03/17/2021 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB32 | |
| SB36 | |
| SB10 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 36 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 32 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 17, 2021
9:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Roger Holland, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 32
"An Act establishing the Alaska middle college program for
public school students; and relating to the powers of the
University of Alaska."
- MOVED SB 32 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 36
"An Act relating to reporting requirements of the Board of
Regents of the University of Alaska."
- MOVED CSSB 36(EDC) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 10
"An Act establishing a grant program to provide to essential
workers the tuition and fees to attend a state-supported
postsecondary educational institution."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 32
SHORT TITLE: COLLEGE CREDIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS
01/25/21 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
01/25/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/25/21 (S) EDC, FIN
03/08/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/08/21 (S) Heard & Held
03/08/21 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/17/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 36
SHORT TITLE: U OF A REGENTS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS
01/25/21 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
01/25/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/25/21 (S) EDC, FIN
03/08/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/08/21 (S) Heard & Held
03/08/21 (S) MINUTE(EDC)
03/17/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 10
SHORT TITLE: FREE/REDUCED TUITION FOR ESSENTIAL WORKER
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) BEGICH
01/22/21 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
01/22/21 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/22/21 (S) L&C, EDC, FIN
02/08/21 (S) L&C AT 1:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/08/21 (S) Moved SB 10 Out of Committee
02/08/21 (S) MINUTE(L&C)
02/10/21 (S) L&C RPT 4DP 1NR
02/10/21 (S) NR: COSTELLO
02/10/21 (S) DP: GRAY-JACKSON, STEVENS, HOLLAND,
REVAK
03/17/21 (S) EDC AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
CHRIS REITAN, Superintendent
Craig City School District
Craig, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 32 with one
concern.
NORM WOOTEN, Director of Advocacy
Association of Alaska School Boards
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke about concerns with SB 32.
TIM LAMKIN, Staff
Senator Gary Stevens
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions about SB 32.
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent
Alaska Gateway School District
Tok, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to SB 32.
PATRICK MAYER, Superintendent
Aleutians East Borough School District
Sandpoint, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke about concerns with SB 32.
LISA PARADY, Ph.D., Executive Director
Alaska Council of School Administrators
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke about concerns with SB 32.
DEENA BISHOP, Ph.D., Superintendent
Anchorage School District
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 32.
PAUL LAYER, Ph.D., Vice President
Academics, Students, and Research
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 32.
ED KING, Staff
Senator Roger Holland
Alaska State Legislature
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained the committee substitute for SB
36.
PAUL LAYER, Vice President
Academics, Students, and Research
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the committee
substitute for SB 36.
LOKI TOBIN, Staff
Senator Tom Begich
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the sectional analysis for SB 10
on behalf of the sponsor.
TERI COTHREN, Associate Vice President
Workforce Development
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented University of Alaska Reskilling &
Upskilling for Alaskans during the hearing on SB 10.
JOELLE HALL, President
Alaska AFL-CIO
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 10.
PANU LUCIER, Director
Alaska's System for Early Education Development (SEED)
thread
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 10.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:03:12 AM
CHAIR ROGER HOLLAND called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Stevens, Begich, Hughes, Micciche, and Chair
Holland.
SB 32-COLLEGE CREDIT FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
9:03:47 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 32
"An Act establishing the Alaska middle college program for
public school students; and relating to the powers of the
University of Alaska."
He asked Senator Stevens if he had any additional comments on
the bill.
9:04:01 AM
SENATOR GARY STEVENS, speaking as sponsor, said the committee
has dealt with this issue a lot. It is simply a dual credit
system and partnership between school districts and colleges. It
will be a great aid for school districts and for the University
of Alaska.
9:04:29 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND opened public testimony on SB 32.
9:04:46 AM
CHRIS REITAN, Superintendent, Craig City School District, Craig,
Alaska, said he appreciates the intent of the bill to increase
the access for high school students to the University of Alaska
(UA) system. It allows families a greater choice of options and
provides a way for students who might not consider UA to think
about that possibility after high school. It is a great tool for
all school districts to provide more choice and options for
families and a strong individualized learning plan for each
student. His only concern is with the following on page 3:
(e) An agreement entered into by a school district and
the University of Alaska under (b) of this section
must outline the manner in which costs associated with
the program will be shared between the participating
school district and the University of Alaska.
MR. REITAN expressed concern that without more specificity in
that section, it might appear as an unfunded mandate, especially
during the current economic climate, the pandemic, and the
additional costs being borne by school districts. He is
concerned that SB 32 requires additional responsibility without
additional funding. He would appreciate more specifics about how
the costs would be shared. He appreciates the intent of the
bill. It spells out a nice path for more students to access the
high quality programs at the UA system.
9:07:05 AM
NORM WOOTEN, Director of Advocacy, Association of Alaska School
Boards, Juneau, Alaska, said that years ago when he was on the
local school board, his school district created a dual credit
program with the local branch of the University of Alaska
Anchorage. This was groundbreaking, and it worked well for both
institutions and especially for students. His own daughters
received dual credit and college credit. However, Section 2
seems to require that all school districts with eligible
students must participate in the middle college program. His
organization is a strong proponent of local control. The
association agrees with making this opportunity available to
districts with a protocol in place. There are provisions in SB
32 that are appropriate and much appreciated, such as ensuring
readiness of students for college-level work and cost-sharing
opportunities between the university and districts. However, he
would encourage the legislators to respect the long-held belief
in Alaska of local control in education.
CHAIR HOLLAND asked if anyone wanted to address the concerns
raised.
9:09:29 AM
SENATOR BEGICH offered his understanding that a school district
has to enter into an agreement. If school districts do not want
to enter into one, even though there is a "must" clause, the
agreement would say the school district is not going to
participate, so it is not imposing a mandate. The mandate must
be a mutual agreement between the two. As he understands the
program in Mat-Su, those costs are generally borne as a
combination of the Average Daily Membership and the university
itself waiving fees. He recognizes the concern expressed by
Superintendent Reitan and Norm Wooten, but it may be creating
much ado about fairly little. This was discussed last year. The
bill is written to make it a mutual agreement. There may be a
misunderstanding. He asked for a clarification from the sponsor.
SENATOR STEVENS said the bill is intended to respect local
school districts, so they can enter or not enter into the
agreement. It is an opportunity but the school district may
choose not to take advantage of it. Nothing in this bill
requires anyone to enter into a program they don't wish to. He
deferred further comment to Mr. Lamkin.
9:11:25 AM
TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said the conversation has been
going on for many years. The bill is not intended to be
prescriptive or to micromanage. It sets up a framework, and
there shall be an agreement between the university and
prospective school districts. The agreement could be that there
will not be a middle college in that district.
9:12:00 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that subsection (d) on page 3 says that
every school district shall provide information about the
program to students and parents of students. The bill is saying
that the mutual agreement is that the district is not interested
in providing the program, but the bill is also telling school
districts they must provide information about the middle college
program. She asked how those work together.
MR. LAMKIN said much of the onus of these programs is on the
university to provide the information to districts that middle
college opportunities are available. That information is not
only to be known by the districts but also by parents so,
locally, parents can negotiate with school districts to say that
they want a middle college and work to develop one in their
school districts.
SENATOR HUGHES said that to play the devil's advocate, if the
district feels it cannot do it because it will be cost
prohibitive in a small school that needs the student's ADM
(Average Daily Membership) to keep the regular high school
teachers, the district doesn't want an agreement; the district
wants that the agreement is not to offer it. But the district is
still instructed to tell parents that there is a middle college
program out there, and the parents say they want their child to
be in it, but there is no such agreement. There is a problem
with this being congruent with the part that this is optional
for districts. Perhaps the "shall" should be "may" if the bill
gives districts the option.
CHAIR HOLLAND read page 2, line 20, "the university will make
the program available to school districts in the state" and
opined that if it is being made available, it cannot say "may"
provide information. If it's being made available, information
must be provided. That could be clarified a little, but Section
b is the option for the district to enter a program or not and
Section d is that if a district is in a program, it must provide
information about it.
9:14:52 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he is not sure that is how he reads it. He
offered his belief that it says an agreement must be entered
into. Line 22 on page 2 doesn't say that the agreement can be
that the district is not going to participate. It says an
agreement under this subsection must allow any student under (c)
of this section to participate in the program. Page 3, line 2,
doesn't say every district agreeing to enter into providing
middle college services shall provide information about the
program. He doesn't read it as voluntary. He doesn't see how
there can be an agreement to not provide services because of the
eligibility requirements on page 2, lines 22-24. He said he
supports the program, but it should be voluntary for districts
that may or may not be able to support the program. That is his
only concern. He has heard that from several districts. He
wonders if there are opportunities to clarify for those
districts that don't feel they can afford the program.
CHAIR HOLLAND said he still sees the university "shall" make the
program available and the districts then enter into an
agreement, but he will leave it up to the bill sponsor to decide
if it needs to be reworded.
CHAIR HOLLAND returned to public testimony.
9:17:21 AM
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent, Alaska Gateway School District,
Tok, Alaska, said he reads the bill as a mandate. As a concept,
he is in favor of what SB 32 does for many students, but there
are important mechanics of the statute that will have unintended
consequences for small rural school districts like his. He has
several schools with one or two teachers. The savings that might
be incurred in a larger district by reducing staff is not an
option available for him. With some small changes, this could be
good bill. He has promoted this in his school district for more
than 20 years. A number of graduates in his district have
received their associate of arts degrees shortly before they
received their high school diplomas because the district worked
with students and parents and supported the students with
tutoring and internet access and financial support. His district
created a great program that is in place today. The district is
a good partner with the local university and sends many students
to the university system to get one or two classes or
certifications or degrees. It is hard for him to speak against
this bill because Senator Stevens and Senator Micciche are big
supporters of education, but as written this could end up
hurting districts and some students if the district is required
to let them do it. Alaska Gateway has a good counseling program
in place for students. A large number of families do not have
college in their backgrounds. The district is trying to change
that, but it takes time and processes and trust between the
schools and families. This may save some districts money, but it
won't save his district money. In fact, 30 credits of
undergraduate tuition will cost three times the allocation that
the district provides to correspondence students. The allocation
now is $2,400. Families can spend that on college and sometimes
the district supplements that. If every family in his district
did that, he would have to close the correspondence program. He
knows there is nuance in the language about entering into an
agreement but the bill does seem to force districts to agree to
something. He is a fan of the university system, but he cannot
support the bill as written.
9:21:04 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that she loves this concept. It has been
highly successful in Mat-Su, but she understands how costs can
factor in for small school districts. She is not sure that
Senator Micciche made this point already about "An agreement
under this subsection must allow any student eligible under (c)
of this section to participate in the program." Even if the
agreement is, which will be a strange agreement, to not enter
into an agreement, in the scenario she had described in which an
eligible student wanted to participate but the district was not
entering into an agreement, this now says a student must be able
to participate. As much as she loves the bill, she thinks the
committee needs to work on the language. She asked if the
sponsor had any thoughts on that. She would love it if students
in small districts could do this, but there needs to be a way to
pay for it. That may be beyond the bill at this point.
CHAIR HOLLAND asked Senator Stevens if he had any comment.
9:22:31 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said the focus of the bill is on the student and
what is good for the student and how to help the student.
Legislators have been talking about this a long time. It has
never been their intention to harm school districts, to harm any
who don't want to participate. He is surprised that this is
coming up now. They have been talking about this for many
meetings. It appears to be an organized effort to put a stake to
the heart of this bill. That would be a mistake. That is all he
will say at this point. He is anxious to hear other comments.
SENATOR BEGICH said that he shares the view of the sponsor. When
legislators hear from people that a bill doesn't work, he wants
to hear the suggestions for repairing it. This happens with bill
after bill after bill. People will say they oppose a bill and
don't offer a solution. He will offer a solution that he thinks
addresses everything he heard today, including Senator Hughes'
comments. On line 24, if those disagreements are sincere, the
period would be replaced with a comma and say, "unless a
district elects not to participate." That clears up any issue
about participation. It still provides the opportunity for the
student and maintains the requirement for the university to let
every district know about the program and will resolve the issue
about a mandate. Adding "unless a district elects not to
participate" clarifies the issue of whether there is or isn't an
agreement. The issue of the agreement becomes the negotiation
between the district and the university, which is the intent of
the bill. That resolves the issue and it can be done quickly and
rapidly without slowing down the passage of the bill. If it is
the will of the chair, he would offer that as a conceptual
amendment. If it is not the will of the chair, he will not offer
the amendment.
CHAIR HOLLAND replied that there is more public testimony and he
jotted those notes down.
9:25:17 AM
At ease
9:27:55 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and continued public
testimony.
9:28:15 AM
PATRICK MAYER, Superintendent, Aleutians East Borough School
District, Sandpoint, Alaska, said he believes everyone supports
increased opportunities for students as they exit the K-12
school system. Aleutians East provides opportunities for
students to take part in college courses through the University
of Alaska Anchorage within its capability to do so. The capacity
to provide online content is limited in many rural areas of
Alaska. This is definitely true in the Aleutians. To make this
mandatory would be difficult because Aleutians East does not
have the bandwidth to support such a program. It is also a
financial challenge for the district. There has been no Base
Student Allocation adjustment for seven years. This will further
erode the capacity for his district to provide existing
programs. The middle college concept should be voluntary not
mandatory. Colleagues in larger districts who participated in
middle colleges have done so voluntarily. Smaller districts have
keenly watched that and increased their opportunities for
students to take college classes within their capability to do
so. Smaller school districts would have difficulty downsizing to
accommodate this change. It is a matter of scale. Even if his
district had the bandwidth, if it had to remove students from
current course offerings it would be challenging. This is not as
much an issue in larger districts because it is a matter of
scale. He asked the committee to consider advancing the bill
with an opt-in provision.
9:31:57 AM
LISA PARADY, Ph.D., Executive Director, Alaska Council of School
Administrators, Juneau, Alaska, said that Senator Stevens is
acknowledged as the champion of all students and public
education. The committee has heard from Norm Wooten and several
members of the council. The council does support the concept of
providing opportunity for all high school students to enroll in
college courses, but there is potential added expense for some
school districts. Maybe more clarity is needed about the
agreements between the university and districts. A "may" vs. a
"shall" as Senator Begich suggested would be an excellent
clarification.
9:33:14 AM
DR. PARADY said her members support choice and this increased
opportunity for all students and support SB 32 with the
exception of it being required of all districts. It could be
made voluntary. Middle colleges are working so well in the
districts that have chosen to go in this direction and it should
operate the same in other districts. Perhaps, as Senator Hughes,
Senator Micciche, and Senator Begich suggested, the bill does
"shall or may." Last year the committee talked about flipping
this so the university waived costs, making it cost neutral.
Perhaps amending the bill should be considered to include full
funding for districts who wish to participate a middle college
program, some additional work about how to make this work for
all districts who are not similarly situated. It is a great
program. Her members support this increased opportunity
available to all students. In districts where it has been
organically, like Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks, and Kodiak, it
has been hugely successful. Those opportunities should be
available in all districts but in a way that is cost neutral.
For example, if six kids in Chevak want to enroll in middle
college, Chevak could not adjust down its personnel to meet the
tuition expense to make it cost neutral. Chevak would likely
need to hire an aide to work with the students as they work
online, assuming they have the bandwidth or connectivity to do
that. A three-credit lower division class cost $700 plus. If six
kids in Chevak took a class, it would be over $4,000, and the
cost of an aide to supervise. It is a real cost and not cost
neutral. That is what she is hearing from members. There is
total support for the concept and this bill, but it should be
reworked so it is an opt-in or not required.
9:36:29 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said he did not suggest that the word "shall" be
replaced with "may." He suggested that the intent, which is on
the record, be clarified, which is that an agreement could be to
not enter into an agreement. That is all he is suggesting. He
does not think the bill imposes a burden on a district as
districts have the right to refuse to participate. He is
confused because this is the first opposition he has heard about
this bill.
9:37:21 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he too does not like the way that process
has gone. He supports this program wholeheartedly, and is a
cosponsor. He is trying to help the sponsor get the bill across
the finish line in a way that doesn't drive additional costs for
some districts. He told Dr. Parady that it would be helpful to
understand what those districts look like. Perhaps, without
complicating the bill dramatically, either the committee makes
it an opt-in for some or have another way to move this forward
where the committee understands the kind of districts that
potentially would be negatively impacted. He doesn't understand
at what size it has a potential negative impact. He wants to
understand that better. Dr. Parady said six kids in Chevak. That
is an extreme. And Dr. Bishop will speak highly of the program
in a place that has tens of thousands of students. There is
probably somewhere in between where there is a line. He asked if
she could help with that. If not during this meeting, they will
need to know that.
DR. PARADY responded that it is a matter of scale. There is a
point where it would add additional costs. She could ask members
for a point of clarification. The example she gave was an
extreme, but she wanted to give an example of what some
testifiers might have been speaking to. As a point of
clarification, when she referred to Senator Begich, she was
referring to the sentence he offered, which would fully clarify
the bill. She will get that information to Senator Micciche.
CHAIR HOLLAND called on Dr. Bishop
9:40:19 AM
DEENA BISHOP, Ph.D., Superintendent, Anchorage School District,
Anchorage, Alaska, said SB 32 is an important bill. Alaska has
relied on volunteerism for much too long, while at the same time
its children are the lowest reading performers in the country
and according to the January 2021 Alaska Performance Scholarship
report, the lowest college-going, career and technical education
apprenticeship-going students as well. It is time to change this
trajectory with partnerships, not only among different sectors
at different universities, or K-12 and universities, but it is
time that school districts learn to work together to make this
come to fruition. "We are very smart people who can figure out
very intricate, complex problems," she said.
9:41:38 AM
DR. BISHOP said if school districts are charged, as this bill
states, to figure out how all the children in Alaska could
possibly be offered a dual-credit program, she guarantees that
there are smart superintendents who can get together and figure
this out. They can have cooperatives. She is working with the
Lower Yukon and a Lower Yukon student is attending [the
Anchorage School District] Alaska Middle College. Lower Yukon
has offered a pathway for other kids in rural Alaska to join.
She said she too regrets the 11th hour pushback by educators on
this and many other important bills that can change what is
happening with education in the state.
DR. BISHOP said that the University of Alaska system has made it
very affordable for school districts to have dual credit. If a
child goes individually, the child may pay full price for
tuition, but she wants to share that universities have offered
MOUs (memorandum of understanding) to allow the jobs to be
shared. The advising doesn't happen on the university side, so
her district gets a break on the tuition. A lot of the services
included in tuition are not provided because a child is not on
site for dual credit online, so the university creates a lower
payment plan. The university has been very accommodating to
these kids.
DR. BISHOP offered her belief that the state can do this. She
worked in Mat-Su and Anchorage and it is true they have economy
of scale, but it was a choice. They went without other things
that didn't work for children to be able to offer this to kids.
They are not successful as a K-12 institution if they do not
prepare kids for life afterwards. That is to be life, college-
and-career ready. This bill ensures that kids can have that
opportunity. She promises this group that she will work her
hardest to figure out how to make this work in all districts and
offer whatever they can to partner in the cost. This is
important to Alaskan children.
9:44:43 AM
SENATOR HUGHES noted that when Dr. Bishop was in Mat-Su, she was
able to work out the cost with the smaller district. She asked
if she has a sense that larger districts may be able to do that
for all the smaller districts so that it would not be cost
prohibitive.
DR. BISHOP replied absolutely. Anchorage is the one, the cost
center for the BSA. Per student Anchorage receives a little over
$10,000 with the adjusted ADM (Average Daily Membership). The
school district that Anchorage works with receives over $20,000
per child. That district spends only a small portion of that
with the Anchorage School District flowing through the
university. What that small school district cannot offer for
supports, wraparound services, advising, etc., Anchorage has
taken on that and the university does its part by offering
courses. She believes all the different hubs that have economy
of scale can help out partner districts. It is true that may
only have one or two students interested, but they are valued
kids in Alaska who should also have that opportunity.
9:46:47 AM
PAUL LAYER, Vice President, Academics, Students, and Research,
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, said that as he
testified last week, the university supports dual enrollment for
students. The university has over 30 MOUs with school districts,
large and small, to offer many types of middle college programs.
Some are face-to-face intensive, such as with the Anchorage,
Mat-Su, and Fairbanks school districts. Some are more online or
virtual, and more of a partnership with the district. As the
university has entered voluntary agreements with districts, the
university has looked at the cost models to look at what works
for the districts and the students in particular. There is not
one model that works for each school district. The university
respects that and respects the goal, which is access for
students and to prepare students for university and for careers.
That has been the focus on the university. It is willing to work
with school districts. It has been voluntary to date. The
university wants to expand that option to all students, however
that can be done. In some dual-enrollment options the district
teacher who meet the credentialing criteria teaches the class.
The most important thing is whether students achieve university-
level competency in subjects. Every MOU will look different. The
focus is to provide access to students wherever they are.
9:49:44 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said if she were still in a small district, she
would want her children to have access to this opportunity. She
asked if he agrees with Dr. Bishop who is confident that
partnerships could be worked out so that it would not be cost
prohibitive. She also asked if the university is committed to
working out arrangements and district partnerships so that every
high school student in the state who wants to participate could.
DR. LAYER answered absolutely. Alaska Advantage, the online
middle college program, is working with Chevak on how that might
be achieved. The university is ultimately looking at reaching
out to all districts to ask how it might provide that access,
whether districts are large or small and whether the university
needs to work out partnerships between large and small
districts. The university is committed to making this work.
9:52:03 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND closed public testimony on SB 32.
9:52:08 AM
At ease
9:54:08 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and asked if there were any
further comments.
SENATOR MICCICHE said he believes in this program and that every
student deserves the opportunity to jump start their lives with
middle college. If there are issues with this bill, it has other
committees to go through. In light of the fact that any issues
were brought to the committee at the 11th hour and the committee
at this point does not know if any adjustment is needed, the
reality is they all support the program and will let it go
through the process.
9:55:16 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report SB 32, work order 32-LS0307\A,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s).
CHAIR HOLLAND found no objection, SB 32 was reported from the
Senate Education Standing Committee.
9:55:26 AM
At ease
SB 36-U OF A REGENTS REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
9:58:12 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 36 "An Act relating to
reporting requirements of the Board of Regents of the University
of Alaska."
He asked for a motion to adopt the committee substitute.
9:58:28 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to adopt the work draft committee
substitute (CS) for SB 36, work order 32-LS0312\B, as the
working document.
9:58:42 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND objected for purposes of discussion.
9:58:51 AM
ED KING, Staff, Senator Roger Holland, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, said the CS changes the reporting requirement
for the Board of Regents from twice a year to once every other
year. Section 2 has the three changes where "biennial" replaces
"semiannual." There are also three additional conforming
changes.
9:59:48 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND removed his objection. There being no further
objection, version B was before the committee.
10:00:04 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said this is a great change and amendment. It
makes sense. It aligns this reporting with existing reporting
requirements, such as for teacher preparation. The reason for
this, of course, is that everyone was broadsided with the loss
of accreditation for the School of Education in Anchorage. The
legislature needs to be more aware of what is going on with the
university. He hopes the state will never again face the
possibility of a loss of accreditation, but it is always
possible. Even though it is every two years, it is good that the
legislature has this report from the Board of Regents.
10:00:48 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND opened public testimony on SB 36.
10:01:13 AM
PAUL LAYER, Vice President, Academics, Students, and Research,
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, thanked Senator Stevens
and staff for changing the timeline for reporting. The board
does receive annual reports on accreditation that are a matter
of public record. The university feels that reporting to the
legislature on a [biennial] basis will fit in with the
university's accreditation timeline.
10:02:11 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked if the annual reports include the status of
accreditation.
10:02:29 AM
DR. LAYER replied yes. The university reports on institutional
and individual, specialized program accreditations. As a result
of the accreditation issues with education, the board is asking
for more information in those reports.
SENATOR HUGHES said that is good to hear.
10:03:10 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND closed public testimony on SB 36, and asked the
will of the committee.
10:03:27 AM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to report the work draft CS for SB 36,
work order 32-LS0312\B, from the committee with individual
recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR HOLLAND found no objection, and CSSB 36(EDC) was reported
from the Senate Education Standing Committee.
10:03:50 AM
At ease
SB 10-FREE/REDUCED TUITION FOR ESSENTIAL WORKER
10:05:50 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 10 "An Act establishing a grant
program to provide to essential workers the tuition and fees to
attend a state-supported postsecondary educational institution."
He stated his intent to hear the bill, take public testimony,
and hold the bill in committee for further review. He called on
Senator Begich and staff to introduce the bill.
10:06:10 AM
SENATOR TOM BEGICH, speaking as sponsor of SB 10, explained that
bill is a thank you to essential workers for the work they did
the past year. Whether they delivered groceries, took care of
young children, picked people up from the airport, cleaned
offices, or handled the mail, essential workers made the
ultimate sacrifice, sometimes at great risk to themselves and
their loved ones. A recent study published by the Occupational
Environmental Medicine Journal reported that over 20 percent of
grocery store employees tested positive for COVID-19. Of that 20
percent, more than 95 percent reported getting it from contact
through their jobs. That is precisely why the bill is before the
committee. The bill, besides being good policy, is a thank you
to those workers, those workers who put their lives on the line
for each person. During COVID everyone fell behind. As more is
learned about the road ahead, it is clear the country is in a
wildly uneven recovery. SB 10 is about giving those essential
workers a hand up after the dust settles.
SENATOR BEGICH reminded the members who heard the bill in the
Labor and Commerce hearing that the Department of Labor
displayed a graphic that showed that a year later, the state is
still 25 percent down in employing the lowest income labor
force, while the labor market for the upper end went up 1
percent a year later. The department data shows that higher
education attainment equates to higher weekly earnings. A recent
University of Alaska workforce report states that median income
earnings for those with just a high school diploma is about
$35,000 in Alaska while those with bachelor's degree earn on
average $57,000 a year. Education matters. The bill is a pathway
to education for those who choose it to take it. The same report
states that 96.3 percent of working graduates are Alaska
residents. Going to school in Alaska keeps people in Alaska. By
providing path for essential workers to earn a postsecondary
education in Alaska, the state will stop the attrition of
Alaska's future.
10:08:58 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said that as stated in Labor and Commerce, his
office has some changes to work on in committee substitute to
reflect the intent of bill. It will include all of the essential
workers identified in the handout in the committee packet called
Alaska's Essential Services and Critical Workforce
Infrastructure. That came from a lot of commentary to his
office. It includes those who worked in the front lines for the
nonprofit sector, like Bean's Caf? workers and postal workers.
This all came up in testimony. After a review of the legislation
with the executive director of the Alaska Commission on
Postsecondary Education, his office recognized that although the
bill meant to permit attendance at any state-supported
postsecondary institution for a student who has not yet received
an undergraduate degree, some phrasing must be fixed. It is
minor, but it clarifies that intent. He has had good discussion
about the program start and end dates, which now are tied to the
expiration of the federal emergency declaration. He plans to
provide an amendment that permits interested parties to apply
for consideration until the end of this year and then repeal the
entire program by 2025, giving people four years to actively
participate in it. The state of Michigan has enacted this
program. Michigan used CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
Economic Security) Act funding to enact it. With the $1.1
billion coming to the state, he is certain that the Finance
Committees will be able to redirect some of that resource. His
fiscal note shows that it will not be over $10 million for the
entire period of the grants program.
10:10:59 AM
LOKI TOBIN, Staff, Senator Tom Begich, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, presented the sectional analysis for SB 10. She
noted that Senator Begich will offer an amendment to Section 1
relating to the list of occupations.
Section 1.
Establishes an Essential Worker Grant Program as new
uncodified law of the State of Alaska.
Directs the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education to
establish an undergraduate tuition grant program for
essential workers employed at the start of or during the
declared federal public health emergency. This section also
includes a comprehensive listing of occupations that
qualify as essential for the purpose of this grant program.
Provides stipulations for qualifying essential workers,
including employment status, postsecondary enrollment
status, residency requirement, high school or equivalency
completion requirement, grade point minimum, completion of
federal aid application, and post-secondary credit hour
limitations.
Includes grant program eligibility requirements, including
grade point minimum, program progression, and enrollment
status.
Directs the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education to
establish policies and procedures for application and
admission to the program, including establishing evaluation
process of program efficacy.
Section 2.
Establishes an Essential Worker Grant Program Report as new
uncodified law of the State of Alaska. Directs the Alaska
Commission on Postsecondary Education to submit the report
of program efficacy to the Alaska State Legislature on or
before December 31st.
Section 3. Repeals Section 1 on the date of expiration or
determination of the declaration of a federal public health
emergency.
MS. TOBIN noted that as mentioned by the sponsor, an amendment to
Section is forthcoming.
Section 4. Sets a repeal date of January 1, 2025 for
Section 2 of this Act.
CHAIR HOLLAND called on invited testimony.
10:13:56 AM
TERI COTHREN, Associate Vice President for Workforce
Development, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, said she
would present Reskilling and Upskilling for Alaskans. With
legislation such as SB 10, the university can train more
Alaskans and support Alaska's economic recovery. She said she
will explain how training Alaska's workforce is a critical part
of the university's mission.
MS. COTHREN described Alaska's system of higher education on
slide 2.
MS. COTHREN presented slide 3, UA's Critical Workforce Mission:
• Alaska's most comprehensive provider of workforce
training
o UA offers more than 200 programs in workforce
development
o Non-credit industry recognized certifications,
endorsements, certificates
o Associate Degrees
o Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate Degrees
• Programs in high-demand industries needed for Alaska's
economic growth
MS. COTHREN presented slide 4, Value of Postsecondary Education.
The median earnings data is from analysis by the Department of
Labor and Workforce Development and make abundantly clear the
economic value of training and education. The data shows that
more education and training correlate strongly with lower
unemployment rates and this was highlighted during the pandemic:
• Median earnings jump from:
o $35,328 for high school graduates
o $44,619 for Alaskans with an associate degree
o $57,708 for those with a bachelor's degree
o $77,402 for holders of graduate or professional
degrees
• Lower unemployment rates
• Provide skills required for new and advancing careers
10:17:02 AM
MS. COTHREN displayed slide 5, UA Workforce Reports Industries
Highlighted. Through a recent project, the university
strengthened its partnership with Research and Analysis at the
Department of Labor to demonstrate graduate outcomes across key
Alaska industries that resulted in the development of nine
workforce reports.
MS. COTHREN displayed slide 6, UA Workforce Reports, which
showed an example of the data in one report, including average
wages of graduates and hiring trends of the industry being
featured.
10:18:25 AM
At ease
10:18:32 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and suspended Ms. Cothren's
presentation because of audio technical difficulties.
10:19:11 AM
JOELLE HALL, President, Alaska AFL-CIO, Anchorage, Alaska,
stated that her organization represents 60,000 workers in a
variety of fields. Many, such as first responders, hospital and
state employees, and grocery store workers, have worked under
difficult conditions during the pandemic. Her organization
represents many frontline workers, but many do not benefit from
collective bargaining agreements, such as childcare workers,
delivery drivers, personal care attendants, to name a few. Much
was learned during the pandemic. She hopes that one thing sticks
out in people's collective hearts and memories. Without
childcare and grocery story workers, everyone is in deep
trouble. The pandemic resulted in huge job losses. As a
community, Alaska needs to do everything it can to get Alaskans
back to work. One way to make a big difference is job training.
Providing training and opportunities to a better way of life for
families is the cornerstone of the work that the labor movement
does. A market economy is enhanced when workers have easy access
to affordable training. This bill will reward many who have
given so much with a gift that helps them and their families. As
is noted in the sponsor statement, better trained workers also
help employers, so this bill is a win-win for workers and their
current and future employers. This is a good idea that will
helps so many who have given so much. AFL-CIO is in full support
of this bill. She had had conversations with Senator Begich
about apprenticeships. The apprenticeship systems that AFL-CIO
is involved with are already free to the student, so Alaska's
union apprenticeships are free of charge, but AFL-CIO would look
forward to expanding those training opportunities. In order to
do that, its supply-and-demand system is based on work. If there
are infrastructure bills or geobond bills, AFL-CIO stands ready
to expand up its training modules and training systems in the
construction industry to rapidly respond to the free market
demand for those workers. If the legislature invests in geobonds
or infrastructure, that allows an uptake of these workers into
things like the apprenticeship system, whether they are union or
nonunion, and putting more workers into the construction
workforce, which in Alaska is considered a graying workforce and
would allow Alaska to keep its workers here. She described SB 10
as a great bill.
10:22:16 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND called on Teri Cothren to continue her
presentation.
MS. COTHREN explained that slide 6 on workforce reports
highlights graduate outcomes.
MS. COTHREN presented a graph on slide 7, Summary of First-Year
Employment. The graph shows industries where first-year
graduates are employed. Health care is projected to grow at
twice the rate of the rest of the economy overall and total
54,000 jobs by 2028, so it is not a surprise that nearly 24
percent of graduates work in the health care industry. Graduates
are in educational services, mining and gas, as well as
transportation and construction industries.
MS. COTHREN displayed a graph on slide 8, Average Wages of UA
Graduates, and said that Alaska has some of the best employment
data in the country. [Audio connection was lost.]
10:25:02 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said that he had no idea how detailed the data is
until Ms. Cothren presented data to his office. That data has
driven his desire to see the bill move. When the state can get
folks into these jobs, they become fully functioning
participants in the state's system. That is what her
presentation is underscoring, how many of these Alaskans
improved their income level and contribution to the state and
become productive citizens. That is a critical component of the
presentation.
10:25:58 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she supports people furthering their
education to lift themselves up into a better position. She and
her husband did that years ago. She said her problem with the
bill is that people were unemployed in the state who were not in
the category of essential worker do not qualify because they
were able to continue working and earn a wage, but many had to
close small business and could not go to work and got hit hard.
SENATOR BEGICH responded that one of the things about the bill
is that it does try to provide opportunity for people who were
on the front lines and may have lost their jobs because of the
pandemic. That is the intent in the amendment, to cover those
workers she described. If people were unfortunate enough to lose
their jobs during that time period, they would potentially be
eligible for the grants program. That is part of the plan. They
would have qualified as an essential worker before losing their
job.
SENATOR HUGHES offered her understanding that some of the jobs
that were lost do not meet the definition for essential worker
so they would not qualify. She asked if she misunderstands that.
SENATOR BEGICH answered that he is not sure. He can look into
that and find an answer that satisfies both her and himself.
CHAIR HOLLAND shared that is also his concern. He thought
essential workers worked through the pandemic. His concern is
that those are people who didn't miss a paycheck, but there are
people who shut down businesses.
10:28:40 AM
At ease
10:28:53 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and opened public testimony
on SB 10.
10:29:11 AM
PANU LUCIER, Director, Alaska's System for Early Education
Development (SEED), thread, Anchorage, Alaska, said that SEED is
Alaska's statewide professional development system in early
childhood. In Alaska and across the nation early childhood
teachers have remained in the lower income bracket. In Alaska
the median hourly wage for childcare workers is $13.21 Many
early childhood educators have families of their own and
struggle to make ends meet and do not have extra money for
training or higher education. Many work two jobs to make ends
meet. The COVID pandemic shed light on how essential childcare
is for working families. Alaska's early educators have been on
the frontlines as essential workers throughout the pandemic. SB
10 would provide much needed assistance.
10:30:52 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked Teri Cothren to continue her presentation.
MS. COTHREN said that to speak to the final two slides, starting
with slide 8, the state has rich employment data, thanks to the
research from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
The graph on slide 8 of UA wage outcomes shows that more
education and training correlate strongly with more earning
potential. The average first-year wages of these graduates are
more than $50,000 and the fifth-year wages exceed the average
Alaska wage by nearly $10,000.
MS. COTHREN displayed the graph on slide 9, which shows that 96
percent of working graduates are Alaska residents. The
university supports SB 10 to help remove a potential barrier for
essential workers.
SENATOR BEGICH said that on page 2, line 1, of the bill does say
was permanently or temporarily laid off as one of the
conditions.
10:34:11 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND closed public testimony and held SB 10 in
committee.
10:34:24 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Holland adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 10:34 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 10 v. B Sectional Analysis 1.26.2021.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 v. B Sponsor Statement 1.26.2021.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 v. B Supporting Document Union calls on state to treat Alaska grocery workers as first responders ADN.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 4/8/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 v. B Supporting Document Univ. of Alaska - Workforce Reports Summary.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 v. B Fiscal Note 3096.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 v. B Fiscal Note 2738.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 10 alaska_essential_services_and_critical_workers.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 36 Committee Substitute.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 36 |
| SB 10 University of Alaska Presentation.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |
| SB 36 Explanation of Changes in version B.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 36 |
| Letter in support of SB10 2-2021.pdf |
SEDC 3/17/2021 9:00:00 AM SFIN 4/8/2021 9:00:00 AM |
SB 10 |