Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/05/2017 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
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| SB102 | |
| SB103 | |
| SB104 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | SB 102 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 103 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 104 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 5, 2017
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Shelley Hughes, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator John Coghill
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 102
"An Act relating to funding for Internet services for school
districts; and relating to the Alaska higher education
investment fund."
- HEARD & HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 103
"An Act establishing the Alaska education innovation grant
program; eliminating the Alaska education grant program and the
Alaska performance scholarship program; redesignating the Alaska
higher education investment fund as the Alaska education
innovation grant fund; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
SENATE BILL NO. 104
"An Act relating to the duties of the state Board of Education
and Early Development; and relating to school curriculum."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 102
SHORT TITLE: INTERNET FOR SCHOOLS; FUNDING
SPONSOR(s): FINANCE
04/03/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/03/17 (S) EDC, FIN
04/03/17 (S) HUS WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE,RULE
23
04/04/17 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
04/04/17 (S) Heard & Held
04/04/17 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
BILL: SB 103
SHORT TITLE: ED GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIP;INNOVATIVE ED FUND
SPONSOR(s): FINANCE
04/03/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/03/17 (S) EDC, FIN
04/03/17 (S) HUS WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE,RULE
23
04/04/17 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
04/04/17 (S) Heard & Held
04/04/17 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
BILL: SB 104
SHORT TITLE: EDUCATION CURRICULUM
SPONSOR(s): FINANCE
04/03/17 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/03/17 (S) EDC, FIN
04/03/17 (S) HUS WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE,RULE
23
04/04/17 (S) EDC AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
04/04/17 (S) Heard & Held
04/04/17 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON, Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
SEAN DUSEK, Superintendent
Kenai School District
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
CLAIRE HOLLAND LECLAIR, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102.
SIERRA LLOYD, Student
Juneau Douglas High School
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in favor of fully funding
education.
NORM WOOTEN, Executive Director
Alaska Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
DEENA MITCHELL, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
STEPHANIE BUTLER, Executive Director
Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 103.
LISA SKILES PARADY, Executive Director
Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
DR. MARK MILLER, Superintendent
Juneau School District
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
TERRIE GOTTSTEIN, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
DAVE HANSON, Representing himself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102 and SB 103.
SAICHI OVA, Director
Student Achievement
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 103.
JOHN CONWELL, Superintendent
Unalaska City School District
Unalaska, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
TODD SMOLDON, Representing himself
Willow, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102 and SB 103.
BRENDA TAYLOR, Parent
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102 and SB 104.
ANDY HOLLEN, Representing himself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
KAITLIN DEMARCUS, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 103.
CHERYL TUTTLE, President
Student Governance Office
Kenai Peninsula College
Nikiski, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102.
MARY NANUWAK, Representing herself
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on the importance of education.
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent
Alaska Gateway School District
Tok, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
JIM ANDERSON, CFO
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 103 and SB 104.
JOHN BLAINE, Representing himself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 103.
CATHERINE COWARD, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
BECCA BERNARD, Representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
KATE MEYER, Representing herself
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 102.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:30 AM
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Begich, Giessel, and Chair Hughes. Senators
Coghill and Stevens arrived shortly thereafter.
She noted there would be public testimony on SB 102, SB 103, and
SB 104.
SB 102-INTERNET FOR SCHOOLS; FUNDING
SB 103-ED GRANTS/SCHOLARSHIP;INNOVATIVE ED FUND
SB 104-EDUCATION CURRICULUM
8:02:33 AM
CHAIR HUGHES announced the consideration of SB 102, SB 103, and
SB 104, sponsored by the Senate Finance Committee.
SENATOR ANNA MACKINNON, Alaska State Legislature, reviewed SB
102, SB 103, and SB 104. She stated that:
In Alaska we have high achieving students, great
teachers, and many high performing schools and
districts. Greatness is out there. However, there's an
enormous achievement gap for many Alaska students, and
outcomes are not where they should be for students to
achieve their lives' goals.
SENATOR MACKINNON provided a summary of SB 102:
SB 102 provides E-rate matching money that is
leveraged by every dollar that we invest, another $7
to support broadband in communities across our state
and be a tool for schools to use in accessing good
teachers for great outcomes anywhere in the world.
8:03:32 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON explained SB 103:
SB 103 is the source of funds proposed to be used to
help support K-12 education. SB 103 phases out the
Alaska Performance Scholarship allowing seniors that
graduate this calendar year to utilize the grant
through all their endeavors in a college experience.
Freshmen that are in college now will continue through
to achieve their goals, sophomores, as well as
juniors, but 2017 would be the last graduating
students that would receive this service. It would
retitle the program and the remaining money in the
fund to become the Alaska Education Innovation Grant
Program. The use of those funds will be determined
later through school districts working with DEED and
providing, through the Governor's office, a request to
the legislature to support innovation to help schools
across our state and students to achieve their lives'
dream
8:04:49 AM
SENATOR MACKINNON summarized SB 104:
SB 104 provides an opportunity for school districts to
take a pause on curriculum review, which costs time
and money, and hopefully allocate those resources to
work with DEED to look at curriculum and best
practices both nationwide and around the world to see
if there is a better way that we could do business.
She noted that that the bills are voluntary, with the exception
of the APS provision that would change the use of future funds.
CHAIR HUGHES said the bills keep local control. She summarized
the three bills.
CHAIR HUGHES opened public testimony on SB 102, SB 103, and SB
104.
8:06:59 AM
SEAN DUSEK, Superintendent, Kenai School District, testified on
SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104. He thanked the legislature for its
hard work on efforts to improve schools. He spoke in favor of
providing more broadband infrastructure to schools. He voiced
concern about losing the APS which has provided results at the
university level and increased rigor at the high school level
since 2011. He added that when education was increased to
adequate levels in 2011, KPBSD saw a lot of improvement from
forward, adequate funding. He pointed out that these bills
require a level of support from DEED and the commissioner. He
requested that the legislature do their part and fund DEED, so
they can do their job.
He stated that KPBSD is working hard to personalize and
modernize through curriculum development and will continue to
look at standards and best practices. They are moving into the
realm of professional development to improve the quality of
teachers. He emphasized the need for strong leadership in
education, which is the next big impact to student achievement.
He hopes the legislature will support best practice efforts
through the Alaska Education Challenge. He maintained that
educators in Alaska have not given up on their students and they
care greatly about improving education.
8:09:13 AM
CHAIR HUGHES noted the presence of Senators Stevens and Coghill.
8:09:49 AM
CLAIRE HOLLAND LECLAIR, representing herself, testified on SB
102. She asked when there would be testimony regarding education
funding. She addressed her concern for the loss of the Alaska
Performance Scholarship program.
8:11:37 AM
SIERRA LLOYD, Student, Juneau Douglas High School, testified in
favor of fully funding education.
8:12:49 AM
NORM WOOTEN, Executive Director, Alaska Association of Alaska
School Boards (AASB), testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
He thanked the committee for its efforts. He opined that SB 102
is very helpful to education and will have a dramatic effect on
rural districts. He turned to SB 103 and requested to keep the
Alaska Performance Scholarship. He stated that it is a program
that is working.
He voiced appreciation for the curriculum review in SB 104. Most
districts will continue to review their curriculum. He was
concerned about having DEED taking on one more task - developing
model curriculum - noting the department may be reaching a
breaking point.
8:16:52 AM
DEENA MITCHELL, representing herself, testified on SB 102, SB
103, and SB 104. She began with what she appreciates about the
committee's work on education. She spoke in favor of SB 102.
Having adequate broadband is something that should be in place.
She thought the focus on innovation in SB 103 was good, however,
she testified in favor of keeping the Alaska Performance
Scholarship. She provided an example of a student who is going
to be able to attend college because of it.
She said school districts will review curriculum even without SB
104. She stressed the need for providing autonomy for school
districts and local control. She urged the committee to provide
professionals with stable, adequate, predictable funding.
8:22:55 AM
STEPHANIE BUTLER, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on Post-
Secondary Education, testified on SB 103. She thanked the
committee for their creative, thoughtful proposals. She spoke of
the shortage of teachers and efforts to provide innovative
solutions to address this crisis. She stressed the importance of
focusing on programs that offer a solution, such as the APS. She
spoke of favor of retaining the APS and offered data to prove
its effectiveness. She read the four goals of the APS and listed
the outcomes it provided.
8:26:44 AM
LISA SKILES PARADY, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA), testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104.
She said her members have not had sufficient time to review the
bills. She hoped that the process will slow down enough to give
districts time to work through them. She thanked the sponsor and
the committee for their work on the bills.
DR. PARADY first addressed SB 102. She spoke in favor of
increasing broadband to all of Alaska. In SB 103 the efforts to
support continued innovation is welcomed, however, there is
great concern using the APS to fund the new Innovation Grant.
She wanted to continue to invest in students with the APS and to
continue to partner with the university and find new sources of
the funding for the grant.
8:30:57 AM
DR. PARADY appreciated the curriculum provision in SB 104 as a
voluntary option for districts to choose a model curriculum
administered by DEED. However, she did not want to take from one
program to fund another.
She concluded that DEED has to be funded to support districts
with new tasks.
8:32:41 AM
DR. MARK MILLER, Superintendent, Juneau School District,
testified on SB 102, SB 103, SB 104. He stated that no one can
argue against any of the innovative ideas in these bills, but
they require funding and support. He suggested to figure out a
way to pay for them. He was opposed to eliminating the APS.
8:35:11 AM
TERRIE GOTTSTEIN, representing herself, testified on SB 102, SB
103, and SB 104. She said she sees an approach to education that
is wrong. Getting rid of the APS is very wrong. She said you can
tell someone's priority by how they spend their time and their
money.
She maintained that public education is a resource. She said
people are willing to tax themselves for education. She
encouraged the legislature to not vote based on their ideology.
8:38:43 AM
DAVE HANSON, representing himself, testified on SB 102 and SB
103. He spoke in support of the APS. It keeps the best and
brightest in the state and has economic value. Businesses want
assurance that the state has a good education system. The APS is
one of the best tools to show that. It encourages home-grown
Alaskans to stay in Alaska.
He said SB 102 is wonderful in that it extends the broadband to
all schools, but agreed that it should be prioritized and
limited to schools only. He agreed that having good teachers in
the classrooms is important.
8:41:38 AM
SAICHI OVA, Associate Vice President, Student and Enrollment
Strategy, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, testified on SB 103.
He stated that UA strongly supports the continuation of the APS.
UA supports innovation in education, but opposes the use of
funds identified for the APS to be used for other purposes. He
related that UA believes that the APS incentivizes better
postsecondary preparedness, helps the university retain Alaskan
students, and results in the need for less remediation. AP
recipients take fewer remedial courses than non-recipients, stay
in school longer, and earn more credits. He provided data to
back this up. Losing the APS sets back post-secondary attendance
at UA and in the state at large. He concluded that the greatest
challenge for UA and the state is not from outside colleges and
universities, but from Alaskans choosing not to go to any
postsecondary program.
8:44:21 AM
JOHN CONWELL, Superintendent, Unalaska City School testified on
SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104. He said he has not had much time to
review the bills. He spoke of the broadband assistance provided
in SB 102 and pointed out that their district is at the limits
of satellite broadband delivery and it would take fiber optics
to provide more.
He said the curriculum provision in SB 104 is well-meaning, but
is something that is already happening in the Unalaska District.
It is something their Board believes strongly in and it is the
right thing to do.
8:46:38 AM
MR. CONWELL spoke in favor of keeping the APS program. As a
former UA graduate, he loves to encourage his students to strive
to go to college and the APS has been the greatest single
motivator for students to take rigorous courses for that
opportunity. He said his own sons will soon be going to college
and he would like to see them go to college in Alaska. He
stressed the importance of the APS for students in Unalaska.
He thanked the committee for thinking outside the box, but he
encouraged them to watch for unintended consequences. He said to
let the Alaska Education Challenge do its job.
8:49:52 AM
TODD SMOLDON, representing himself, testified on SB 102 and SB
103. He said he has been a classroom teacher and a virtual
education teacher and he spoke in favor of increasing broadband
access. He spoke of the basic necessities for education, a
rigorous curriculum, a desire from the student to learn, and a
teacher who is available to answer questions when students need
help.
He said his oldest son will be able to take advantage of the
APS, but his youngest son will not, but he will be applying for
other scholarships. He asked everyone to consider education
funding and look at needs, rather than wants.
8:53:31 AM
BRENDA TAYLOR, Parent, testified on SB 102 and SB 104. She
suggested that the committee look at the big picture of
education. She described how course offerings and scheduling
have changed at Juneau Douglas High School due to lack of
funding. She maintained that some classes, like health, should
not be offered as on-line courses. She did not want technology
to substitute for classroom teachers.
She suggested not to encourage districts to use a model
curriculum, but rather to develop their own local curriculum.
She appreciated all the work the committee has done.
8:56:59 AM
ANDY HOLLEN, representing himself, testified on SB 102, SB 103,
and SB 104. He stressed that they must consider the consequences
of cuts to education along with these bills.
8:57:57 AM
KAITLIN DEMARCUS, representing herself, testified on SB 103. She
shared her vast experience in education, including her current
work with students pursuing postsecondary education. She spoke
in favor of keeping the APS and said that students feel very
passionately about keeping the APS. She has seen the positive
benefits of the APS and she listed them. It encourages students
to take rigorous curriculum and prepares them for college.
Students who qualify for the APS are invested in their
communities and want to stay in Alaska. Taking away the APS
would send the wrong message to young people in Alaska.
CHERYL TUTTLE, President, Student Governance Office, Kenai
Peninsula College, testified on SB 102. She stressed the
importance of keeping the APS. She said to prioritize what is
important for the state and the APS is one of them.
9:03:14 AM
MARY NANUWAK, representing herself, testified on the importance
of education. She said reading and local teachers are very
important. She appreciated the committee's hard work.
9:06:11 AM
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent, Alaska Gateway School District,
testified on SB 102, SB 103, and SB 104. He pointed out that
there is not a fiscal note for the broadband in SB 102. Without
financial support for delivery, his district will not benefit
from this bill. He agreed that with online education, it is
important to have a good teacher.
He turned to SB 103 and said he is against eliminating the APS.
Regarding SB 104, he said a model curriculum will be good for
small districts, but their district has gone beyond needing a
model curriculum. They have developed, and review, their own
curriculum.
He suggested giving the Alaska Education Challenge (AED) a
chance. The task force has expertise and will look at unintended
consequences. He stressed the need to work together on the AED
and maintained that the three bills put the cart before the
horse.
9:10:41 AM
JIM ANDERSON, CFO, Anchorage School District, testified on SB
103 and SB 104. He thanked the committee for their efforts. He
applauded the focus on education innovation in SB 103, noting
that ASD is working with UAA to initiate an Alaska Middle
College School next year, an ANSEP high school, and a new STEM
program. He stated the importance of the APS and asked the
sponsor to reconsider doing away with it because it acts as an
incentive for students to push themselves, develops more rigor
and discipline, and encourages more students to continue their
education in Alaska.
He said he looks forward to working with DEED to upgrade
curriculum as proposed in SB 104. ASD agrees with previous
testifiers that DEED will need many team players in order to
tackle that job.
9:12:42 AM
JOHN BLAINE, representing himself, testified on SB 103. He
emphasized the need to keep the APS. He took issue with the
damage being done to education and all the efforts that are
misdirected. He requested that the legislature consider other
ways of dealing with the financial crisis.
9:14:45 AM
CATHERINE COWARD, representing herself, testified on SB 102, SB
103, and SB 104. She stated that it is difficult to look at the
bills without the context of budget cuts to public education.
She liked the idea of increased broadband, but opined that more
teachers in the classroom and smaller class sizes are more
important. She was opposed to the loss of the APS. She concluded
that the legislature is balancing the budget on the backs of
students and only gives lip service to education.
9:16:26 AM
BECCA BERNARD, representing herself, testified on SB 102, SB
103, and SB 104. She said research has shown that small class
size and good teachers are the most important factors in
education. Innovation should not replace those basics. Schools
also need stable, predictable funding. Cutting the APS will not
help keeps students in Alaska or improve the number of good
teachers. She concluded that online learning is not a substitute
for good teachers.
9:18:50 AM
KATE MEYER, representing herself, testified on SB 102 and SB
103. She spoke against the elimination of the APS. She focused
on technology considerations. She shared a personal story about
her son and stressed the importance of good teachers and real-
life classrooms. Increasing broadband will require considerable
funding and IT staff. She listed problems with video
conferencing. She concluded that the idea of doing more with
less by maximizing virtual education is misguided.
9:23:18 AM
CHAIR HUGHES closed public testimony on SB 102, SB 103, and SB
104, and held the bills in committee.
9:23:40 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Senator Hughes adjourned the Senate Education Committee at 9:23
a.m.
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