04/08/2013 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

         SB 57-LITERACY, PUPIL TRANSP, TEACHER NOTICES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:13:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS announced that the  first order of business would be                                                               
SENATE BILL NO.  57, "An Act relating to  parental involvement in                                                               
education; adjusting  pupil transportation funding;  amending the                                                               
time   required   for   employers  to   give   tenured   teachers                                                               
notification  of   their  nonretention;  and  providing   for  an                                                               
effective date."  [Before the committee was CSSB 57(FIN).]                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:14:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM   LAMKIN,  Staff,   Senator   Gary   Stevens,  Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature, speaking on behalf  of the sponsor, Senator Stevens,                                                               
stated that  proposed SB  57 was an  effort to  increase parental                                                               
involvement in  student literacy  skills by  the third  grade; to                                                               
change  the layoff  notification deadline  for tenured  teachers;                                                               
and to  adjust pupil  transportation funding.   He  declared that                                                               
the data  for student  success emphasized  the need  for parental                                                               
involvement in order for students  to gain proficiency in reading                                                               
by the  third grade.   He pointed to  the learning tools  used by                                                               
many   states,    including   identification    and   assessment,                                                               
intervention with  remediation, and policies for  retention which                                                               
were all  necessary strategies prior  to that age.   He explained                                                               
that  the proposed  bill would  communicate these  strategies and                                                               
information on the  importance of early literacy  annually to the                                                               
parents.   These  communications would  include a  media campaign                                                               
with  an  internet  website,  as well  as  local  television  and                                                               
advertising  programs for  better recognition  of the  importance                                                               
for  literacy proficiency  by the  third grade.   He  offered his                                                               
belief that  the lay-off notification  date for  tenured teachers                                                               
and the  transportation funding for  the next three  fiscal years                                                               
also contained  in the proposed  bill had already  been discussed                                                               
in the committee.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:18:22 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  indicated  that  a  Conceptual  Amendment                                                               
would be offered following the testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:19:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 8:19 a.m. to 8:22 a.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:22:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS brought the committee back to order.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked if  the committee had already moved                                                               
a similar pupil transportation bill.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GATTIS expressed  agreement,  and  reminded the  committee                                                               
that  the sponsor  had noted  that bills  similar to  sections of                                                               
proposed SB 57 had already been moved by the committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:23:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:24:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN ELCANTRA,  Representative, National Education  Association -                                                               
Alaska (NEA), said that he  represented the 13,000 members of the                                                               
National  Education  Association -  Alaska.    He referred  to  a                                                               
letter  submitted to  the  bill sponsor,  dated  March 18,  2013,                                                               
which  had   discussed  the  notification  of   tenured  teachers                                                               
[Included  in members'  packets].   He  reported  that there  was                                                               
considerable  concern  from  teachers, especially  those  in  the                                                               
"disciplines  of art,  music, and  counselors, folks  that are  a                                                               
little outside the general education  mainstream and are a little                                                               
more  worried,  rightfully so..."    He  pointed out  that  their                                                               
smaller  numbers would  allow for  non-retention more  quickly in                                                               
the  current budget  cutting environment.   He  suggested that  a                                                               
date of April 20, or a  few days following the adjournment of the                                                               
legislature, would  be a more appropriate  date for non-retention                                                               
notification  to  tenured  teachers, as  school  districts  would                                                               
better understand  the upcoming  budget.   He offered  a personal                                                               
anecdote   regarding   motivation   and  encouragement   by   his                                                               
daughter's music  teacher.   He declared support  by the  NEA for                                                               
proposed  SB   57,  only   suggesting  a   change  of   date  for                                                               
notification of non-retention.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:28:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX questioned  whether job  fairs would  also                                                               
change  dates in  response to  the  date change  in the  proposed                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ELCANTRA expressed  his agreement  regarding  the job  fairs                                                               
held in Alaska, but he  questioned a corresponding change for job                                                               
fair dates in other states.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:29:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND  reiterated that, once  education funding                                                               
had been recognized, an earlier date was better.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. ELCANTRA expressed agreement  that more time for non-retained                                                               
teachers to pursue their career was better.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:30:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER commented  that,  as  there were  various                                                               
interpretations to the  length of session, this  could affect the                                                               
aforementioned date.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. ELCANTRA expressed his agreement.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:30:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON directed  attention to  the aforementioned                                                               
NEA letter of support included in the members' packets.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:31:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
BRUCE  JOHNSON,  Executive  Director, Alaska  Council  of  School                                                               
Administrators,  stated support  by the  membership for  proposed                                                               
SB 57 as it would inflation-proof  the pupil transportation costs                                                               
and  contracts.   He  declared  support  for the  early  literacy                                                               
programs,  as well.   He  indicated that  school districts  often                                                               
offered  contracts and  set non-retention  dates that  worked for                                                               
the  area  and  in  anticipation  of  legislative  funding.    He                                                               
declared  the importance  for retention  of specialists  and core                                                               
teachers through early action.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:33:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE  COONS  declared that,  if  NEA  was against  something,  he                                                               
supported  it.   He  stated that  school administrations  already                                                               
distributed non-retention  notices prior  to the  finalization of                                                               
the education  budget by the legislature.   He noted that  he was                                                               
unemployed and  knew how  to look  for other  jobs.   He declared                                                               
that job resumes  could be withdrawn if a job  was available.  He                                                               
declared  his support  for  the date  of May  15  in the  current                                                               
version of the proposed bill.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:35:41 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:35:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  offered  Conceptual  Amendment  1,  which                                                               
would add language to repeal Section 4 on November 1, 2015.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON objected for discussion.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON explained that,  as there was intention for                                                               
"statewide  coordinated  pupil   transportation  contracts,"  the                                                               
Consumer  Price  Index adjustment  would  be  in effect  for  the                                                               
school year,  2015, but this  would allow for negotiation  of new                                                               
transportation  contracts  without   any  provisions  already  in                                                               
place.   He added that the  sponsor of SB 57  had determined this                                                               
to be a friendly amendment.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:37:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P.  WILSON  declared  this  to  be  an  important                                                               
amendment because  of the possibility for  increasing competition                                                               
for a statewide pupil transportation contract.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON removed her objection.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:38:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS  reminded the committee  of a prior  House Education                                                               
Standing  Committee  discussion   on  transportation,  which  had                                                               
agreed to "bridge the gap from now until those bus contracts."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:38:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX  asked for further information  regarding a                                                               
date change from May 15 to April 20.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:39:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  suggested that the fiscal  note be revised                                                               
to reflect the date change.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:39:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further objection  to Conceptual Amendment  1, it                                                               
was adopted.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX  renewed her  request for  more information                                                               
regarding the date change.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:40:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS opened public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DEENA  PARAMO, Superintendent,  Matanuska-Susitna Borough  School                                                               
District, said  that the  new date stipulated  in proposed  SB 57                                                               
was  within  the  parameters for  knowledge  of  school  district                                                               
funding, and  allowed the districts  to ensure the  best teachers                                                               
for  the following  school year.    She declared  that this  date                                                               
worked for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:42:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LEDOUX  asked  whether there  were  concerns  for                                                               
moving the date earlier in the year, as suggested by the NEA.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PARAMO replied  that  the  Matanuska-Susitna Borough  School                                                               
District  preferred  the  May  15   date,  as  it  would  take  a                                                               
significant amount  of time  to get  contracts prepared  by April                                                               
20.   She  reported that  the  local contribution  to the  school                                                               
district  was not  determined until  after the  state legislature                                                               
had made its decisions.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GATTIS closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:43:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report  CSSB 57 (FIN), as amended,                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying   fiscal  notes.      There   being  no   objection,                                                               
HCS CSSB 57  (EDC) was  moved from  the House  Education Standing                                                               
Committee.