Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205
04/02/2019 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): University of Alaska Board of Regents Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 2, 2019
9:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes, Vice Chair
Senator Chris Birch
Senator Mia Costello
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
University of Alaska Board of Regents
John Bania - Wrangell
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Sally Stockhausen - Ketchikan
Bob Griffin - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JOHN BANIA, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Wrangell, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee during his
confirmation hearing.
DARROLL HARGRAVES, Appointee
University of Alaska
Board of Regents
Wrangell, Alaska
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Confirmation hearing was rescheduled due to
technical issues.
SALLY STOCKHAUSEN, Appointee
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee during her
confirmation hearing.
BOB GRIFFIN, Appointee
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee during his
confirmation hearing.
KATHY CUDDY, representing herself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported the confirmation of Bob Griffin to
the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:01:49 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:01 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Hughes, Begich, Birch, Costello, and Chair
Stevens.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): University of Alaska Board of Regents
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
9:02:01 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced the consideration of the confirmation of
the governor's appointees to the University of Alaska Board of
Regents. He asked Mr. Bania to speak about what he would bring
to the Board of Regents, why he is interested in serving, and
what goals he may have to help improve the university system.
9:02:41 AM
JOHN BANIA, Appointee, University of Alaska, Board of Regents,
Wrangell, said he came to Alaska in 1983 to seek a better life.
He was hiring for an education position in the Northwest Arctic,
working in various villages near Kotzebue. Over the years, he
served as principal and assistant superintendent. He met his
wife in the Kotzebue area and raised a family. He later served
as superintendent in Tanana for three years. When he decided he
did not want to retire, he worked as a finish carpenter in
Wrangell, where he owns a business, Finish Carpentry. He brings
a unique perspective to the Board of Regents because of his
experience in education and as a carpenter working with
tradesmen, including plumbers, electricians and professional
engineers, which has given him more community contact than
someone who has only worked in a professional category.
MR. BANIA said the University of Alaska need regents who have
respect for the university staff, faculty, and students. He
offered his belief that the University of Alaska is a high-
quality university, but any institution has room for
improvement. He said he hopes he can contribute based on his
experience in the field of education. Education has played an
important role in his family, for himself and his son. As
parents, he and his wife stressed the importance of education
when his son was growing up. His son is now a physician in
Wrangell, he said.
9:06:07 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked Mr. Bania to describe his vision for the
university, his view on the governor's $140 million in proposed
cuts to the university and if it affects his vision of the
University of Alaska (UA).
MR. BANIA responded by describing his experience at the Tanana
School District (TSD). When he was hired [as superintendent in
2009] the school district was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Shortly thereafter, the commissioner called him to ask whether
the district would need to close its offices. He asked the
commissioner for time to address the school district's financial
and operational problems. He was able to do so. The school
district is working well today and thriving, he said. He
acknowledged his budget experience at TSD was on a smaller scale
than the severe budget problems the UA faces. He said he was not
panicked about the governor's proposed budget for the
university. He offered his belief that it was a proposal, one
that would be modified before it takes its final form and the
cuts will not likely be as severe.
SENATOR BEGICH asked for his vision for the University of Alaska
and his focus, given the financial exigencies described by the
governor and others. He related his understanding that the TSD's
budget was not cut, but he was given an opportunity to fix it.
MR. BANIA replied that the university should work toward its
areas of strength, such as research. The UA is a great research
university that provides innovation and growth in Alaska and
elsewhere, but it could become even greater. He suggested that
the UA should carefully review individual programs with only a
small number of students to determine whether the programs
should continue. Most institutions have areas that can be
trimmed, but not necessarily cut out. He acknowledged that
significant discussion about the accreditation problem at the
College of Education in Anchorage and whether accreditation
should be pursued was underway. He suggested that the full board
should consider the accreditation issue to determine what
benefits the university as a whole, not necessarily one branch
of it.
CHAIR STEVENS remarked that the committee just received an email
from UA President [Jim Johnsen] indicating his solution to the
loss of accreditation for the teaching programs in Anchorage was
to handle the programs through the Fairbanks and Juneau
campuses. It would appear that the regents had discussed this
and were not willing to move ahead with accreditation in
Anchorage. He expressed concern that it seemed shortsighted
because Anchorage is the largest school in the university
system. It would be great to have Anchorage accredited in those
areas rather than depend on classes and professors coming from
outside.
MR. BANIA related his understanding that that the Board of
Regents has not yet approved a solution. However, so long as
education students can complete their programs, obtain
certificates, and become teachers, he was unsure if it mattered
whether the accreditation came from the UA Anchorage College of
Education or the UA Fairbanks and UA Southeast.
CHAIR STEVENS said he appreciated his willingness not to panic.
9:14:16 AM
SENATOR BIRCH said that the University of Alaska is very
important to him. He asked Mr. Bania how he perceived his role
on the Board of Regents and to share how he would serve as an
advocate for higher education in Alaska.
MR. BANIA replied that it was essential to respect and protect
the needs of the university's faculty, staff, and students. The
Board of Regents oversees the University of Alaska system and
hires or dismisses the president. He characterized it as a great
responsibility because education is "a people business." When he
was initially asked to serve on the board, he felt it was a
great honor, but he also recognized the tremendous
responsibility the board has since its decisions affect many
people and programs, including the president, staff, faculty,
and residents.
9:16:47 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she hoped that besides considering faculty
and students, he would consider the state's needs as the
university goes through the restructuring process. She reported
that the UA has over 400 programs. She suggested that the UA
could keep and improve the programs most important to the needs
of the state and its workforce. These enhanced programs could
draw in Lower 48 students, which could bring in nonresident
tuition. She said she liked his comments on research and
innovation since technology can create opportunities for Alaska.
She suggested that the university should look ahead and consider
how to prepare students to bring in new opportunities for the
state.
MR. BANIA replied that he agreed wholeheartedly. He said that he
has a master's degree in vocational-technical education. Since
he has lived in many places in Alaska, he has a statewide
perspective on the state needs, including training and education
for people who can accomplish things. He said he hoped he could
contribute by using his work history in other fields and in
education as principal or superintendent. In particular, he
would like to contribute by helping to develop programs in the
technical fields that will benefit the state over time.
9:20:30 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that his statewide perspective and
experience will serve him well in this position. She said she
appreciated his experience in the K-12 system because many
students are not prepared for college and must take remedial
coursework. Once confirmed, he could provide a beneficial link
to school districts to help ensure that students graduating from
high school were prepared for the 100-level college courses.
CHAIR STEVENS asked him to reflect on teacher education in the
state, which he is knowledgeable in since he has hired teachers.
The state hires Lower 48 teachers to work in Alaska since the
state does not have enough teachers to fulfill its needs. Each
year, the legislature requests the Board of Regents to report on
measures it has taken to address teacher education. The
University of Alaska's president developed the goal to achieve a
certain percentage of teachers who from Alaska by a certain
date. He asked whether Mr. Bania had any ideas on how to
increase the number of rural Alaskans who go into teacher
education.
MR. BANIA answered that he has experience in hiring teachers for
many of the schools in the Northwest Arctic. He characterized
teaching in rural Alaska as a way of life. In rural Alaska,
educators are totally immersed and involved in the community. He
explained that Alaska is divided into larger towns and Bush
villages, which might seem like living in a foreign country to
many teachers. Alaskans must bridge the gap between the larger
towns and the smaller, rural villages. He recalled when Alaska
had an exchange program for students from Anchorage or Fairbanks
to spend two or three weeks in a village and vice versa. He
suggested developing programs to inform people, so teachers
realize what it is like to live in rural Alaska. Sometimes
living in rural Alaska is tough: the climate is tough. However,
some people who are outdoor oriented and become involved in the
community learn to love it.
9:25:44 AM
SENATOR STEVENS offered his belief that the board has lacked the
perspective of someone who has spent time in rural education. He
said that Mr. Bania would be a great addition to the board.
CHAIR STEVENS turned to the next appointee, Darroll Hargraves,
who has been involved in many legislative issues during the
chair's tenure in the legislature. He asked Mr. Hargraves to
speak to his interest in serving on Board of Regents and any
goals he has to help improve the University of Alaska.
9:26:54 AM
DARROLL HARGRAVES, Appointee, University of Alaska Board of
Regents, Wasilla, said he arrived in Fairbanks in February in
1966, on his way to teach English in Barrow. The downtown
Fairbanks thermometer read 70 degrees below zero, which was a
drastic change from Missouri weather. He remarked that he still
retains a relationship with many former students. From Barrow,
he went to Kivalina and then Gambell to teach. In 1969,
University of Alaska Fairbanks recruited him. He eventually
became director of UA Statewide Programs and Services. He was in
charge of any classes not offered at the Fairbanks campus.
9:29:43 AM
{Indisc.--technical difficulties]
9:30:34 AM
At ease.
9:30:39 AM
CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting. He advised Mr. Hargraves
the teleconference was experiencing technical difficulties with
the audio.
9:34:35 AM
SENATOR HUGHES commented that she served with Mr. Hargraves at a
number of community council meetings. She explained that the
Mat-Su Valley lacked representation on the Board of Regents for
many years until Dr. Bishop was appointed, but shortly after her
appointment, she was hired by the Anchorage School District and
stepped down.
She offered her belief that Mr. Hargraves would bring a broad
perspective from his experience living in many areas of the
state. She related Mr. Hargraves currently lives in the Mat-Su,
which is an area that has evolved into a good community. She
said she wanted the committee to know Mr. Hargraves was a good
candidate to serve on the Board of Regents.
9:36:26 AM
CHAIR STEVENS remarked that the committee wanted to hear more
from Mr. Hargraves, but the audio was inaudible. He announced
that Mr. Hargrave's confirmation hearing would be postponed.
9:37:40 AM
CHAIR STEVENS opened public testimony and after determining no
one wished to testify, closed public testimony. He solicited a
motion.
9:38:11 AM
SENATOR HUGHES stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the
Senate Education Standing Committee reviewed the following and
recommends the appointment be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
University of Alaska Board of Regents
John Bania - Wrangell
9:38:34 AM
CHAIR STEVENS found no objection and the motion carried.
[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.]
9:38:42 AM
At ease.
9:38:57 AM
CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting and turned to consideration
of the governor's appointees to the Alaska State Board of
Education and Early Development. He noted that the hearing of
Ms. Tiffany Scott would be postponed because she was not
available.
9:41:18 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Stockhausen to speak to her background,
why she would like to serve on the State Board of Education, and
any goals she has for the BOE.
9:41:58 AM
SALLY STOCKHAUSEN, Appointee, Alaska State Board of Education
and Early Development, Ketchikan, said she is a special
education teacher at Ketchikan High School. She began her
teaching career in 1998 in Ft. Worth, Texas. In 2002, she and
her husband moved to Glenallen. Her husband was a history
teacher and basketball coach. She became a paraeducator in the
special education program and through that experience she
discovered her passion was advocating for and teaching students
in special education. In the Copper River School District, she
received outstanding professional development and worked with
staff and the district to create an RTI [response to
intervention] model before it became popular. She said earned a
master's degree in special education at the University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA) and taught special education in the Copper River
School District for four years. In 2008, her family moved to
Ketchikan. She said that she has two children who attend
Ketchikan schools.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN reiterated that her greatest passion was to
advocate for students who struggle, teaching them to advocate
for themselves, creating a safe learning environment, and
improving postsecondary outcomes for students in special
education. She said she is very excited to be part of the Alaska
State Board of Education and Early Development (BOE). She
offered her belief that this board is committed to investing in
the future of Alaska and the education of Alaska's children. She
agreed with the board's mission statement that every student
should receive an excellent education every day. She further
agreed with the Alaska Education Challenge and its three
commitments, to increase student success, support responsible
and reflective learners, and cultivate safety and well-being.
She expressed interest in the trauma-informed movement
transforming schools. This movement focuses on trauma issues
that classroom teachers have struggled with for many years.
Schools can make huge differences in the future of students by
becoming more aware of trauma, so students and their families
can overcome past or current trauma.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said she brings to the board her years of
experience teaching at the elementary, middle, and secondary
level. She has taught in the inner city, rural Alaska, and
small-town Alaska. She has taught general education, English as
a Second Language, and special education. She has served on many
teams, committees, and served as a department chair for several
years. She brings not only a teacher's perspective but also a
special educator's perspective. She acknowledged that we live in
challenging times. In terms of goals, she would like to assist
districts in meeting the Alaska Education Challenge by finding
innovative, creative ways to increase student success, support
responsible and reflective learners, and cultivate safety and
well-being, she said. She characterized educators as resourceful
people. She highlighted other goals, including a desire to make
the education system sustainable in the changing economy, and to
help districts implement the trauma-engaged practice framework.
Only when students feel safe and connected at school can these
students learn, she said.
9:46:07 AM
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said that often during times of adversity come
times of great growth. She identified some struggles, including
low test scores, budget issues, UAA's accreditation, as
opportunities for innovative growth. She cares about the future
of students and is excited about increasing career and technical
education (CTE) opportunities, so all students will have a
chance for a bright future. CTE classes not only give students
needed life skills, but also help students investigate career
paths and motivate them to stay in school and pursue further
training. She has observed students who have struggled
academically for an entire school career blossom in an auto or
wood shop. She would like schools to offer more of these
opportunities. She expressed an interest in improving
partnerships with families, communities and tribes. Everyone
needs to work together to support Alaska's children.
9:47:29 AM
CHAIR STEVENS pointed out one role that was not being addressed
was its independence. By law, the board is an independent
organization. The State Board of Education is responsible for
voting on the budget, but Alaska's BOE has not done so. He
acknowledged that it was a political issue. However, he asked
whether she could speak to the role of the board, its
independence, and its job as compared to the administration.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said she would yield to the spirit of the
statement the board issued:
We are supportive of our legislators and the governor
as you work together to create a budget that will
carry us into the future and that regardless of how
much our budget increases or decreases, we'll remain
steadfast to the Alaska Education Challenge.
9:48:39 AM
SENATOR BEGICH echoed Chair Steven's question. He recalled an
attorney general's opinion presented at an earlier joint
education meeting found that the board was symbolic in its
decision-making authority. He said that he found the board's
statement very disappointing. He paraphrased the BOE's mission
statement to mean that the board looks forward to decisions made
by others, but it considers its role a symbolic one. He asked
whether she was accepting of the BOE's role as symbolic.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN offered her belief that where the board can make
decisions that were more than symbolic in how it allocates the
resources for education. She said that the board looks forward
to reviewing the legislature's budget for education.
9:50:05 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked about her vision for pre-K and the role it
plays in the education system given her experience teaching pre-
K in Copper Valley because it would help inform the writing of
the budget.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN replied that the earlier that children can
become involved in pre-reading instruction, literature-rich
environments would be best. She explained her role in pre-K in
the Copper River School District with special education students
with Individual Education Plans (IEP) was for students who
needed assistance. At the time, that was their only scope of
pre-K.
SENATOR BEGICH related from data on poor test scores that
Caucasian students do better than the national average. However,
according to data presented last week, non-Caucasian students,
in particular, Alaska Native students perform poorly. He
indicated that districts that perform most poorly have issues
around language, whether a student comes prepared in English and
Yupik, or English and Athabascan, or English and Inupiaq. He
asked what the board would recommend for weaker outcomes for
dual language students who are predominantly Alaska Native
students.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN recalled that the Alaska Education Challenge
[policy] suggested districts should purposefully increase their
relationships with tribes and families to support [Alaska
Native] students. She said sometimes schools project the sense
that teachers are experts who know everything and tell students,
"You need to do this to be successful." She suggested it was
also important to consider areas which parents, communities, and
tribes need their children to show proficiency, and to inquire
what will culturally work for their children. She suggested that
the districts needed to increase these partnerships.
SENATOR BEGICH said that he repeatedly hears about lower test
scores. However, when the legislature and educators drill down
and examine recent data, it also shows higher graduation rates
and improved school outcomes since the legislature has
stabilized education funding. He asked what she would do to
address teacher turnover, which seems to be a chronic problem
and is one of the drivers of the rural education challenges.
9:54:18 AM
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said she appreciated Mr. Bania's views about
creating programs to allow new teachers to experience life in
rural Alaska before moving to villages. She would take it a step
further and suggest the districts should create ways to mentor
teachers. Teachers graduate from college and imagine themselves
teaching in rural communities. These teachers are sometimes
shocked at the reality of village life. The mentor programs must
be ones created in rural Alaska. These mentors could help
teachers through difficult times in local schools or
communities. She offered her belief that teachers need support.
SENATOR BEGICH said the Constitution of the State of Alaska
prohibits the use of public funds for private education. He
asked for her opinion.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN answered that she has considered this issue
since he asked her about that during a meeting in his office. As
a board member, it is her duty to uphold statutes, but if the
statutes change, she felt it was her duty to have an open mind
and hold discussions from all perspectives to determine the best
for students.
SENATOR BEGICH clarified that the Constitution of the State of
Alaska prohibits the use of public funds for private education,
not the statutes. He asked whether education could be improved
by cutting funding.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said that cutting education funding concerns
her. She was unsure how schools could make it with budget cuts,
but at the same time she was concerned about the state's
financial future. She remarked that she does not envy the
budgetary decisions the legislature or the governor must make
since these decisions will affect generations of Alaskans. She
said the administration and legislature must find new revenues
and cut expenditures. She acknowledged the difficulty to do so.
She thanked the committee members for their service and for
carrying that burden so that the board can focus on educating
Alaska's children.
SENATOR BEGICH said he appreciates her candor.
9:57:38 AM
SENATOR BIRCH said he worked with local school boards and
governments for six years in Fairbanks and nine years in
Anchorage. Typically, the local school boards are "hands-on" and
approve contracts, approve budgets and advance those budgets for
local government approval. He asked if she could see any
parallels between the statewide Board of Education, which has
been viewed as "symbolic" and his experience with local school
boards who control budgets subject to veto in local government.
He offered his belief that the references to symbolic role does
not sound meaningful.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN asked for further clarification that the
question was how the board was different from local school
boards.
SENATOR BIRCH replied yes. He said he is seeking a sense of the
fundamental distinction for the Board of Education's role.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN answered that her experience was very school
focused and the BOE represents a new arena for her. She related
her understanding that the state board's role is more focused on
the students and guiding policy and to allocate the [financial]
resources the legislature appropriates whereas the local school
boards receive funding and must allocate the funding.
SENATOR BIRCH said he is trying to figure out the state board's
advocacy role.
10:00:56 AM
SENATOR COSTELLO said that everyone in the legislature
recognizes the importance of education. She recognized the need
for innovative and uncommon solutions to common problems. She
was encouraged that Ms. Stockhausen recognized the impact of
adverse childhood experiences and promoted trauma-informed care.
She said it was time to examine the reasons that schools in some
areas are underperforming. Some pockets of excellence and great
results exist, but it seemed hit or miss across the state.
She expressed her concern that the legislature's budget approval
timing has had an ongoing negative impact on teacher retention.
Each year districts must write several budgets [to address
potential budget cuts]. Further, the districts must lay off
teachers, which is especially difficult in rural Alaska because
those teachers must decide whether to stay or leave. Often,
these teachers decide to leave.
SENATOR COSTELLO said she was also concerned about the suicide
rate among young people in Alaska. It is disheartening and so
sad, she said. She asked Ms. Stockhausen to comment about the
early funding and the role she might have in addressing the
issue of suicide.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN answered that she agreed with Senator Costello
on early funding. She related her own experience in moving from
Texas to Alaska. Each year was stressful because she and her
husband would not know if their contracts would be renewed and
considered leaving. She acknowledged that new teachers express
the same concerns. She offered her belief that Alaska loses many
good teachers as a result. She would love to find a way to
address early funding.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said that hearing about the suicide rate in
Alaska causes her to picture some of her former students who
committed suicide. It is heartbreaking, she said. The best way
to combat suicide is for teachers to develop meaningful
relationships with kids and to foster safe atmospheres in
schools for peer relationships, she said. For example, all
students need to experience someone being excited to see them
walk through the door. She suggested that the trauma-informed
movement will raise awareness regarding how important the
personal connects are and help school staff to intentionally
focus on building those positive relationships.
10:05:35 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that the Anchorage and Mat-Su
superintendents expressed concern about the level of special
education funding, such that some streamlining could be done
without diminishing the quality of the special education
services. However, districts were prohibited by federal law, not
a state requirement. She encouraged Ms. Stockhausen suggest that
the board send a letter or resolution to urge Alaska's
Congressional delegation to remedy this issue to free up those
dollars that could be used to provide other instruction.
10:07:07 AM
MS. STOCKHAUSEN asked for further clarification on the specific
issue.
SENATOR HUGHES said that according to the superintendents,
federal law requires districts provide the same level of funding
for special education it did in the previous year. Districts do
not have any flexibility to streamline to achieve cost savings
and redirect the funds. She asked Ms. Stockhausen if she would
support an effort at the federal level for this to be
reconsidered to give districts more flexibility.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN answered that she was not familiar with the
issue, but she offered to research it.
SENATOR HUGHES suggested that she contact Dr. Goyette and Dr.
Bishop for information.
10:08:17 AM
She highlighted one area in the Alaska Education Challenge
related to safety in school buildings. The legislature has heard
of tragic circumstances in the lower 48. She offered her belief
that Alaska still has work to do since schools feel less
prepared than a few years ago. The legislature wants students to
learn and be safe, she said. She asked whether she had any
thoughts on school safety.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said that she spends a significant amount of
time in different classrooms. She acknowledged when she enters a
new classroom that she automatically considers how she would
handle an emergency. Most teachers have made that transition,
too, she said. Her district moved to ALICE [alert, lockdown,
inform, counter, evacuate] training. She would like to further
research school safety. In the last few years, her district has
increased the discussion it has with kids and is doing more
practice drills. She agrees that it must be one of the top
priorities.
SENATOR BEGICH referred to an earlier discussion of the attorney
general's legal opinion about the symbolic role of the BOE. He
had asked Legislative Legal Services to provide a response to
the memo. He said that he just received the response. He asked
Ms. Stockhausen to comment on two statements.
10:11:44 AM
CHAIR STEVENS clarified that he had a response from Legislative
Legal Services responding to the letter from the governor's
office.
SENATOR BEGICH answered yes. He read an excerpt from the letter:
The Executive Budget Act does not actually supersede
the procedures outlined in AS 14.07.150 regarding the
Department of Education's (DEED) proposed budget
because the provisions do not actually conflict. DEED
could comply with both AS 14.07.150 and the Executive
Budget Act through compliance with the process
outlined in AS 14.07.150. Indeed, DEED has
historically been able to comply with both the Budget
Act and AS 14.07.150. Nevertheless, even in the event
of an apparent conflict between these provisions, the
Budget Act does not explicitly state that conflicting
provisions are superseded by the Executive Budget Act
and the DEED commissioner and board remain subject to
the budget procedures set forth in AS 14.07.150.
A vote on the DEED budget would not merely be a
"symbolic statement" as this is a statutorily required
budget procedure. While the governor has already
satisfied his constitutional and statutory obligations
to submit a budget to the legislature for
consideration, the legislature has not yet completed
its budget process and DEED's compliance with AS
14.07.150 may also aid the legislature in making its
final budgetary decisions. Our legal advice is that
you have a role advising us in terms of a budget.
He said he was not asking for a response today. However, since
the BOE's role elicited the board's response, he suggested she
should reflect on that statement. He offered to provide the
opinion to the committee and the department.
CHAIR STEVENS asked whether she had a conflict of interest to
serve on the Board of Education since she is an employee of
Ketchikan High School, but falls under the jurisdiction of a
principal, a superintendent, and the Board of Education. He said
that being in a leadership position can be difficult. She may be
asked to make decisions that her colleagues or administrator
might not like.
MS. STOCKHAUSEN said that she does not believe that she has a
conflict of interest. She agreed that the BOE will make
decisions that people will not like. However, people have
disagreements in every aspect of their lives. She expressed her
interest to serve on the board as an advocate for teachers. She
has enjoyed having her perspective broadened. For example, her
perspective changed when she changed jobs from teaching general
education to special education. Suddenly, she felt her
perspective changed and she viewed policy decisions differently.
She acknowledged that it may be difficult sometimes.
CHAIR STEVENS asked appointee Mr. Griffin to provide his
personal background, the strengths he will bring to the State
Board of Education and Early Development (BOEED), reasons he
would like to serve and to outline any goals he may have.
10:16:41 AM
BOB GRIFFIN, Appointee, Alaska State Board of Education and
Early Development (BOEED), Anchorage, said that his wife is a
refugee from Laos. She speaks five languages and his daughter
recently obtained her commercial pilot license. He is a
professional pilot with experience in the military and as a
commercial pilot. His grandparents came to Skagway in 1899. He
grew up in Juneau and Anchorage. He offered his belief that his
background as an Air Force fighter pilot, test pilot flight
instructor, and lifelong learner will serve him well on the
state board. He joined the Army at 18 years old and became a
helicopter pilot. He obtained his degree by attending night
school. He has previously served on numerous board and
commissions for many years, but he found this board to consist
of an amazing group of people from Kotzebue, Fairbanks,
Glenallen, Soldotna, and Ketchikan. He serves as an urban
representative for the board. He previously served on the Budget
Advisory Commission for the Anchorage School District (ASC) and
for the Municipality of Anchorage for six years and as chair for
one year. He is currently a member of the Capital Improvement
Advisory Committee for the ASD. He has served on that committee
for seven years. He has been an education research fellow for
the last ten years with the Alaska Policy Forum. He has traveled
to many education conferences to learn as much as he could. His
passion has been to find ways to improve student outcomes in
Alaska. He remarked that he is very proud of Alaska.
MR. GRIFFIN said he brings a sense of curiosity to the board. He
continues his research to find the best practices to improve
student outcomes. In 2013 Representative LeDoux asked him if he
could only do one thing for the state of Alaska, what he would
do. He told her it was to improve early childhood literacy. He
offered his belief that the state's early childhood literacy
rates were dismal.
MR. GRIFFIN said the trend in their NAEP [National Assessment of
Educational Progress] test scores are alarming. He has done
research for years on economic strata of children who qualify
for free and reduced lunches. He said the schools do not fare
well in that area either. He referred to a graph in members'
packets. Alaska hovers near the bottom and has since 2003 when
Alaska was first required to participate in NAEP. For early
childhood literacy, he said he admires the Florida model, since
Florida has improved early childhood literacy, especially for
its low income and non-Caucasians.
MR. GRIFFIN said ultimately his goal was to support the
inspirational Alaska Educational Challenge and increase student
success, support responsible and reflective learners, and
cultivate safety and well-being. He highlighted his interest in
the concept of tribal compacting and giving Native Alaska tribes
some ownership in the process. He said he is the only member on
the Tribal Compacting Subcommittee who was not an Inupiaq
speaker, but he expressed his willingness to learn. Some of the
disappointing scores in Western Alaska and the Northwest Arctic
could be helped if people took ownership of the process. He
said, "An old Scottish economist years ago said, 'If you sell a
man a desert, in a year you will have a garden but if you rent a
man a garden, in a year you'll have a desert,'" he said. It is
important step an in the process to give tribal communities
ownership in their tribal communities.
10:25:29 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked what sparked his interest in education
given his background as a military fighter pilot and airline
pilot.
MR. GRIFFIN answered that about 11 years ago he and two other
airline pilots formed the Municipal Taxpayer League in Anchorage
when property taxes began to rise rapidly. He explained it was a
complicated taxpayer ballot initiative that ultimately received
63 percent of the vote. The group thought about what else to
focus on, so he reviewed the Anchorage School District, while
the other two examined utilities and municipal government. As he
researched the ASD, he became more concerned about the outcomes
than the costs, so his advocacy on outcomes has continued, he
said.
10:27:37 AM
SENATOR BIRCH pointed out that Mr. Griffin is a South Anchorage
constituent of his. He asked for his view on the board's role in
establishing policy. He recalled that a Senate Finance Budget
Subcommittee previously discussed statewide health care costs
doubling for teachers, such that rates have increased from $300
million to $600 million. He asked whether the board has a role
in how well districts and education system function.
MR. GRIFFIN answered absolutely. Since he has served on the
Budget Advisory Committee for a long time, he is very familiar
with the cost drivers that increase K-12 educational costs
throughout the state. He said these costs were not just due to
rising health care costs, but also other costs, including
building maintenance and bureaucracy. This begs the question of
why this has been such a cost driver in the state of Alaska. He
said he relies on benchmarks, so he is curious why the state is
such a cost outlier compared to other states. He acknowledged
that he does not have the answer. However, he offered his belief
that it was worth investigating why Alaska is so unique in this
category.
10:30:00 AM
SENATOR BIRCH indicated another issue is the percentage of state
funds that go into the classroom. Some say it as low as in the
50 percent range. Other statistics indicate it is above 70
percent. He asked which metric he could rely on.
MR. GRIFFIN replied that it is difficult to pin down classroom
costs because it depends on what is included in costs. For
example, he asked if classroom cost factors should include
health care costs for teachers and their staff support. He
suggested one approach would be to review costs more globally,
to identify the cost drivers, and try to keep them under
control. He said he did not think it was worthwhile to spend a
lot of staff time parsing out classroom cost factors since it
would not be useful for the outcomes of children in Alaska.
10:31:25 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked him to reflect on the previous discussion
the committee held on the board's role. The question is whether
the Board of Education [and Early Development] was truly
independent or as the letter from governor's office states, that
the board's position on the budget is only symbolic.
MR. GRIFFIN offered the distinction that the board's vote is
symbolic, but the board's role is not symbolic. He said that he
was very enthusiastic about working with the commissioner and
other board members, who have been delving into policy issues.
He offered his belief that the commissioner wants the board to
be the formation point of policy. The board has formed four
subcommittees and that he serves on two subcommittees, the
Tribal Compacting Subcommittee and Regulations Review
Subcommittee. He surmised that a lot regulations currently on
the books made sense once but now cause drag on the system. In
fact, these regulations could be creating some of the
bureaucracy that he is very concerned about, he said. He
emphasized that this board is very much a "hands-on" entity. The
board reviews over 900-page packets at each meeting. Board
members take on assignments and members frequently communicate.
He offered his belief that board member were dedicated to the
task of improving student outcomes.
SENATOR BEGICH said he would ask the same questions he
previously discussed with Mr. Griffin in his office. He referred
to the handouts that Mr. Griffin shared with the committee. He
noted that Florida scores dramatically changed after 2003, right
after Florida passed a constitutional amendment limiting class
size. He asked Mr. Griffin whether class size had any effect on
Florida's score improvements.
MR. GRIFFIN referred to a handout, titled "Table B4" for
students and average daily attendance per teacher from NEA's
rankings and estimates for April 2018. Alaska was 19th in the
nation in students and average daily attendance {ADA) per
teacher at 13.76, that Florida was 45th in the nation at 18.27
students per teacher, and California had a similar statute.
SENATOR BEGICH further clarified his question. He said he was
asking what impact that constitutional amendment had on changes
to scores in Florida. He suggested it would not be fair to
compare class sizes in Alaska to other states since some schools
serve as few as ten students. Instead, he was asking about the
impact on the scores in the handout.
10:35:56 AM
MR. GRIFFIN said that he always goes to the numbers as a policy
wonk. He understands that California has a similar statute,
which is difficult to enforce since the limit is difficult to
implement. For example, he asked what would happen when the
class size limit is 24 students and a 25th student arrived.
Since the Florida law was instituted, the percentage of
educators to students did not increase dramatically. He said he
was not sure what happened, but it was something that should be
investigated.
SENATOR BEGICH acknowledged that was a fair answer. He read the
[Alaska] Policy Forum documents that criticized pre-K, but those
documents were focused on Head Start. He asked for his thoughts
on evidence-based pre-K, such as the programs in Nome, the Lower
Kuskokwim School District, Mat-Su, and Anchorage that have shown
remarkable outcomes in reading score improvements. He suggested
that whatever the department has been doing seems to be working
in comparison to the cohorts who did not attend the programs. He
asked for Mr. Griffin's thoughts on pre-K and whether the state
should pursue pre-K.
MR. GRIFFIN said he was one of the first students in the state
of Alaska to attend the Head Start program. In fact, he was in a
photograph on the front page of the Juneau-Douglas newspaper.
The photograph showed him having his hearing tested in the
brand-new Head Start program. He offered his belief that pre-K
programs provide some great value, especially if the programs
are directed at the at-risk populations. Some good data supports
that, he said. In 2005, Florida began a voluntary pre-K program.
Although that cohort was not old enough to be tested in 2009,
Florida was number one in low-income fourth grade reading that
year. He said he was a big fan of the Florida reading program.
It is very efficient, but other policies can have as much value
if not more than pre-K in some cases, he said.
SENATOR BEGICH asked for his thoughts on Best Beginnings,
Parents as Teachers, and other educational programs.
MR. GRIFFIN replied that those programs were not in the
governor's budget. He said that given long-term fiscal situation
in Alaska, the department must face tough decision to decide
which good programs to retain. He acknowledged that all of these
programs add value to the student outcomes. However, at some
point the state has to face the fiscal reality of what it can
afford. He said he would not shortchange the innovative
capabilities of his fellow Alaskans to solve these problems with
the available resources.
10:40:24 AM
SENATOR BEGICH agreed the state would face a fiscal reality or
have the fortitude to see a vision. He turned to the issue of
NAEP and test scores, noting he reviewed the work of the Policy
Forum on rural vs. urban scores. He specifically asked what Mr.
Griffin would propose to address the key issue of teacher
retention, particularly in the western and northern regions in
Alaska. He asked what Mr. Griffin would recommend to the
legislature or governor about teacher retention.
MR. GRIFFIN acknowledged that teacher retention was a big
problem, especially for rural communities. He clarified that
teacher retention was not a problem in some of the high-
performing rural communities. These schools use a lot of
innovative solutions to leverage available technology. He
described a scenario in which a teacher would have long-term
continuity in western Alaska via teleconferencing. A native
elder could be paid to proctor and make sure that kids show up
for school. The teacher could leverage that technology to
provide continuity to communities.
He recalled he held a long conversation with an educator in
Pilot Station who expressed frustration about the chaotic nature
of his classrooms, who decided to leave because he could not
handle it. He said that teacher was thrown into a difficult
situation. However, continuity and ownership of the process are
key to improving those outcomes. Teachers were more satisfied
after the Florida reading model was in place because teachers
from fourth grade on had a much more homogenous group of kids to
teach. Recently he attended an Anchorage School District meeting
that showed a slide depicting a fourth grade teacher with
students of reading abilities that ranged between kindergarten
and seventh grade. That teacher's time and resources were
probably dedicated to the kids with lower reading levels and the
other kids were probably not getting the necessary attention. He
offered his belief that becomes a much more satisfying
experience when educators are teaching a homogenous group of
students.
10:43:50 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked whether cuts would improve education.
MR. GRIFFIN acknowledged that many people are having discussions
that dollars equal outcomes. The State Board of Education and
Early Development (BOEED) is dedicated to the principles of the
Alaska Education Challenge regardless of the resources provided
to them. He would never sell short the innovativeness of the
people of Alaska and the people in the K-12 education system to
get done what needs to be done, regardless of the resources
provided.
SENATOR BEGICH said that, if confirmed he will swear an oath to
support the Constitution of the State of Alaska. He asked if Mr.
Griffin supports the constitutional prohibition against the use
of public funds for private education.
MR. GRIFFIN answered that of course he does. The constitution is
the constitution, he said. School choice has been settled. He
acknowledged that he has long been an advocate for school
choice, as he has been an advocate for literacy, and for issues
including leveraging technology, career technology, tribal
compacting, more recess time, the lack of preparation for
college, and chronic absenteeism in Alaska. He expressed concern
that too much money was being spent on buildings and bureaucracy
that rob resources from classrooms. He explained that he has
been an advocate for educational choice for children and parents
in Alaska because he will advocate for anything with empirical
data that might possibly improve outcomes for students.
10:46:28 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she liked that he is a numbers "wonk." She
related her understanding that he provides a wealth of
information in the board settings. She recalled hearing that
students in Alaska attend two or three weeks less school time
than the national average in the Lower 48. She said she
discussed this issue with some superintendents and these
administrators share her concern that Alaska's students receive
less academic time. Some of the superintendents were open to
extending the school days since Alaska has achievement gaps and
the need for improved outcomes. She asked whether that was a
conversation the board is willing to have. If the board wants to
focus on policy, the board could bring a proposal back to the
legislature, she said. She indicated that the current statutes
include a day and hour requirement, but perhaps that needs to be
increased.
MR. GRIFFIN said that besides less school, Alaska ranks number 2
in the United States for chronic absenteeism, just behind
Washington. About 24 percent of kids miss more than 15 days of
school a year, which equates to about 100 hours a year of lost
instruction. He recalled that the last metric for the Anchorage
School District showed 33 percent of seniors were on track to be
chronically absent. Some policy measures could be taken to
improve that, but the length of the day would require further
evaluation, he said. He referred to one benchmark he uses, which
is the Finnish system. In fact, the Finnish system actually has
a short school day, he said. Mandatory education doesn't start
until age seven, but at age 15 Finnish students walk away with
the highest PISA scores in the Western world. Finnish students
tend to be literate in four languages when entering college or
trade tracks. He agreed these are areas that needed more
investigation. Being below the national average for the amount
of time spent in school probably doesn't help results, he said.
10:50:01 AM
SENATOR COSTELLO made an analogy between Mr. Griffin's
performance-based assessment and his work as a pilot. She said
that pilots are trained to meet certain standards to get
certification. She offered her belief that Mr. Griffin would
bring his personal experiences to education. Hands-on learning
engages kids and keeps them in school to graduate, she said.
SENATOR COSTELLO asked whether he had an opinion about the start
times for high schools.
MR. GRIFFIN expressed concern that the Anchorage School District
did not go with the recommended start times based on the best
pedagogic practices. He acknowledged that busing, afterschool
sports, and afterschool jobs had some effect. Hover, since he
was data-driven, when research indicates that people should do
something, people should probably do it rather than weighing the
other considerations.
SENATOR BEGICH said he was intrigued that Mr. Griffin brought up
the Finnish system. He said he has spent some time reviewing
their educational system. He expressed an interest in having
further discussions about the Finnish system. He would like to
hear how the board might apply that model to the Alaskan
situation.
10:52:46 AM
CHAIR STEVENS opened public testimony on the confirmation
hearing.
10:52:57 AM
KATHY CUDDY, representing herself, Anchorage, offered her
support for the confirmation of Bob Griffin to the State Board
of Education and Early Development (BOEED). She said that she
served on the BOE under Governor Hickel, so she was aware of the
volume of necessary work. She said that she served on a board
with Mr. Griffin. She highlighted that Mr. Griffin was
extraordinarily well-researched and grounded. She predicted that
he would bring a wealth of information to the board. In her
experience, he was always dedicated to researching and
understanding the issues. She said that Mr. Griffin has a
wonderful attitude and sense of humor.
10:54:39 AM
CHAIR STEVENS closed public testimony on the confirmation
hearing for the appointees to the State Board of Education.
SENATOR BEGICH pointed out that Florida has the highest
percentage of voluntary pre-K in the nation, which was even
higher than Oklahoma. His [bill] was based Oklahoma's program.
CHAIR STEVENS solicited a motion.
10:55:05 AM
SENATOR HUGHES 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:
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Sally Stockhausen - Ketchikan
Bob Griffin - Anchorage
10:55:40 AM
CHAIR STEVENS found no objection and the motion carried.
10:55:55 AM
At ease.
10:55:59 AM
CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting.
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.
10:57:19 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Stevens adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
at 10:57 a.m.
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