This Week in Politics in 5 Sentences (or Fewer)

The legislature is back and they wasted no time in diving right back into school issues. The House promptly passed a pair of bills to require that, beginning in the 2013-14 school year, districts "ensure that an opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States is offered each school day" and that a flag is appropriately displayed in each classroom for this purpose. The House Health Policy Committee reported a pair of bills dealing with concussions awareness training for all coaches and volunteers associated with youth athletics, including school sports. The House Education Committee took testimony, but did not vote, on legislation that would allow retired educators to return to full-time employment with a school while still collecting retirement if they work in a field where there is a critical shortage of qualified personnel (e.g. speech pathologists, special education teachers, etc.). The Senate Education Committee took testimony only on a bill to require school board members to abstain in votes in which they have a conflict of interest (specifically, if they have a family member with a financial interest in the board's decision).