Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
03/18/2022 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB225 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 225 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 18, 2022
9:05 a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Roger Holland, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Shelley Hughes
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 225
"An Act relating to a paraprofessional training program;
creating a teacher resident certificate; creating a teacher
residency program; relating to requirements to issue a teacher
certificate; relating to subject-matter expert limited teacher
certificates; relating to limited teacher certificates; creating
a teacher registered apprenticeship program; and creating a
teacher registered apprenticeship program fund."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 225
SHORT TITLE: TEACHER REGISTERED APPRENTICE PROGRAMS
SPONSOR(s): EDUCATION
03/04/22 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/04/22 (S) EDC, L&C, FIN
03/07/22 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/07/22 (S) Heard & Held
03/07/22 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/09/22 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/09/22 (S) Heard & Held
03/09/22 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/14/22 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/14/22 (S) Heard & Held
03/14/22 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/16/22 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/16/22 (S) Heard & Held
03/16/22 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/18/22 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
DAYNA DEFEO, Director
Center for Alaska Education Policy Research
University of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented Alaska's Cost of Teacher Turnover
research and answered question on SB 225.
DIANE HIRSHBERG, Director
Institute of Social & Economic Research
University of Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on SB 225.
TRANG TRAN, Research Associate
Institute of Social & Economic Research
University of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered question on SB 225.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:05:14 AM
CHAIR ROGER HOLLAND called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Micciche, Stevens, Begich and Chair Holland.
SB 225-TEACHER REGISTERED APPRENTICE PROGRAMS
9:05:53 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 225
"An Act relating to a paraprofessional training program;
creating a teacher resident certificate; creating a teacher
residency program; relating to requirements to issue a teacher
certificate; relating to subject-matter expert limited teacher
certificates; relating to limited teacher certificates; creating
a teacher registered apprenticeship program; and creating a
teacher registered apprenticeship program fund."
CHAIR HOLLAND said that the presenters would discuss the
University of Alaska's findings on teacher turnover costs.
Teacher turnover is important to conversations on teacher
recruitment and retention because the savings from strengthening
Alaska's educator pipeline can provide a return on investment.
There would be an opportunity to use federal dollars to pay the
upfront costs, allowing districts to redirect the savings from
turnover reduction to maintain their programs.
9:08:04 AM
DAYNA DEFEO, Director, Center for Alaska Education Policy
Research, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, stated she
has been studying the topic of teacher turnover for a couple of
years and is very comfortable speaking about it. She said that
the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) is known
for its economic work. However, it is a social science research
unit, so the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR)
is a unit that serves as a clearing house for all the education
research that comes out of ISER. CAEPR always tries to do
education policy-related work that is relevant to Alaska. The
work at CAEPR is typically described in three areas of
expertise: education pathways and workforce development, Arctic
and indigenous education, and teacher supply and demand.
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 4 to discuss teacher turnover. General
teacher turnover is described in four ways:
[Original punctuation provided.]
• Retirement - Teacher ends teaching professional career,
usually at certain age or years of service
• Attrition - Teacher leaves profession entirely, premature to
retirement
• Migration - Teacher leaves current job for teaching position
in new district
• Transfer - Practicing teacher moves to new subject area
MS. DEFEO noted that retirement is good because it means a
teacher has spent an entire career teaching in a classroom. It
indicates stability. Attrition accounts for a third of teacher
turnover nationally. Migration frequently occurs in Alaska, both
in-state and out-of-state.
9:12:59 AM
MS. DEFEO advanced to slide 5 and said teacher turnover is not
all bad. Turnover from retirement or a career change allows
other teachers to step in with new ideas and skills. Too much
turnover in Alaska leads to an eroded school climate, making
teacher collaboration and mentoring difficult. It impacts
teacher professional development because schools have limited
resources. Resources are taken from continuing teachers when
districts hire and train new teachers. Finally, turnover limits
instructional quality because it challenges curricular planning
and implementation. Teachers need to know what they will be
teaching the following year. Also, new teachers have limited
experience and become better teachers over time.
9:16:49 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked if there is research that provides an
expected norm for turnover.
9:17:21 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that there is debate about what is optimal.
Literature that is not empirically solid suggested 10 percent.
The national average is 16 percent, which is high. She opined
that the question is difficult to answer because turnover is
highly contextualized.
9:17:53 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said the answer would provide the committee with
a target. In 2011 $10,000 was an incorrect number given as the
cost for a district to hire a new teacher. Three years ago, the
committee was told the cost was as high as $26,000. He asked if
research has identified a rule, urban cost, or differential for
determining hiring cost and if it would be part of the
presentation.
9:18:44 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that she would share the number calculated in
2017 and could break it down by location. The amount depends on
how each school approaches the task of turnover. The cost can be
highly variable even between rural communities. There is a menu
of tasks, and each district selects varying items from the menu,
which affects their cost. For example, some districts offer
housing, and others offer professional development. Contracted
work also affects costs. Recruitment is more difficult and
costly for rural communities but can also be more expensive
depending on the position being hired. For example, recruiting
an AP Chemistry teacher may be more difficult than an English
teacher. She offered to breakdown and categorize costs.
SENATOR BEGICH said it sounds complicated and nuanced.
9:20:18 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND said he could see how going from high to
excessively low turnover could motivate a slight increase in
turnover to acquire new teachers and avoid stagnation.
9:20:43 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked whether she would be covering details of
migration and the loss of teachers outside the state versus
inside the state. He opined that movement within the state is
not bad.
9:21:15 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that she does not know if migration numbers
have been calculated very well because it is hard to know where
people go. A project is forthcoming with the Department of Labor
to look at where teachers go after they leave the teaching
profession and how their wages compare to when they were
practicing teachers. The permanent fund dividend database will
show how many teachers left the state.
9:22:09 AM
DIANE HIRSHBERG, Director, Institute of Social & Economic
Research, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, said that the
last look at teacher migration was over ten years ago. She can
provide the old numbers as a reference point for whether
educators were leaving the state and the profession. Sometimes
teachers leave the classroom, but they stay in the education
profession. She said the Department of Labor is a perfect
partner, and she is excited for the information to be updated.
9:23:05 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said it would be good to have the information
and know the number of teachers moving into administration or
the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED).
9:23:23 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked if the questions and methodology in the new
migration study would be similar to the 2017 study so trends and
comparisons could be made.
9:23:52 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that the methods in the new migration study
would be improved and analysis more fine-grained than in the
past.
9:24:05 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 6 and said the report the slide was
taken from discusses turnover comprehensively and parsed
turnover between teachers who moved districts in Alaska and
those who left teaching jobs in Alaska. Slide 6 shows the
overall turnover patterns in Alaska from 2012 2018 and the
urban, urban fringe, rural hub, and rural remote percentages.
Rural remote has the highest turnover at about 35 percent
compared to an average of 20 25 percent. The chart shows that
the policies and strategies needed to solve the teacher turnover
problem in Alaska will not be a one-size-fits-all approach.
9:26:54 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND stated he was surprised by how relatively constant
the turnover rates have been over time for each category.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked what the rural dip between 2016 and 2017
was attributed to.
CHAIR HOLLAND replied that the dip is an urban dip, not rural.
9:27:37 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that while the dip looks big, it is about five
percentage points, which might not have a huge statistical
significance given that the number of teachers was relatively
small.
9:28:00 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG replied that the largest shifts in Alaska are seen
when big shifts occur in the Lower 48. There was a point after
the economic crash in 2008 when Alaska's turnover numbers
dropped because hiring was not happening in the Lower 48.
Alaska's numbers spiked when school districts obtained money and
began hiring. Federal funding changes may affect the Regional
Educational Laboratory's ability to continue the study; however,
CAEPR is hopeful the study will continue as the next two years
of turnover were expected to spike.
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if the next two years would be 2019 and 2020
to continue the graph, or two years from today.
MS. HIRSHBERG replied both. Anecdotally CAEPR has heard teacher
and administrator announcements of leaving the profession.
Furthermore, superintendents could not fill positions at the
start of 2020 and 2021. The data has not been systematically
analyzed, but they hope it will happen.
9:29:45 AM
MS. DEFEO said she has been asked many times about how Covid
affected the national market for teachers. Evidence shows that
more teachers in the Lower 48 are opting for early retirement.
There is an increase in turnover from burnout due to pandemic
working conditions. There is a lower supply in the teacher
workforce, and colleges of education are seeing lower
enrollments. She has researched how teacher candidates were
impacted trying to learn to be teachers; her findings were not
positive. Teacher turnover challenges will not improve following
the tough years of trying to educate students during a pandemic.
9:31:20 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked whether teacher turnover could be
correlated with changes to the teacher retirement system and
whether putting a retirement system back would reduce turnover.
9:31:49 AM
MS. DEFEO responded that many variables affect teacher turnover.
CAEPR has a method in mind to determine the effect of the rapid
change from defined benefit to defined contribution in 2007 on
Alaska's teacher workforce. However, until a study is done,
CAEPR relies on literature that states young new teachers are
less affected by retirement systems than older teachers.
9:32:42 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said some people are concerned about retirement
plans, while others enjoy portable plans. The difference may be
age-related. Work behaviors of the new generation are changing.
Studies indicate that the workplace expectations of 22-year-olds
have yet to be discovered in education and across the workforce.
It is crucial to learn their expectations sooner than later
because schools want to retain good teachers. The "company man"
is no longer in place for many corporations. Losing 30-year
career teachers would be an enormous loss to the teaching
profession. What it takes to retain career teachers needs to be
investigated.
9:34:06 AM
SENATOR BEGICH described how urban district negotiations operate
on a three-year cycle and how BSA increases allow districts more
flexibility. He suggested that the two elements be considered
when investigating trends in turnover.
9:35:11 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said she heard anecdotally that Anchorage teachers
wanted stability and voted overwhelmingly to ratify their
contract to achieve it. Pink slips had been sent out four years
in a row. Even though there was some certainty they would be
hired back, getting a pink slip every spring was unnerving.
Therefore, they selected stability over a perfect contract to
know their job standing for the next three years.
SENATOR BEGICH stated he noted that the trend on the graph was
falling in a three-year cycle, and that prompted him to make the
connection.
9:36:37 AM
MS. DEFEO responded to Senator Stevens' retirement question,
saying that as a researcher, what she would do to test what
happened and how it affects retirement patterns is look at the
2007 shift. However, the past has a limited ability to predict
what will happen and what will work in the new world of
employment. She stated that she spends much time working with
collaborators and colleagues at the superintendent's
association, who work with and listen to teachers. They are
hearing information firsthand, and while what was said might not
be quantifiable, those are the voices she would listen to
regarding immediate changes and types of expected impacts.
Superintendents and colleagues are talking to the people it
matters to most in words, not numbers with limited power.
9:37:45 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 7 and stated that it is important to
put turnover numbers into a national context for two reasons.
One reason is to determine optimal turnover through comparison
and evaluation of other states. The second reason is that Alaska
hires teachers in a national market. The primary employers of
teachers are school districts. If districts are not hiring
teachers from the local market, they are hiring them from the
national market. Most new teachers in Alaska are hired
nationally, with a more significant portion hired to work in the
rural communities. Alaska competes with other states to hire the
most skilled teacher workforce possible. The Learning Policy
Institute teacher turnover averages from 2017 show that Alaska's
average is higher than the national average. Twenty-one percent
is the statewide average, which varies greatly by community
type. So while averages are useful to an extent, they do not
always tell the whole story.
9:39:36 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 8 and said there are many reasons why
Alaska's turnover numbers are higher, but economic and policy
contexts would be the focus since changes could be made to them
to effect change. She explained how competitiveness, low
teacher supply, and high demand affect turnover in Alaska.
9:41:23 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated he understands that the University of
Alaska (UA) was able to make swift adjustments so education
students could continue the program when the Anchorage location
lost accreditation. He asked if the loss of accreditation
significantly impacted the number of teachers in Alaska.
MS. DEFEO deferred the question to Ms. Tran because she ran many
of CAEPR's initial licensure surveys of university graduates and
would be able to share the denominators. The University of
Alaska Anchorage produced about half of the initial licensures
in the state at the time its program closed. Some of the
students in the program were absorbed into other programs.
Although other University of Alaska locations grew to
accommodate, there was an immediate loss that was significant
that Ms. Tran might discuss.
MS. TRANG TRAN, Research Associate, Institute of Social &
Economic Research, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska
deferred to Ms. Hirshberg.
9:43:06 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said that when the University of Alaska Anchorage
(UAA) lost accreditation and the Board of Regents closed the
education programs, there was an attempt to transfer students to
other programs. About 150 students did not continue in teacher
education which had an immediate and significant impact.
Graduation numbers dropped by over 100 graduates a year, and the
programs in Fairbanks and Juneau have not made up the
difference. Graduation rates have remained at a lower number.
9:44:05 AM
MS. DEFEO said the 150 students might return to education or
other majors, but it was an immediate decline.
9:44:33 AM
MS. TRAN said she was unable to find the survey data but stated
that the University of Alaska at Anchorage, Fairbanks, and
Juneau prepare teachers through pathways to receive various
types of teacher certifications. UAA produced many elementary
special education teachers. University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
offers pathways and place-based teacher preparation. The loss of
accreditation at UAA reduced the number of teachers and lost the
specialization they provided in serving students in various
areas of the state.
9:45:48 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked for a list of the eleven states with
higher turnover than Alaska. He had expected Alaska would be
higher.
9:46:19 AM
MS. DEFEO said Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas were
some of the highest teacher turnover states when the numbers
were compiled in 2017. The differences between urban and rural
communities are discussed within Alaska. Outside of Alaska, many
states' differences are between intercity and suburban
communities. There are many different dynamics to teacher
turnover, which makes comparison difficult.
9:47:28 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if it would be like urban flight, where
teachers leave high urban concentrations for rural areas.
9:47:39 AM
MS. DEFEO said data shows that teachers tend to leave schools
serving high proportions of minority student populations and
students of lower income. Those schools tend to be associated
with poor working conditions, challenging leadership, large
class sizes, and inferior learning materials and buildings.
Researchers have found it is not the students but the working
conditions that tend to drive teachers out of lower-resource
schools.
CHAIR HOLLAND said he could see similarities with Alaska, such
as poor housing.
9:48:34 AM
SENATOR BEGICH stated that perhaps Alaska should look at
turnover through a research lens of factors as opposed to
geography because the highest rates of poverty, inadequate
housing and indigenous minority populations are in rural Alaska.
9:49:24 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if there is research showing how test scores
are affected.
9:49:52 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said that a two-year change to Alaska's testing
system brought about instability. Assessment instability and
minimal testing due to the Covid pandemic have postponed trend
analysis for the next couple of years.
9:50:22 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated that children in village schools often do
not perform as well on tests as the state would like. However,
he learned several years ago that impoverished students in
Anchorage do not perform any better. Therefore, poverty may have
a more significant impact on test scores than location.
9:50:55 AM
MS. DEFEO agreed and said Ms. Tran did a good analysis of high
school graduation rates. When all variables were taken out
except income, it was the biggest factor for predicting outcomes
in all states.
9:51:17 AM
MS. DEFEO advanced to slide 10 and stated that teacher turnover
is an area of concern and opportunity. The state needs to know
the actual cost of turnover and the cost savings if policies and
strategies were implemented to reduce teacher turnover.
Literature on teacher turnover and costs is usually placed into
six categories which she used to describe the overall process
and involvement of hiring a new teacher:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Separation
Administrative tasks
Technology & physical plant
Recruitment
Job fairs (including travel)
Advertising
Hiring
Applications, interviews, background checks
HR processing
Orientation and training
New teacher orientation and mentoring
Professional development
Preparation
Coursework, field placement
Certification
Teacher productivity
?Student learning
9:53:48 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 11 and stated that CAEPR wrote a
methods paper justifying its calculation for the per-teacher
cost of turnover. It was not easy because Alaska has unique
processes and procedures that other states do not have.
Available instruments needed to be adapted to an Alaska context.
Many partners, such as the National Education Association Alaska
and the Alaska Superintendents Association, contributed to
CAEPR's work to ensure accuracies. She provided details on the
following points:
[Original Punctuation Provided]
? "Ingredients" method
? Interviews with 37 superintendents (or designees)
? Code turnover tasks
? Estimate time
? Classify staff into common names/roles
? Estimate wage ? AASB, NEA-Alaska, ALARI
? Estimate fixed costs
? Calculate total cost
? Weight total cost
MS. DEFEO opined that the incredible amount of data gathered
showed that districts were working very hard to reduce teacher
turnover. Significant opportunities could be undertaken if
school district resources were not needed for recruitment.
9:56:40 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if the numbers to be discussed were created
using the method described.
9:56:51 AM
MS. DEFEO replied that was correct. She stated that the district
was used as the unit of analysis. Hence, there are costs at the
school and state levels that were not included in the cost of
teacher turnover. She reiterated that the amount does not
include the cost of student learning or a four-year degree. It
represents a typical teacher turnover number, not extreme
circumstances such as expensive and infrequent litigations.
9:57:24 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 12 and stated that the numbers were
conservative estimates from 2017. She noted that recruitment
activities are highly variable between districts and positions.
The costs are for average materials and do not include the time
invested into recruiting. For example, more time may be spent
recruiting an Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher than an
English teacher. Half of the cost of recruiting is orientation
and training. Employee benefits, which can drive up personnel
costs by as much as 50 percent, are not included in the cost
calculation of employee time.
9:58:51 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said there are 7,000 teachers statewide with a
21 percent annual vacancy rate at 1,470 separations per year;
Alaska is spending $30 million annually on recruitment, which
does not consider student outcome impacts from separation. He
asked if she agreed.
9:59:24 AM
MS. DEFEO replied yes, but that rough estimate does not include
the significant items listed on slide 13 that were not included
in the analysis. She described costs not included at the school,
district, state, and community levels.
10:00:33 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said that redirected funds from the university pay
for the Alaska statewide mentoring program. It is no longer
directly funded. Also, the Alaska Teacher Placement system is
run by the University of Alaska system with support from every
district in the state. It is a very collaborative initiative.
10:01:13 AM
MS. DEFEO turned to slide 15 and stated the following are known
to affect teacher turnover nationally and in Alaska:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Working conditions
?Physical environment
?School leadership
?Workload
?Compensation
School characteristics
?Income
?Student demographics
?Performance
Teacher characteristics
?Effectiveness
?Subjects
?Gender
Particular to Alaska
?School-community relationships
?Community characteristics
?Place of preparation
?Cultural differences
MS. DEFEO said policies can improve some reasons for turnover,
such as working conditions and nicer buildings. Other reasons,
such as weather conditions and student demographics, need to be
accommodated through policy. Teachers prefer warm, light
climates over cold and dark. Administrators cannot change the
weather but knowing that weather matters to teachers allows for
consideration of what can be done to entice or incentivize
teachers to stay and work in a cold, dark place. Student
demographics are another example. Until low income in a
community is no longer a challenge, policymakers need to be
mindful that it affects teacher movement patterns.
10:03:04 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said CAEPR research on teacher turnover has shown
far lower turnover rates for teachers who are prepared within
the University of Alaska system or are Alaska residents educated
out-of-state who return to Alaska to teach. Teachers who are
prepared in Alaska tend to stay in Alaska, while indigenous
Alaskans tend to remain in the area where they feel attachment.
Out-of-state teachers tend to move back to warmer, sunnier
places.
10:03:46 AM
MS. DEFEO commented that even Alaska-prepared teachers prefer
urban areas within the state. Therefore, one of the most cost-
effective strategies for reducing turnover in Alaska would be to
increase the number of Alaska-prepared teachers who reflect the
diversity of Alaska's communities and are likely to work in
areas similar to their homes.
10:04:29 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said California has 40 million people. Alaska
has 700,000. Alaska can stay within its teacher load; it does
not need to exceed it. He asked whether the goal should be to
maintain the proportion.
10:05:21 AM
MS. DEFEO said she did not understand the question.
10:05:30 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said Alaska's schools should aim to stay above
the level needed for teaching positions and determine the gaps
that would fill at least half of the 21 percent turnover. Alaska
does not need to outperform other states. People are in those
states for a reason.
MS. DEFEO deferred to Ms. Hirshberg.
10:06:05 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG stated that one of the discussions in Alaska is
how to recruit educators who want to remain in the state. She
anecdotally described a type of teacher that would stay in
Alaska and how a teacher might be recruited. Part of recruiting
is administrators doing their best to find teachers who are not
coming for a two-year adventure or will not quit after finding
conditions unacceptable. It is hard to recruit when school
districts in other states may pay more, have an easier
lifestyle, and still offer hunting and fishing.
10:07:49 AM
SENATOR BEGICH referred back to the quality-of-life issue and
asked if the fiber optic cable Quintillion installed along the
North Slope impacted economies in that area. He opined that
broadband reaching rural communities should concomitantly impact
their economies. High-speed internet allows for a rural
lifestyle with a home-based economy that is still a cash
economy. Poverty rates and housing attractiveness could change.
He stated he would like to know more about Nome effectively
having access to free or low-cost fiber optic, high-yield
internet.
10:08:48 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG replied that a report on broadband costs and
issues in Alaska was done last year. Although Quintillion
installed the cable, it costs residents $400 a month for high-
speed internet. That is more than double what well-compensated
people in urban areas pay. It is not affordable. Although the
middle mile problem does not exist, schools in that area cannot
afford to upgrade their equipment to take advantage of the high
speed. Administrators have issues connecting at midnight when
students are home, and there is low internet traffic. While
progress with fiber optics and low orbital satellites is
happening, costs are still prohibitive, home hookup needs to
occur, and adults need to understand how to use the technology.
She expressed optimism that in five years her answer would
change.
10:10:28 AM
MS. DEFEO responded to Senator Micciche's previous question on
recruitment. She stated that she and Ms. Tran studied how
individual superintendents recruit because of the incredible
stories of resourcefulness to meet their hiring needs. It is a
very place-focused administration philosophy that drives the
hiring process. Community fit is the driving concern of
administrators when filling positions, if they are lucky enough
to have a surplus of applicants.
10:11:57 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE opined there is a marketing gap and joked that
the state needs a national Alaska teacher reality show. Alaska
is an amazing place unlike any other. While it is rare to find a
person who wants to live in Alaska, once they are found they are
hooked. However, they must be found to get them here.
10:13:24 AM
MS. DEFEO said she takes great pleasure in that idea because
research shows that while teachers used to be seen as heroes in
television shows, they are now portrayed more often as villains.
People decide they want to be teachers when they are young.
Marketing to teenagers who are not yet in college is an
interesting idea. Television would be a great way to reach them.
10:14:12 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said opportunities ended when federal funding for
several initiatives was taken away. One initiative that worked
well was a two or three-week experience teaching at a rural
school for University of Alaska education students. Many chose
to teach in rural communities upon graduating. The Lake and
Peninsula Borough has been doing this with teachers from the
Lower 48. It brings student candidates or recent graduates to a
school to tutor for a semester, and the large investment of
hiring a teacher that may not want to stay is avoided.
10:15:43 AM
SENATOR BEGICH expressed his appreciation for the informative
presentation.
10:16:04 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that continuity is always underplayed.
He opined there is an efficiency in teachers knowing their
students' families that is not always appreciated. Most families
have more than one child, so when a teacher is in a community
for a while, the teacher is already familiar with the family and
perhaps the siblings. This is a significant efficiency benefit
that is not discussed often and cannot be replaced.
10:17:29 AM
MS. HIRSHBERG said she and a colleague have written a chapter
that primarily addresses continuity. Teachers enter rural
communities, and the community does not invest in them because
teachers do not stay. Teachers then say the community does not
support them. It is a dialogue heard repeatedly in rural areas.
It is exhausting for the parents who are trying to know new
teachers, and it is exhausting for teachers who are trying to
get their feet under them. School board members need to work
with their communities to create mentoring that is not just
about having a teacher but a teacher who is part of the
community, for example, knowing that a personal invitation is
not needed to attend a potlatch. Communities need to learn how
to work with the schools so opportunities to build critical
relationships are not constantly missed.
SENATOR BEGICH said Jerry Covey, former commissioner of the
Department of Education and Early Development, and Barbara Adams
did a study in 2016 that underscored the importance of feeling
included in the community. It was both quantitative and
qualitative. The study was done over time, and the researchers
noted that the need rose as time passed deeper into winter. The
study prompted the department to work with the legislature to
provide more teacher support. The study was a template
incorporated into SB 111, and the Yupiit School District
actually placed a person in the community to help build
connectivity.
10:19:45 AM
MS. TRAN stated she could answer Senator Stevens' previous
question regarding the impact of accreditation loss on teacher
numbers. In 2016 - 2017 the University of Alaska system (UA)
[indiscernible] certificate program graduated 225 teachers. In
2019 - 2020 the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) and
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) graduated 160. She obtained
the numbers from CAEPR's files.
10:20:24 AM
MS. DEFEO said that the preeminent scholar on teacher turnover,
Richard Ingersoll, looks at the teacher shortage as a problem
with retention, which is valid for Alaska. The mechanism for
improvement within Alaska is to increase the supply of Alaska-
prepared teachers and provide support and incentives for
teachers to continue by engaging communities and effecting
policies.
10:21:18 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND opined that it was surprising to hear how turnover
in Alaska compared to other states. While Alaska's high turnover
rate of 21 percent primarily occurs in rural areas, other states
experience high turnover in urban locations.
10:21:47 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND held SB 225 in committee.
10:21:59 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Holland adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 10:21 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 225 - ISER study on turnover costs.pdf |
SEDC 3/18/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 - Teacher Turnover Presentation (ISER).pdf |
SEDC 3/18/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 Supporting Document - REL study.pdf |
SEDC 3/18/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |
| SB 225 LPI_Teacher_Turnover_REPORT.pdf |
SEDC 3/18/2022 9:00:00 AM |
SB 225 |