Legislature(2017 - 2018)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
01/30/2018 01:00 PM Senate LABOR & COMMERCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB126 | |
| HB124 | |
| HB208 | |
| HB102 | |
| HB114 | |
| HB121 | |
| HB86 | |
| HCR8 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 126 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 208 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 114 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 121 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 124 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 86 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HCR 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 102-LIMITED TEACHER CERTIFICATES; LANGUAGES
2:03:35 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of HB 102. [CSHB
102(EDC) was before the committee.] She asked the sponsor to
refresh members' recollections; the companion bill was in the
committee last year. She related the intention to take public
testimony and look to the will of the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS, Alaska State Legislature Juneau,
Alaska, sponsor of HB 102, said this legislation seeks to
support the growth of immersion language education programs in
Alaska schools. This would include both world and Native
languages and draw on the success and national recognition of
the programs in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Bethel. He highlighted
that his office received additional support for HB 102 and the
Senate companion during the interim.
2:05:16 PM
REID MAGDANZ, Staff, Representative Kreiss-Tomkins, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, stated that the language in HB 102
is the same that the committee saw when it considered the Senate
companion bill. He asked the chair how she would like him to
proceed.
CHAIR COSTELLO asked Mr. Magdanz to walk through a sectional
analysis.
2:05:50 PM
MR. MAGDANZ directed attention to the document titled "HB 102,
Limited Teacher Certificates - Comparison to Current Law." He
highlighted the following in the single section bill:
• Page 1, line 4, identifies the legislation as repeal and
reenactment of AS 14.20.025.
• Subsection (a) on page 1 gives school districts the
flexibility to hire teachers on limited certificates for
language immersion programs.
• Paragraph (4) on page 1, line 12, is new language. It
authorizes the department to issue a limited teacher
certificate to a person qualified under (b) to teach "any
subject if the language of instruction is not English".
• Subsection (b) on page 1, lines 13-14 through page 2, line
5, is drawn from current law. It states that the limited
certificate can only be issued to a person the school board
specifically requests. It also empowers the state board of
education to write regulations ensuring the person who
holds a limited certificate has "instructional skills and
subject matter expertise sufficient to assure the public
that the person is competent as a teacher." It also allows
the state board to require a person to undertake additional
academic training and university classes.
• Subsection (c) clarifies that limited certificates are
issued on a case-by-case basis and that the certificate is
only valid within that school district. This provides local
control and case-by-case flexibility.
• Subsection (d) requires the board of education to give an
applicant the option of demonstrating competency in the
instructional language for which the limited certificate is
valid.
• Subsection (e) provides that a limited certificate is
initially valid for one year. Subsequent extensions are
guided by regulation.
CHAIR COSTELLO opened public testimony on HB 102.
2:10:34 PM
BRANDON LOCKE, Director, World Languages, Anchorage School
District (ASD), Anchorage, Alaska, stated that HB 102 would
support filling language emersion positions that are typically
very difficult to fill. ASD has been offering language emersion
programs since 1989 and it is always a challenge to find
qualified, fully certificated teachers who are native or near
native speakers. He reported that ASC has about 3,000 students
in K-12 immersion programs and will add Yupik immersion this
fall through a federal grant. A French immersion program may be
added next. He said the provision in subsection (d) would be
particularly helpful to ASD because applicants whose first
language is not English generally have difficulty passing a
practice test that is administered in English. He acknowledged
that the school district would be ultimately responsible for the
person and they would have to go through the appropriate vetting
procedures in the district. He opined that this would not open
the floodgates; it would be used for those unique situations
where there is no workaround. The worst-case scenario is to put
a non-immersion language speaker in the classroom. That defeats
the purpose of the program.
2:14:46 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if background checks are addressed
elsewhere in state law, because it's not in the bill
MR. LOCKE replied the bill doesn't eliminate the background
check requirement.
MR. MAGDANZ added, "This is repeal and reenactment of an
existing portion of law. That existing portion of law doesn't
specifically require background checks but the regulations
implementing that section do."
2:17:26 PM
At ease
2:17:55 PM
CHAIR COSTELLO reconvened the meeting and asked Ms. Meredith how
background checks would apply to HB 102.
2:17:58 PM
SONDRA MEREDITH, Education Administrator II, Teaching and
Learning Support, Department of Education and Early Development
(DEED), Juneau, Alaska, clarified that AS 14.20 contains the
statutory reference that covers certification. A separate
section speaks to the background requirements for all teacher
certifications that DEED issues.
CHAIR COSTELLO closed public testimony on HB 102 and looked to
the will of the committee.
2:19:08 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report HB 102 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR COSTELLO stated that without objection, CSHB 102(EDC)
moves from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.