State education officials are among the many interested parties keeping track of goings on in the Legislature now that the 2008 session of the General Assembly has begun. But that doesn’t mean those officials are overly concerned with anything on the agenda this year.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Deputy Commissioner Bert Schulte says scores of education-related bills are filed each year … but only a handful of the bills will have the chance of becoming law. Schulte expects about 40 of the more than 130 education-related bills filed, so far, this year to be given hearings.

He says it is at that point state education officials take a deep examination of bills that might be something of concern. Schulte says for the most part, DESE will attend hearings, but will leave the commenting and the advocacy to the education associations.

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