Committee hears bill to relabel 'alternative learning experiences' as remote and hybrid learning

Representative Stephanie McClintock, prime sponsor, told the House Education Committee that House Bill 2,142 is intended primarily as a nomenclature update to better reflect how the state’s alternative learning programs operate. "No, this is just a name change," McClintock said, arguing the term will more accurately depict students' learning modes and reduce stigmatizing language.

Nonpartisan staffer Ethan Moreno briefed members on the statutory and programmatic context, explaining that Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) courses are delivered "in whole or in part independently from a regular classroom" and must be monitored, assessed and documented by certificated teachers. Moreno told the committee that "as of December 2025, 188 school districts offered ALE programs with 46,386 full‑time equivalent students enrolled." He added the bill modifies multiple statutory references affecting operation, truancy, staffing ratios and facility funding.

Supporters said the change is meant to remove negative connotations attached to the name "alternative learning." Mark Clements, a retired principal and former president of the Washington Association of Learning Alternatives, urged the committee to adopt the language, calling the older term out of date and saying it can carry unfair associations. "When I asked somebody what alternative learning was, they said, 'Oh, it's where the goth kids are,'" Clements said, illustrating public misunderstanding of ALE programs.

Several lawmakers pressed for precision about scope. Chair Santos and others sought assurance that wholly site‑based programs (for example, parent‑partnership centers that are entirely in‑person) would not be inadvertently excluded. Staff and the sponsor said the bill’s text would capture site‑based courses under the new phrasing, though members discussed potential drafting options to avoid unintended effects and to distinguish "alternative schools" (a separate term) from ALE program delivery modes.

Committee members asked about implications for special education and mastery‑based approaches; backers said remote and hybrid language can better accommodate personalized schedules and hybrid special‑education models already used in some programs. After public testimony from practitioners including River HomeLink affiliates and ALE advocates, the chair closed the hearing. No formal vote was recorded during the session.

The committee is accepting amendment requests by the deadlines announced by the chair; next procedural steps depend on amendment filing and executive session scheduling.