02/22/2023 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB29 | |
| SB24 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 29 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 24 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 22, 2023
3:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Jesse Bjorkman
Senator Jesse Kiehl
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Löki Tobin, Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 29
"An Act relating to civics education, civics assessments, and
secondary school graduation requirements; establishing the
Alaska Civics Education Commission; and providing for an
effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 24
"An Act relating to mental health education; and providing for
an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 29
SHORT TITLE: CIVICS EDUCATION; EST AK CVCS ED COMM
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS
01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/23 (S) EDC, FIN
02/22/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
BILL: SB 24
SHORT TITLE: PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GRAY-JACKSON
01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/23 (S) EDC, HSS, FIN
02/22/23 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
WITNESS REGISTER
TIM LAMKIN, Staff
Senator Gary Stevens
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 29 on behalf of the sponsor.
LISA BOUDREAU, State Policy Director
CivXNow
Cambridge, Massachusetts
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 29.
BILLEEN CARLSON, President-elect
Alaska Council for Social Studies
Nikolaevsk School
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 29.
ROBERT HADLEY, Social Studies Content Specialist
Lower Kuskokwim School District
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 29.
BESSE ODOM, Staff
Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided the sectional analysis for SB 24.
ANN RINGSTAD, Executive Director
National Alliance on Mental Illness Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 24.
JASON LESSARD, Advisor
Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling (MHATS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified by invitation on SB 24.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:31:08 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Kiehl, Gray-Jackson, Bjorkman, and Vice
Chair Stevens.
SB 29-CIVICS EDUCATION; EST AK CVCS ED COMM
3:32:48 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of SENATE BILL
NO. 29 "An Act relating to civics education, civics assessments,
and secondary school graduation requirements; establishing the
Alaska Civics Education Commission; and providing for an
effective date."
3:32:56 PM
TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced SB 29 on behalf of the
sponsor, Senator Stevens, as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 29 is intended to improve awareness of the
importance of civics education in Alaska.
While most Americans agree on the importance of
preparing young people for citizenship in a democracy,
civics education has received diminishing attention in
schools over the past couple of decades. There has
been a gradual paradigm shift in preparing students
first for college and jobs, responding to increasing
accountability demands, and heavy emphasis on
mathematics, reading, and writing. Experts believe a
decline in civic engagement, such as the decline in
voting rates among young voters since 18-year-olds
were given the right to vote in 1972, may be a direct
result of the decrease in emphasis placed on civics.
Coupled with the present-day political climate we are
observing, many are calling for a return to civility.
One response to this decline in civic engagement has
been for states to develop content standards in civics
or government, which occurred in the 1990s and early
2000s. This was an effort to ensure students have a
basic understanding of the fundamentals of how our
government works, of the documents on which American
democracy is based, and of basic democratic values.
Notwithstanding state efforts to improve instruction
in the core academic disciplines, states should also
establish statewide assessments aligned with their
civics standards.
While many individuals and organizations have sought
to address the poor condition of civics education, the
problem remains acute. Strong state policies are
needed to establish and reinforce the fact that
preparation for civic life is equally as important as
preparation for higher education and careers. In fact,
preparation for active citizenship was a foundational
principle of public education in America from its
beginning, and it is a principle that must be
reaffirmed by each generation.
By passing SB 29, Alaska will join with other states
in an effort to restore attention to the importance of
civics education in our schools, and ultimately in
steadying civic engagement within our country.
I appreciate your consideration of this legislation.
3:35:35 PM
MR. LAMKIN provided a section analysis of SB 29, work order 33-
LS0246\A, as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Sec. 1: AS 14.03.076, relating to public schools, adds
a new section
a. directing the State Board of Education &
Early Development (SBOE) to develop
curriculum and a related assessment based
on the civics portion of the
naturalization examination administered
by the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security for immigrants seeking U.S.
citizenship. The curriculum and
assessment must also include systems of
Alaska Tribal government;
b. requiring students to complete a semester
course taught using the curriculum, or to
pass the assessment established in (a)
above in order to receive a high school
diploma, with exceptions for students with
a disability and who receive a waiver from
their local school board;
c. schools are to document on student
transcripts when a student has passed the
assessment, with the option for the
student to retake the assessment
repeatedly;
d. districts are required to report annually
on their respective civics course
offerings and overall average student
score on the assessment; and
e. a passing score is defined as correctly
answering 70% or more on the civics
assessment.
3:36:53 PM
Sec. 2: AS 14.07.168, relating to existing reporting
requirements of the SBOE, to include in their
annual report to the legislature:
(5) a description of civics education
curriculum in the state, of civics-related
course offerings in respective districts, and
of student performance on the assessment
described in section 1, by district; and
(6) the recommendations made by the Alaska
Civics Education Commission established under
AS 14.07.215 below.
Sec. 3: Applies to Sec. 22, Chapter 40, SLA 2022,
wherein 14.07.168(4), relating to reporting
a summary and utilization of the AK Virtual
Education Consortium established in AS
14.30.800, the required reporting being
repealed on June 30, 2034. This section is
for legal drafting purposes only and has no
bearing on SB 29 itself.
Sec. 4 AS 14.07.200 is created, establishing the
Alaska Civics Education Commission (ACEC) and
staffed by the lieutenant governor.
3:38:06 PM
AS 14.07.205 describes the 12-member
composition of Commission, including:
1. the lieutenant governor as the chair;
2. a justice of the AK supreme court;
3. the Commission of Education & Early
Development;
4. two members of the AK State House of
Representatives;
5. two members of the AK State Senate;
6. five members appointed by the governor as
follows:
a. two civics or social studies
teachers, one of which teaches via
correspondence studies, and one is a
member of the National Education
Association;
b. one member representing a non-profit
organization that has civics as a
core mission;
c. one member representing the
Association of Alaska School Boards;
d. one member who is a student in good
standing.
AS 14.07.210 describes the terms of office for
ACEC members as being for 2 years, with
vacancies being filled in the same manner as
the previous appointment
AS 14.07.215 describes the duties of the
Commission to include a review of best
practices, pedagogies and policies for civics
education, and to make recommendations and
provide guidance for the State Board of
Education & Early Development in implementing
civics education recommendations made by the
Commission.
3:39:38 PM
AS 14.07.220 requires at least quarterly
meetings of the Commission, which may be done
electronically. AS 14.07.225 is routine
reference to voluntary service, there being no
compensation but travel expenses and per diem
may be claimed for serving on Boards &
Commissions.
AS 14.07.295 defines reference to the
"Commission" as the Alaska Civics Education
Commission.
Sec. 5: Acknowledges the effective date of the
repealer (June 30, 2034) described in
Section 3 of the bill.
Sec. 6: Provides an effective date for the remainder
of the bill of July 1, 2023
3:40:24 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS announced invited testimony for SB 29.
3:40:41 PM
LISA BOUDREAU, State Policy Director, CivXNow, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, provided invited testimony on SB 29 as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Before detailing our work at CivXNow and
addressing the merits of Senate Bill 29, I want to
speak to the perilous state of our constitutional
democracy.
Weve long lamented the state of civic knowledge
in the country, and the annual Annenberg Public Policy
Centers Civic Knowledge Survey released last
September is cause for continued concern:
? Less than half (47%) of U.S. adults could name all
three branches of government, down from 56% in 2021.
One in 4 respondents could not name any.
? Asked to name the five rights protected by the First
Amendment, fewer Americans could name any of the
five than in 2021. For example, less than 1 in 4
people (24%) could name freedom of religion, down
from 56% the prior year.
Turning to K-12, were all too familiar with
depressing scores from the nations report card, the
National Assessment of Educational Progress, where
civics and U.S. history scores regularly rank lowest
among all subjects tested. In 2018, only 24% of 8th
graderswere deemed proficient on a test measuring
civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and a
paltry 15% were proficient in US history.
These results taken together, its fair to
question the extent to which Americans are prepared
for informed, effective, and lifelong civic
engagement. Solutions are not immediate or singular,
but as social studies educators, we offer the most
promising long-term plan for strengthening and
sustaining our democratic institutions.
3:42:58 PM
MS. BOUDREAU continued:
Stated simply, civic education is key to
rebuilding trust in institutions and one another,
fostering informed patriotism and civility, and
empowering citizens to build a more perfect union.
However, civics has been egregiously neglected
over the past 50 years, coinciding with the troubling
trends that I outline before
We estimate that the federal government invests
in civics at less than fifty cents per K-12 student
versus $50 per student in STEM subjects.
This comes on the heels of two decades of
retrenchment in social studies education since the
advent of No Child Left Behind. The Council of Chief
State School Officers estimates that 44% of school
districts have cut back on instructional time for
social studies over a 20-year period.
Im here representing a coalition, CivXNow, that
is 275 organizations strong and representative of the
countrys political and geographic diversity.
Our coalition facilitates:
? Aggregation of research and measurement to make the
empirical case for high quality civic learning
opportunities across the curriculum and throughout
students K-12 experience
? Narrative change to position civic learning as
fundamental to our nations democratic strength
? And policy and advocacy to push for adoption of
state and federal policies that incentivize schools
civic mission.
CivXNow established a state policy task force
with membership from 40 states (Alaska is not among
them). We seek to support state coalitions, establish
relationships with state policy makers, identify and
activate behind policies to strengthen K-12 civic
education, and ultimately, to ensure adequate
resources for their implementation.
These nonpartisan policies are articulated in
CivXNows State Policy Menu. Among its key provisions
are:
1. Universal, equitable access to high-quality civic
learning experiences (stand-alone civics courses in
middle and high school and designated instructional
time in K-5)
2. Civics centered in state standards
3. Assessment and accountability (civic seals and K-12
civic learning plans)
4. Pre- and in-service teacher professional
development
5. Schoolwide and community commitments to civic
learning
6. Resourcing policy implementation
3:45:25 PM
MS. BOUDREAU continued:
We conducted a 50 state policy scan with these
provisions in mind and found:
? 37 states and DC (Alaska is not among them),
require a high school civics course, but only seven
for a full year.
? Turning to middle school, the situation is bleaker
with only seven states requiring a stand-alone
civics course. Twenty-six states and DC, not
including Alaska, do require civics instruction.
? Civics is officially assessed in 32 states, passage
of the U.S. Naturalization Test the most frequent
vehicle (Alaska does not require a civics
assessment).
? Finally, 24 states and DC provide students with
credit for completing service learning projects
(While Alaska doesnt provide credit for service
learning, districts may do so).
3:46:16 PM
MS. BOUDREAU continued:
Senate bill 29, sponsored by Senator Stevens, will
create a permanent Alaska Commission on Civics
Education, composed of leaders in our state
government, teachers and students passionate about the
issue, serving to periodically forward recommendations
to our state Board of Education and Early Development.
Commissions like these have been formed in other
states such as Indiana and Georgia. The bill will also
create required course time and a civics test for high
school graduation.
The restoration and reinvigoration of civic education
in Alaska will be a long, yet worthy process.
Commitments from educators, administrators, policy
makers, and other stakeholders will have to be made to
uphold the desire to revamp civic education. I have an
optimism about the state of civic education in Alaska
in that the new Commission will develop a plan based
on pedagogy and proven practices in civic education.
It will be critical for the Commission to internalize
all research on civic education and act upon its
recommendations. It will also be critical for the
Commission to support educators with resources,
training, and clear guidance so that implementation is
successful.
At a time when our civic health is badly bruised, and
our political discourse seems more polarized than
ever, the prospects for knitting together our fraying
democracy may well rest on what happens in classrooms
across this great state.
3:47:39 PM
MS. BOUDREAU continued:
Stronger state K-12 civic education policies will
ensure that our students graduate with the civic
knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary self-
governance. Theyll emerge equipped to overcome dis-
and misinformation, transcend toxic political
polarization, rebuild trust in our democratic
institutions and in one another, and thus strengthen
and secure our constitutional democracy for us and our
posterity.
3:48:12 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS said he appreciates the efforts of CiviXnow
in bringing civics to the forefront of education.
3:48:42 PM
BILLEEN CARLSON, President-elect, Alaska Council for Social
Studies, Nikolaevsk School, Kenai Peninsula Borough School
District, Soldotna, Alaska, testified by invitation on SB 29 as
follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Im currently the only certified teacher at Nikolaevsk
K-12 on the Kenai Peninsula.
Im here today as the president-elect of the Alaska
Council for the Social Studies. We are the states
foremost social studies organization for teaching
professionals. We serve as Alaska's front line
educators and administrators and the pedagogical
experts who can help support the renewal of our
collective commitment to ensure that Alaskans have the
tools they need to keep our democracy and tribal
governments strong. But we cant do it without policy
change.
Sadly, Alaska is currently only one of two states in
the nation that has no civics course requirements in
middle school, nor in high school. There is also no
assessment.
There was a time when schools were the guardians of
democracy. Schools were the medium to pass along the
information about why and how our democracy works. It
was the place for learning how to think critically,
and analyze information. Civic education helped us
develop a sense of reflective patriotism and instill a
deep appreciation for our country's history, founding
documents, values, and institutions.
3:50:05 PM
MS. CARLSON continued:
Civics is missing in our schools. But it is important
that we bring it back. Civics is the way students
learn and understand the complex and often confusing
systems of government, and it teaches them how to
effectively participate in the political process,
whether that is as a future volunteer for a parent
council, or as an elected representative. Civics
teaches students the importance of voting, how to
advocate for themselves and their communities, and how
to engage in civil discourse. These skills and
dispositions help our students become informed and
responsible citizens who contribute to our workplaces,
our tribes, our communities, and our country. Perhaps
one day my students will step into leadership roles in
their community, whether its serving on a school
board, or in the Alaska Senate, (as the members of
this committee have).
SB 29, is a bill sponsored by the honorable Senator
Stevens that would require a semester-long civics
course in high school and a summative civics exam, as
a requirement for high school graduation.
Additionally, this bill would create the Alaska Civic
Education Commission of dedicated individuals to carry
forward a commitment to excellence in civics teaching
and learning by serving to periodically forward
recommendations to our state Board of Education and
Early Development. This bill will help us renew the
civic mission of schools.
In closing, we can only achieve civic excellence by
passing down the civic knowledge, skills, and
dispositions necessary to be informed, effective
participants in civic life from generation to
generation. This bill will establish the groundwork
needed to move us in the right direction.
3:51:53 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS thanked Ms. Carlson for testifying, being a
teacher in the Kenai school district, and bringing students to
the Capitol.
3:52:13 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked Ms. Carlson to define reflective patriotism
in the context of her testimony.
3:52:29 PM
MS. CARLSON said reflective patriotism is students recognizing
reasons to be proud of their country. Adolescents are generally
apathetic to patriotism. They do not feel they are a part of the
system. She stated she tries to get them excited about the
United States' system of government, its founding documents, and
being part of a governmental process that has been amazing for
250 years. Reflective patriotism is a way for students to think
about how they can be a part of local, state, and federal
government.
3:53:19 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Carlson how long she had taught at
Nikolaevsk.
MS. CARLSON replied she has taught six years at Nikolaevsk and
10 years in the Kenai school district.
3:53:46 PM
ROBERT HADLEY, Social Studies Content Specialist, Lower
Kuskokwim School District, Bethel, Alaska, testified by
invitation on SB 29 as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
This past year I worked to pioneer a new Civics pilot
program focusing on the needs of civic engagement in
our small remote communities in southwest Alaska. The
pilot program was the product of efforts by classroom
educators throughout the district who saw an unmet
need in our curriculum for effective civics education.
Our high schools only offered an optional half-credit
in comparative government.
I serve an almost exclusive Native Alaskan population
in over 20 small communities of between 300-800 in a
school district that is the size of West Virginia. I
do this largely through video teleconference tools
like Zoom, which creates unique challenges in
engagement. So many of our students dont feel well
connected to their government at any level: Federal,
State and even Tribal. Part of the goal of the class
was to give them a sense of connectivity to their
local government by participating in the Tribal
Council and carrying out a civic project that was
based on their passion or concern in their community.
Many of my students selected and tackled difficult
issues like alcohol abuse, domestic violence and acute
housing shortages in their village and worked to
advocate for potential policy solutions with local
leaders. Our class allowed them to practice democracy
in real life.
3:55:22 PM
MR. HADLEY continued:
Our students stand on the shoulders of many who have
advocated for their rights as indigenous Alaska
Natives fighting for civil rights, land, and
subsistence rights through ANCSA and ANILCA. But many
of our students dont have the skills needed to
continue advocating for their hard-won rights moving
forward. Civics education isnt simply about good
citizenship for our students, its about their very
survival. I work to find ways to incorporate this
knowledge in my Tribal Government courses, but most
students dont take these classes and are unaware of
this past and the important role they play in their
villages, a role that more robust civics education can
help fill.
SB 29 is an important step in the right direction for
the State to reinvigorate its commitment to civic
learning and the civic mission of schools. This
legislation will create new required course time and a
civics test in order for our students to graduate from
high school. This bill would also establish a Civic
Education Commission, who with the legislature's
support, will work to ensure that all Alaskan students
learn the valuable skills needed to be fully engaged
citizens, understanding both their rights and their
responsibilities as members of their tribe, their
state, and this country.
3:56:28 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS asked Mr. Hadley how long he had taught
school.
3:56:35 PM
MR. HADLEY replied that he has taught for 29 years, with five of
those years working for Lower Kuskokwim School District.
VICE CHAIR STEVENS said SB 29 has two fiscal notes that the
committee would examine at another hearing.
3:57:25 PM
SENATOR KIEHL commented that the legislation allows for multiple
ways to demonstrate knowledge of civics and the exam is not a
high stakes test. He said the state requires three credits in
the broad category of social studies for a student to graduate.
He asked if the civics course would add an additional half
credit to the graduation requirement or would it count towards
the existing three credits.
3:58:32 PM
MR. LAMKIN said he spoke with all 55 school districts in Alaska
about graduation requirements and made SB 29 non-prescriptive
out of concern for local control. All but three school districts
generalize social studies to include subjects such as US
government, US history, Alaska Native studies, and economics. He
acknowledged that while some schools require four credits in
social studies to graduate, SB 29 is not seeking to increase
credit requirements. Instead, civics instruction is assigned
half of a credit from a district's existing requirement.
3:59:42 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON referred to the sectional analysis for SB
29, page 2, paragraph 4, and asked for a definition of
pedagogies.
4:00:40 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN answered that pedagogy is the practice or art
of teaching.
4:01:09 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS found no further questions or comments.
4:01:16 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS held SB 29 in committee.
4:01:21 PM
At ease.
SB 24-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
4:02:52 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 24 "An Act relating to mental
health education; and providing for an effective date."
4:03:02 PM
SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON, District G, sponsor of SB 24, said
the bill is the same as Senate Bill 80 that she sponsored last
session. She introduced SB 24 as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 24 amends the existing health education curriculum
statute to include mental health curriculum in all K-
12 health classrooms to adequately educate students on
vital information pertaining to mental health
symptoms, resources, and treatment.
The Alaska State Board of Education and Early
Development and the Alaska Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) will develop guidelines for
instruction in mental health in consultation with
numerous stakeholders. Such organizations include, but
are not limited to, the National Council for
Behavioral Health, Providence Health and Services
Alaska, Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage Community
Mental Health Services, Inc., North Star Behavioral
Health System, and the National Alliance on Mental
Health Illness Alaska. The standards will be developed
in consultation with counselors, educators, students,
administrators, and other mental health organizations
to form effective guidelines for school boards,
teachers, and students.
After standards have been developed, the Alaska State
Board of Education and Early Development and DEED will
be responsible for implementation throughout the
Alaska school system. As with existing health
education curriculum, the DEED, the Department of
Health, and the Council on Domestic Violence and
Sexual Assault will provide technical assistance to
school districts in the development of personal safety
curricula. An existing school health education
specialist position will assist in coordinating the
program statewide.
SB 24 aims to decrease the stigma surrounding mental
illnesses and increase students' knowledge of mental
health, encouraging conversation around and
understanding of the issue.
4:05:27 PM
BESSE ODOM, Staff, Senator Elvi Gray-Jackson, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, provided the sectional analysis for
SB 24 as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Section 1: The uncodified law of the State of Alaska
is amended by adding a new section to read Legislative
Intent. This section specifies what entities will
develop guidelines for instruction in mental health.
Section 2: This section amends AS 14.30.360(a) by
removing the word "physical" when referencing
instruction for health education and adding "mental
health" and "physical health" to the list of
curriculum items each district includes in their
health education programs.
Section 3: This section amends AS 14.30.360(b) by
clarifying that health guidelines developed by the
Board of Education and Early Development must provide
standards for instruction in mental health and be
developed in consultation with the Department and
other entities.
Section 4: The uncodified law of the State of Alaska
is amended by adding a new section to read Report to
the Legislature. This section clarifies that a report
must be given to the Senate Secretary and Chief Clerk
of the House of Representatives. This report should
include a copy of developmentally appropriate
instruction and describe the process used to develop
such guidelines.
Section 5: The uncodified law of the State of Alaska
is amended by adding a new section to read Transition.
Specifically, the section requires that the state
Board of Education and Early Development shall develop
the mental health guidelines within two years after
the effective day of this Act.
Section 6: This section sets an effective date of July
1, 2023
4:07:29 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS announced invited testimony for SB 24.
4:07:55 PM
ANN RINGSTAD, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska, provided a brief
overview of the history and purpose of NAMI in Alaska. She said
SB 24 mends existing health education curriculum statutes to
include mental curriculum in public K-12 schools. It adequately
educates students on vital information about mental health
symptoms, resources, and treatment. One in six youth aged 6 - 17
in the US will experience a mental health condition, and half of
all mental health conditions begin by age 14. One in three
adults aged 18 - 25 will experience a mental health challenge.
Education, early intervention, and working on prevention are
keys to minimizing common mental health issues and hopefully
irradicating the long-term disabilities caused by mental
illness. Mental health and physical health are coupled.
4:09:41 PM
MS. RINGSTAD said that SB 24 aims to decrease the stigma of
mental illness by establishing and encouraging schools to follow
guidelines that will increase students' knowledge of mental
health by encouraging conversation and understanding. Decreasing
stigma leads to early intervention and improved outcomes. NAMI
appreciates the reports commissioned by numerous organizations
addressing mental health support in schools throughout Alaska.
All school districts in Alaska face barriers to delivering
mental health supports, such as:
• Alignment
• Availability
• Access
• Resources
• External Influences
MS. RINGSTAD said districts use various internal and external
approaches to address student mental health. However, the
variability between them makes identifying overarching
commonalities and themes difficult. Strengthening existing
public school health guidelines in consultation with
stakeholders and others listed in the legislation will guide
school districts to educate students in recognizing warning
signs of mental distress and provide them with the language and
resources to locate help.
4:12:16 PM
JASON LESSARD, Advisor, Mental Health Advocacy Through
Storytelling (MHATS), Anchorage, Alaska, said he has been an
adult advisor for MHATS, a youth-developed and youth-led
storytelling program, for five year. The program teaches kids to
talk about their personal health journey. He also serves on the
Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) governing body as a patient
advocate and chair of the ethics committee.
4:13:15 PM
MR. LESSARD said he would like to see SB 24 pass because there
is a mental health crisis among. Fifty percent of all lifelong
mental illnesses begin by age 14 and 75 percent by age 24. The
onset of mental illness essentially happens in the teenage
brain. Curricula must be changed to promote early intervention,
so students understand mental illness and mental wellness, have
the language to talk about it safely, and understand how and
where to find resources for themselves and others. Nine out of
ten calls to the mental health line are resolved and do not need
further action. Getting information into the hands of youth is
important because youth share information with each other. It is
also essential that conversations happen in a healthy way. Some
school districts have unwittingly sought the use of outdated
mental health curriculums that have adverse effects. The goal of
SB 24 is to establish guidelines to help school districts
establish curriculums. SB 24 is not a mandate.
4:17:32 PM
VICE CHAIR STEVENS held SB 24 in committee.
4:17:33 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Vice Chair Stevens adjourned the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting at 4:17 p.m.