The Senate Education Committee advanced two early childhood education bills on split votes: a technical cleanup bill for the Department of Early Childhood passed narrowly four to three over a parental choice objection, while a bill making Kindergarten Individualized Readiness Plans optional for proficient students passed five to one with broader support.
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Four witnesses testified in Spanish in opposition or with concern, with at least one indicating a vote no on the proposal. Senator Frizell responded in closing: 'This bill does not, it does not take assessments or kindergarten irps away. It just makes sure that these kids that need the extra attention get it rather than teachers just having to kind of create plans for students that really already meet or exceed expectations.'
“I wish I could vote yes on 15 sections and no on 1 section. Wish my vote could be parted out in that way. Wish that was an option here. But I am also anxious to have a little bit more in the way of conversation between here and the floor and see if there's anything that we can do to honor parents in this space.”
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Sign in to subscribeSenate Education Committee will come to order. Ms. Kurtzfelden, please call the roll. Senators Bright. Here. Frizzell. Excused. Kip. Here. Rich. Here. Snyder. Here. Marchman. Here. Mr. Chair. Here. And we do have a quorum. And we'll begin with House Bill 1259. We do have. Senator Marchman, Will you be doing this yourself today? Going solo. And it is Department of Early Childhood Cleanup. And when you're ready, just begin. And please note that Senator Feazell is here. Go ahead, Senator Marchman. Oh, I said okay. Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. House Bill 1259 is a technical cleanup bill that strengthens Colorado's early childhood system by improving clarity, stability, and coordination across existing programs. This bill does not create any new programs or mandates. Instead, it ensures that the systems we've already invested in are working effectively for families, providers, and communities. First, this bill protects access to family, friend, and neighbor care that's so important, so many of our kiddos get service through our ffn. It removes a pending repeal of licensing exemptions for these caregivers who are a critical part of our child care landscape, especially in rural communities, and for families who need…
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