04/12/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

          HB 106-TEACHER RECRUITMENT; LUMP SUM PAYMENT                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:16:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 106, "An  Act authorizing lump sum payments for                                                               
certain  teachers as  retention and  recruitment incentives;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:17:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
HEIDI TESHNER,  Acting Commissioner, Department of  Education and                                                               
Early  Development,  presented  HB  106 on  behalf  of  the  bill                                                               
sponsor, House Rules  by request of the governor.   She explained                                                               
that  recruitment and  retention  of teachers  has  long been  an                                                               
issue  in Alaska.   She  stated that  teachers have  a tremendous                                                               
impact on student  achievement.  She stated  that priority number                                                               
four of Alaska's  Education Challenge is to  prepare, attract and                                                               
retain  effective  education  professionals,   and  that  HB  106                                                               
supports Alaska's  teachers.  She  gave statistics on  the number                                                               
of  teachers  in the  state,  including  teachers recruited  from                                                               
outside  Alaska,  and of  teacher  turnover.   She  reminded  the                                                               
committee of  a task  force ordered  by the  governor in  2020 to                                                               
examine  teacher  recruitment  and  retention,  and  of  the  six                                                               
essential areas identified  by the task force,  salary was ranked                                                               
number  one.    The  bill  would provide  3  tiers  of  incentive                                                               
payments related to the type of district.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:21:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TESHNER  explained  that  "doing  the  same  thing"  is  not                                                               
working, and the  incentive payments are just  a single solution.                                                               
She noted the  proposed incentives would be a pilot  to see if it                                                               
would improve  teacher recruitment and retention,  and to analyze                                                               
fluctuations per district.  In  summary, she explained, there are                                                               
years  of  data  and  discussion   about  investing  in  Alaska's                                                               
teachers, and  through the introduction  of HB 106,  the governor                                                               
is  showing   he  is  listening  to   stakeholders  and  directly                                                               
incentivizing those who work in the classrooms.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:23:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER, in response to  a question from Representative Story                                                               
regarding retention  and recruitment incentives, replied  that in                                                               
the fiscal  note, an  additional $6.4 million  has been  added to                                                               
provide the payment directly to  districts, so it does not become                                                               
an unfunded mandate to come up  with the mandatory reduction.  In                                                               
response to a  follow-up question, she suggested  that DEED could                                                               
determine incentive pay through its annual survey.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:26:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  gave  his  understanding that  the  3  tier                                                               
payments  are based  on  regions,  but each  teacher  in a  given                                                               
region will get the same  bonus, and asked for clarification that                                                               
is correct.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER  responded that  DEED would  put out  an application,                                                               
and  teachers would  have  to  apply and  certify  that they  had                                                               
worked for  the year.   The districts  would then  distribute the                                                               
payments that DEED approved.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX expressed  his concern  that a  [three-year]                                                               
"state-wide  experimental plan"  is  being proposed,  and it  has                                                               
been stated  that there is  20 percent  turnover every year.   He                                                               
asked whether  the other 80 percent  who stay would get  a cut in                                                               
pay.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER  replied it  is subject  to appropriation,  and there                                                               
are other  teacher recruitment efforts that  will be forthcoming,                                                               
but it  will not be determined  until the end of  the three years                                                               
whether or not things truly work.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:29:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCKAY  commented  that  if  [teacher  recruitment                                                               
efforts] work, "keep doing it."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER replied  it is one mechanism; if there  is success at                                                               
the end  of the three years,  it would be determined  how best to                                                               
move forward.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:30:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  ALLARD  commented  on recruitment  and  retention,  and                                                               
stated  she was  in favor  of the  bonus program.   She  reported                                                               
hearing over and  over that teacher salaries are  not enough, and                                                               
expressed  her desire  to "help  that."   She  asked Ms.  Teshner                                                               
about rankings.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER replied  she could not provide  the information today                                                               
but would follow up with the committee.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:32:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK  asked Ms. Teshner  to speak on  how the                                                               
lump sum payment  compares to [a return to  the] defined benefits                                                               
system.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER  replied she does  not have  an answer.   She further                                                               
stated  that  the  bill  is intended  to  determine  whether  the                                                               
proposed incentives work.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:33:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY stressed the  importance of having an annual                                                               
evaluation or  report back  to the  legislature imposed  under HB
, as it would help with accountability.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER  replied that DEED  would have to  create regulations                                                               
around HB 106.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:35:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked whether  defined benefits would be                                                               
addressed in the survey DEED is to provide.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER replied  that retirement benefits is  number four [in                                                               
the survey].                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT asked Ms. Tesher to read the top five.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER read the top  five as follows:  adequate compensation                                                               
for  assigned  duties;  positive workplace  conditions;  personal                                                               
connections   with  students;   retirement  benefits;   and  good                                                               
healthcare benefits.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT  commented  that  she  appreciated  the                                                               
attention  to the  survey and  trying to  meet the  needs of  the                                                               
practitioners.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:37:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD  indicated she wants  educators to know  that the                                                               
proposed  incentives  "stay  in   their  pockets,"  stay  in  the                                                               
classroom,  and  go towards  their  retirement.   She  encouraged                                                               
educators to get on board; it is solely a benefit to them.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:38:31 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK  asked for  information on  other states                                                               
that may  have implemented a  similar program, and if  the states                                                               
also offer defined benefits on top of "these lump sums."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MS. TESHNER  explained she can  follow up with  more information,                                                               
but the  amounts in  the tiered incentive  align with  what other                                                               
states have done;  she stated she will get back  to the committee                                                               
with a more solid answer.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:39:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  ALLARD opined  that the  incentive would  be great  for                                                               
families,  those  who  are  married to  teachers,  and  in  rural                                                               
communities  where   she  noted  many  times   both  spouses  are                                                               
teachers.   Under  HB 106,  their income  could be  significantly                                                               
increased.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:39:59 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   HIMSCHOOT  pointed   out  that   the  State   of                                                               
Washington  did  something similar  in  2020,  and the  State  of                                                               
Massachusetts in 1998, and she  asked Ms. Teshner to provide more                                                               
information on the outcomes of those states thus far.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:40:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY provided her understanding that in                                                                         
Washington, there were parameters around lump sum payments, such                                                                
as for teachers at high poverty schools.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:42:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced that HB 106 was held over.