State Legislatures to Discuss Education During Interim Sessions

Legislatures across the country are wrapping up their legislative seasons, but that doesn’t mean important conversations will end. The following are links to interim committee information and schedules: Arizona; Arkansas; Colorado; Illinois; Indiana; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maryland; Minnesota House and Senate; Mississippi House and Senate; Montana; Nebraska; Nevada; New Mexico; North Carolina; North Dakota; Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Dakota; Texas House and Senate; Utah; Virginia; Washington; West Virginia; Wisconsin and Wyoming.

A few interim meetings to note:

• In the course of the next two weeks, Nebraska’s unicameral Education Committee will hold a handful of hearings to discuss early childhood efforts in the state as well as hearings to exam the financing of public education. Governor Dave Heineman recently provided an update on the state’s P-16 reform efforts to the Syracuse Journal-Democrat.

• On September 19, the South Dakota Post Secondary Education Committee will discuss postsecondary financing. Last week, the South Dakota Board of Regents announced that the number of students graduating with an associate or bachelor’s degree from the state’s six public higher education institutions has increased by 21 percent since 2005.  

• In New Mexico, on September 24, the Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force will meet to discuss charter school facilities. Related, the Public Education Commission recently submitted a plan to limit Public Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera’s authority over charter schools.