 largest county, Orange County is currently one of only four whose county boards of education have only five trustees. Further, in the nearly five decades since the constitution of the Orange County Board of Education, Orange County's population has also become infinitely more diverse.

According to the 2000 census, at that time, more than 50% of OC's population was white. As of the most recent census, that share had dropped to less than 37%, with Orange County having now become a resoundingly minority majority county.

Expanding the board from its current five trustees to seven will ensure that it more fully reflects that diversity within its elected membership over time. Moving the election of the Orange County Board of Education trustees into the November General will also ensure higher participation by that more diverse electorate.

This would be a positive development in not one but two directions. First, as mentioned, it will result over time in a board that more closely reflects OC's changing population.

And secondly, just as importantly, including the vote for county board trustees on the November ballot will give voters a better opportunity to engage and connect with candidates and the eventual elected board Members as part of the critical task of reconnecting residents to civic institutions like the Board of Education, about which they are increasingly disconnected and about which they are often quite misinformed .When it comes to important conversations around education and access, I would argue that this matters a great deal.

Here to testify in support of the bill is Luca Grecu, a parent and the advocacy co-chair for the Capistrano School District PTSA, the largest school district in Orange County and a member of fourth district PTA, I am respectfully asking for your aye vote today.

Good afternoon. In 1816, Thomas Jefferson wrote, I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions, but I know also that laws and institutions must advance and keep pace with time. Orange County demographics have changed dramatically over the past five decades, yet the Board of Education of Orange County remains the same.

As a PTA advocate for the past 10 years, I'm excited to share that the fourth district PTA, representing over 100,000 members, supports SB 907. It is an indisputable fact that the voter participation is higher in the general election than in the primaries.

In my opinion, unless the goal is to suppress the voter turnout, there is no reason to oppose this change. The Orange County Board of Education was established in its modern form in 1977. Aliso Viejo my hometown didn't exist until 2001. Irvine, the largest city in Orange County, grew from 11,000 people in 1977 to 330,000 now.

Orange County's population has grown from 1.8 to 3.2 million. Increasing the board size from five to seven makes perfect sense. Orange County, being the third largest county in California, would benefit from seven board members. This would enhance representation across diverse communities, ensuring every area has a voice in educational policies.

More members also will foster greater community engagement, strengthening connections between the board and the public. This is not a bill just about numbers. It's about ensuring fairer elections and better representation for Orange County's diverse population. Let's move forward and ensure our educational institutions evolve with times. Also, I appreciate the author's willingness to take amendments. Please vote yes.

Thank you. Public comments in support of the bill please come forward.

Kathleen Fay on behalf of Orange County's fourth district PTA, we support the bill.

Tiffany Mock, on behalf of CFT in support thank you.