03/02/2021 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

          HB 18-TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:42:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS  announced that  the final order  of business                                                              
would be  HOUSE BILL NO.  18, "An Act  relating to  national board                                                              
certification for public school teachers."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:43:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NORM WOOTEN,  Director of Advocacy,  Association of  Alaska School                                                              
Boards  (AASB),   gave  a   PowerPoint  presentation   [hard  copy                                                              
included  in the  committee  packet], titled  "HB  18 -  Teachers:                                                              
National  Board Certification."   He directed  attention  to slide                                                              
2,  highlighting  AASB's  mission   to  assist  school  boards  in                                                              
providing quality  education to  students.   Slide 3 featured  one                                                              
of  AASB  Board of  Director's  five  goals  and read  as  follows                                                              
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Support school  boards and districts to  collaborate and                                                                   
     implement  creative  solutions to  deliver  personalized                                                                   
     learning  and prepare  Alaska's children  and youth  for                                                                   
     their future.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  WOOTEN  explained  that AASB's  delegate  assembly  meets  in                                                              
November to  pass resolutions, which  are submitted by  boards and                                                              
debated on  the floor.   He noted  that long-standing  resolutions                                                              
that  become foundational  elements  of public  education take  on                                                              
additional  emphasis  as "belief  statements."    He continued  to                                                              
slide  4, which  reviewed  AASB  Belief Statement  B.20,  "Quality                                                              
Staff  Improves  Student  Learning."    He  specified  that  high-                                                              
quality, highly  motivated, culturally responsive,  and innovative                                                              
teachers,  administrators,  and  other  staff  are  essential  for                                                              
successful  student learning.    Slide 5  underscored AASB  Belief                                                              
Statement  B.22,   "Educational  Improvement."     He   said  AASB                                                              
believes "that  professional standards should include  the highest                                                              
standards of professionalism."   Slide 6 detailed  AASB Resolution                                                              
4.1,  "Supports  for Staff  Development,"  which  read as  follows                                                              
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     AASB  supports   funded  opportunities   and  sufficient                                                                   
     resources  for quality  and  relevant staff  preparation                                                                   
     and  demonstrably  effective continuing  development  in                                                                   
     both  urban  and  rural  settings  for  those  educating                                                                   
     Alaska's public  school students. This includes,  but is                                                                   
     not limited to:                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Professional development  for teachers to  implement the                                                                   
     Alaska State Standards                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Pre-service:    State    training    programs    through                                                                   
     postsecondary and other institutions;                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Expanding  Department of Education  & Early  Development                                                                   
     packaged training  programs for all school  districts to                                                                   
     use  in   providing  consistent  mandated   training  to                                                                   
     employees  and  in  meeting   the  requirements  of  the                                                                   
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act;                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Developing   resources   to   allow  the   sharing   and                                                                   
     implementation of best educational practices;                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Quality  in  service  programs  at  the  local  district                                                                   
     level;                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Necessary  training  for paraprofessionals  and  special                                                                   
     needs educators.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Promote  local mentors  to foster  the enculturation  of                                                                   
     teachers and administrators.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Cultural  orientation  and  ongoing  training  in  local                                                                   
     language, culture and history.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:46:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR  WOOTEN turned  attention to  slide 7,  which highlighted  AASB                                                              
Resolution  5.23,  "Supporting  Innovation  and  Collaboration  to                                                              
Improve  Student  Achievement  for  all  Alaskan  Students."    He                                                              
explained  that  AASB Resolution  5.23  focuses on  ensuring  that                                                              
quality  teachers  are  teaching   Alaska's  students.    Slide  8                                                              
outlined  the  significance  of   AASB's  foundational  documents,                                                              
emphasizing  the impact  that teachers  have  on student  outcome.                                                              
Slide  9 circled  back  to  national board  certification,  noting                                                              
that  NBC  teaches and  promotes  classroom  creativity;  requires                                                              
continual   self-evaluation/self-improvement;  builds   leadership                                                              
within  classrooms,   school  buildings,  and   school  districts;                                                              
emphasizes that  improving instruction "equals"  increased student                                                              
achievement.   Slide  10 indicated  that with  a focus on  student                                                              
achievement,  AASB's  mission  aligns   with  that  of  NBC.    He                                                              
concluded by reiterating AASB's strong support for the bill.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:49:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE asked  what  percentage  of Alaska  teachers                                                              
currently hold a national certification.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN offered to follow up with the requested information.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KREISS-TOMKINS,   in  response  to   Representative  Vance,                                                              
proffered that it's around 1 percent.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:50:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA PARADY,  PhD, Executive  Director, Alaska  Council of  School                                                              
Administrators (ACSA),  clarified that  as of 2019,  Alaska ranked                                                              
twenty-fifth  with  2.57  percent of  Alaska  teachers  recognized                                                              
with  national  board  certification.    She  conveyed  that  ACSA                                                              
believes  a goal  of 4  percent  is ambitious  but appropriate  to                                                              
encourage teachers to pursue certification.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:50:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY   inquired  about  the  cost   of  obtaining                                                              
national board certification and asked how long it takes.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN replied about $1,700.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY questioned how long the process takes.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN recalled that there is a two-year time limit.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:52:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  asked whether  the cost of  certification is                                                              
covered by school districts or the teachers.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. WOOTEN said he does not know.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:53:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 18 was held over.