Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
03/26/2025 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Professional Teaching Practices Commission | |
| HB105 | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Professional Teaching Practices Commission | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 105 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 26, 2025
8:02 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Rebecca Himschoot, Co-Chair
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Maxine Dibert
Representative Ted Eischeid
Representative Jubilee Underwood
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Bill Elam
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES
COMMISSION
Kathryn Baird, Fairbanks
Angela Alston, Fairbanks
CONFIRMATION(S): ADVANCED
HOUSE BILL NO. 105
"An Act relating to mental health education."
- MOVED HB 105 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 105
SHORT TITLE: PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) GALVIN
02/14/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/14/25 (H) EDC, FIN
03/14/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
03/14/25 (H) Heard & Held
03/14/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
03/17/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
03/17/25 (H) Heard & Held
03/17/25 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
03/26/25 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
KATHRYN BAIRD, Appointee
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during her confirmation hearing.
DAVID JIANG, Staff
Representative Alyese Galvin
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Representative Alyese Galvin,
prime sponsor, presented HB 105 to the committee.
ANGELA ALSTON, Appointee*
Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during her confirmation hearing.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:02:37 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY called the House Education Standing Committee
meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. Representatives Story, Himschoot,
Eischeid, Schwanke, Elam, and Dibert were present at the call to
order. Representative Underwood arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Professional Teaching Practices
Commission
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Professional Teaching Practices
Commission
8:03:36 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the first order of business would
be a confirmation hearing for Kathryn Baird to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC).
8:04:51M
KATHRYN BAIRD, Appointee, Professional Teaching Practices
Commission, testified during her confirmation hearing. She
began her testimony by describing her time working as a law
clerk and district attorney in Alaska and explained how those
two positions qualified her to serve on the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC). She detailed her current
occupation as a 3rd grade educator and emphasized the need for
well-prepared and informed educators to serve on the PTPC.
8:07:54 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Ms. Baird why she chose to change her
career paths from law to education and asked her to describe
some of the challenges that educators face in the classroom
today.
MS. BAIRD answered that her goal was to have "adults make better
decisions and become better citizens" while working in law and
explained her realization that she might be better able to serve
that goal as an educator. She said that class sizes and family
engagement are two of the biggest challenges that face public
education in Alaska today.
8:12:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID asked Ms. Baird what the most surprising
thing she has experienced during her time in education.
MS. BAIRD said that she was most surprised by how quickly
students can change in their behavior or learning.
8:15:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT asked Ms. Baird to explain a "snapshot" of
how she and other educators are working with the Alaska READS
Act of 2021.
MS. BAIRD replied that her school has a multitude of programs
within it that are mandated by the Alaska READS Act of 2021.
She shared examples of successes within her classroom and more
broadly among educators within her school district.
8:18:12 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked MS. Baird how she might approach an
accused violation of ethics that would be heard before the PTPC.
MS. BAIRD answered that she would "bring a position of
neutrality, look at the information that has been presented,
look at the code of ethics and see if a violation has occurred."
8:21:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked Ms. Baird what her thoughts were
with regards to "alternative routes" for someone to obtain a
teaching license within the state of Alaska and asked if the
PTPC has a role to play in "alternative path teaching
certifications".
MS. BAIRD said that her resume reflects her non-traditional
route to becoming an educator and said that there is not "one
path" to becoming an educator in Alaska. She said that part of
the role of the PTPC is to be available to the community and
remain impartial within its judgement of cases brought before
it.
8:25:00 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Ms. Baird if she thought that he PTPC does
a "good job" in keeping its members educated on the teaching
code of ethics.
MS. BAIRD answered that the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED) releases a newsletter that details the PTPC
code of ethics and compliance.
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT reminded the committee that all teachers are
reminded of the teaching code of ethics when they sign their
contracts.
8:27:33 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY opened public testimony on the confirmation
hearing of Kathryn Baird to the PTPC. After ascertaining that
there was no one who wished to testify, she closed public
testimony confirmation hearing of Kathryn Baird to the PTPC.
HB 105-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
8:28:10 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 105, "An Act relating to mental health
education."
8:29:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 105,
labeled 34-LS0558\A.3, Bergerud, 3/24/25, which read:
INSERT HERE
CO-CHAIR STORY objected.
8:29:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE explained that the proposed amendment
would mandate that mental health instruction in Alaska be taught
under the definitions written by the Institute of Medicine. She
read from specific definitions of mental health from the
Institute of Medicine and said that "elevating physical and
mental health is misguided". She said that kids' cell phone
addictions and not getting outdoors are causing "really poor
mental health outcomes" and said that terminology in mental
health education curriculums around the world is unclear. She
said it is "not the role" of educators to begin with mental
health case identifications. She said that anxiety and stress
are not mental health disorders, they're "emotions that we all
feel on a daily basis".
8:36:31 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY shared her understanding that teachers in schools
are not taking it upon themselves to deliver psychiatric
evaluations.
8:37:04 AM
DAVID JIANG, Staff, Representative Alyese Galvin, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Alyese Galvin, prime
sponsor, presented HB 105 to the committee. He explained that
it is not the role of teachers to diagnose or recommend
treatment to their students and said that HB 105 was intended to
create guidelines for a curriculum surrounding mental health,
not allow for teachers to diagnose students with mental health
conditions.
8:38:35 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT shared her understanding that the National
Academy of Medicine developed mental health terminology in the
name of psychiatric recovery.
CO-CHAIR STORY maintained her objection.
8:40:20 AM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Schwanke, Elam, and
Underwood voted in favor of Amendment 1 to HB 105.
Representatives Eischeid, Dibert, Story, and Himschoot voted
against it. Therefore, Amendment 1 to HB 105 failed by a vote
of 3-4.
8:41:35 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT moved to report HB 105 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE objected. She shared her belief that
the proposed legislation wasn't necessary, given the current
curriculum outlined by Alaska state standards of education.
8:43:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM shared his concern that HB 105 was more
focused on the diagnostics of mental health rather than the
education of mental health.
8:44:30 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT commented that HB 105 would provide clear
mental health curriculum guidelines for school districts and
said that the real issue is meeting the mental health needs of
students in Alaska.
8:46:39 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY added that it is important that the committee do
the work to ensure a broad perspective is obtained while working
to create new standards of education for schools in Alaska. She
explained that the bill does include a clause for parental
notification regarding a possible mental health concern of a
student.
8:48:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT said that she supported HB 105 because it
could make in-person counseling more accessible for students in
rural Alaska.
8:51:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD shared that she did not support HB 105
because there were already school districts in Alaska that were
implementing mental health curriculums of their own.
8:53:07 AM
REPRESENTATIVE EISCHEID explained that he supported HB 105
because of his own experience in witnessing the barrier to
learning that is created by a student's poor mental health.
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE maintained her objection.
8:54:50 AM
A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Himschoot, Story,
Eischeid, and Dibert voted in favor of reporting HB 105 out of
committee. Representatives Schwanke, Elam, and Underwood voted
against it. Therefore, HB 105 was reported out of the House
Education Standing Committee by a vote of 4-3.
8:55:47 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:55 a.m. to 8:59 a.m.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Professional Teaching Practices
Commission
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Professional Teaching Practices
Commission
8:59:39 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the final order of business would
be a confirmation hearing for Angela Alston to the Professional
Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC).
9:00:27 AM
ANGELA ALSTON, Appointee, Professional Teaching Practices
Commission, testified during her confirmation hearing. She began
her testimony by explaining her history working as a teacher in
Alaska and said that her positions as a professor has allowed
her to hear the realities of education in Alaska through her
student teachers. She said that she brings her perspective as a
parent, a former rural educator, and a current professor to the
PTPC.
9:03:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE asked Ms. Alston if she believed that
place-based education was integral in improving student
engagement.
MS. ALSTON said that she "absolutely believes" in making
education relevant to the students who receive it.
9:08:12 AM
CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Alston how she would approach a
case of a teaching ethics violation brought before the PTPC.
MS. ALSTON answered that she would look at each case
individually and bring a "really strict adherence to the code of
ethics that has already been established".
9:12:03 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY opened public testimony on the confirmation
hearing of Angela Alston to the PTPC. After ascertaining that
there was no one who wished to testify, she closed public
testimony confirmation hearing of Angela Alston to the PTPC.
9:12:45 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY stated that the House Education Standing
Committee has revied the qualifications of the governor's
appointees and recommends that the following names be forwarded
to a joint session for consideration: Kathryn Baird,
Professional Teaching Practices Commission, Angela Alston,
Professional Teaching Practices Commission. She said that
signing the report regarding appointments to boards and
commission in no way reflects an individual members approval or
disapproval of the appointee, and the nomination is merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
9:13:12 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:13 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
9:15:50 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY delivered committee announcements.
9:16:23 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 9:16 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Gov.Appt.PTPC Infomation.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Gov. Appt. PTPC Kathryn Baird.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
|
| Gov.Appt. PTPC Angie Alston.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HB 105 Amendment &HB 105 (A).pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |
| HB 105 Written Testimony #1.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |
| HB 105 Fiscal Note 3311.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |
| HB 105 Written Testimony #2.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |
| HB 105 Written Testimony #3.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |
| HB 105 TestimonyOpposition JR.pdf |
HEDC 3/26/2025 8:00:00 AM |
HB 105 |