Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
03/30/2022 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB236 | |
| SB225 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 236 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 225 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 225-TEACHER REGISTERED APPRENTICE PROGRAMS
9:13:33 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 225 "An Act relating to a
paraprofessional training program; creating a teacher resident
certificate; creating a teacher residency program; relating to
requirements to issue a teacher certificate; relating to
subject-matter expert limited teacher certificates; relating to
limited teacher certificates; creating a teacher registered
apprenticeship program; and creating a teacher registered
apprenticeship program fund."
CHAIR HOLLAND noted that this was the seventh hearing and there
was a committee substitute (CS) for the committee to consider.
He solicited a motion.
9:13:59 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute
(CS) for SB 225, work order 32-LS1439\I, as the working
document.
9:14:11 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND objected for purposes of discussion, and asked Mr.
King to explain the changes between Version B and Version I.
9:14:20 AM
ED KING, Staff, Senator Roger Holland, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, presented the summary of changes from Version B
to Version I for SB 225, speaking to the prepared document that
read as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Senate Bill 225
TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
Summary of Changes
Version B to Version I
Section 1: Adds a requirement for DEED to collaborate
with the University when creating high
school to teacher apprenticeship pathway.
(Page 4, line 5)
Section 2: Clarifies portions of the Teacher Residency
program, including:
1. Limit a resident teacher from being a
teacher of record during their first
residency year
2. Set standards for mentorship
3. Make clear that districts are program
sponsors
Section 3: No changes
Section 4: Inserts a requirement that nontraditional
or alternative teacher preparation program
must be accredited institutions
Section 5: No changes
Section 6: No changes
Section 7: No changes
Section 8: Provides a clearer description of the
Teacher Apprenticeship Program by:
1. Directing DEED to be the lead agency in
developing a statewide template standard
of apprenticeship with the Federal
Office of Apprenticeship.
2. Expands the pool of eligible
participants to include people teaching
with a limited certificate or with an
expired provisional certificate.
3. Clarifies that the Teacher
Apprenticeship Program is a multi-year
pathway for someone without a college
degree to "earn while they learn" as
they complete on-the-job training, work
experience, and coursework that results
in a full teacher certificate.
4. Requires DEED and DOLW&D to help
districts develop apprenticeship
programs and secure funding.
5. Expands the apprenticeship grant fund to
be a general teacher recruitment grant
fund, including many innovative options
for districts to address teacher
shortages and promote those ideas
throughout the state.
Section 9: Conforming changes
Section 10: Adds the repeal of AS 14.20.220, which is
a limitation on years of service credit for
out of state teachers. Also repeals AS
14.16.050(a)(3)(C), which is a direct
reference to AS 14.20.220.
SENATOR HUGHES requested a copy of the summary of changes
document.
9:19:01 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND removed his objection; he found no further
objection and CSSB 225, Version I, was adopted.
CHAIR HOLLAND turned to invited testimony.
9:20:01 AM
DR. LISA PARADY, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA), Juneau, Alaska, provided testimony on SB
225 by invitation. She paraphrased the following prepared
script:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Established in 1973, the Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA) is a private, nonprofit
organization that was created to serve as an umbrella
for Alaska's premier educational leadership
organizations including the:
Alaska Superintendents Association, the Alaska
Association of Secondary School Principals, the Alaska
Association of Elementary School Principals, the
Alaska School Business Officials, and all the hard-
working school administrators across Alaska
First let me thank each of you for speaking to our
members during their legislative fly-in this week and
for meeting in individual meetings with them. I know
you heard how critical the issues are that you are
addressing in SB225. It has been two years since our
members have been here and you have helped make it an
excellent learning and advocacy experience. Thank you.
Thank you for supporting the Alaska's Heart through
Student Art show by attending and supporting student
art.
Thank you also for inviting me to speak in support of
Senate Bill 225.
ACSA's unifying purpose is to support education
leaders in the state by providing a collective voice
that champions possibilities for all students and
purposeful advocacy for public education.
By now you understand ACSA's members work together
each year to develop Joint Position Statements, which
envelop the highest priorities for education policy
positions. Preparing, Attracting, and Retaining
Qualified Educators is one of our members' top
priorities.
Retaining effective educators and leaders is
imperative to increase student achievement and
eliminate academic disparity for all of Alaska's
students. ACSA strongly encourages the development of
comprehensive statewide programs to prepare, attract,
and retain high-quality, diverse educators and
professionals. SB225 supports this position.
ACSA has worked with partners to create cohort new to
career programs for principals, assistant principals
and superintendents, aspiring superintendents,
district office administrators to help grow and
ultimately retain administrators. These programs focus
on mentorship, networking, professional development,
and the skills necessary to be an effective
administrator. We know how important continuity in
school districts is to the success of our students.
9:23:16 AM
Superintendent and principal turnover can negatively
affect student, teacher, and school outcomes by
disrupting a school's organizational climate and
culture and the structures that facilitate teachers'
work, all of which are essential for improved
instructional processes and student achievement. By
way of example, Stanford University study found that
the odds of teacher turnover were 10% higher in the
year after a principal departed and that principal
turnover was linked to increased chances of the most
effective teachers leaving the school.
The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA) is a
partnership with DEED that serves new principals and
provides them with experienced mentors. The program
began in 2018, and we are on our fourth cohort of
principals. The program has served 103 new principals
in 65% of school districts and 85 schools across the
state.
9:24:47 AM
DR. PARADAY continued to testify.
There are three pillars to ASLA. Personalized
mentoring, giving new principals a veteran principal,
they can have conversations with about their job and
feel comfortable asking questions.
Being in a 2-year cohort, the new principals also have
a network of peers with whom they can share
experiences and grow together.
The third pillar is advancement of leadership skills.
ASLA offers professional development critical to
school leadership, so new principals can gain and
strengthen skills that they will need to lead their
schools.
What we know is that Leadership matters it is a
primary issue for retention if there is poor
leadership
ACSA and the Alaska Superintendents Association also
offer a similar program for new superintendents and
superintendents new to the state. The new and incoming
superintendent program was created to address the
turnover rates at the position and provide on-the-job
learning opportunities to first and second-year
superintendents that are relevant to Alaska Schools.
Superintendents are paired with mentors who have
experience as superintendents in Alaska
9:25:05 AM
DR. PARADY continued to testify.
To address this issue ASA provides 3 distinct
programs:
New Superintendent program focus on board
relations/collaboration, strengthening a supportive
workplace for all staff, development of leadership
attributes that make a difference in student
achievement and school/district culture, problem
solving and accountability implementation to ensure
positive results for students this program also
provides mentors for new superintendents to support
them to be successful and stay in their position for
long-term district stability
District Leaders program similar focus as the new
superintendent program, but with more work on
performance management through a continuous
improvement process. District leaders are tasked with
implementing the district vision as determined by the
local communities and school board. Many tasks are
the nuts and bolts of supporting school staff with
improving learning for individual students and
providing resources to put schools and their staff in
a position to be successful. This heavily contributes
to staff retention by providing a supportive workplace
that is collaborative, accountable and supports all
staff to develop their leadership skills for in-
district opportunities.
Aspiring Superintendent program focus on what it
takes to be a successful school district
superintendent and develop critical leadership skills
that are demonstrated by successful superintendents
and CEOs to lead improved student learning in a highly
complex environment. In essence, ASA is working to
build the "high quality bench" of prospective leaders
to take on the role of superintendent in an Alaska
school district. As with all education positions in
Alaska, there are fewer applicants for the
superintendent position than ever before. It is
critical to give communities choices as well as
provide support to Alaska's educators to improve their
leadership skills that would allow them to move into
different roles in public education.
9:28:25 AM
DR. PARADY continued to testify.
It is important to note that the superintendent
position is considered a "terminal" job that it is
usually held by someone who has many years of
experience in education and/or leadership roles. This
capstone position is susceptible to shorter tenures
than other education positions as many are near
retirement age when they take on the role. For
example, in 2021-22 there were 15 superintendent hires
made to start the year. Of those open positions 8
were created due to retirement. Also, 4 of those open
positions were created by the sitting superintendent
moving to another open position. Of the 3 remaining
openings 2 were filled by interim superintendents,
which automatically created an opening for 2022-23 and
1 open position was created due to the sitting
superintendent's untimely passing. Turnover will
happen simply due to the experience level of a sitting
superintendent. I will add that the impossible
challenges that the COVID pandemic presented to
education has been a compelling reason for many to
retire.
New trends - Many of the hires from 2021-22 were
considered new to the position (9 hires had no prior
superintendent experience). Of the 9 new to position
superintendents this year, all participated in the ASA
New superintendent program, and all opted to
participate in the mentoring support part of the
program. Currently, all are returning to their
position next year. There are a very few who are
pursuing other superintendent positions in Alaska but
have been successful in their current position with
their boards wanting them to return.
We have found that when a superintendent participates
in the ASA new superintendent program with the
mentoring component, they are much more likely to
return for their second year in the same position and
rd
implemented the mentoring component for 3 years now
and we see our results as very promising.
9:30:48 AM
DR. PARADY continued to testify.
2019-20: 12 new to position superintendents 11
chose to participate in mentoring project in year 1, 9
chose to continue mentoring in year 2 and 7 are in
rd
their 3 year in their original district we saw 3
resignations from the group and 2 retirements
2020-21: 6 new to position superintendents 5 chose
to participate in the mentoring project in year 1, 4
chose to continue mentoring in year 2 and we will have
rd
3 continue into their 3 year in their original
district. We saw 3 resignations from this group
during their time in the cohort.
ACSA further recommends funding for a robust educator
pipeline by creating incentives for graduates to stay
in Alaska.
A nationally competitive compensation and benefits
package, combined with an attractive state retirement
system, is imperative for attracting and retaining
effective educators and leaders. (JPS)
The Institute of Social and Economic Research found
that Alaska averages around 1,000 new teacher hires a
year. The same report found that each school district
spends a minimum of $20,000 per teacher hired, around
$20 million annuallythe cost of training new teachers
and recruitment. By investing in our state's educators
through competitive benefits packages, the money spent
yearly on new hires can be invested in other needs
within districts.
Results from the Governor's Teacher Retention and
Recruitment Working Group April 2021 report showed
that current teachers ranked retirement benefits 4th
out of 40 on their Items of Personal Importance.
Current administrators ranked those benefits 1st.
Our education leaders in Alaska deserve compensation
and benefits that reflect their job responsibilities
and high level of education. By offering competitive
pension plans to our educators, the state will show
its commitment to the education of Alaska's students.
9:31:57 AM
DR. PARADAY continued to testify.
In close, we thank you for bringing SB225 forward. We
support the amendments that are being proposed to the
new CS.
We hope there will be an amendment to afford private
organizations, like ours to be able to apply for
grants to have support to enhance the work we are
doing thereby enabling us to offer it to all new and
early career administrators
We know through research by stabilizing school
administrators, we help to reduce teacher turnover
thereby supporting increased student achievement for
our students.
Thank you for working to stabilize this critical area
of public education.
We look forward to continuing to work with you to
advance this bill.
Thank you.
9:33:52 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND recognized Lon Garrison as the next invited
testifier.
9:34:04 AM
LON GARRISON, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards, Juneau, Alaska, spoke to the following prepared
testimony on SB 225:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on
Committee Substitute for SB225.
The Association of Alaska School Boards is in support
of CS SB225. AASB's membership has four resolutions
that directly or indirectly support the elements of
this legislation. These include:
• 4.1 SUPPORTS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT
• 4.5 ADDRESSING THE TEACHER, SPECIALIST, AND
ADMINISTRATOR SHORTAGE
• 4.17 ADDRESSING THE PARAPROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE
• 4.18 ESTABLISHING A NEW TEACHER INCENTIVE PROGRAM
FOR ALASKA
School boards and superintendents across the state,
whether rural or urban, face a common and daunting
challenge, the ability to find and retain teachers.
For most districts, the teachers entering the
educational workforce are young, inexperienced, and
have little or no Alaska experience. In nearly all
school districts, the teaching staff is not reflective
of the cultural and ethnic makeup of the student
population. As a result, teacher turnover has
averaged about 22% or greater per year, or on average
for each district, nearly 1 in 4 teachers will be new
each year.
Teacher turnover has a direct impact on student
achievement and the overall health and well-being of
each student. This means that progress in improving
student outcomes is negatively affected by the fact
that students don't have the opportunity to experience
stable lasting relationships with their educators.
SB 225 provides the opportunity to create alternate
pathways for local individuals or content experts to
become effective, reliable, and relevant educators
that are much more likely to choose to stay in a
teaching position. This ultimately creates an
improved sense of connectedness and support for each
student resulting in better outcomes.
9:36:28 AM
MR. GARRISON continued to testify.
AASB continually hears many school boards' desires to
create alternate ways to allow classified staff to
enter a teaching program while staying in their home
district and continuing to work. The proposed
paraprofessional training program or an apprenticeship
can provide those opportunities. Furthermore, subject
matter limited certificates can open a world of
possibilities for all sorts of experts with real-life
experience to engage and compel students to learn from
those individuals.
By statute, school boards are responsible for
allocating resources (a budget) on a local level in
order to provide an excellent education for every
student every day. Utilizing those funds to support
locally grown teachers is far more cost-effective than
hiring nearly 25% of your workforce each year. School
boards know that student outcomes are what matter and
that one of the most significant ways to improve
student achievement is to support the creation of a
workforce that is reflective of the student
population, is committed to the school and community,
and brings something relevant and engaging to the
classroom.
For these reasons, AASB strongly supports and urges
the passage of Committee
Substitute 225 as one more tool in the toolbox for
addressing Alaska's teacher shortage.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
CHAIR HOLLAND recognized Tom Klaameyer as the next invited
testifier.
9:38:21 AM
TOM KLAAMEYER, President, National Education Association Alaska,
Eagle River, Alaska, summarized his prepared testimony on SB
225. The full testimony read as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
With over 11,000 members, our organization represents
teachers and education support professionals in
hundreds of diverse schools across Alaska. As
president, I have the opportunity to hear directly
from our members about the real and devastating
consequences our recruitment and retention crisis is
having on our system of public education.
Alaska's educator shortage has been growing for a long
time due to a variety of systemic issues. While the
number of educators working in our public schools has
been declining for years, the Covid-19 pandemic has
exacerbated the already compounding impacts of years
of flat funding, and the worst retirement system for
teachers in the entire country. In every district in
Alaska, educators are planning to leave their jobs,
and in many cases, the state, at the end of this
school year.
9:39:00 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
The educators who choose to remain are enduring
unprecedented levels of stress and pressure associated
with added duties, growing class sizes, and lack of
support. Tragically, it's our students who suffer when
educators do not have the time or resources to
dedicate to their work.
Just so you know, my testimony has three basic parts,
a discussion of the great possibilities and
opportunities provided by this bill to address some of
our teacher recruitment and retention problems.
Secondly, I'll share some concerns we have about
provisions within the bill. And lastly - while we
believe that SB 225 has started an important
conversation, the bill in its current form fails to
address the systemic changes necessary to result in a
thriving working and learning environment for our
educators and students. Without identifying and
addressing the real and underlying challenges we face,
we will be unable to truly address our teacher
workforce issues.
We support and appreciate the inclusion of a paid
residency as a key feature of this bill. We would
want to make sure that the final product includes the
characteristics of a strong and successful program,
which aren't necessarily outlined in the bill. This
includes:
9:39:50 AM
? Strong district and University partnerships. We worry
about programs which would bypass university
partnerships, thus denying their residents access to
this high-quality professional development,
pedagogical training, and resources which are
necessary to become the best educators possible for
students. We are very pleased to see the University of
Alaska added back into the conversation.
? A full year of residency teaching alongside, not in
lieu, of an expert mentor teacher who co-teaches with
residents - while also completing highly integrated
coursework. We all know how difficult teaching is,
especially the first year. We would not be setting up
our residents, or their students, for success if we
didn't make sure that they had properly supervised
clinical practice with sufficient formal observations
and feedback. - This cannot happen if the resident is
made to be the teacher of record left in isolation in
their own classroom during the critical year of their
pedagogical development.
? Strong financial support for residents, like the paid
residency, and perhaps coupled with other measures
such as tuition assistance or a student loan
forgiveness program, in exchange for a three-to-five-
year post-residency teaching commitment (perhaps in
high-needs schools). To make this most successful in
reducing teacher turnover rates, NEA-Alaska would
suggest the creation of a comprehensive program to
provide ongoing mentoring, professional development,
and a system of support for these early career
educators beyond just their residency. To be most
effective, these funded induction programs should
provide experienced mentors in the same field, have
common planning time with other teachers in the grade
or subject area, regularly scheduled collaboration
with other teachers, and also be a part of an external
network of teachers. (Incidentally, I am confident
that the Alaska Commons (already being developed by
DEED on Canvas), could be built out to be the ideal
platform to facilitate this network.)
9:41:15 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
We also support creating pathways for paraeducators to
achieve full certification. Paraeducators already
working in our schools are more likely to stay in
their communities for their entire careers and this
workforce is often more reflective of the diversity of
our student population. We are also generally
supportive of the teacher pre-apprenticeship and
apprenticeship programs as well-intended policy
proposals which may help us "grow our own'' education
workforce - however, the devil is in the details. We
are interested to learn more specifics about what
these programs would look like in practice and how
much of an impact it may have on our overall
recruitment strategy. Our biggest concern is that it
will not do enough to combat the overall challenges
we're facing.
Thirdly, we support similarly robust mentoring and
leadership training opportunities for school
administrators. According to a report by the Learning
Policy Institute, the key factors associated with
educator turnover are compensation, teacher
preparation and support, and school leadership. In my
experience as a teacher I'll tell you that I've never
seen my colleagues leave because of the kids, but
rather they do often leave because of adults. Alaska
absolutely has to work to create systems and resources
for developing leadership pipelines within districts
and expanding its leadership capacity in schools to
build and nurture the collegial, collaborative,
respectful school settings that encourage teacher
retention.
Might I also add that I'm glad to hear about the
provision being added to study teachers housing as a
recruitment and retention problem for our rural
schools.
9:42:06 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
Now, I would like to highlight some of the policy
changes that we find concerning.
First, in Section 2, on page 4 lines 26-29, there is a
MAJOR policy shift to start recognizing NATIONALLY
accredited institutions of higher learning. It is our
understanding that regional accreditation has been the
gold standard for accreditation of institutions of
higher learning.
According to Edsmart.org "regional accrediting
organizations operate in specific regions of the
country. These organizations grant accreditation to
schools, colleges, and universities showing that their
credits and degrees meet minimum standards. Regionally
accredited colleges are mostly academically oriented,
non-profit, or state-owned institutions? on the other
hand, Nationally accredited schools are generally for-
profit and offer vocational, career, or technical
programs. This is a major shift in policy, that
could allow a future School Board or Commissioner to
approve substandard teacher education programs. I
appreciate Mr. King's comment that an amendment is
coming on this and look forward to seeing the new
language.
9:42:18 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
Next, I just want to flag for the Committee Section 4,
lines 24 through 36. This section will potentially
allow someone who simply passes a test to qualify for
a subject matter expert certificate. Currently, one
must have majored or minored or have 5 years of
experience in the subject of instruction. Section 4,
subsection C allows for one to pass a test to prove or
demonstrate knowledge or competency. This is a
departure from how we currently do things.
We're not necessarily opposed to this, but it is a
major shift in policy and could affect the quality of
educators in our classrooms for the simple reason that
just because one knows a great deal about a subject
does not mean they can effectively teach that subject.
9:42:36 AM
Our MAJOR concern is regarding ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO
CERTIFICATION.
First, in Section 2, page 2, lines 24-25 and also in
Section 4, on page 8, lines 9 and 10 we have concerns
about the potential unintended consequences of
establishing undefined alternative pathways to a
teaching certificate.
We know that this is not the intention of the
legislation or the committee, and in no way are we
suggesting that future commissioners or State Boards
of Education will not be judicious in their approval
of alternative pathways, but in the rush to get more
educators certificated, we want to flag a concern
about the quality of some of the alternative pathways
that have been established in other jurisdictions.
In other states, Texas in particular, there are
programs that essentially amount to a teaching "degree
mill" where one can pay a fee and be enrolled in an
"alternative pathway" to a teaching certificate
without any kind of meaningful residency requirements
or experience working with students. These programs
vary in length, from three months to two years.
9:43:11 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
Most notably, research shows that teachers who are
prepared through these programs on average have less
coursework, less student teaching experience and are
not more likely to be retained. Teachers obtaining
their credentials from an alternate pathway are fully
25% more likely to leave their school or profession
so, this can become a viscous cycle, essentially
making investments in unprepared educators, who are
less likely to stay in the profession, and running the
very real risk of students potentially losing days,
weeks, or even months of ground academically as a
result.
The National Council of State Legislatures recommends
at the very least establishing standards for
program review and an approval process. These kinds
of programs do not ensure the level of teacher quality
that Alaska students deserve. And, by not being more
specific and clear in the statute, we worry that
Alaska could be on the same path that other states
have followed in continuing to adopt additional
certification options which lack rigor and may be
driven by profit rather than quality.
9:43:50 AM
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't speak about the
underlying problem with this exercise before us today.
While we thank Senator Holland and the Education
Committee for highlighting the discussion around the
attraction and retention of educators and proposing
real solutions in SB225, I am compelled to address its
underlying flaw - the fact that it does not
acknowledge the far larger issues of funding,
compensation, and a meaningful retirement benefit for
our dedicated public education employees.
? The extent to which individuals choose to enter and
stay in the education professions is highly influenced
by the availability of competitive wages and benefits.
The results of the survey by the Governor's Teacher
Recruitment and Retention Task Force, one of the
largest of its kind performed in the state of Alaska,
confirm that these are the most important factors
teachers consider in deciding where to work and for
how long. And while some are reluctant to properly
address these fundamental needs, the creation of
alternate certification pathways and residency
programs alone, simply are not going to fix the
problem. If it's going to succeed in fulfilling its
intent, SB225 can only be one small part of a much
more comprehensive approach.
In addition to solutions like SB 225, the legislature
must pass legislation to provide a stable,
predictable, and growing funding structure to truly
invest in Alaska's students.
? This includes increasing the base student allocation
and protecting it against the ravages of inflation.
Districts must be able to offer competitive wages and
benefits and hire enough teachers and support staff to
fully support our students' needs. Research shows
(and, quite frankly, common sense dictates) that
teachers' salaries affect the supply of teachers, the
distribution of teachers across districts, and the
quality of people training to become teachers. To
ignore this fundamental reality and failing to fix it
is to render all of the other work we're doing to
improve the issue nearly moot.
9:44:10 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
We absolutely must provide a decent, stable,
reasonable retirement for our employees, such as that
which is outlined in HB 220. If we are to truly
address the problem of teacher retention, fixing the
worst teacher retirement system in the nation has to
be priority number one. We can do it without costing
the state any more money than what is being paid right
now. If we only pass SB225 to build this robust
training and development system for educators, but
ignore our retirement crisis, all we will have done is
created an ideal teacher prep program for other
states. The best and most effective way to retain our
teachers over the long run is to provide a retirement
that incentivizes staying in the state, not leaving
it.
9:44:57 AM
MR. KLAAMEYER continued to testify.
Forward funding our system of public education is one
of the most effective and efficient tools available to
the legislature. By providing school districts with a
clear understanding of their funding levels a year in
advance, they can forego the stressful and wholly
unnecessary process of laying off educators every
spring and then attempting to rehire them after the
budget is enacted. If the other issues I've mentioned
aren't enough of an incentive to leave Alaska, being
laid off at the end of a long and challenging school
year is certainly the final straw for many early
career educators weighing their employment options.
If we are truly serious in our intent to address the
educator turnover crisis, both fully and forward
funding our schools will allow us to do the many other
things our children deserve. We would be able to focus
on pre-kindergarten, culturally responsive
instruction, provide the mental, social and emotional
supports students need, as well as the additional
direct assistance to students who struggle to read at
grade level. We could get back to inspiring students
to explore their creativity and channel those passions
into career fields or higher learning opportunities.
Perhaps most importantly, we can stop spending our
time advocating for basic needs and return to
preparing the children of Alaska to become well-
rounded and productive members of our society.
We simply cannot address the educator shortage until
we strengthen the profession and focus our investment
in public education on strategic priorities.
I would like to thank the Committee for their time and
consideration, and I am available to answer any
questions that you might have.
9:45:54 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked Mr. Klaameyer if he had any data to
support the notion that unprepared teachers are more likely to
leave.
MR. KLAAMEYER answered that he would follow up with the
information.
CHAIR HOLLAND recognized Karen DeMoss as the next invited
testifier.
9:46:26 AM
KAREN DEMOSS, Executive Director, Prepared to Teach, New York,
New York, provided the following prepared testimony on SB 225:
Prepared to Teach is a nationwide initiative out of
Bank Street College of Education in New York. Bank
Street was founded over a century ago as an
experimental school that embedded a teacher
preparation program. The goals were to understand how
children and youth learn, to understand how to help
adults learn how to help children and youth learn, and
then finally to share out lessons in an effort to
improve outcomes for family schools and communities
nationwide.
Over the years, Bank Street has brought its work to
bear in many areas, helping establish Head Start,
Universal Pre-K, word processing in schools, and
multicultural representation in children's books. Our
project fits in this tradition. For the past six
years, we've worked with districts, preparation
programs, states, and the federal government to
explore how to create a teacher preparation system
that allows every aspiring teacher to learn alongside
an accomplished mentor, co-teaching in a classroom for
a year before being certified.
This is the approach elite private schools have always
had, and it is how countries that have strong
educational systems do preparation, as the National
Council of State Legislatures has documented in their
ground-breaking report, "No Time to Lose."
9:47:51 AM
The reason I called this legislation historic is that
this bill will position Alaska among the country's
first states to act on what we now know. Teacher
residencies are the best way to prepare for the
profession of teaching, but scaling teacher
residencies requires investments because aspiring
teachers cannot afford to work for free.
With a move towards more universal access to year-
long, financially supported teacher preparation,
here's some of the kinds of impacts the state of
Alaska can look forward to that funded residencies
have documented:
• 90 percent retention in the third year of
teaching, at the same school;
• Over 80 percent retention in the same district
after five years;
• Doubling of teachers who come from diverse
backgrounds;
• Improvement in achievement in classrooms where
residents are prepared;
• Reduction in disciplinary referrals in classrooms
where residents are prepared.
• Strong leadership roles for mid-career and
veteran teachers; and
• Improved instructional outcomes in first year
teachers classes where achievement is the most
difficult to realize.
9:48:55 AM
MS. DEMOSS continued to testify.
The research based outcomes of residencies are all
positive, and they translate into even more powerful
lived experiences in schools. When teachers understand
how to create safe, supportive and engaging climates,
children build a sense of belonging in the world. When
instruction is grounded in pedagogies that challenge
and encourage creativity, young minds flourish and
develop identities with a sense of curiosity and
possibility.
When schools understand and respect their communities,
parents are partners to their children's educators.
Reinforcing minds sets expectations that help children
thrive. The science of learning and development
research makes clear that every student needs teachers
who can do these things. And learning how to manage
the complexities of classrooms, how the strengths of
all the individual learners, and how to design
supports for them all takes time. Residencies provide
the necessary time for individuals to become those
teachers that we want inside our schools.
9:49:52 AM
MS. DEMOSS continued to testify.
For the entire nation, every day that we delay
shifting our teachers' preparation systems to funded
residencies, sets us further behind. More students
have remedial needs because they haven't been given
appropriate opportunities to learn. Many disengage and
drop out. Others may be inappropriately referred to
special education, with profound implications both for
educational systems and for the students and families
themselves.
The good news is that we now know how to build the
right preparation ecosystems grounded in deep
partnerships between P-12 and institutions of higher
education. And the University of Alaska system is
poised to engage that work, we know, as the Fairbanks
campus has joined our national network of partnerships
and is actively engaged with leaders of other
campuses. Alaska stands ready to show the way for the
nation.
As the old proverb says, the best time to plant a tree
is 20 years ago and the second best time is today.
Today you are considering this ground-breaking
legislation that will offer a pathway to make what is
possible a reality.
I commend you for your vision around teacher
residencies. I hope the bill garners broad,
bipartisan, cross-sector support. As your discussions
move forward, our project has reams of reports and
lots of expertise in financial modeling for
sustainability and supportive partnership for this
kind of systemic change, and the research base that
supports it all. If any of this will help your
efforts, please know that we stand ready to support
you.
Thank you very much for your time.
9:51:18 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND recognized Rozlyn Grady-Wyche as the next invited
testifier.
9:51:35 AM
ROZLYN GRADY-WYCHE, Vice President and Founder, Alaska Coalition
of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Educators,
Anchorage, Alaska, stated that BIPOC supports SB 225 and is
currently working on the ways to bring more educators of color
into the field of education and showing kids that it's "cool" to
be an educator. SB 225 will help this effort. She recounted her
work experience starting as the cafeteria manager for the
Anchorage School District where she engaged with children who
experienced behavioral issues and now as a para professional.
Throughout this time she gave students a different face to look
at. She currently is taking classes online from the accredited
Grand Canyon University, and paying for it out of pocket. She is
in the final year of a dual degree elementary education/special
education program and will be a certified teacher in 2023. As a
single parent of five, her goal is to eventually obtain a
doctorate in African American or cultural studies. A short-term
goal is to become a superintendent with the Anchorage School
District.
MS. GRADY-WYCHE said she would be the perfect candidate for SB
225 and that there were many more people just like herself. A
number of parents she knows who are currently in school could
have used a residency program and want a professional mentor. SB
225 will make the difference in the quality and quantity of
educators. She also highlighted the importance of retirement
benefits for educators.
9:55:14 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND opened public testimony on SB 225; he found none
and closed public testimony.
9:55:40 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND moved to adopt Amendment 1, work order 32-
LS1439\I.1.
32-LS1439\I.1
Marx
3/29/22
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR HOLLAND
TO: CSSB 225(EDC), Draft Version "I"
Page 11, line 1:
Delete "administrator development"
Insert "professional development for superintendents,
principals, and other school administrators"
SENATOR HUGHES objected for purposes of discussion.
CHAIR HOLLAND explained that Amendment 1 clarifies the meaning
of "administrator development."
9:56:09 AM
SENATOR HUGHES removed her objection.
9:56:14 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no further objection, and Amendment 1 was
adopted.
9:56:22 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND moved to adopt Amendment 2, work order 32-
LS1439\I.2.
32-LS1439\I.2
Marx
3/29/22
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR HOLLAND
TO: CSSB 225(EDC), Draft Version "I"
Page 11, following line 28:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 11. The uncodified law of the State of
Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:
REPORT ON STUDY OF TEACHER HOUSING NEEDS. The
Department of Education and Early Development shall
conduct a study that assesses the needs for teacher
housing in rural areas of the state. The study must
include a projection of future teacher housing needs
in rural areas of the state, a plan to meet those
needs, and identification of the annual appropriations
required to satisfy the identified needs. The
Department of Education and Early Development shall
collaborate with the Department of Labor and Workforce
Development to determine the projection of future
teacher housing needs as part of the study. The
Department of Education and Early Development shall
collaborate with the Alaska Housing Finance
Corporation and school districts in the state to
develop the plan to meet the needs for teacher housing
identified in the study. Not later than December 31,
2023, the Department of Education and Early
Development shall submit a report on the study to the
senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of
representatives and notify the legislature that the
report is available."
9:56:28 AM
SENATOR HUGHES objected for purposes of discussion.
CHAIR HOLLAND explained that Amendment 2 adds a section on
teacher housing, which was discussed in the previous hearing.
9:56:40 AM
SENATOR HUGHES removed her objection.
9:56:44 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no further objection, and Amendment 2 was
adopted.
9:56:55 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND moved to adopt Amendment 3, work order 32-
LS1439\I.3.
32-LS1439\I.3
Marx
3/29/22
AMENDMENT 3
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR HOLLAND
TO: CSSB 225(EDC), Draft Version "I"
Page 7, following line 13:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 4. AS 14.20.020(i) is amended to read:
(i) Beginning on July 1, 1998, a person is not
eligible for an initial regular teacher certificate
unless the person has taken and successfully completed
a competency examination or examinations designated,
at the time the person took the test, by the board, or
the person has demonstrated competency through an
alternative method under this subsection. The board
shall review nationally recognized examinations that
are designed to test the competency of new teachers
and shall designate those examinations that it finds
adequately test the skills and abilities of new
teachers. For each examination designated under this
subsection, the board shall establish the minimum
acceptable level of performance. The board may
establish an alternative method to test the
competency, skills, and abilities of new teachers who
have taken but have not successfully completed the
competency examination or examinations designated by
the board under this subsection."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
9:57:04 AM
SENATOR HUGHES objected for purposes of discussion.
CHAIR HOLLAND explained that Amendment 3 gives the State Board
of Education flexibility to approve alternative ways for
teachers to demonstrate competency. This specifically targets
people who have the necessary skills but are unable to pass the
competency examination for certification due to test anxiety or
because English is a second language. There is no intent to
reduce the standard of competency; it is an alternative means to
demonstrate the same skills.
9:57:56 AM
SENATOR HUGHES removed her objection.
9:58:02 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no further objection, and Amendment 3 was
adopted.
9:58:10 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND moved Amendment 4, work order 32-LS1439\I.6.
32-LS1439\I.6
Marx
3/29/22
AMENDMENT 4
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR HOLLAND
TO: CSSB 225(EDC), Draft Version "I"
Page 4, line 25:
Delete "at a nationally or regionally accredited
institution"
Page 5, following line 19:
Insert a new subsection to read:
"(e) The board shall establish standards
for the approval of nontraditional and
alternative teacher education programs described
in (b)(1)(A)(ii) of this section. The standards
must be comparable to the standards for approving
institutions of higher education under
AS 14.20.020(b)."
Page 8, line 10:
Delete "at a nationally or regionally accredited
institution"
Page 8, following line 23:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 7. AS 14.20.022 is amended by adding a new
subsection to read:
(i) The board shall establish standards for
the approval of nontraditional and alternative
teacher education programs described in (b)(3)(B)
of this section. The standards must be comparable
to the standards for approving institutions of
higher education under AS 14.20.020(b)."
Renumber the following bill sections accordingly.
9:58:17 AM
SENATOR HUGHES objected for purposes of discussion.
9:58:20 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND explained that Amendment 4 seeks to clarify that
SB 225 does not intend to degrade the quality of teachers. The
standards for alternative teacher education programs must be
comparable to the statutory standards for university programs.
9:58:39 AM
SENATOR HUGHES removed her objection.
9:58:43 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no further objection, and Amendment 4 was
adopted.
9:58:49 AM
At ease.
10:00:42 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and stated there were two
conceptual amendments.
SENATOR HUGHES explained that the reason for the first
conceptual amendment is that the new section about the teacher
recruitment fund should be about recruiting and retaining new
teachers. To that end, the term "and retention" is added to the
title of the fund in Sec. 14.20.710 and throughout subsection
(a).
10:01:42 AM
SENATOR HUGHES moved Conceptual Amendment 1.
CONCEPTUAL AMENDMENT 1 TO SB 225
Page 10, line 15
Insert "and retention" following "recruitment" in
the title of Sec. 14.20.710 and in subsection (a)
following "recruitment
Page 11, lines 6, 25, and 27
Insert "and retention" following "recruitment"
10:02:10 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND objected for purposes of discussion and noted that
the discussion already took place.
10:02:22 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND removed his objection; he found no further
objection and Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.
10:02:34 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND moved Conceptual Amendment 2. He noted that Dr.
Parady suggested the amendment.
CONCEPTUAL AMENDMENT 2 to SB 225
Page 10, line 21
Insert "to non-profit organization and" following
"grants"
10:03:22 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no objection and Conceptual Amendment 2 was
adopted.
SENATOR HUGHES referenced Amendment 2 and asked Sondra Meredith
if it was realistic for DEED to meet the December 31, 2023
deadline to report to the legislature on the study of teacher
housing needs.
10:04:45 AM
SONDRA MEREDITH, Teacher Certification Administrator, Innovation
and Education Excellence, Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, answered that DEED would
absolutely be able to complete a study and report to the
legislature by that deadline.
CHAIR HOLLAND stated the committee authorizes Legislative Legal
Services to make conforming and technical changes to the
conceptual amendments.
CHAIR HOLLAND found no further amendments to SB 225.
10:05:33 AM
At ease.
10:05:54 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and noted that an amendment
to allow districts to move to a four day schedule would be
presented to the next committee of referral.
CHAIR HOLLAND solicited the will of the committee.
10:06:24 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to report CSSB 225, work order 32-
LS1439\I, as amended, from committee with individual
recommendations and forthcoming fiscal note(s).
10:06:41 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND found no objection and CSSB 225(EDC) was reported
from the Senate Education Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| CS SB 225 (EDC) version I.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 - Teacher Education Loan Program History.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Summary of Changes B to I.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Fiscal Note (WIB).pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Fiscal Note (Teacher Cert).pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Amendment I.2.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Amendment I.1.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Amendment I.3.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Amendment I.6.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| CS SB 225 Letter of Support AASB.pdf |
SEDC 3/30/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |