--- title: Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 10, 2026 collection: meetings id: 2026-03-10/senate-education-and-youth cite_as: Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 10, 2026, video https://vimeo.com/1172141706 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-education-and-youth md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-education-and-youth.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-education-and-youth/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1172141706 date: 2026-03-10 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-children-and-families.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-10/senate-higher-education.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: Senate body: Senate Education and Youth Committee body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/senate-education-and-youth.md meeting_kind: committee session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-03-10T15:30:00-04:00 location: 307 CLOB duration_seconds: 2655.0 video_id: 1172141706 video_title: 03/10/2026 Senate Committee on Education and Youth agenda_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/senate/EDYAgenda3.10.26.pdf bills_discussed: - HB 1107 - HB 1164 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 121 --- # Senate Education and Youth Committee, March 10, 2026 Senate Education and Youth Committee; March 10, 2026; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1172141706. Agenda: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/agendas/senate/EDYAgenda3.10.26.pdf. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The committee considered and unanimously approved two bills. [HB 1107](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1107) would establish statewide measures for evaluating teacher preparation programs and make overall performance data public. Discussion focused on teacher readiness, program transparency and reporting requirements for colleges. [HB 1164](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1164) would strengthen oversight of school system finances through an audit committee, financial risk ratings, reporting requirements and corrective action. The sponsor answered questions about overdue payments, public notice and outside audits. The chair also shared updates on teacher workforce recommendations, school climate ratings and the state literacy plan before the bill presentations. ## Bills discussed (2) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### HB 1107. Excellent Teacher Preparation Act; enact [HB 1107](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1107) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:20:54](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1254s), turns 10 to 60. The sponsor presented a substitute for [HB 1107](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1107), saying it would improve classroom readiness and teacher retention through consistent evaluation of teacher preparation programs. The sponsor said the Professional Standards Commission would establish statewide performance measures beginning in January 2027, covering completion, certification tests, placement, retention, satisfaction, teacher evaluations and student outcomes. Overall results would be public while individual information remained confidential. The sponsor said the Board of Regents would review results annually to determine needed support or intervention, and described the bill as nonpunitive. The chair said the information would help families compare programs. A witness for ExcelinEd in Action supported the bill, citing accountability and alignment with school system needs. A Georgia Independent College Association witness supported the goal but questioned the administrative burden. The witness said the association represented 24 colleges, with 21 offering teacher preparation and producing 450 new teachers the previous year. The sponsor answered that the commission already collected the data, although some teacher evaluation information remained in a separate system, and would administer the surveys. The committee approved the bill. Later, the chair described both bill votes as unanimous. ### HB 1164. Education; require State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee [HB 1164](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1164) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:32:00](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1920s), turns 65 to 119. The sponsor presented a substitute for [HB 1164](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1164), saying 41 school systems had audit concerns or compliance problems and the state needed clearer ways to assess their seriousness. The sponsor said the bill would restore the State Board of Education's audit committee, require at least six meetings annually, establish four financial risk levels, and require annual certifications and public financial reporting. The sponsor described corrective action plans, mandatory audits for high-risk systems, investigations and possible removal of waivers tied to audit findings. The sponsor said a one-year contract limit would apply to the superintendent serving when the financial distress occurred, not a newly hired replacement. Outside accounting firms could continue conducting audits, but school systems would have to submit those audits for state review. Asked by the chair about payments more than 120 days overdue, the sponsor said required notices would go to state leaders and be posted publicly. The sponsor said outside audits had sometimes not reached state auditors and described the bill as an effort to catch problems before they became serious. The committee approved the bill, and the chair described both bill votes as unanimous. ## Transcript (121 turns) [0:17:45](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1065s) Bill, if not great bills today, and I think you'll enjoy both of those. Um, very, very good. So, but, but, uh, first of all, let's start off with a prayer, and, um, Sir Dolezal, you want to pray for us? [0:17:57](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1077s) Sure. [0:18:02](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1082s) Oh, I'm sorry. Hold on. [0:18:03](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1083s) Team. [0:18:04](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1084s) Okay. [0:18:05](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1085s) God, thank you for the gift of life today. Just thank you for the way you've uniquely gifted each one of these men and women to serve your state. Pray we would do so with wisdom, in a way that makes you proud. It's your name we pray. Amen. [0:18:16](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1096s) Amen. Thank you, sir. Before we start off, uh, before we start off, I wanna tell each, each member of the committee, you got, um, a couple of, uh, odds and ends things in your, in your packet today. First of all, we got, um, this committee passed a bill or a Senate resolution last year, Senate re- Senate Resolution 237, where we asked, uh, Dr. Jody Barrow to get a group together and, and, you know, come up with, um, how we can get more teachers in the profession and why are people getting out of the profession. [0:18:47](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1127s) And I just, I, I am so proud to share with you that, um, as a result of this, Dr. Barrow has comprised a list of bills that have been introduced this session in the House and the Senate based upon Senate Resolution 237 that this committee came up with, this committee passed out, and this committee w- worked with Dr. Barrow on. 22 bills that have been introduced this session on education, and we're not, you know, it's just, it's just exciting that the House and Senate has made education such a big priority, and has been for a while, but it, really the focus is extremely strong. [0:19:23](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1163s) The other thing I wanted to, I wanna, uh, tell you, and we have emailed this to committee members, um, there was a good bit of talk at our last meeting on school climate and discussion on school climate. And so what we've sent to you is that, um, we got from DOE, and we forwarded everyone, um, Georgia School Climate Star Rating for '24, '25. Um, this thing's pretty complicated. I mean, I read it the other night, and it's, uh, it's pretty heavy, pretty heavy reading for the climate rating. But, but the most, not the most important thing is also along with that, we've emailed you a copy of every school in Georgia's climate rating for, um, '24, '24 climate rating. [0:20:05](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1205s) One being the lowest rating and five being the highest. And I think you'll be, be very interested. In my, in my county, the school that I thought was probably the lowest was the highest, and the highest was the lowest. So that, that was very, very encouraging. And then, then the last thing you, that, uh, we're gonna, we've sent to you is the [0:20:25](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1225s) Georgia Literacy Plan, um, Vision 2030. So, uh, thank you Stacy and all y'all who put this together. So we've sent this to y'all so, so just as, that's just for your reading. But the main thing, I just want you to know how much we appreciate the hard work the committee has done staying on top of literacy and staying on top of working together. Now, this is a very exciting committee, and we've got a lot of great things done. Um, speaking of a lot of great bills, well, our first bill is, um, from Representative Carmen Ross, um, House Bill 1107. So, Ms. [0:20:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1256s) Representative, if you step right there and tell us about, uh, the bill and the LC number, and, um, and why did you come about to do this bill? [0:21:08](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1268s) So good afternoon, Chairman, um, and committee. Very honored to be here, and thankful, and I'm excited about this bill because, um, uh, Chairman Hickman and I, uh, started on this bill this past summer. We were, well, I guess it was early fall. We were at ExcelinEd, and, um, we had a, a, a education preparation provider accountability measure that they challenged us to, and we looked at it, and we thought this is great for retaining our teachers, making sure our teachers are classroom-ready on day one. [0:21:39](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1299s) But we knew that it was gonna need a different kind of formula than the template they necessarily had at the convention we were at that would best fit Georgia. So I'm very excited. Um, worked in collaboration, um, with Miranda at ExcelinEd and, um, and all the different agencies together. And, um, so I would like to start with the LC number. It's 492669S. [0:22:05](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1325s) Thank you. [0:22:08](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1328s) So House Bill 1107, the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act, represents another meaningful step in strengthening education, educator preparation in Georgia and ensuring that our teacher pipeline remains strong, effective, and responsive to the needs of our students. This legislature has had an ongoing and serious conversation about teacher preparedness. We've taken significant steps to improve literacy instruction, strengthen math achievement, and ensure that educator training reflects what works in the classroom. [0:22:39](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1359s) House Bill 1107 continues that work in a systematic, data-driven manner. At its core, the bill strengthens accountability and transparency for education preparation providers across Georgia. It modernizes how we evaluate teacher preparation programs and ensures alignment with the district workforce needs, student performance outcomes, and statewide academic priorities. Let me outline why, why this bill matters. First, it strengthens teacher quality. House Bill 1107 requires the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to establish uniform statewide performance measures for all education preparation providers beginning in January 2027. [0:23:21](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1401s) These measures create consistent and comparable evaluations across programs. The performance indicaters, indicators include enrollment and r- requirements, completion rates, first and best attempt rates on the GAICE, job placement rates, retention at one, three, and five years, satisfaction rates, teacher evaluation data, and student performance outcomes. This framework ensures that new teachers entering our classrooms are well-prepared and aligned with Georgia's academic standards and student needs. [0:23:54](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1434s) Strong preparation is the foundation of strong teaching, and strong teaching is the foundation of student achievement. Second, it improves workforce alignment. Updated reporting and satisfaction data allow the state to identify gaps in the preparation program and better align teachers' training with district hiring needs. This ensures education preparation is responsive to real workforce demand and not disconnected from classroom realities. Graduate and employer surveys are incorporated in the accountability systems. While the Georgia S- Professional Standards Commission already administers these surveys, House Bill 1107 codifies their use and requires review to ensure that the design and scoring accurately reflects program performance. [0:24:36](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1476s) This ensures we are measuring preparedness from both the teacher and the employer's perspective. Third, it advances transparency and trust. This bill makes aggregate performance data publicly available while protecting individual confidentiality. Transparency builds confidence among families, educators, and school leaders, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Accountability drives excellence, and consistent statewide standards ensure all programs meet expectations. This legislation is also, as I mentioned, the product of meaningful collaboration. [0:25:09](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1509s) The University System of Georgia, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and the Professional Standards Commission have worked together to align performance data with the priorities established in the Literacy, Literacy Act, the math initiatives, math li- um, math literacy initiatives, and the work of our statewide literacy council. The data framework under House Bill 1107 is not isolated. It connects directly to the instructional reforms that this legislature has already enacted. [0:25:40](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1540s) By aligning education preparation data with literacy and math performance measures, we are ensuring that teachers are trained on evidence-based instruction practices that reflect Georgia's academic priorities. This strengthens classroom readiness and supports long-term teacher retention. When teachers are well-prepared and confident in their training, they are more effective and more likely to remain in the profession. Additionally, House Bill 1107 requires the Board of Regents to annually review the performance data and determine whether interventions or support are necessary for schools of education. [0:26:13](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1573s) It does not ha- there's nothing punitive in this bill. This, this is for their measure and their assessment only. This connects accountability to action and ensures continuing, continuous program improvement. Georgia has already made meaningful progress with House Bill 538 in strengthening the science of reading instruction, and House Bill 1107 builds on that foundation. So, um, this legislation is personally significant to our work in supporting and improving our education in Georgia. I want to thank the University System of Georgia, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and Dr. [0:26:47](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1607s) Jody Barrow and his team wi- and the Professional Standards Commission for their partnership and collaboration in refining this legislation and building on the work already underway. And I've been very privileged to work with Chairman Hickman and Chair- Chairman Irwin on this, and just very excited on moving forward. I think this is gonna be great for our teachers. This will be ultimately great for our students, and I ask for your favorable consideration. [0:27:10](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1630s) Any questions? Any questions, author? [0:27:16](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1636s) I'd, I'd just like to say one statement. I think it's so important for the parents and grandparents in Georgia to know which college and universities are the, if their student, if their child wants to go be a teacher, I want them to know which is the best college and university, college or university in Georgia for them to go to. And that's what this bill will tell them. Um, we do have a couple people who wanna speak on the bill. Miranda, you wanna come forward? [0:27:53](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1673s) Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee. Uh, it was great to work with you and Representative Rice on this piece of legislation. Uh, my name is Miranda Williams, and I'm the Southeast Legislative Director at ExcelinEd in Action, and we're an organization advancing bold education policies that strengthen schools, empower parents, and prepare students for lifelong success. House Bill 1107, the Excellent Teacher Preparation Act, which I think is a very good name for the bill, uh, strengthens accountability and transparency for educator preparation providers across the state. [0:28:25](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1705s) It updates and improves how Georgia evaluates teacher preparation programs to ensure educator training aligns with school system needs and supports stronger student outcomes. And we support the bill, and we urge the committee to vote yes. [0:28:38](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1718s) Thank you. [0:28:38](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1718s) Thank you. [0:28:40](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1720s) Uh, Ms. Jenna Colvin. Okay, there she is. [0:28:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1736s) Thank you. I'm with the Georgia Independent College Association. We represent the state's 24 private, non-for-profit colleges. 21 of our schools offer teacher preparation programs, and, uh, last year we produced 450 new teachers for the state. I, uh, applaud deeply what you're trying to do. I know our schools are very committed to, um, producing excellent teachers for Georgia. I just have a couple questions about the administrative burden related to some of the, um, data and survey pieces, and this is from lack of knowledge on my part. [0:29:35](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1775s) So first, um, in sections 40, or lines 44 through 64, um, there are several data elements that are, um, going to be reported, and, um, my question was whether PSC already has this data or if it will be a new report from the colleges? [0:29:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1796s) Okay, so first of all, and I, and I would welcome also Dr. Jody Barrow, who has, who has offered to come up and answer any questions regarding the PSE, um, in addition to this. But they are currently collecting the data. There is, um, some of the teacher evaluation data that is on two different systems currently, so only one of those does he have access to until they all convene onto the same data system. I, I welcome if you would like for, um, him to elaborate on that more, if that would... [0:30:27](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1827s) or if that answers your question. [0:30:28](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1828s) We can do that offline. [0:30:30](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1830s) Okay. [0:30:31](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1831s) Um, and then my second question was around the survey identified in lines 79 through 86. It looks like it's being created by the group that's been collaborating on this. And then my question was, who's administering the survey? Who's sending it out? Who's tracking the responses? Is that the colleges or, or the PSE? [0:30:53](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1853s) Th- that would be the PSE. [0:30:54](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1854s) Okay, great. Thank you. [0:30:55](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1855s) Thank, thank you. [0:30:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1856s) Sorry- [0:30:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1856s) Thank you [0:30:57](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1857s) ... you didn't get to talk about it. [0:30:58](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1858s) No. [0:30:58](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1858s) No, yeah. [0:30:59](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1859s) Well, thank you so much. And, um, it's been, as Representative Ross said, it's been a pleasure to work with Jody Barrow and, and the GOA people and so many people in education with all these bills. Um, do we have a motion, so moved? [0:31:16](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1876s) I'll make a motion to so move. [0:31:18](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1878s) Okay. Got a first and then a second. Okay. [0:31:22](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1882s) Okay. [0:31:22](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1882s) Any questions? Oh, hey, how you doing? [0:31:25](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1885s) Hi. [0:31:27](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1887s) Um, so all in favor raise your right hand. [0:31:33](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1893s) Thank you. [0:31:33](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1893s) Thank you very much. [0:31:35](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1895s) And who's gonna carry your bill? [0:31:37](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1897s) That would be you. [0:31:38](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1898s) Thank you, ma'am. [0:31:38](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1898s) Thank you, Barrow. [0:31:40](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1900s) Thank you for, thank you for the opportunity. [0:31:44](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1904s) Thank you. [0:31:44](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1904s) Representative Wade. Mr. Floor Leader Wade. [0:31:49](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1909s) Running for Senate Wade. [0:31:53](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1913s) Easy, easy. I, I don't wanna get too far ahead of myself. [0:31:56](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1916s) Yeah. [0:31:57](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1917s) But I am excited to be here today to present this House Bill 1164, and I'm gonna pull from the website. I don't have a current copy of the most recent, but I believe we're working off of LC492695S. [0:32:11](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1931s) That's correct. [0:32:12](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1932s) Um, so couple of things. Um, this, this bill really is about financial, um, oversight, accountability, um, and accuracy. Um, as a for- career banker, 20- I'm in my 28th year, I've gone through hundreds if not getting close to thousands of audits of some component, um, in the banking industry. So I took that experience, kind of that's the lens I looked at trying to do this, uh, legislation. Working with many partners, um, in, um, both the House and the Senate as well as within state agencies, um, Department of Accounts and Audits, um, GOA, Department of Education, um, PSE, you name it. [0:32:55](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=1975s) Anybody that's touching state dollars, uh, state health, everybody had input in the process. So I don't know how much everybody has been read in on, uh, this, uh, legislation as we've tried to approach it, but there are 41 school systems that have been identified with some type of concern or non-compliance status with DOA on their, um, audits. And but there really wasn't any gamut of are these serious findings? Are they minor issues, major issues, individual subsets of the school system? [0:33:30](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2010s) Is it the central office? Is it, you know, what, what... where are those i- issues? And there really is- was not a more modern 21st century framework. So this legisla- legislation builds on that, okay? So what does the bill do? It strengthens financial oversight of local school systems. It creates a statewide fiscal monitoring intervention system. It requires annual audit readiness certifications. It expands transparency and public reporting. It ensures responsible use of education dollars, prevents budget deficits and financial mismanagement, at least it seeks to. [0:34:06](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2046s) Um, we can... if there is a criminal that decides to break the law, then that hopefully would be caught by the audit very quickly. Uh, it protects cl- classroom funding and teacher resources, enhances public trust in our school systems, and it also enhances understanding of school system waiver use as authorized by district performance contracts. So our State Board of Education in the past has had an audit committee, and that had basically gone dormant. This is going to reestablish that audit committee and set a minimum of six meetings a year. They can meet more if they need to, based on the severity of what an audit might report. [0:34:41](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2081s) Uh, the schools must certify audits are complete and payments to retirement, labor, and health plans are current. Uh, we are setting up a four-tier risk designation system. So moderate risk, uh, well, there would be fiscally sound, which would be very minimal audits and if any. Um, and I would say for my, I served on a school board for 15 years. I would say to the school board world and superintendents, if you have a fiscally sound school system, you should be telling that story- [0:35:08](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2108s) Right [0:35:08](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2108s) ... so that your community knows that you and your leadership governance team are appropriately handling both state and local dollars. Then there would be an, a moderate, uh, risk. That would be early warning signs. Um, maybe just, you know, one or two findings that have raised, um... I'm trying to think of an example. DOA said, you know, maybe that they had an E-FLOSS and they said they were gonna buy X, Y, and Z, and they ended up purchasing something that, that was not authorized, then that would be disclosed. That would be a finding. Then there would be high-risk scenarios, or in the worst cases, there would be the critical fiscal emergency status. [0:35:45](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2145s) Um, and the Department of Accounts and Audits feel like if they are successful in helping school systems utilizing a new system, that it will be very rare- If ever that someone will get to a critical fiscal emergency status. In a situation in which they hit the fiscal distress or the cri- critical fiscal emergency status, DOA would actually basically be very much like an MOU in the banking world where they're gonna come in and they're going to go back through your working papers. They will help design a corrective action plan to get certain targets where things are addressed within 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, depending on the severity of, uh, of which audit finding they have determined to be critically fiscally, uh, unsound. [0:36:32](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2192s) Um, the transparency improvements in the bill also give public posting of audits and financial data, so local school systems are telling the story when they make a mistake. They're being honest about it. Publication of financial condition statements and expanded Office of Student Achievement fiscal reporting and audit authority over dis- dis- district flexibility use. And what that means is, if you're in that fiscal distress or critical fiscal emergency, the audit- Department of Accounts & Audits can make a recommendation to the State Board of Education that the sum of the waivers that the system have in their contract should be null and void. [0:37:08](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2228s) And I'll give you an example. It's not a carte blanche and it's not a shall. It gives them the information, and so depending on the egregiousness of the situation, there may be certain actions that the board is doing through a waiver that have created the opportunity for the fiscal distress or the accounting errors. Um, and lastly but not least, the accountability measures, mandatory audits for high-risk systems, state investigation authority for mismanagement, and there's also some limits on superintendent, superintendent contract extensions in distressed systems. [0:37:40](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2260s) And this would be an implementation date of July 26, and some of the processes for DOA would go through '28, uh, to 2029. Um, I'll go ahead and say a couple of things about some questions I've had to try to go ahead and get out in front of them. Some people were concerned that, uh, superintendents aren't gonna come and work in a system that has had a fiscally distressed situation. The superintendent contract would only apply to a superintendent in which that fiscal matrix was met. So if you were the superintendent that, I'm gonna use country terms, drove it into the ditch, then yes, your your contract could be limited to one year. [0:38:18](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2298s) Now, I will say, as a former school board member, typically when that happens, those superintendents' contracts are not renewed. So it's not a major issue. But there may be a legitimate situation in which a financial director has not disclosed properly to the superintendent, or a department head had done something outside of the scope of their job, and that created the fiscal finding. Therefore, in that situation, the superintendent could say, "Hey, look, we have now found this. It, it... I did not know about it," but it may make sense for the board and the state board to say, "Well, you've got one year to correct it. [0:38:52](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2332s) Thank you for admitting it, and then you can work to renew and then have your contract go back to the standard three year." Uh, it's meant to be a urgency, uh, measure. And then lastly, I would say that the state board, I think, will be very careful when they remove any specific waivers, and those waivers that would be removed would be tied specifically to the finding of the audit. Now, DOA does not have enough staff to do all the audits across this state. We have made measures through the appropriations side in the House and the Senate to give them additional funds for additional staff, but this legislation continues to allow third-party CPA firms to do audits as long as those audits are within general accepted accounting principles and follow the standards laid forth by DOA. [0:39:37](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2377s) And DOA does have the ability to say, "We will accept this firm's audit because they meet those standards," or in the event that they review that audit. That was another thing that we found out, that many systems that were using third-party audits were getting those audits, but they were not sharing those audits with DOA for review. This mandates that they have to submit those in a timely manner for review. So that's the balanced approach that we've taken, um, to this measure. I appreciate some input from some of the senators as well in this process through this, uh, fall and summer, or fall and winter, and I'm happy to answer any other questions I haven't addressed. [0:40:13](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2413s) T- talk a little bit, talk a little bit about what you and I discussed about the 120 days, and they gotta do certain certifications and that type of thing. [0:40:21](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2421s) Yes, sir. So in the bill, there's, it... Again, this is a sense of urgency because I think, you know, they all say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you find out that this has happened quickly, then you can get it addressed. And school systems are very, very familiar, and it's customary to have targeted 30-day, 60-day, 90, and 120-day reporting, and this just sets it in motion to, so that it's given the attention it deserves. [0:40:48](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2448s) Yeah. I think there's some very specifics, too, if some things are not, uh, they're behind 120 days, like state health plan benefit payments, TRS payments. They have to, they have to notify the state board. Are they... There's some- [0:41:02](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2462s) So yeah, they have to notify, Senator, uh, you as the chair of the Education and Youth Committee- [0:41:07](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2467s) Yeah [0:41:07](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2467s) ... the chairman of House Education, both appropriations chairmen in each, um, body, as well as the state board, the governor, the speaker, and lieutenant governor. [0:41:15](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2475s) Yeah. Yeah. [0:41:16](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2476s) And their local community as well. So they would have to post that information on their website through the requirements laid out in the bill. [0:41:23](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2483s) And I've, I actually talked to the, uh, and I f- ooh, I forget his name, the, the new chairman of the audit committee of the state board, and they're excited about this bill. They're excited for this responsibility to be put back on him. [0:41:35](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2495s) I think it's, it's just important. And, you know, I don't... This is not creating new government. This is government watching over itself and ensuring that the taxpayers are being, you know, monitored and utilized in the manner in which they were appropriated. [0:41:49](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2509s) And I will tell you, I think it goes without saying, but, and we will not say it, but we, we know how this bill came about and why it came about. [0:41:57](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2517s) Yes, sir. I think there were, there was one major school system that had a major issue, but in that, um, enlightenment, we learned that there were actually several other systems that had some serious issues as well, and many that were just out of compliance. [0:42:10](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2530s) Mm-hmm. [0:42:10](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2530s) And the, the Department of Accounts and Audit said, "Look, we have many systems that have been using third-party audit firms, but we honestly can't tell you what those audits say because we have not received those audits. We don't suspect any malfeasance, but we cannot certify to you that there may not be issues." [0:42:27](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2547s) Mm-hmm. [0:42:28](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2548s) So a big part, I think one of the best part of this legislation is to ensure that the audits that are being done by outside parties are being reviewed. [0:42:37](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2557s) And in the case we're talking about, that particular school system had not had an audit for two thou- '06, '30, '23, '24 or '25. [0:42:45](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2565s) The gentleman knows of what he speaks. [0:42:49](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2569s) Uh, any questions of the, of the author? Man, you did a r- y- you, you did do a good job. Thank you. [0:42:57](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2577s) I appreciate the chairman's thoughts on that matter. But I'll say this, I have put a lot of time into it and many people have, and I appreciate the thoughtful ... You know, this is not trying to ... You know, I, I'm a big supporter of our superintendents and our school systems- [0:43:11](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2591s) Right [0:43:11](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2591s) ... across the state. We wanna make sure that you have the tools to catch something before it becomes a major issue. That's really what this bill's about. [0:43:18](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2598s) Well, thank you, sir. [0:43:19](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2599s) Thank you. [0:43:19](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2599s) Um, since there's no questions, do I have a motion on the bill? Okay, so moved by Senator Hatchett. Do I need a second? I need a second. Senator Kemp is a second. Any questions? Seeing no questions, all in favor raise your right hand. [0:43:39](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2619s) Oh, well, that's cool. Two bills, 100% each bill. [0:43:41](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2621s) Listen- [0:43:41](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2621s) That's pretty, pretty- [0:43:42](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2622s) ... bipartisanship of the day. [0:43:44](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2624s) Yeah. [0:43:44](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2624s) I like it. [0:43:44](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2624s) Well, that's what we find about education. Everybody wants our children- [0:43:47](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2627s) That's right [0:43:47](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2627s) ... to be educated. Everybody wants our children to be able to read. Thank you. Thank you- [0:43:50](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2630s) Thank you, sir [0:43:51](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2631s) ... so very much, sir. [0:43:51](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2631s) Appreciate it. [0:43:52](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2632s) Thank you. And I need your, I need your note too. [0:43:55](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2635s) I will get you a copy. [0:43:58](https://vimeo.com/1172141706#t=2638s) And ... Okay. And we are, we're adjourned. Uh, right now we don't, we probably will have some bills on Thursday, but, uh, we'll let you know at another time. Thank you. Y'all have a great day.