Legislature(2003 - 2004)
04/30/2003 01:47 PM Senate HES
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES
STANDING COMMITTEE
April 30, 2003
1:47 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Fred Dyson, Chair
Senator Lyda Green, Vice Chair
Senator Gary Wilken
Senator Gretchen Guess
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Bettye Davis
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 10
Establishing the Joint Legislative Charter School Task Force.
MOVED CSSCR 10(HES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS ACTION
SCR 10 - See HES minutes dated 4/23/03.
WITNESS REGISTER
Mr. Kevin Sweeney, Legislation Liaison
Department of Education &
Early Development
th
801 W 10 St.
Juneau, AK 99801-1894
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SCR 10.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 03-25, SIDE A
SCR 10-CHARTER SCHOOL TASK FORCE
CHAIR FRED DYSON called the Senate Health, Education and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:47 p.m.
Present were Senators Guess, Green, Wilken and Dyson. The Chair
announced SCR 10 to be up for consideration. He explained that
he wasn't sure about how to proceed on the issue of charter
schools and SCR 10 sets up a task force of people who are
enthusiastic and knowledgeable about how to make charter schools
work better.
He noted there was a new committee substitute, version Q, which
for one thing changes one member from being from the office of
the governor to being an appointee of the governor on line 2.
SENATOR GARY WILKEN moved version Q of SCR 10.
SENATOR LYDA GREEN objected and asked to go off the record.
1:50 - 1:53 p.m. - at ease
SENATOR GREEN moved on page 1, line 7, to delete references to
specific work groups, networks and school districts. There were
no objections and Amendment 1 was adopted.
SENATOR WILKEN noted that the comma needed to be deleted at the
end of line 6 and "and" needed to be inserted. There were no
objections and Amendment 2 was adopted.
CHAIR DYSON asked what the administration thought of this bill.
MR. KEVIN SWEENEY, Legislative Liaison, DEED, said that this is
the best way to look at possible legislative regulation changes
that might be needed for charter schools. He wanted to know what
the fiscal note would be because the department would not be
able to foot the whole bill.
CHAIR DYSON said he figured the task force might spend around
$20,000.
SENATOR GREEN asked who would pay that.
CHAIR DYSON said his understanding that whatever money they need
for the task force might be found through the federal grant
startup money.
SENATOR GREEN said if the legislature is creating the task
force, they should also pay for some part of it. She did not
think it was the department's responsibility to fund the
Legislature's task force. She also wanted the task force report
to go to the Board of Education concurrently with the
Legislature.
SENATOR GREEN moved to send the report to the State Board of
Education concurrently with its submission to the legislature.
There were no objections.
SENATOR WILKEN moved to amend the fiscal note to say that the
task force would be funded equally by the Legislature and the
Department of Education and Early Development.
MR. SWEENEY suggested making the funding subject to the grant
approval from the U.S. DEED, because that's where the funds are
coming from. There were no objections.
SENATOR GRETCHEN GUESS said she thought that a member of the
state board really should be the governor's appointee. There are
a lot of issues with charter schools and they need to be at the
table. It is her caucus' recommendation that Senator Davis, who
has spent so much time on this issue, is on the task force.
CHAIR DYSON said that would be his strong recommendation as
well. Much of what they have now is a result of Senator Davis
pushing this issue.
SENATOR WILKEN suggested to add a parent to the makeup of the
board on page 2, lines 23 - 28 and also, since they are talking
about structuring schools, they would want a superintendent or a
principal certificate for expertise on organization.
CHAIR DYSON said he thought that the people from the charter
schools are all enthusiastic and involved parents, but a number
of advocacy groups want to be represented as well. His thought
is that this task force be made up of the dreamers, the
enthusiasts and visionaries who will get the information from
the experts.
SENATOR WILKEN said he would be fine with that.
SENATOR GUESS moved to pass CSSCR 10(HES) from committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying amended fiscal
note. There were no objections and it was so ordered.
CHAIR DYSON adjourned the meeting at 2:00 p.m.
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