Legislature(2019 - 2020)DAVIS 106
03/20/2020 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Presentation & Discussion: Coronavirus - Implications for Alaska Schools | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 20, 2020
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Harriet Drummond, Co-Chair
Representative Grier Hopkins
Representative Chris Tuck
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky
Representative Mike Prax
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative DeLena Johnson
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Geran Tarr
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION & DISCUSSION: CORONAVIRUS - IMPLICATIONS FOR ALASKA
SCHOOLS
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHAEL JOHNSON, Ph.D., Commissioner
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint Presentation, entitled
"Teaching & Learning Support for Alaska's Educators: COVID-19
Update."
DEENA BISHOP, Ed.D., Superintendent
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified regarding the implication of
coronavirus for Alaska Schools.
DANIEL WALKER, Superintendent
Lower Kuskokwim School District
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified regarding the implication of
coronavirus for Alaska Schools.
BRIDGET WEISS, Ph.D., Superintendent
Juneau School District
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified regarding the implication of
coronavirus for Alaska Schools.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:35 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY called the House Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. Representatives Hopkins,
Zulkosky, Prax and Story were present at the call to order.
Representatives Tuck and Drummond arrived as the meeting was in
progress. Representative Tarr was also present.
^Presentation & Discussion: Coronavirus - Implications for
Alaska Schools
Presentation & Discussion: Coronavirus - Implications for Alaska
Schools
8:04:45 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the only order of business would
be a presentation and discussion on the coronavirus and
implications for Alaska schools.
8:07:12 AM
MICHAEL JOHNSON, Ph.D., Commissioner, Department of Education
and Early Development (DEED), gave a PowerPoint Presentation,
entitled "Teaching & Learning Support for Alaska's Educators:
COVID-19 Update" [included in the committee packet].
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON announced the agenda he would cover, as
shown on slide 2, and then he referred to a message he had
written to public school families, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
The only expectation of public education that
eclipses its responsibility to provide an excellent
education for every student every day is to take all
necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of
every student every day."
- DEED Memo to Alaska Public School Families and
Staff, dated March 13, 2020
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON expressed appreciation for and gave
examples of people who have found ways to make things work
during the pandemic, and he acknowledged underpraised workers,
including cooks, bus drivers, and custodians.
8:12:44 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON directed attention to the information on
slide 4, which read [original punctuation provided]:
Major Education Announcements
?First Health Mandate - March 13, 2020
?Second Health Mandate - March 16, 2020
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said "nonstudent contact days" were
scheduled March 26-27, with an unprecedented closure of schools;
districts were encouraged to dedicate in-service days to fully
organize and plan for remote delivered schooling; all
residential programs are working to have students home by March
27, another mandate, and that goal is near to being reached.
8:13:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY asked what considerations were made
regarding schools that offer access to running water for those
homes that do not have it.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded that schools offering water,
supplies, and in some cases emergency shelter, have staggered
when people can come for the supplies. He said DEED is trying
to work to address needs on a community by community basis. He
confirmed that not only DEED, but also other agencies, were
working to provide access to water.
8:16:19 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON returned to the PowerPoint presentation, to
slide 5, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
DEED Communication Efforts
? DHSS Unified Command Conference Calls
? Internal Emergency Response Team
? In-State:
? Daily group calls with superintendents (ASA)
? Individual calls with district and school staff
? Social media messaging (@AlaskaDEED)
? Online resources webinars, videos
? ?and growing daily!
? Nation:
? Twice-weekly calls with the Council of Chief
State School Officers (CCSSO) and U.S. ED
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON credited districts for their communications
on social media and teachers connecting with students. He
highlighted a program called "The Den," which is offered on
YouTube by an Anchorage district teacher named Mr. Butterfield.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON addressed the information on slide 6,
regarding "Health & Safety Information & Resources" made
available online by Todd Brocious, a school health and safety
education administrator. He said DEED sent letters to
superintendents about the coronavirus on February 6 and the
online resource is updated regularly.
8:19:49 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON covered topics on slides 7 and 8, related
to student learning and teaching and learning support. He
addressed the information on slide 7, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Support for Distance and Remote Teaching and Learning
DEED launched a Teaching & Learning Support site to
offer information, resources, and leadership to
teachers and school leaders across Alaska. The site
serves as a clearinghouse where we share great ideas
gleaned from a variety of locations and sources.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON shared the website is www.aklearns.org. He
thanked the Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC) for its
willingness to partner with DEED and continually update the
website. He said this source offers online learning for
educators, with over 300 teachers participating. In response to
Co-Chair Drummond, he confirmed that the web site is available
to the public.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said forward-thinking superintendents have
been doing a lot of work with their staff and teachers, and
teachers have been doing a lot of work with their students. He
mentioned curbside pickups and reported that the Matanuska-
Susitna (Mat-Su) School District would be fully transitioned to
online learning by the following week. He said superintendents
are sharing information with each other. The web site includes
information such as daily schedules, lesson plans, and
opportunities in which families can partake from home.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON addressed slides 9, 10, and 11, which
listed family resources, remote learning resources, and distance
teaching tools, respectively. He said many curriculum providers
have been offering their materials at no cost, and those links
are included. He talked about Alaska Learning Opportunities,
and he said the prior day over 300 teachers were logged on
learning how to use Zoom. He mentioned the "ECHO" project,
shown on slide 12, and said it is an excellent opportunity for
teachers to acquire the skills needed "to function in this
environment."
8:24:56 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND gave a shout out to Alaska's service
providers, Alaska Communications Systems, Inc. (ACS) and General
Communications Incorporated (GCI), and said she had announced on
the House floor what those two service providers have offered to
communities.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON acknowledged that the telecommunications
industry in Alaska has been ready from the beginning to figure
out how it can support student learning.
8:26:50 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON turned focus to slide 13, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Student Nutrition
? 32 districts have submitted waiver requests
? 23 districts have approved feeding plans for their
communities
? 213 sites
? 1 Head Start
? 5 after-school programs have submitted waiver
requests
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON credited Jo Dawson, [School Food
Coordinator, Child Nutrition Services Section, DEED], for her
forward-thinking in applying for a waiver before there were any
COVID-19 cases in Alaska. He said the numbers on the slide are
most likely old, since they have been "growing by the hour." He
said Ms. Dawson and her team have been working to submit waivers
related to food service. He gave a shout out to the bus drivers
and cooks who have worked to ensure children do not go without
food. The services are non-congregate; students can pick up
food in staggered fashion or have food delivered by the bus
drivers. He said the teachers at St. Mary's School, where
Internet is limited, have fashioned a system of picking up and
dropping off meals with lesson plans.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON discussed slide 14, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Supporting Students with Special Needs
? #1 Priority: Keep students safe and then provide the
services identified in the IEP, making accommodations
as necessary.
? District special education leadership has been
provided a DEED mobile contact number for 24/7 support
? Daily webinars with DEED
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said DEED's special education (SPED) team,
led by Don Enoch, has been working tirelessly and has led web
seminars. A service plan for teleservices has been created. He
said SERRC has been working with DEED to assess needs of
students with disabilities. In response to Co-Chair Drummond,
he described the work done by SERRC in general.
8:31:29 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON turned to slide 15, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Residential School Programs
? Residential schools are committed to maintaining a
connection with students and continuing education as
students return home.
https://education.alaska.gov/news/pdf/3-16-2020-DEED-
COVID-19- Memo-to-Residential-School-Programs.pdf
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON noted that most students are at home now,
and they will not be able to commute back and forth to school in
the interest of preventing community transmission [of COVID-19].
He recognized some of the programs and communities keeping
students safe.
8:32:56 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to a question from
Representative Zulkosky regarding the transport of students from
schools back to their communities, said schools such as Mt.
Edgecumbe work under the guidance of health officials at the
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS). For those
flying home, chaperones were provided, and students were given
rooms at hotels to reduce the amount of time they would have to
be in the airport. In response to a follow-up question, he said
Mt. Edgecombe has about 400 students, and work has been done to
bring students home each day. He said he did not know, but
could find out, how many students had been transported to date.
8:34:33 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON responded to a question from Representative
Hopkins regarding the continued education and transcript
outcomes of students who have returned home to areas that may
not have adequate Internet connectivity. He noted that although
people may wish for certainty in answers, it is not always
possible in uncertain times. He said the answer to
Representative Hopkins' question is different for each area.
For example, the students in Nenana are utilizing "cyber links,"
the Nenana School Districts' correspondence program, while Mt.
Edgecombe is sending computers home with students. He said he
has heard of some school districts ensuring students can connect
to the Internet when not in the school building, for example, by
driving up to the school. He said most students have access to
cell phones, which can become "hotspots" to access Internet. He
said DEED is working through the issue of transcripts.
8:37:01 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON returned to the PowerPoint presentation, to
the issue of "Statewide Assessments," beginning on slide 16. He
said several days ago Governor Mike Dunleavy directed him to
seek waivers from the federal government on assessments and
other federal requirements, specifically so that teachers will
have time to reorient the delivery of instruction to students.
He said he would have more information soon on the outcome of
this conversation.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON moved on to slide 17, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
High School Seniors
Graduation Requirements [&] APS Eligibility
? Educators across Alaska are currently preparing for
possible distance delivery of instruction
? DEED expects the education of our students to
continue
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said this is an especially stressful time
for seniors transitioning from high school to either college or
a career. He said Stephanie Butler, Executive Director of the
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE), is
researching what authority [the state] has to waive the
requirement for the SAT and the ACT on the performance
scholarship. He said with the support of the governor, he would
be waiving that requirement for the performance scholarship. He
explained that he does not want seniors to feel that the current
situation is jeopardizing their opportunity to access that
scholarship. He reiterated that transcript and graduation
requirement issues are being worked out for high school seniors.
8:39:11 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to Representative Hopkins,
said a decision related to the transcripts would be made "as
soon as possible."
8:40:33 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON turned to slide 18, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Supporting Educators Teacher Certification
Current Online Support:
? Educators applying for certification can utilize
DEED's Online Payment Center
? Educators renewing certification can utilize DEED's
Online Certificate Renewal process
Looking Ahead:
? Certification expirations
? Emergency certificates
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said that under AS 14.20.020, he has the
authority to issue emergency certificates and waive requirements
for renewal of certification. He said he would be issuing
emergency certificates to any student teachers who "were unable
to complete their student experience" and extending certificates
that would expire. Further, he would be authorizing emergency
certification for individuals unable to satisfy testing and
coursework requirements.
8:41:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS opined that that was an excellent
decision.
CO-CHAIR STORY said, "I think we probably all agree with that."
8:42:27 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON brought attention to slide 19, which read
as follows [original punctuation provided]:
School Calendar Waivers
? The Commissioner has the authority in Statute to
waive the school term requirement if necessary (AS
14.03.030)
? At this time, non-student contact days are to be
used as in-service days for educators
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said he is currently looking at that
authority. He said he converses with unified command on a
regular basis. He expressed his appreciation for the
willingness to talk extended by Commissioner Adam Crum, Dr. Anne
Zink, and Governor Dunleavy. He said he would have an
announcement to make on Monday as to whether the current pause
and noncontact days will continue after the end of the month.
He explained the normal process for waivers for school closures
and said the department is working on preparing that letter for
everyone so that individual districts don't have to do that and
can focus instead on how they will deliver instruction.
8:44:11 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to a question from
Representative Tuck as to what was being done to prevent the
spread of COVID-19, said the answer varies across the state. He
said in some districts, teachers are working from home; others
are working in the classroom with social distancing; teachers
arriving in smaller communities from hub communities are first
isolating; and DEED recommunicates the advisories and mandates
posted by Dr. Zink. In response to a follow-up question as to
the likelihood of brick and mortar schools not being open for
students this year, he said the answer changes daily because of
what is happening nationwide. He said there are already some
school districts that will not be returning at the end of March.
He expressed that although he holds out hope that the situation
will improve, it is not unlikely that the statewide closure will
continue after the end of the month.
8:47:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS urged Commissioner Johnson to evaluate
how an extended closure would impact teacher evaluation
timeframes.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON said he has had a conversation about that
issue, and it will be on his list of things to consider.
8:48:32 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON stated his belief in the ability of Alaska
students to continue to learn through this pandemic, and he
emphasized the importance of them doing so in order to fill
important occupations and roles in their communities. He asked
students to be "the face of hope" and to show the world that
"learning is not tied to a specific location." He thanked
students for being flexible and excelling in the face of
challenges and making this a story of triumph rather than
tragedy.
8:51:36 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND commented on the slide showing students, and
she said she was happy "to see these kids sending us a signal
that they're going to be okay."
8:52:31 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to a question from
Representative Tuck, said the other day he signed on to an ECHO
Zoom meeting, and there were over 300 teachers participating.
He said the [Behavioral Interventions for Early Childhood
(BIEC), called ("ECHO")] project has many ways to instruct on
Zoom. Many of the courses are recorded and can be watched at a
later time. In response to Representative Drummond, he offered
his understanding that these courses may be available to the
public.
8:54:54 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to a question from
Representative Zulkosky, said he does not know how many students
in Alaska participate in residential schools, but he speculated
it was fewer than 1,000.
8:55:18 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON, in response to Representative Hopkins,
regarding recommended steps for continued payment of support
staff, such as bus drivers who may not be delivering food [or
transporting students], said he advises "to make every minute
count for every kid." The situation that has not changed is the
ability for students to learn. He said there are teachers and
support professionals who can support that learning. He said
converting student contact days to in-service days keeps
districts from having to extend the school year. The budget has
been allocated, and school districts can continue to pay "all
those employees." He said he has heard of creative ways that
support staff are being used. He said he has not heard reports
of anyone not working; conversely, he hears stories about how
people are working. He concluded, "There's something for
everybody to do, even in this situation."
8:57:35 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Commissioner Johnson, "Will monthly
payments go out to districts, just continue to be made as we do
under the foundation entitlements?"
8:57:48 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON confirmed yes. In response to a query as
to how the legislature can help, he told Co-Chair Story that
having invited the department to do this presentation was
helpful. Further, he said the more the legislature can do to
get information out to constituents, the better.
CO-CHAIR STORY noted that some districts had opened facilities
to accommodate childcare for families of public health workers
who are employed in hospitals and medical clinics, and she asked
if that would be an option in Alaska.
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON deferred to DHSS but said he knows "they
sent out guidance to those providers."
8:59:50 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY expressed her appreciation for the work being
done on behalf of students. She said the committee would now
hear from superintendents.
9:00:48 AM
DEENA BISHOP, Ed.D., Superintendent, Anchorage School District
(ASD), stated that ASD is focused on keeping students,
employees, and members of the community safe and healthy. She
talked about the steps ASD has taken since February 28, 2020,
including cancelation of international, then domestic, travel.
She explained that without this decision, over 880 students and
employees would have traveled domestically and out of Alaska,
with 130 of those traveling overseas. She said a large number
of students have traveled, for example, during spring break, and
ASD is doing assessments on them to ensure those coming into the
buildings are low risk.
DR. BISHOP said teachers were given the option of teleworking or
teaching from their classrooms. She said this is in conjunction
with the low-, medium-, and high-risk categories defined by the
U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC). Other employees are also
working from home. She said as long as staff is "on-call and
ready to work" they are being paid. She said ASD is doing
administrative leave for those who have to stay home because
they are medium-, to high-risk individuals who cannot be around
others. The district sends out communications and has a medical
update from its administrative team. Its nurses are
coordinating with the city. She mentioned drive-through sites
for testing. She talked about restrictions on those nurses who
have traveled with students and the medium-risk status on those
who travel. She indicated that [those nurses who cannot be in
the school] have been working to answer "211" calls for the city
to answer questions city-wide. Nurses are also providing in-
home visits. Meals are being provided.
DR. BISHOP said ASD is part of the Municipality of Anchorage's
(MOA's) emergency command operating seven days a week. That
operation is going to relocate to West High School to provide
for social distancing. She said Deputy Superintendent Mark
Stock is participating on a national panel for Hannover Research
to share information with large school districts, ASD being one
of the hundred largest in the nation. She said the number one
issue cited is the equity of free and appropriate public
education (FAPE). The focus is to ensure equitable services are
available for all students.
9:06:22 AM
DR. BISHOP said teachers collectively made over 47,000 calls to
reach out to students, and she shared the following data: 79
percent responded to the calls; 88 percent of those said they
are "okay with child care" currently; at least 95 percent of
ASD's families have at least one "device" - at least 15 percent
of those are phones with Internet, and the rest could be a
laptop or computer; 86 percent are connected directly to the
Internet; 90 percent can connect wirelessly; and only 63 percent
of those who responded have a printer at home. Dr. Bishop
credited General Communications Incorporated (GCI) and Alaska
Communications Services (ACS) for their generosity in offering
discounted and free service, respectively, throughout the school
year. She said ASD's goal is to provide Chromebooks to families
that need them.
DR. BISHOP related that the ECHO network came from a rural
Midwest university and was created so doctors could connect
regarding healthcare. She offered further history explaining
how ECHO became used in Alaska. She said ECHO in Alaska can
help teachers troubleshoot around the state, and it connects
teachers and parents. She indicated that committee members
could use ECHO if they want to learn more about Zoom. Over the
weekend, ASD deployed ECHO to all its teachers and students and
worked on testing it. Principals are using it; teachers are
learning how to use it. She said teaching is a social event,
and the relationships that form around "the water cooler" need
to be kept strong. She described ideas for socialization.
DR. BISHOP said many teachers go into their classrooms if they
are low-risk. She said ASD is focusing on "long-term offering
of instruction." It is focusing on graduating seniors and tying
in what they are doing now with what they do after graduation,
whether that be college or the workplace. She talked about
focusing first on the core subjects with electives coming two
weeks later. She spoke about alternate ways to help students be
successful. At the elementary level, ASD is focusing on
English, language arts, and math. The goal is to get the right
resources to those who need it, when they need it. Dr. Bishop
said ASD is sharing its resources with other districts;
districts are learning from and helping each other.
DR. BISHOP, in regard to special education, said ASD is looking
at tutoring, expanding school days, and expanded learning
models. She said there would be home visits. She said ASD
wants to provide equity and "keep moving with learning." She
said many districts across the nation are shutting down because
they are afraid of the equity issue or "want to stand away from
the equity issue if they can't deploy it." She emphasized that
ASD wants to continue learning, and she said Alaska is "a prime
place to demonstrate that this could work." She said the
legislature could help with approval for teletherapy, which
requires licensure. She talked about training teachers'
assistants (TAs), and she emphasized the importance of people
continuing to work either on "the operational side" or on
continued learning. Regarding Internet technology (IT), she
said a Zoom account was set up for every student and staff
member in the district, and updates are given at 11:00 a.m.
every weekday. She noted that hacking has increased threefold
across the nation, and she said teachers should be set up with
the necessary protocol "so that nobody in Alaska breaks down."
9:15:38 AM
DR. BISHOP indicated that human resources (HR) is setting up
telework agreements with the various collective bargaining units
and answering leave and pay issues. Regarding operations, she
reported that 4,500 meals were delivered on Monday and Tuesday;
7,000 were delivered Wednesday. There are approximately 10 bus
routes into neighborhoods for deployment of food services, and
nurses are on the busses to offer socially distanced assistance.
She said this Friday meals for the entire weekend would be
deployed. She said ASD is working closely with MOA regarding
operations, setting up space for the Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) and considering Campfire or other small groups coming in
to run childcare. She said no one in childcare is allowed to
have traveled within the last 14 days. She said ASD has been
lending out its electrostatic sprayer for sanitation purposes.
Shelter operators around the city are asking to use the
sprayers. She related that ASD had to set up emergency
procurement in order to get resources deployed; warehouses are
operating as they would during summer when they deliver to
buildings even when there is not large staff in them. Regarding
communications, she said ASD is broadening its social media
presence in order to "capture" families, students, and staff to
give public service announcements, highlighting meal service and
community partnership. She indicated that she had submitted a
presentation with photos.
9:18:00 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY confirmed the PowerPoint presentation was
included in the committee packet.
DR. BISHOP said slide 2 shows the agenda topics covered daily in
the EOC. Every day there is an update. She said slide 3 is a
photo showing how heating instructions for meals are on the bags
delivered. She described the next several slides, which
depicted bus deliveries, children excitedly watching for the
deliveries from their windows at home, and people dispatching
meals. Slide 8 shows a virtual board meeting. Slide 9 provides
a link to resources. Slide 11 shows a teacher in a captain's
hat, sitting in his classroom while creating a fun resource for
YouTube. Included in the PowerPoint is a video promoting
handwashing.
9:23:35 AM
DR. BISHOP, in response to Representative Zulkosky, said in
order to have teletherapy count as therapy that meets the needs
of students, the district needs to license its specialists. She
added that generally there is licensure in Alaska that is given,
but ASD just has not deployed it with, for example, its
occupational therapists and speech therapists, because they did
not need it before. She said Commissioner Johnson indicated he
would offer assistance on this matter.
9:24:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY said her office has heard from private
providers about the need to get licensure for tele-support, and
she expressed an interest in finding out how this issue works
out for ASD.
9:25:12 AM
DR. BISHOP, in response to Representative Drummond, gave more
details regarding the aforementioned use of Chromebook. She
said the district purchased wi-fi hotspots, which they will
deploy to families; therefore, logging in on the Chromebooks
will be through a safe account. She indicated that families
without wi-fi will get it for free through ACS, while families
with wi-fi will have it boosted at no cost by GCI. The
Chromebooks will be deployed by the bus drivers. Instructions
on video or written instructions will assist with how to get the
system up and running. She said, "We have over 20,000 of them."
9:27:41 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY thanked Dr. Bishop. She then noted that
Commissioner Johnson had just heard important news, and she
asked him to state it for the record.
9:28:21 AM
COMMISSIONER JOHNSON announced that the US Department of
Education (DoE) will be granting waivers for statewide
assessments in the accountability system. He said there is a
process that must be followed. He said the announcement
indicates that DoE will work with states to ensure the waivers
are put in place, and there will be a 24-hour turnaround time.
He said DEED will be working on this in order to make an
announcement as soon as possible.
9:29:27 AM
DANIEL WALKER, Superintendent, Lower Kuskokwim School District
(LKSD), said LKSD is the largest regional educational attendance
area (REAA), with approximately 4,000 students in 29 schools and
23 communities covering 22,000 square miles. He said he had
expressed the following to his staff: "At the end of the day,
we will never know if we are overreacting to this global
pandemic; but it will be crystal clear if we underreacted or did
too little." He said this is magnified in the remote
communities where access to services is difficult. He
emphasized the need to "err in the extreme" in terms of social
distancing, caution, and isolation in order to mitigate the
spread of the virus. Right before Governor Dunleavy issued the
health mandate, LKSD had closed its schools for a week; the
district has now extended that closure and has mobilized its
leadership team to figure out how to provide services while
mitigating risk to communities. He said food services to
students will continue; in Bethel, bus drivers will deliver to
bus stops; and in smaller communities, students are coming to
schools for pickup. He relayed that currently the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires students themselves to
pick up their meals in order for the district to be able to
qualify for reimbursement.
9:32:54 AM
MR. WALKER addressed the issue of technology. He said LKSD is
working with all schools to distribute technical devices and
anticipates being able to provide a device for every student.
He said access to the Internet is quite limited in rural Alaska.
He said the district is working with GCI to get Internet access
set up in all students' homes so that those without Internet can
get it for free through the end of May.
MR. WALKER said the director of Special Education is working
with Special Education teachers through LKSD to continue to
provide services. With the shutdown of job fairs, the district
is working toward online recruitment, which he said was a pretty
easy transition. Directors of elementary and secondary
education are conducting meetings across the district in
collaboration with teachers and principals. School counselors
and social workers continue to provide services through telework
with students. All teachers are contacting students by phone.
9:35:14 AM
MR. WALKER related that he and his assistant superintendent,
Kimberly Hankins, have focused their work on communication with
site administrators and the public; they make Zoom calls to keep
administrators updated; and they held a district-wide Zoom call
with all classified and certified staff - well over 400 LKSD
staff attended. He noted that Zoom is providing its basic
service at no cost to educators, and LKSD has an updated account
that allows for 1,000 simultaneous connections.
MR. WALKER said travel in his district is difficult and will
become more so when communities begin to close to visitors due
to the pandemic. The district is working with communities to
ensure goods and services can continue to be delivered. He said
LKSD sends packets and materials home for students; online
instruction is done when possible, with the capacity to do so
increasing as more homes receive Internet. He emphasized the
importance of equity. He said the district is looking at class
audio conferences established by teachers and individual phone
calls to students, parents, and guardians. He mentioned other
opportunities to get content out to students, including the use
of thumb drives.
MR. WALKER said LKSD is utilizing all staff and asking its sites
to creatively find ways to keep staff employed, working,
teaching students, and receiving paychecks. He said there is
"immense opportunity" to work on projects while practicing
social distancing and keeping everyone safe. He said the
district is working to meet the mental health needs of its staff
and is working to provide district resources for the Employee
Assistance Program, because the anxiety of staff members is high
due to isolation and uncertainty. He said one issue is those
who come from Outside [Alaska] and are far from their families.
Mr. Walker said the district is providing options for teachers
to work from home and work flexible schedules to accommodate
childcare.
9:39:25 AM
MR. WALKER said LKSD would like legislators to know that its
staff is working hard to deliver high-quality, continued
education services during the school closure. Staff are
anxious, isolation is real - especially in village communities.
He said separation of families weighs heavily. He stated, "The
knowledge that all of us in the state of Alaska are navigating
this situation together is helpful. There is great concern for
the health of our elders and the capacity of our local
healthcare system to meet the needs once COVID-19 comes to
Bethel and to the remote areas." He said many of the district's
communities are closing down inbound travel, which will impact
the district's ability to deliver services. Many communities
are worried about basic services, such as access to water.
Construction projects are being put on hold, which can increase
construction costs. The long-term impact on the district's
ability to recruit and retain teachers is real, he said, and
people are scared. He said LKSD is focused first and foremost
on the health and wellbeing of its communities, especially its
most vulnerable living in remote communities where access to
healthcare is more difficult. To that end, he said the district
is providing maximum flexibility. He said there is concern that
communities may run low on basic supplies, and he has charged
everyone to remember that "we are all in this together." He
said, "If we need to provide goods and services to our
communities, we're dealing with them on a case by case basis."
He expressed his gratefulness to GCI for its help in digital
access. He said LKSD has incredibly innovative options being
considered by teachers. He said he knows the district will get
through this, and it is doing everything it can to keep a
positive attitude and lower folks' anxiety levels. He opined
that Commissioner Johnson has done a great job of keeping
superintendents informed through regular meetings. He said he
knows it will help if the state could expediently make decisions
about what future closures may look like; it will be important
for the district to know whether the school year will be
extended, since that is a budgetary consideration. He offered
to answer questions from the committee.
9:43:39 AM
MR. WALKER, in response to Representative Zulkosky, confirmed
that there have been a number of people extremely concerned
about isolation, access to healthcare and groceries, and whether
there will be travel restrictions that prevent them from getting
to their homes in the Lower 48. He said this matter is of great
concern to LKSD. In response to another query, he reiterated
his admiration of GCI's cooperation and said all options for
Internet access are being considered, including the use of cell
phones as Wi-Fi hotspots. He said he did not have the
statistics on how many do not have Wi-Fi and may need to use
hotspots; however, he offered anecdotally that there would be
more households in Bethel [with Wi-Fi] compared to the village
communities. He said he has heard of families coming together
to buy and share the service, using a hotspot. He said he
thinks most of the district's families cannot afford the cost of
broadband in rural Alaska, and it will take awhile to provide
the free Internet.
9:48:45 AM
MR. WALKER, in response to a question from Co-Chair Story as to
whether the district uses telehealth, said the district has been
doing telework, which includes teletherapy for speech language
and "other sorts of social services." He said there are nine
masters-level social workers employed by the district, as well
as an additional six counselors - all are using various modes of
teletherapy to provide services to the communities. He said the
district is transitioning to Zoom so students can have access on
a phone line. The district will continue to use phone, audio,
and video to maintain connections.
9:50:49 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY expressed her gratitude for Mr. Walker and his
staff.
9:51:39 AM
BRIDGET WEISS, Ph.D., Superintendent, Juneau School District
(JSD), stated that JSD is using many of the same tactics already
discussed by previous superintendent speakers; therefore, in the
interest of time, she would highlight a few keys points. She
listed key concerns as: feeding children, continuing
instruction, and communicating with families and students. She
emphasized that the increased level of stress and anxiety among
families and staff impacts the work being done. She said it is
necessary to "rethink every structure."
9:53:53 AM
DR. WEISS directed attention to a PowerPoint presentation
[included in the committee packet]. As shown on slide 3, she
said JSD scrambled to get meals provided starting Monday, and by
the end of the week had served over 4,400 meals. She said
regulations are changing rapidly, and she works closely with
JSD's food services director in changing how the district can
get food to its families, particularly the special needs
population. She said the requirement to have the student
present [for pick up of meals] is just not possible for some of
the district's students. She said she is excited about the
progress being made in this area.
DR. WEISS directed attention to the next slide, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Instruction
Equity
Rapid Response
Varied approaches
Personalized
Technology available for all who need it
Poised for success because of previous PD
opportunities (last night budget approved minus all
previous PD support)
DR. WEISS, regarding equity, said, "We don't want to not
[emphasis on "not"] do something for some kids because we can't
do that exact same thing for all kids, but we want to make sure
that all kids have access." She said teachers have done an
incredible job responding quickly; paraprofessionals have been
engaged reading stories to children via Facetime and phone
calls; packages are being delivered and are available for
pickup; and instruction is being delivered online.
DR. WEISS said one of the district's biggest challenges is
concerning its special education population, which she said is
comprised of vulnerable families with complex needs. She said
JSD has made phone calls and teachers have reached out to their
students. She acknowledged the Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA) and the Alaska Superintendents Association
(ASA) for their support. She said part of what has been
possible is due to professional development and its impact on
students. She said some of the professional development and
much of the curricula support had to be cut in the final reading
of the [JSD] budget last night. She stressed that these are
heart-wrenching decisions, and "all those things get exposed"
during any crisis, such as this major [pandemic] crisis.
DR. WEISS noted that the next three slides depict a
"celebration" of the efforts that have been made over the last
few days. She said people have really come together. She
reflected that "the unknown is unnerving." She stated that
somehow JSD is going to have to rethink what it has to do this
summer and fall to make up for lost ground, because the district
will not have delivered the same amount of instruction as it
would have with children in school every day. She thanked DEED
and the community for the support, as well as all the staff for
their hard work. She said JSD is supporting every employee as
much as possible in terms of individual needs, such as being at
work or working from home, and it is reassuring people that they
will be paid, and they do play a critical role in providing for
needs during a complex time.
9:57:54 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY expressed her hope that JSD communicates with
First Students' bus drivers and staff, as well as
paraprofessionals regarding their roles and job security. She
said it is heartening to see everyone pulling together. She
thanked Dr. Weiss for her testimony, as well as all the
presenters that took the time to tell their story. She said
there is nothing more important than the wellness of students,
and she expressed her hope that the legislature would do
everything it can to support them.
9:59:12 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND expressed that the testimony heard today would
demonstrate to Alaskans how important schools are, and the
cooperation demonstrated throughout the school system would be
"a shining star in this state." She thanked the testifiers.
10:00:02 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:00 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 3.20.2020 (H)EDC DEED Coronavirus Update FINAL.pdf |
HEDC 3/20/2020 8:00:00 AM |
DEED Coronavirus Update 3.20.2020 |
| Deena Bishop-House Education COVID-19 Update 3.20.2020.pdf |
HEDC 3/20/2020 8:00:00 AM |
|
| JSD Coronavirus Update 3.20.20.pdf |
HEDC 3/20/2020 8:00:00 AM |