02/04/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

          HB 18-TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:19:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  18,  "An Act  relating  to  national  board                                                               
certification for public school teachers."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[The committee  had adopted  an amendment  to HB  18 at  its last                                                               
hearing of the bill on 1/26/22.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:19:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CLAIRE  GROSS,  Staff,  Representative  Jonathan  Kreiss-Tomkins,                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Kreiss-                                                               
Tomkins,  prime sponsor  of HB  18, offered  to answer  questions                                                               
from the committee.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:20:17 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   PRAX   observed    that   the   national   board                                                               
certification  requirements  seemed  comparable  to  those  of  a                                                               
master's degree, and  he questioned whether the  bill sponsor had                                                               
spoken with the university about that.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. GROSS  answered that  the sponsor's office  had not  done so,                                                               
but remarked that was an interesting idea.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:22:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND  moved to  report HB 18,  [as amended],  out of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal notes.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:22:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRONK objected.    He  said he  does  not feel  a                                                               
statute is necessary, as this is a local decision.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:23:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   PRAX   concurred  with   Representative   Cronk.                                                               
Further, he  opined that if  the legislature wants to  modify its                                                               
[national  board  certification]  requirements, it  should  first                                                               
have a discussion with the  university rather than establishing a                                                               
parallel program.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:24:53 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR STORY said  she sees the two programs  as being separate                                                               
and complementary.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:25:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK,  in response  to Co-Chair  Story, confirmed                                                               
that he maintained his objection.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:25:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A roll call  vote was taken.   Representatives Zulkosky, Hopkins,                                                               
Drummond, and  Story voted in  favor of  the motion to  report HB
,   [as   amended],   out    of   committee   with   individual                                                               
recommendations    and    the    accompanying    fiscal    notes.                                                               
Representatives  Prax,  Cronk,  and  Gillham  voted  against  it.                                                               
Therefore,  [CSHB   18(EDC)]  was  reported  out   of  the  House                                                               
Education Standing Committee by a vote of 4-3.