04/02/2014 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

                     HB 162-TEACHER TENURE                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:23:33 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of HB 162.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
LES  MORSE,  Deputy  Commissioner, Department  of  Education  and                                                               
Early  Development  (DEED),  Juneau, Alaska,  answered  questions                                                               
related to HB 162.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARDNER  asked if  the department has  a position  on the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said the department does  not have a stance on the bill                                                               
because tenure  does not  affect the  department. It  does affect                                                               
teachers and districts.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  HUGGINS asked  if  tenure is  portable  after a  teacher                                                               
moves to a new district.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said  there is a two-year waiting time  after moving to                                                               
a new district.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS asked about the psychology of that provision.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  explained that the  statute provides that  the teacher                                                               
must meet the  performance standards of the  new school district.                                                               
Local boards can check to see that these are met.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:28:04 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEVENS  asked if  the  bill  affects that  2-year  tenure                                                               
provision.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said the provision is currently in statute.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS  noted Representative Wilson suggested  that tenure                                                               
should be up to the district.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:28:57 AM                                                                                                                    
DIANE  HIRSHBERG, Director,  Center for  Alaska Education  Policy                                                               
Research,  Institute  of  Social and  Economic  Research  (ISER),                                                               
University  of  Alaska-Anchorage,   Anchorage,  Alaska,  provided                                                               
information related  to HB  162. She referred  to a  survey about                                                               
whether  tenure would  affect  teachers'  perception about  their                                                               
jobs.  She described  the  parameters of  the  survey, which  had                                                               
close to 1,600 responses. For  rural first-year teachers, 155 out                                                               
of  558, or  19 percent,  said  tenure rules  would impact  their                                                               
decision  to stay  or go.  Another 39  percent said  "maybe." She                                                               
assumed many  of those  teachers don't  understand the  impact of                                                               
tenure rules.  She pointed  out that  teacher turnover  rates are                                                               
very high in rural districts.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
She  related  that when  surveying  teachers  in the  five  urban                                                               
districts, of  890 teachers, 16  percent said tenure  rules would                                                               
affect their  views, and 22  percent said they were  not familiar                                                               
with the  proposal. Of 109  first year teachers, 20  percent said                                                               
it would  affect their views, 30  percent said they did  not know                                                               
enough, and  18 percent said  "maybe." She concluded that  the 20                                                               
percent  was significant  in there  is currently  not a  turnover                                                               
problem in urban districts.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
She opined  that measuring  the quality of  teachers needs  to be                                                               
done  in  partnership  with the  university  and  with  districts                                                               
without  making teachers  more anxious.  She  said many  teachers                                                               
left  the profession  when the  teacher  evaluation video  taping                                                               
system was initiated.  She emphasized that changes  do affect how                                                               
teachers view whether or not they will stay on the job.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
She questioned  if teacher  support should be  part of  the bill,                                                               
such as strengthening professional development.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:34:52 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  thanked Dr. Hirshberg.  He noted  public testimony                                                               
would be continued at a later date.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS held HB 162 in committee.