Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205

02/24/2021 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION

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Audio Topic
09:01:38 AM Start
09:02:14 AM Confirmation Hearing(s)
10:25:45 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Consideration of Governor's Appointees to the TELECONFERENCED
Professional Teaching Practices Commission:
- Jennifer Stafford
- Lem Wheeles
- Adam Reid
- Jamie Burgess
+ Consideration of Governor's Appointees to the TELECONFERENCED
University of Alaska Board of Regents:
- Dale Anderson
- Ralph Seekins
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                       February 24, 2021                                                                                        
                           9:01 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Roger Holland, Chair                                                                                                    
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair                                                                                                
Senator Shelley Hughes                                                                                                          
Senator Peter Micciche                                                                                                          
Senator Tom Begich                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Professional Teaching Practices Commission                                                                                    
Lem Wheeles - Anchorage                                                                                                         
Adam Reid - Anchorage                                                                                                           
Jamie Burgess - Nome                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     - CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
University of Alaska Board of Regents                                                                                         
Dale Anderson - Juneau                                                                                                          
Ralph Seekins - Fairbanks                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     - CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
LEM WHEELES, Appointee                                                                                                          
Professional Teaching Practices Commissioner                                                                                    
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)                                                                            
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as an appointee to the                                                                          
Professional Teaching Practices Commission.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ADAM REID, Appointee                                                                                                            
Professional Teaching Practices Commissioner                                                                                    
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)                                                                            
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION   STATEMENT:   Testified   as  an   appointee   to   the                                                             
Professional Teaching Practices Commission.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JAMIE BURGESS, Appointee                                                                                                        
Professional Teaching Practices Commissioner                                                                                    
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)                                                                            
Nome, Alaska                                                                                                                    
POSITION   STATEMENT:   Testified   as  an   appointee   to   the                                                             
Professional Teaching Practices Commission.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DALE ANDERSON, Appointee                                                                                                        
University of Alaska Board of Regents                                                                                           
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified as an appointee  to the University                                                             
of Alaska Board of Regents.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
RALPH SEEKINS, Appointee                                                                                                        
University of Alaska Board of Regents                                                                                           
Fairbanks, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION STATEMENT:  Testified as an appointee  to the University                                                             
of Alaska Board of Regents.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:01:38 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  ROGER   HOLLAND  called  the  Senate   Education  Standing                                                             
Committee meeting  to order at 9:01  a.m. Present at the  call to                                                               
order were Senators Stevens, Hughes,  Micciche, Begich, and Chair                                                               
Holland.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)                                                                                                        
                    CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)                                                                                   
           Professional Teaching Practices Commission                                                                       
             University of Alaska Board of Regents                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:02:14 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  HOLLAND  announced  the consideration  of  the  governor's                                                               
appointees to the Professional  Teaching Practices Commission. He                                                               
called on appointee Lem Wheeles.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:02:28 AM                                                                                                                    
LEM   WHEELES,   Appointee,   Professional   Teaching   Practices                                                               
Commissioner, Anchorage, Alaska,  said he was born  and raised in                                                               
Anchorage.  He graduated  from Dimond  High  School and  received                                                               
degrees  from the  University of  Alaska  Anchorage, including  a                                                               
Master of  Arts in teaching.  He taught social studies  at Dimond                                                               
High School for his entire  17-year teaching career. For the past                                                               
decade he has also taught  U.S. history and government online. In                                                               
the last  11 months  he supported  the Anchorage  School District                                                               
(ASD)  in its  transition to  online  teaching. He  was the  2018                                                               
Alaska History Teacher  of the year, a BP  Teacher of Excellence,                                                               
the Alaska  World Affairs  Council Teacher of  the Year,  and the                                                               
Alaska Model United Nations Advisor of the Year two times.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. Wheeles  said he is the  sponsor of the Model  United Nations                                                               
Club and the  Christian Club. He has been  the student government                                                               
advisor for 11  years. He related that  Dimond student government                                                               
was  awarded  the  National Gold  Council  of  Excellence  Award,                                                               
currently  the  only school  in  Alaska  with this  top  national                                                               
distinction.  He  has also  served  on  many ASD  committees  and                                                               
served  as  the  Elections  Chair  for  the  Anchorage  Education                                                               
Association  and  parliamentarian  for  the  NEA-Alaska  Delegate                                                               
Assembly. For  the past  two years,  he has  served as  a subject                                                               
matter expert for  the U.S. Census Statistics  in Schools program                                                               
and he is currently a Statistics in Schools ambassador.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:05:45 AM                                                                                                                    
MR.  WHEELES  said his  mission  as  an  educator is  to  inspire                                                               
students to  be engaged  citizens. His  ultimate objective  is to                                                               
challenge his students to not  just learn about their government,                                                               
but to be  an active part of  it. As a government  teacher, he is                                                               
often asked about  his political views. He said that  he does not                                                               
share  his political  views  with students  because  it would  be                                                               
unethical  to do  so, but  it could  also potentially  sway them.                                                               
What is important is that  students form political views and have                                                               
the  ability  to  articulate  them.   He  teaches  a  variety  of                                                               
political  beliefs  and  ideologies   so  students  can  form  an                                                               
educated opinion and  engage in civic discourse  with each other.                                                               
He  noted that  members  on this  committee  come from  different                                                               
political  parties, yet  the committee  meets regularly,  members                                                               
respect one  another, engage in  thoughtful discourse  to achieve                                                               
the  goal  of doing  what  is  best for  Alaska.  His  goal as  a                                                               
government  teacher is  to prepare  his students  for those  same                                                               
conversations,  whether  in  their  homes,  social  media,  their                                                               
workplace, or in the state Capitol.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. WHEELES said that his goal  as a teacher leader and member of                                                               
the Professional Teaching Practices  Commission (PTPC) is to hold                                                               
his  colleagues  to  high  standards. As  an  appointee,  he  has                                                               
attended the last  two commission meetings. At  the last meeting,                                                               
he proposed  putting reminders in  the PTPC newsletter  to inform                                                               
educators  about  appropriate  ways  to handle  politics  in  the                                                               
classroom. His goal is to  be proactive and address issues before                                                               
they becomes a complaint before  the PTPC. However, if it reaches                                                               
that level, then he is prepared to act appropriately.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:07:34 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. WHEELES explained that as  a quasi-judicial body, the PTPC is                                                               
asked  to adjudicate  complaints against  certificated educators.                                                               
He  appreciates that  the legislature  created the  PTPC over  50                                                               
years ago  to allow  educators a means  to hold  their colleagues                                                               
accountable, but  also so they can  be judged by a  jury of their                                                               
peers.  The PTPC  is made  up of  five teachers,  a principal,  a                                                               
superintendent,  a representative  from higher  education, and  a                                                               
representative  from  the  Department   of  Education  and  Early                                                               
Development.  This  is a  group  of  education professionals  who                                                               
understand the  challenges of teaching and  want public education                                                               
to be  esteemed throughout Alaska. As  a body, the PTPC  works to                                                               
promote  professional   and  ethical  behavior  by   all  Alaskan                                                               
educators  through  proactive  education   and  outreach  and  by                                                               
responding  to  complaints when  a  violation  has occurred.  The                                                               
pandemic  has  created  a  number of  new  situations  that  pose                                                               
potential  ethical  dilemmas  for educators.  Widespread  virtual                                                               
learning blurs  the line between  school and home,  and educators                                                               
have engaged  in more electronic communication  with students and                                                               
families. His  goal is  to increase  PTPC outreach  and education                                                               
efforts to ensure  that all educators are familiar  with the code                                                               
of  ethics and  what it  means for  their professional  practice,                                                               
especially  during  these  unprecedented  times.  As  a  lifelong                                                               
Alaskan and  career educator with statewide  connections, he said                                                               
he  is an  ideal nominee  for the  PTPC. He  is well  informed on                                                               
current  education  issues  in  the state  and  is  respected  by                                                               
educators throughout Alaska.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:10:18 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR   STEVENS  congratulated   Mr.   Wheeles   on  being   an                                                               
outstanding teacher  and being recognized throughout  his career.                                                               
He  is impressed  with Mr.  Wheeles' civic  education and  how he                                                               
helps students  become citizens  and voters who  are part  of the                                                               
political process.  Nevertheless, the  nation is falling  down in                                                               
creating  citizens among  students.  He asked  what  can be  done                                                               
about that.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. WHEELES replied that civics  education is important. He noted                                                               
that he  and Senator  Stevens have  spoken a  number of  times on                                                               
this  topic.  It  is  embedded  in the  curriculum.  There  is  a                                                               
government requirement for high school  graduation. Part of it is                                                               
attracting quality educators and  ensuring there are good teacher                                                               
education programs  so teachers have  the ability and  freedom to                                                               
teach to encourage students to take part in civic activity.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS said  that he wished the state  had more teachers                                                               
like Mr. Wheeles.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:12:00 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BEGICH  asked Mr.  Wheeles  if  he  was nominated  by  a                                                               
recognized  Alaska  teacher  organization  or  by  more  than  25                                                               
teachers who have no affiliation with an organization.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. WHEELES replied he was nominated by NEA-Alaska.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH reminded  the committee  of the  requirements for                                                               
appointees and  said Mr.  Wheeles meets  the requirement  for the                                                               
teacher  position. The  court ruled  that recess  appointees were                                                               
not empowered  to hold their  positions between  roughly December                                                               
15 and January 19. He asked  Mr. Wheeles if he conducted any PTPC                                                               
activity during that time period.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. WHEELES  answered that the  PTPC did  not meet in  that time.                                                               
The January meeting  was at the end of January  and there were no                                                               
interim activities subject  to that judicial order, as  far as he                                                               
can determine.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND called on appointee Adam Reid.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:14:31 AM                                                                                                                    
ADAM   REID,    Appointee,   Professional    Teaching   Practices                                                               
Commissioner,  Anchorage, Alaska,  said he  has been  teaching at                                                               
the King Tech  High School (formerly King Career  Center) for the                                                               
past 20  years. He graduated  from a  rural Iowa high  school. In                                                               
1997 he  graduated from  college with  a degree  in environmental                                                               
sciences.  He got  the opportunity  to continue  his studies  and                                                               
basketball career  at the University  of Alaska  Anchorage (UAA).                                                               
He fell in  love with Alaska and raised three  children here. All                                                               
have been part  of the ASD. He brings a  background of service to                                                               
the  PTPC. He  has  served in  leadership roles  in  the ASD  and                                                               
serves  on  three  nonprofit  boards  for  youth  sports.  He  is                                                               
prepared to work  with other commissioners and look  at each case                                                               
in an impartial  way with a thorough consideration  of each case.                                                               
It is  imperative to provide students  professional educators and                                                               
an  outlet  for  Alaskans  to   participate  in  the  process  of                                                               
protecting students' rights to the best education.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:17:02 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BEGICH asked  if he was nominated by  a recognized Alaska                                                               
teacher  organization or  by more  than 25  teachers who  have no                                                               
affiliation with  an organization qualified to  submit nomination                                                               
lists.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. REID answered that he was nominated by NEA-Alaska.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS  commented that in these  unusual times districts                                                               
are   having   trouble   finding    teachers   and   are   hiring                                                               
uncertificated  teachers  under  emergency  disaster  declaration                                                               
orders. He asked Mr. Reid if he had any reflections on that.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. REID  responded that has been  discussed for a few  years. As                                                               
far  as  teacher recruitment  and  retention  and attracting  the                                                               
best,  a lot  of it  comes down  to money  and Alaska  is not  as                                                               
competitive  as it  used to  be. He  is Tier  II [in  the Teacher                                                               
Retirement  System].  He  suggested  looking  at  the  retirement                                                               
system for  Tier III employees  to figure out how  to incentivize                                                               
those teachers  to stay  in Alaska. King  Tech has  a partnership                                                               
with the Lower  Yukon School District to show  students what King                                                               
Tech has  to offer. He  sees potential for statewide  programs to                                                               
share not only with technology  and distance learning but also to                                                               
provide  more  opportunities  for exchange  programs  with  rural                                                               
areas of the state for students and teachers.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND called on appointee Jamie Burgess.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:19:52 AM                                                                                                                    
JAMIE   BURGESS,  Appointee,   Professional  Teaching   Practices                                                               
Commissioner, Nome,  Alaska, said that as  superintendent of Nome                                                               
Public  Schools, she  was nominated  to  fill the  superintendent                                                               
seat  by  Governor Dunleavy  and  the  Alaska Council  of  School                                                               
Administrators. This  is her  18th year in  education. She  was a                                                               
high school  chemistry teacher  for 10  years and  an alternative                                                               
high  school  principal  for  two  years.  She  launched  virtual                                                               
learning in her high school of  7,000 students in the west valley                                                               
of Phoenix. Prior  to beginning her education  career, she worked                                                               
in finance  for small, independent  oil and gas producers  in the                                                               
Denver area.  She has  a broad  background in  education combined                                                               
with  a  passion for  ensuring  that  teachers  are held  to  the                                                               
highest  ethical standards  as  all Alaska  students deserve  for                                                               
school  to be  a  safe  place with  teachers  who model  positive                                                               
relationships.  She  prides  herself on  building  relationships,                                                               
including  with  students, administrative  colleagues,  community                                                               
partners,  and  superintendents  across  Alaska.  She  is  always                                                               
interested in  opportunities to  be of  service to  the education                                                               
committee. Serving on the PTPC  is more than passing judgement on                                                               
teachers   and  administrators.   It   offers   insight  on   how                                                               
superintendents  can  better  prepare  and  support  the  ethical                                                               
practices of education practitioners  within their districts. She                                                               
wants to work with fellow  superintendents to ensure professional                                                               
development  and training  for  both teachers  and principals  to                                                               
address  ethical  issues before  they  rise  to  the level  of  a                                                               
complaint before  the PTPC. Her  personal goal  is to serve  as a                                                               
voice for  children in her  community. She wants students  in all                                                               
of  Alaska to  have access  to high-quality,  effective teachers,                                                               
research-based   teaching   practices,    safe   and   culturally                                                               
responsive classrooms,  and to  be well  prepared for  life after                                                               
school.  She  will  advocate for  well-funded  schools  that  are                                                               
financially   efficient  and   increased  access   to  affordable                                                               
bandwidth  and  universal  pre-K  to  support  the  goal  of  all                                                               
students reading at grade level by third grade.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH shared  that  when Ms.  Burgess  worked with  the                                                               
Yupiit School  District, he  was under  contract with  Yupiit. He                                                               
commended her  for the work in  the Nome school district  and all                                                               
her work for  kids across the state. He thanked  her for stepping                                                               
up to take on this important role.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:24:20 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE said  he was  interested in  two pieces  of her                                                               
extensive  resume. She  worked  in 2011-15  in  growing a  summer                                                               
school program that included programs  for reading and gifted and                                                               
talented. He  is concerned about  the issue of Alaska  being last                                                               
in  reading.  He  asked  if   she  sees  opportunities  with  her                                                               
experience there and with her  online learning work in 2013-2015.                                                               
He asked how that can translate into progress in Alaska.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. BURGESS replied a comprehensive  program is important when it                                                               
comes to addressing the challenges  of students learning to read.                                                               
It starts  with early learning preparation.  Prevention is better                                                               
than  trying  to correct,  so  provide  the best  possible  early                                                               
learning  opportunities so  that students  are reading  on grade-                                                               
level by third grade. That is a combination of high quality pre-                                                                
K  and  ensuring all  early  elementary  teachers have  a  strong                                                               
expertise in  teaching reading. If students  continue to struggle                                                               
as  they  get  older,  research-based,  effective  practices  are                                                               
important.  Her summer  school program  used an  effective middle                                                               
school program called READ 180. It is used in Nome now.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:26:40 AM                                                                                                                    
MS. BURGESS said  that with well-trained teachers  using the READ                                                               
180  program, Nome  has  seen good  success  in closing  learning                                                               
gaps. Virtual learning has a  place in the educational system. It                                                               
is not in any way, shape,  or form, a complete replacement of the                                                               
interaction between students and  teachers. However, it offers an                                                               
alternative opportunity  for learning that can  be successful for                                                               
some students. In order to make  sure students all have access to                                                               
virtual, online learning,  the state needs to  address the access                                                               
inequity for high-quality bandwidth.  In Nome unlimited bandwidth                                                               
is $350  to $400 a month.  She paid $99  a month for the  same or                                                               
faster  Internet  from  her  home   in  Wasilla.  Everyone  wants                                                               
students  to  achieve more,  so  there  are  a couple  of  things                                                               
superintendents can work on in partnership with the legislature.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  asked  what  PTPC does  if  someone  has  shown                                                               
unethical behavior. He asked what the worst case result is.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:29:05 AM                                                                                                                    
MS. BURGESS  answered there are  a variety of sanctions  to place                                                               
against an educator's certificate. The  lowest level is a warning                                                               
when  the circumstances  are  not quite  egregious  enough for  a                                                               
stronger sanction,  but it  is a  formal warning  about someone's                                                               
behavior. PTPC can suspend a  certificate for a defined period of                                                               
time,  usually  a  year.  The   PTPC  can  revoke  a  certificate                                                               
permanently.  PTPC reports  these actions  against an  educator's                                                               
certificate to  a national clearinghouse,  which reports  that to                                                               
any employer if someone seeks  employment in education elsewhere.                                                               
The PTPC  members take  their actions  seriously. They  talk long                                                               
and hard about each particular  case before taking action, but in                                                               
terms of keeping students safe,  if the PTPC thinks an individual                                                               
should not interact with students  or other staff members they do                                                               
not hesitate to carry out their duty.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND thanked the three  PTPC appointees and moved to the                                                               
University of  Alaska Board of  Regents appointees. He  called on                                                               
Dale Anderson.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:31:42 AM                                                                                                                    
DALE ANDERSON, Appointee, University  of Alaska Board of Regents,                                                               
Juneau, Alaska,  said he was  reappointed to another term  on the                                                               
Board of  Regents (BOR). Since  the committee has his  resume, he                                                               
will  focus on  his personal  background. He  has been  in Alaska                                                               
almost 70  years. He has  served on the  board for the  past nine                                                               
years and  has enjoyed  every moment  to give  back his  time and                                                               
efforts to further  the success of the University  of Alaska (UA)                                                               
system. He  is a private  sector entrepreneur at heart  and owned                                                               
nine successful  businesses. He  has been  a commissioner  on the                                                               
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission,  a Juneau assembly member,                                                               
and a legislative assistant and  House Finance Committee aide. He                                                               
currently  works in  the financial  services industry  at Merrill                                                               
Lynch.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDERSON  said it  would have  been easy  to retire  from the                                                               
board, but he  asked the governor for another  term because there                                                               
is a  real need  for consistency  in leadership  at this  time to                                                               
ensure that a successful track for  UA will be led by strategists                                                               
who  know how  to  maintain flexibility  and  continuity and  can                                                               
envision and prepare for the  ever-changing future. The challenge                                                               
of  the   board  is  to   position  the  institution   to  remain                                                               
competitive in  a changing environment.  The board  needs members                                                               
who can  ask challenging, relevant,  and fair questions  and deal                                                               
with facts  and data and  all the time appreciate  the complexity                                                               
of  running an  education institution.  His job  is not  finished                                                               
yet.  He has  been involved  in many  projects that  are not  yet                                                               
completed. Many major decisions must be  made to set the path for                                                               
a  more efficient  institution more  focused  in specializing  in                                                               
workforce and academic areas  of expertise, enhancing specialized                                                               
courses unique to the university system.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:36:23 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDERSON said this is a  difficult time in the university and                                                               
the  state. As  academic  needs, wants,  and delivery  strategies                                                               
change,  the board  must  change with  them  and understand  that                                                               
members are committed  to a long-term strategy of  looking to the                                                               
future. The university is not in  a downward spiral; it will come                                                               
out stronger, leaner,  and more focused. It will  be a university                                                               
system that serves all Alaskans and everyone can be proud of.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH  asked what  the unfinished  projects are  and how                                                               
they fit  his vision of the  UA role in the  education continuum.                                                               
He also asked  his opinion on the agreement  between the governor                                                               
and the board to severely cut the university budget.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDERSON said  the  agreement  to cut  the  budget has  been                                                               
difficult. Many  choices made in  the last two years  resulted in                                                               
cutting  jobs,  positions,  and programs,  but  in  reality,  his                                                               
personal view was  this was not about cutting  jobs or positions.                                                               
He  is   looking  forward   to  saving   jobs  and   programs  by                                                               
reallocating  resources. This  whole move  of cutting  back might                                                               
make UA a  stronger, leaner, and more focused  university that is                                                               
more efficient  in the future. He  is not totally opposed  to the                                                               
idea  of  streamlining and  becoming  more  focused at  what  the                                                               
university does  best. His  position is that  they are  doing the                                                               
best they  can with what  they have  and learning to  live within                                                               
their means.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:39:20 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDERSON  said that one  project is to strengthen  the School                                                               
of Education and  the administration in that  school. The College                                                               
of Education was  placed in [the University  of Alaska] Southeast                                                               
(UAS) because of  its history of good work in  the past. The loss                                                               
of licensure  in Anchorage  was a setback,  but there  still are,                                                               
even at  UAA, strong  core courses at  UAS, University  of Alaska                                                               
Fairbanks (UAF),  and UAA. The  three are collaborating to  put a                                                               
strong  foundation under  the College  of Education.  The board's                                                               
goal is to bring opportunity  and a quality education to Alaskans                                                               
in  the  teaching  industry.  The   goal  is  to  position  those                                                               
graduates in Alaskan schools in urban  and rural areas. That is a                                                               
big goal for  the board. The regents want to  prepare teachers to                                                               
take  positions in  the  state. Alaska  is  a different  teaching                                                               
environment, especially  in rural areas. When  teachers from down                                                               
south come,  they stay for two  to three years and  then move on.                                                               
The  regents want  to  educate  teachers in  Alaska  who stay  in                                                               
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:41:55 AM                                                                                                                    
MR.  ANDERSON said  another pet  project is  fisheries. He  wants                                                               
that  program to  expand  at  UAS. He  wants  to strengthen  that                                                               
productive  relationship   with  the  fisheries   program  shared                                                               
between UAS  and UAF. He  wants to expand the  undergraduate work                                                               
at UAS. The  former NOAA facility has been donated  to UAS. It is                                                               
an  incredible spot  to build  an oceanography/fisheries  campus.                                                               
Looking  to the  future,  he  would like  to  develop a  maritime                                                               
academy for  the north Pacific  to train  for the opening  of the                                                               
Northwest Passage,  which will  be open. Alaska  needs to  have a                                                               
part in that.  The nearest maritime academy is  in San Francisco.                                                               
His pet projects are  education and fisheries/oceanography. There                                                               
are big  choices to  make in  the next couple  of years.  The top                                                               
administrative positions need to  be selected for the university,                                                               
from chancellors  to the  president. He wants  to be  involved in                                                               
that as well.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:44:45 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE said  that as  a graduate  and someone  who has                                                               
been watching  the painful  decisions in the  last few  years, he                                                               
wonders  if it  is  too  late. The  legislature  had a  parochial                                                               
approach  in expanding  campuses in  their own  communities years                                                               
ago such that  there are redundant programs  on several campuses.                                                               
He asked  if it is  too late to  reorganize to focus  programs in                                                               
one place  to bring down  costs yet offer an  excellent education                                                               
in  those   areas.  He  mentioned  engineering,   education,  and                                                               
fisheries. He  asked if the state  could pull back and  deliver a                                                               
better quality education while cutting  costs or is that die cast                                                               
and it would it be too difficult to do that.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDERSON  replied  it  is  not too  late.  UA  has  cut  and                                                               
consolidated programs and the board  did extensive research about                                                               
what they have and how to do  it better. The board worked hard on                                                               
the redundancy of programs and  the three chancellors have made a                                                               
strong effort to work together  to streamline what the university                                                               
had in  the past.  The idea  is to  be more  focused in  what the                                                               
university  does best.  He  opined  that the  board  has done  an                                                               
excellent job of coming together and collaborating.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:49:59 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS mentioned  the loss  of accreditation  and shock                                                               
that  was to  the legislature.  There  should have  been lots  of                                                               
warnings  from the  accreditation agency  and it  seems that  the                                                               
administration and  even the  Board of  [Regents] were  asleep at                                                               
the switch. He  asked how legislators could be  reassured that it                                                               
will not  happen again.  It is  a black  eye that  the university                                                               
will have until it is straightened out.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDERSON agreed that it is  a black eye. He opined that there                                                               
was  a   failure  of  communication   between  the   faculty  and                                                               
administration at UAA and a  severe lack of communication between                                                               
UAA  and  the  accreditors.  He thanked  the  administration  and                                                               
faculty  at UAF  and UAS  for taking  up the  slack such  that no                                                               
classes were lost. The board  has instituted more checkpoints for                                                               
the process  than before. UAF  and UAS have  gained accreditation                                                               
since  that  happened. The  faculty  has  stepped  up as  far  as                                                               
preparing for accreditors.  The board is also  working on getting                                                               
that reestablished at UAA, but it  will take a couple of years to                                                               
reaccredit.  Interim  President  Pat  Pitney has  created  a  new                                                               
communication  process between  administration  and faculty.  She                                                               
has done an incredible job creating trust again.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:56:14 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  HUGHES followed  up on  Senator  Micciche's response  to                                                               
focusing on fewer  programs saying she has  always been concerned                                                               
about  the college  rankings by  the  U.S. News  & World  Report,                                                               
which have  been mediocre for  Alaska. Unless a student  is drawn                                                               
to  something  unique  that  the  state  offers,  the  university                                                               
doesn't get  national or international  students. The  state also                                                               
loses the  brightest and best who  go out of state.  She asked if                                                               
he  saw the  potential, if  the university  narrows the  focus to                                                               
concentrate on what  it does best, to increase  the rankings, and                                                               
then draw  more students, and  increase research dollars  for the                                                               
university system.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDERSON offered  his  belief that  as  the university  gets                                                               
better and  more focused it  will be putting resources  into what                                                               
it does  best. The unique programs  that are found no  place else                                                               
will draw in national and  international students. The board just                                                               
had  an enrollment  report that  shows the  university maintained                                                               
pre-COVID enrollment. Interestingly,  because students down south                                                               
are  attending   class  online,  the  university   is  attracting                                                               
students from the lower 48  and internationally. They are working                                                               
online  and  the  faculty  did  a  phenomenal  job  switching  to                                                               
eLearning. They were  nimble and quick to put  courses online and                                                               
attracted  more  nonresident  students. The  university  will  be                                                               
mediocre if it tries to be all  things to all people. The span is                                                               
too wide. The quality will be reflected in those ratings.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDERSON said  in closing  that  his commitment  is to  work                                                               
side-by-side with the faculty,  administration, and political and                                                               
community leaders  to drive  long-term sustainable  change around                                                               
economic opportunity  and racial equality, all  within a balanced                                                               
budget, living within their means. This  is the core of who he is                                                               
and how he drives responsible growth.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HOLLAND  thanked him  for his  positive comments  about the                                                               
future of Alaska. He called on appointee Ralph Seekins.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:02:00 AM                                                                                                                   
RALPH SEEKINS, Appointee, University  of Alaska Board of Regents,                                                               
Fairbanks,  Alaska, said  that he  is the  owner of  Seekins Ford                                                               
Lincoln in  Fairbanks. He previously served  with Senator Stevens                                                               
in  the Senate  and chaired  the Judiciary  Committee. He  took a                                                               
temporary  job  in a  car  dealership  to  get his  wife  through                                                               
nursing school.  He still  is doing that  temporary job  51 years                                                               
later.  His automobile  dealership has  been one  of the  largest                                                               
businesses in  Alaska in terms  of revenue. He has  received many                                                               
recognitions for  business accomplishments. He has  been involved                                                               
with many  activities with  the Ford Motor  Company. He  has been                                                               
around the business a  long time and has done a  lot of things in                                                               
the industry.  He has a lot  of other local, state,  and national                                                               
interests. All four  of his children went to  the university. His                                                               
grandson  is enrolled.  He  cheers  for and  works  to develop  a                                                               
strong university. He  has served his community in  many ways. He                                                               
was the  chair of the  Board of  Trustees for the  Permanent Fund                                                               
Corporation.  He  left over  disagreements  about  how to  invest                                                               
funds with Governor Knowles.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
10:07:40 AM                                                                                                                   
MR.  SEEKINS  said  he  has   a  strong  background  in  business                                                               
organization  and reorganization  and efficient  operations. When                                                               
he was asked to consider the  board, his family noted that he has                                                               
always been a  strong supporter of the university  system. He was                                                               
a guest lecturer at the  business school. He has supported sports                                                               
at the  university. He can  be found at university  sports events                                                               
with  many grandchildren.  He now  has the  opportunity to  apply                                                               
some of his strengths and background to the Board of Regents.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:09:20 AM                                                                                                                   
SENATOR BEGICH  asked how he  feels about the agreements  and the                                                               
process  between the  board and  the governor  that bypassed  the                                                               
legislative prerogatives.  He asked his opinion  about the budget                                                               
process that  left the legislature  out and the cuts  it entails.                                                               
He  asked  what the  role  is  for  arts  and humanities  in  the                                                               
university system.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. SEEKINS  replied that he is  a fan of the  governor but would                                                               
have  approached it  differently. The  three-year budgeting  span                                                               
was a  decent compromise.  He would  have considered  a different                                                               
stepdown basis. It  was a huge target that had  to be implemented                                                               
quickly  and that  is difficult.  He admires  the folks  who went                                                               
through  that.  It  created  a  lot  of  instability  within  the                                                               
organization. Probably  some left the university  system for more                                                               
stability. It was  difficult with how rapidly the cuts  had to be                                                               
done without  any prior warning.  From a business  standpoint and                                                               
having had to go through  those challenges himself, he would have                                                               
used a  more phased-in,  prior warning system,  but that  did not                                                               
happen. As the  chair of the board,  he is in a  position to work                                                               
with audit and finance and  facilities and land management. Those                                                               
are  areas  that he  could  contribute  to  because of  his  past                                                               
experience.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BEGICH said he didn't  address the issue of bypassing the                                                               
legislature, but  that's ok. He asked  his vision of the  role of                                                               
arts and humanities.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:14:33 AM                                                                                                                   
MR.  SEEKINS  replied that  he  is  an amateur  photographer  and                                                               
artist. He has  been a long-time supporter of  the humanities. He                                                               
has supported  the summer music,  arts, and  literature programs.                                                               
He likes  sports and had  an athletic scholarship, but  a balance                                                               
is important, as long as the  arts and humanities are pulled into                                                               
the target of providing a  good, all-around education. He went to                                                               
a  liberal arts  college  and  was introduced  to  the arts.  His                                                               
literature classes  helped to put  him on  a pathway that  he has                                                               
enjoyed for the  rest of his life. Those are  important. His hope                                                               
is to not lose focus on that. It is an important part of life.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVEN commented  that Mr.  Seekins was  always a  great                                                               
advocate for  Fairbanks, but the  university is much  bigger than                                                               
Fairbanks. He asked  Mr. Seekins if he can take  a bigger view of                                                               
the university than just the Fairbanks campus.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. SEEKINS  responded that  Fairbanks is  his community,  but he                                                               
also understands  that Alaska is  more than one community.  He is                                                               
not as familiar with UAA, but  he would agree that the university                                                               
should  not become  parochial.  He acknowledged  the  need for  a                                                               
strong university system in  Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Southeast.                                                               
He  commented that  regional competition  should  not affect  the                                                               
quality of education in Alaska.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BEGICH  noted  that  Mr. Seekins  had  referred  to  the                                                               
political  interference  issue  with Governor  Knowles  and  also                                                               
included it in his resume. He  asked how he would respond if this                                                               
governor put  pressure on him  to follow a political  agenda that                                                               
might be contrary to the mission of the university.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. SEEKINS replied he would try  to do the right thing. He would                                                               
not do  something political that would  be bad for a  program. He                                                               
understands politics  but understands  honor and doing  the right                                                               
thing.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:22:54 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR  HOLLAND   commended  all  of  the   appointees  and  their                                                               
accomplishments.   He   opened   public   testimony   and   after                                                               
ascertaining  that there  was none,  closed public  testimony. He                                                               
asked the will of the committee.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
10:23:33 AM                                                                                                                   
CHAIR STEVENS  stated that in  accordance with AS  39.05.080, the                                                               
Senate Education  Standing Committee  reviewed the  following and                                                               
recommends the appointments  be forwarded to a  joint session for                                                               
consideration:                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Professional Teaching Practices Commission                                                                                    
Lem Wheeles - Anchorage                                                                                                         
Adam Reid - Anchorage                                                                                                           
Jamie Burgess - Nome                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
University of Alaska Board of Regents                                                                                         
Dale Anderson - Juneau                                                                                                          
Ralph Seekins - Fairbanks                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  HOLLAND   reminded  members   that  signing   the  reports                                                               
regarding  appointments  to  boards  and commissions  in  no  way                                                               
reflects  individual  members'  approval or  disapproval  of  the                                                               
appointees;  the nominations  are  merely forwarded  to the  full                                                               
legislature for confirmation or rejection.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:24:01 AM                                                                                                                   
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
10:25:45 AM                                                                                                                   
There being no further business to come before the committee,                                                                   
Chair Holland adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee                                                                 
meeting at 10:25 a.m.                                                                                                           

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
EDC_Adam Reid Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Jennifer Stafford Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Dale Anderson Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Lem Wheeles Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Jamie Burgess Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Ralph Seekins Board Application_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM
EDC_Ralph Seekins Resume_Redacted.pdf SEDC 2/24/2021 9:00:00 AM