Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
03/07/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB173 | |
| HB335 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 173 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 335 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 173-SCHOOL CLIMATE & CONNECTEDNESS
8:05:22 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 173, "An Act relating to state education
policy; relating to school climate and connectedness;
establishing the School Climate and School Connectedness
Improvement Committee; and providing for an effective date."
8:05:35 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute
(CS) for HB 173, Version 32-LS0727\G, Marx, 1/27/22, as a
working document. There being no objection, Version G was
before the committee.
8:05:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented the proposed CS for HB 173, [Version G]. She
shared that before serving in the legislature, she was an
educator for two-plus decades. She expressed her interest in
education policy and her belief that unfunded mandates pressure
districts to implement new policies at their own expense. She
voiced her commitment to do things "the right way" and not
implement policies that are "pushed upon" educators and
administrators. While attending a workshop offered by the
Council of State Governments, she stated she learned about
research on the "school-to-prison pipeline." Research shows
that disciplinary policies used in middle and high schools can
put students on the path to be in the juvenile justice and adult
justice prison systems. She stated her belief that this track
is costly, with negative outcomes. In the workshop she began to
learn about restorative practices and alternative discipline
policies. She stated she investigated the situation in Alaska
and found concerning articles in the Anchorage Daily News on the
rates of suspension and expulsion in schools. In the process of
her investigation, she stated that she visited a colleague
working on the same policies in another state. During her
visit, she learned that a foundational piece to school climate
and connectiveness is creating a welcoming school environment
for all students. To build this environment, she referred to
the list of that which may be included in the district's plan,
found on page 3, [line 27, through page 4, line 5] of HB 173,
Version G, which read as follows:
(c) A plan may incorporate use of
(1) social and emotional learning;
(2) trauma-informed and healing-centered
practices;
(3) instruction in cultural competence and
alignment with indigenous values;
(4) multi-tiered support for behavioral
intervention, including restorative practices that are
nonshaming, nonpunitive, and effective in addressing
conflict and repairing relationships;
(5) methods for reducing racial disparities,
disproportionate behavior responses, and suspensions
or expulsions;
(6) culturally relevant practices adapted to
the local district.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained that in the interest of not
creating unfunded mandates and to support teachers and
administrators, she began hosting a Restorative Justice Summit.
She stated that last December she hosted the sixth summit. In
the process of hosting the summits over the past six years, she
stated that she has worked with at least 600 educators from
diverse communities across Alaska. She explained that the input
of these educators helped create the proposed legislation. She
stated she follows the [House Education Standing Committee's]
announcements; while the concepts in HB 173, Version G, are not
new to committee members, the legislation would create a
comprehensive approach. She distributed to the committee an
Anchorage Daily News article from October 6, [2021], titled,
"Anchorage Schools See Rise in Physical Altercations and
Behavioral Issues." The article conveyed that there were
"outbursts" when students returned to school in the fall. She
stated that she attended a community council meeting and shared
the concepts of the Restorative Justice Summit. She stated that
in the meeting, a principal from the Airport Heights Elementary
School shared that staff at the school had been trained on the
use of behavioral-issue intervention, and the school had not
experienced the behavior problems described in other schools.
She cited that this, along with other data, substantiates
[school climate and connectedness] policies. She argued that
reducing the time students are absent from school promotes
inclusion, and the students are more likely to stay on task and
learn. She stated the changes in [Version G] align with
stakeholder groups and input from people across the state
interested in the topic.
8:13:04 AM
DAVID SONG, Staff, Representative Geran Tarr, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Tarr, prime sponsor of
HB 173, paraphrased the explanation of changes in the proposed
CS, Version G [included in the committee packet], which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Following feedback from educators and stakeholders,
there are several changes in this version of HB 173:
Section 3 (b): The membership of the School Climate
and School Connectedness Improvement Committee is
changed as follows:
o the modifier "current" has been removed for
grammatical clarity (it is implied that non-retired
members are currently employed in their field).
o School principals are included as members of this
committee.
o School board members are included as members of this
committee.
o Student representatives are included as members of
this committee.
o Representatives from Alaska Native organizations (as
defined by 25 USC 5304 and 43 USC 1601) o Grade levels
for teachers have been changed from K-12 to pre-
elementary-12.
MR. SONG noted information missing from the document which
proposes a new paragraph under subsection (c), which read as
follows:
(6) allows for this committee to consult
with a nonprofit organization in an unpaid way, so
there is no fiscal impact.
MR. SONG paraphrased from the remainder of the document, which
read as follows:
Section 4 (c): New subsection (6) has been added to
guide districts' plans to improve school climate and
school connectedness. It reads as follows:
o A plan may incorporate use of "culturally relevant
practices adapted to the local district."
Sections 5-7: All references to dates are moved
forward by one year:
Section 5: Plan submission date moved to January 1,
2024.
Section 6: Repeal date changed to July 1, 2024.
Section 7: Effective date changed to July 1, 2022.
8:15:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained that the [School Climate and
School Connectedness Improvement Committee] would be comprised
of individuals willing to volunteer their time. The committee
would represent 52 school districts and self-organize into
smaller subgroups. She stated that the concepts taught in the
Restorative Justice Summit do not necessitate a "massive report"
to prescribe mandates. Rather, implementation of school climate
and connectedness concepts involve taking inventory of [a school
district's] resources and capacities. Instead of starting with
"you must do this," she stated that step one is to learn the
availability of resources needed in the school district. She
cited that [a school] may need a councilor or social worker for
interventions on the social and emotional learning component,
but due to budget cuts, this resource is not available. She
stated that the idea is to create a plan by cataloging need and
availability and then determine how to implement the plan
without creating an unfunded mandate. She continued that step
two would be considered after plans and evaluations are
collected. She suggested that this is already happening, but
[the proposed legislation] would "package" the process.
8:18:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS thanked the bill sponsor for bringing the
legislation forward. He commented that the [School Climate and
School Connectedness Improvement Committee] represents a very
large group. In consideration of the varying backgrounds and
sizes of districts and schools, he questioned whether there
would be a requirement that committee members come from
dispersed regions.
8:19:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response, pointed to language [in
Section 3] of Version G, which provides that the governor shall
consider geographic representation. She also indicated
subsequent language which provides that the committee "shall
organize regional and subject-matter subcommittees to address
the specific needs" of the diverse individuals and communities.
8:19:47 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK contended that this type of program already
exists through [the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB)].
8:20:08 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR answered in agreement. She expressed
confidence that AASB is interested in collaborative work. She
stated that AASB is already conducting a school climate and
connectiveness survey, and an AASB representative is expected to
provide invited testimony during the hearing. She expressed
hope that, through a partnership, survey information will
translate into policy recommendations. In reference to teacher
retention, she stated that school climate and connectiveness is
not just about the students but also about the administrators
and staff. She acknowledged that it takes work for everybody to
want to be present at school.
8:20:58 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY articulated her belief that the climate of a
school makes a difference for students to feel welcome,
comfortable, and ready to learn. She referred to the language
on page 2, line 7, "The committee consists of the following
members appointed by the governor". She expressed interest in
the appointment process by the governor. She also inquired
about the process between the committee and the Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED).
8:21:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR answered that there are two methods to
choose committee members. One method is for the legislature to
choose members in a joint decision between the House and the
Senate. The other option is through the executive branch, under
DEED, and the governor would appoint the committee members. She
suggested that either option could work, but because the
committee is under DEED, appointments are considered through the
executive branch. She stated she is a member of the Statewide
Suicide Prevention Council and has collaborated with DEED while
working on the trauma-informed school module. She explained
that, regarding the proposed legislation, DEED's role is
administrative, which includes work on the fiscal note. She
stated that there is not a specific endorsement from DEED for
Version G, although she surmised that its goal is consistent
with the Alaska's Education Challenge and aligns with the goals
of the current [DEED] leadership.
8:23:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to a follow-up question,
expressed hope that knowledge of the school climate and
connectedness committee would spread through superintendents,
professional certification organizations, union representatives,
and people who have been involved. She stated that during the
first legislative hearing on HB 173, Tom Klaameyer of the
National Education Association provided invited testimony in
support of the bill. She noted that collaborations and
announcements could be a source of outreach to different groups.
She stated her belief that a strong commitment to spread the
word about the [School Climate and School Connectedness
Improvement Committee] will reflect in quality committee
members. She referenced a governor's task force that published
a press release to recruit the public by providing an
application link. She stated that in rural communities there
are local newspapers, like the Nome Nugget or the Arctic
Sounder, which would publish announcements, making the
opportunity available to a diverse set of people.
8:26:27 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY questioned how many districts currently
incorporate school climate and connectedness, and whether there
is a requirement of each local school district to develop a
plan.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR responded that there are no mandates or
policy changes for school districts without the accompanying
resources. She stated that through discussions with educators
participating at the Restorative Justice Summits, it was
determined the preferred model is a two-step process. She
outlined that step one is to create a plan, and then, if school
districts are interested, step two examines the plans and
requirements for implementation. She expressed excitement that
educators have learned from DEED's trauma-informed education
[framework] and are independently adopting some of these
practices. Referencing the Anchorage Daily News article from
October 6, [2021], she stated that it recorded 601 suspensions
in schools but did not mention disciplinary actions. She
suggested that some schools are starting to teach emotional
regulation and self-management; citing for example, instead of a
time-out punishment, a student is taught to recognize that
he/she may be out of control or angry and, to prevent
altercations, can self-select by moving to another room to do
schoolwork.
8:29:11 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to a follow-up question, stated
that AASB conducts ongoing school climate and connectedness
surveys; consequently, educators will be familiar with the
language. She stated that Alaska districts and schools are
diverse in size and background and require flexibility; as the
language is not prescriptive, the legislation will not mandate
districts and schools to hire researchers or contractors. She
maintained that the role of the committee is to support the
districts and schools [through the process].
8:31:37 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY referred to language from page 3, line 24, "A
district shall designate district representatives to coordinate
with the committee and draft the district's plan." She
suggested that districts will communicate individual efforts [by
means of a representative] to the committee, and this creates a
web of support. She commented on the broad approach and that
she believes coordination between organizations is productive.
She expressed interest in knowing how much feedback individual
districts have already given.
8:32:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, reiterating that the requirement for
districts' participation is specific to what is available to
them, answered that principals from all Anchorage School
Districts attended the Restorative Justice Summit and now the
districts' priorities include trauma-informed and mental health
and wellness policies. She opined that this validates the
program. She stated that there is a letter of support from the
North Slope Borough School District. She listed multiple
representatives from schools that have attended the summits,
including Fairbanks, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka, Homer, Valdez,
North Slope Borough, Chevak, Kotzebue, and Bethel. She stated
that from their feedback, she has learned about the diversity of
Alaska school districts. In response to a follow-up question,
she stated that the plan submission date could be flexible. She
then surmised that two years is long enough, and if a school or
district needs an extra year, the legislation provides an
intervening year.
8:36:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to a question from
Representative Gillham, stated that after appointment, the
members would be on the committee through the process of plan
submission. She referred to the language in Section 6, that
read, "Sections 1 and 3 - 5 of this Act are repealed July 1,
2024." She stated after that date the committee does not exist.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND referred to the language on page 3, line 5,
"Committee members serve without compensation and are not
entitled to per diem."
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to Co-Chair Drummond, voiced
hope that compensation will not be an issue. She offered that
the fiscal note provides funding for a contractor to schedule
committee meetings, keep notes, and track contact information.
She noted that there has been a great deal of support, and she
stated her belief that there are people who would like to be
part of the process, without compensation. She said that people
have already expressed interest in being members of the proposed
committee.
8:38:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to Representative Cronk,
answered that the fiscal note was prepared April 30, 2021, and
that there is nothing new beyond this date. She explained that
the fiscal note of $23,000 is for the two years the committee
would be in existence. She explained that this is the estimated
cost for a contractor to organize the [School Climate and School
Connectedness Improvement Committee].
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK referred to the language in the
legislation, that read, "that the district shall". He stated
that, technically, this language usually indicates a bigger cost
assumed by the districts.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR responded that this was a concern in
developing the legislation; thus, the language is not
prescriptive in terms of expectation. She explained that to
create a plan together, the district's representative would
participate in limited consultations with the committee and may
provide answers on a questionnaire. She stated that the
intention of the legislation is to be "noninvasive" and not
impose weekly meetings on "super-busy teachers." She stated her
belief that smaller districts could put together a plan after
participating in a couple of interviews and answering a set of
questions. She stated that bigger districts may need more
coordination, however; they may already have people working in
the social and emotional learning and disciplinary components.
She stated that to minimize the impact on the districts and
schools, the committee-supported process would be flexible and
nonprescriptive.
8:41:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to a question from Co-Chair
Drummond, answered that the fiscal note dated April 30, 2021, is
current. She stated that the only change in Version G has to do
with committee membership and consultation language.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND commented that there might be available
funding from DEED's COVID-19 relief funds. She suggested that
the pandemic might have had a serious impact on behavior issues
in schools.
8:42:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX voiced concern that once a plan [created by
the committee and the district representative] is [complete], it
would be prescriptive, and school districts would have to
implement the plan.
8:42:58 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR responded that the actual development of a
plan is the only prescriptive element. She recapped her
aspirations to be mindful of mandates. She reiterated that step
two would be implementation of the plan, and if resources are
not available, there would be no expectation for the districts
to put policies into place. She stated that after two years, if
there are plan recommendations, that would be the time to review
the budget and see what the plan can achieve. She suggested
that the process generates a roadmap. She stated that some
community resources could become available. Businesses may be
interested in policies that provide people with soft skills as
communication, connection, and leadership; this leads to the
consideration of school programs and the type of students they
produce. She suggested that there might be private investors.
In Anchorage, for example, there are partnerships between
schools and businesses that may help with strategic investments.
She stated the intention is not for [the legislation] to
presuppose solutions, but for the plan to open the conversation,
whether funding comes from state resources or private
partnerships.
8:45:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX, for clarification, stated that the
committee would develop the program and that would be through
DEED. The next step would be implementation of the plan, if
future legislatures so choose.
8:45:59 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR answered in the affirmative. She explained
that, on or before January 1, 2024, the districts would supply
the finished plan to the board of education, the chief clerk,
and the senate secretary. At that time the legislature would
consider implementation. She stated that some districts might
relay that they have resources in place and do not need to
implement a plan. In response to a follow-up question, she
stated that there has been a great deal of participation. She
estimated that around 100 people this year and around 100 people
last year signed up for the annual [Restorative Justice Summit].
She stated that this has been a work in progress over the last
few years, and the input of summit participants helped develop
the two-step process. She restated that step one is to create
the plan, and step two is to consider resources and possible
implementation of the plan. She referenced the example that
some schools in the past used closets for behavioral
interventions, as they did not have a physical space for the
seclusion and restraint policy. She stated that the legislature
intervened on the practice and the resulting [legislation]
required some smaller districts to build a physical space for
the seclusion and restraint policy, without providing funding.
She argued that it is easy to think of a change in policy,
without thinking in terms of implementation. She stated the
goal with Version G is to understand what districts need without
putting pressure on them.
8:50:13 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND observed that the School Climate and School
Connectedness Improvement Committee does not appear to have a
requirement to produce a plan or report, but there is a
requirement on school districts. Considering the current
[legislative] schedule, she estimated that districts would have
about 18 months to complete a plan. She acknowledged that this
does not leave much time for the committee, in its initial
phase, to support school districts while each school district
produces its own plan, on or before January of 2024.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR answered that the committee is big enough to
break into smaller groups. Each group will work with an
allotted number of districts to help create standardized
questions. The committee members serve a supportive role to
help minimize the impact on the districts. While the districts
would be submitting the plan, the committee's supportive role
helps complete the plan. She expressed the belief that
restricting the committee to an advisory role gives plan
ownership to area groups, so they feel they are speaking on
their own behalf. She suggested that due to time constraints
the House Education Standing Committee should move the
legislation. She expressed optimism that the bill will pass and
observed that the outreach will take a couple months. She
agreed on the idea of pushing out plan submission dates by a
year, but she stressed that the dates must be relative, so the
committee is repealed in the end.
8:54:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR, in response to a question from
Representative Gillham, explained that [Version G] does not
repeal Section 2 because that section contains language on
trauma-informed policy. She explained that four years ago the
Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) and DEED had
combined legislation to inform education and healthcare policy.
This resulted in a statute for DHSS, but the language on trauma-
informed policy never become part of a DEED statute. She stated
that the original intention was that both DHSS and DEED would
have statutes including the language.
8:55:37 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND expressed her concern that the "early
development" part of DEED should be kept "front and center."
She stated that subsection (b) in Section 2 of HB 173, Version
G, acknowledges this and makes it a permanent part of education
policy. She stated her opinion that this piece of the
legislation should not be repealed.
8:56:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR answered in the affirmative. She stated
that the language becomes part of the policy directive and
allows for prevention work. In addition, she said that DHHS has
access to federal funding due to the language.
8:57:04 AM
NORM WOOTEN, Director of Advocacy, Association of Alaska School
Boards, offered AASB's support for HB 173, Version G. To
address earlier questions stated during the hearing, he detailed
that school districts currently receive federal funding
primarily through Title I and Title II of the Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA). To receive federal funding through ESSA,
school districts are required to provide the same information
that is already conveyed in the school climate and
connectiveness survey. He surmised that the process for school
districts to create a plan to submit to the committee would not
be onerous, as most districts are already doing the work. He
asserted that AASB has long supported student physical and
mental health as a prerequisite for student learning. He stated
that AASB has an entire department, the Alaska Initiative for
Community Engagement, working with school districts toward this
goal. The methodology is to connect school districts,
communities, tribes, and parents with resources [to help them
understand] childhood trauma, isolation, bullying, and anything
that prevents students from learning and becoming well-adjusted
children and then adults. He stated that AASB has been the
recipient of several grants from the U.S. Department of
Education. These grants are to help create partnerships and
provide support for students' physical and emotional needs. He
opined that often educators must address the emotional needs of
students before they can address the educational needs. He
stated that students do not leave their problems "on the
doorstep" of the school. He made the comparison to schools
providing breakfast and stated that it is impossible to teach
hungry students. He stated that AASB does not advocate
supplanting parental responsibility; instead, supplementing it
by integrating parental lessons into the academic day. To
strengthen connections between parents and students, he stated
that AASB works directly with families and communities to find
ways to support values and strengthen connections between
families and the school, as partners.
MR. WOOTEN stated that he expressed doubt when he first heard
about the legislation and sought guidance from the board of
directors. He stated that AASB does not typically advocate for
mandates for school districts. However, the board agreed, AASB
is "so deeply embedded" with school climate and connectedness,
it could not do anything except support the legislation. He
stated that school districts across Alaska are already doing
this work in order to receive funding through ESSA. He
continued that AASB worked with Representative Tarr and supports
HB 173, and the changes in [Version G]. He expressed excitement
to expand partnerships through the legislation to provide even
greater support to communities, tribes, parents, and to support
students in the school districts. He stated that AASB's
[Resolutions Committee] has drawn up the following resolutions
in support of [Version G]: supporting student success through
social and emotional learning and positive youth development;
safe, caring, and connected school; student wellness;
encouraging districts to adopt standards for parental/family
involvement programs; Alaska standards for culturally responsive
schools; and support for ESSA's priorities. He thanked the bill
sponsor and stated his belief that [Version G] would help school
districts better prepare students by improving both their
academics and mental health.
9:04:00 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked Mr. Wooten and acknowledged his
longevity in support of the Alaska's schools. She surmised from
Mr. Wooten's testimony that the plan's submission date does not
need to change. She stated that school districts are already
doing the work, and they should not have an issue developing a
plan by January 2024.
9:05:17 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY thanked Mr. Wooten for his testimony and
expressed interest on his opinion of the selection process of
the committee members. She stated she feels that appointees to
the committee should be experienced people who have been working
on [school climate and collectiveness].
9:06:34 AM
MR. WOOTEN expressed confidence in the process. He also
expressed confidence that, because the governor has a background
in education, he will appoint experienced members to the
committee. He stated that, initially, school board members were
not on the list of committee members. He voiced appreciation to
the bill sponsor that the legislation now includes school board
members, as he believes they will have valuable input in the
discussion of school climate and connectedness. He stated that
because of the expertise and experience of its members, AASB has
offered volunteer consultants to the committee. He expressed
confidence that, with the size of the committee, there will be
committee members concerned with the improvement of the
academic, mental, and physical health of students.
9:08:33 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 173, Version G.
9:09:02 AM
KATIE BOTZ, representing self, stated her support of HB 173,
[Version G]. She stated that she identifies as a victim of
sexual assault. She shared that she was 12 years old at the
time of her trauma and is living proof of its effects on mental
health and wellbeing. She stated after the incident she felt
she could not talk about her emotions, fear, or anything related
to her trauma. She stated that at school she resented everyone,
fought with other students, and was often in trouble. She
stated that she never worked through the trauma, but moving to
Juneau, where no one knew her past, felt like a clean slate.
However, once she entered the workforce, she stated that her
emotional trauma resurfaced. She said that, even as an adult,
she almost lost her job because she never addressed the trauma
at a young age. She stated that she feels addressing students'
problems sooner will help them as adults. She asked the
committee to support HB 173, [Version G].
9:11:48 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked Ms. Botz for her testimony. After
ascertaining that there was no one else who wished to testify,
she closed public testimony.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 173 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| CS for HB 173 Version G.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 173 |
| HB 173 Explanation of changes Version G.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 173 |
| HB 335 Committee Packet 3.7.22 DEED.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 335 |
| HB 335 - Sponsor Statement 2.15.2022.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 335 |
| HB 335 6.1.2017_MOA_YFSD_YKSD_DEED_DCCED_Rampart_School.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 335 |
| HB 335 FN EED FP 2.11.22.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 335 |
| HB335 - Sectional Analysis 2.17.2022.pdf |
HEDC 3/7/2022 8:00:00 AM |
HB 335 |