Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
02/21/2018 08:30 AM House EDUCATION
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB212 | |
| HB339 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 212 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 339 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 339-INCREASE BASE STUDENT ALLOCATION
8:53:42 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 339, "An Act relating to the base student
allocation; and providing for an effective date."
8:54:07 AM
SIERRA LLOYD, Student, Juneau Douglas High School (JDHS), Juneau
School District, stated her support for HB 339, relating to the
base student allocation (BSA). She stated that the school
boards have been begging for funding for important programs,
such as Tlingit Language Learning, gifted programs and
maintaining reasonable class sizes. Raising the BSA could very
well save these valuable resources for students who need them.
She stated that she was a sophomore representative in the JDHS
student council. She knows she speaks for many of the student
body when she says that education should be the number one
priority in our state.
MS. LLOYD predicted that for every dollar that the legislature
thinks it would save by denying it to future Alaskan voters
would result in the state spending double on social services,
correctional facility workers and homeless shelters in the
future. Please do not sacrifice our futures in an attempt to
dig the state out of this monetary hole, she said. She offered
her belief that members know how important a strong education
system is for the welfare of all Alaskans. "Please do the right
thing," she said. She thanked members for the opportunity to
testify.
8:55:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked Ms. Lloyd to submit her testimony in
written form.
8:56:09 AM
DAVID PIAZZA, Superintendent, Southwest Region School District
(SWRS), stated that the district would like to thank the
legislature for its continued support of the public educational
system and the opportunity to speak with you today.
MR. PIAZZA stated that Alaska's students represent the future of
our great state as our greatest natural resource and require the
support necessary to grow into the leaders and work force that
will keep Alaska prosperous for years to come. The SWRS
continues to experience substantial cost increases to health
insurance, supplies, and transportation of goods to our schools
and foresees a renewed upward swing in fuel oil costs and other
utilities this spring. This past year's insurance renewal
included a 13 percent increase, which continued a trend of
significant annual increases. These changes directly impact the
district finances and reduce funds available to support
instructional programs for students.
8:57:29 AM
MR. PIAZZA stated that the district supports measures by the
legislature to secure funding early and at adequate levels to
help local schools as well as the Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED), to plan effectively and efficiently
and to meet student educational needs. The district supports HB
339. He thanked members for their attention in this matter.
8:58:16 AM
DEENA BISHOP, PhD; Superintendent, Anchorage School District
(ASD) related her understanding that many people wished to
testify today. She said that the ASD provided a letter of
support; however, she would like to add additional comments
today. She thanked members for presenting this proposed
increase to a government program when most discussions were
about shrinking government.
DR. BISHOP said that Alaskans might not understand what
shrinking government means for K-12 education and for our
universities. She remarked that she has been a fiscal
conservative in her home and in her profession. She buys
second-hand clothing and used cars. She indicated that most
people understand that Alaska's future depends on the success of
our youth, yet the state continued to shrink government while
the long-term effects will result in losses to our economy, our
health, and losses to our state. Smart companies invest in
their future and pay for innovation and development. Sadly,
Alaska's state government has not done this for education in
recent years. Shrinking government means our students have less
counselors in their schools, fewer teachers in their classrooms,
and little investment in the 21st century learning these
students need to move Alaska into the future. She concluded by
saying she believes in servant leadership and the ASD provides
high-quality instruction for its students, absolutely
transparent accountability for student progress and achievement,
efficient use of funds in all operations and positive "customer
service" for its students, staff, parents, and community. She
stated, "Please know that this fiscal conservative believes in
investing in Alaska's children." She asked members to please
support HB 339 for every student in our state, from preschool
through post-secondary education. This [bill] represents the
hope for our students and the hope for our future, she said.
9:00:24 AM
DAVID NEES stated he was testifying on behalf of himself. He
said he serves as a staff research associate for the for Alaska
Policy Forum. He suggested that the main problem with the
proposed $100 increase to the BSA was that it would be dispersed
in an inequitable manner through the [foundation] formula. He
explained, after reviewing the allocation of state education
funding, that he found the big five school districts receive 68
percent of the state's education funds, yet they have 51 percent
of the state's students.
MR. NEES said that the small communities were not receiving an
equal amount of funding. He said it was very difficult to do
this if one were to change the first part of the formula. He
acknowledged that Alaska spends a lot for education, yet the
results were not good. He suggested using the $100 increase to
the BSA as a function of a reward system by saying the school
districts that perform would receive more of the proposed $100
increase to the BSA for schools that perform. He reiterated
that the big five school districts, which were Juneau,
Anchorage, Mat-Su [Matanuska-Susitna], Kenai, and Fairbanks
school districts would receive 68 percent or $68 of the proposed
$100 increase to the BSA. Although this would help the larger
school districts, it also would short change the smaller school
districts. He offered his belief that it was important to be
careful that when the [legislature] front loads something at the
beginning of the equation that what comes out at the end of the
equation was what one hoped to get. He concluded by stating if
the [legislature] wants the funding to go directly to the school
districts that the funding needs to happen outside the formula
and not as an increase to the BSA.
9:02:18 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP thanked him for his testimony. He related
his understanding that Mr. Nees's point was that the way the
foundation formula was structured created a bias that was
heavily weighted towards the big five school districts. He
further understood that if $100 comes in at the front end of the
foundation formula, the $68 for each student in the big five
school districts would mean $32 remained for each school
district in rural Alaska. He asked for further clarification on
whether that was his position.
CHAIR DRUMMOND indicated Mr. Nees had already signed off the
teleconference.
9:03:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON offered her belief that Mr. Nees was
saying that 68 percent, not $68 and that the student population
was under 60 percent but the funding for the big five school
districts was over 60 percent.
REPRESENTATIVE KOPP said that Mr. Nees also used the $68 figure
as well. He thought Representative Johnston was correct, but he
also indicated that only 51 percent of the students resided in
the big five school districts, but these districts received 68
percent of the funding.
CHAIR DRUMMOND said she must correct those figures. She
reported that 130,000 students reside in Alaska and the five big
school districts have approximately 83 percent of the students.
She said Mr. Nees's figures were inaccurate.
9:04:18 AM
TED MARTIN stated he just read the sponsor statement, which
stated that approximately $25 million was cut in 2015, but
because of inflation it was more like $90 million [in cuts]. He
argued that the inflation rate does not run so high as to create
a shortage of $90 million. He wondered how many of the school
district really cut their teachers. It seemed to him that each
year the legislature brings up a bill at the last minute to
receive funding "to the cap."
MR. MARTIN stated that Alaska's schools, according to this
year's NCTQ [National Council on Teacher Quality] report, that
our achievement level was a "D or D-." He cautioned against
rewarding people for failing. He said that this $100 does not
even equate to any reasonable inflation.
9:05:55 AM
MR. MARTIN encouraged members to "look at the numbers." He
offered his belief that the person who put together the
sponsor's statement was either not telling the truth or does not
understand third grade math. He said he hated to be so
critical, but he is 63 years old with a 25-year-old grandson.
His entire family pays for these schools and none of them have
any children. He indicated he was not complaining, noting he
received a good education in the 1970s, attending a two-room
schoolhouse. He said he was a successful businessman today. He
stated that he did not have a swimming pool or track. He urged
members to "tighten our belt" and to get results from teachers
and provide adequate testing to demonstrate results. He said,
"So, no; the $100 increase in my mind is not warranted. So
please, do not pass this bill. Go back to the drawing board and
use what you've got. And you create a better system for our
children. A D- is not a passing grade in my mind. It never
was; never will be." He thanked members for the opportunity to
testify. He offered his belief that his education was just as
good as those schools that have amenities such as a pool, track,
or football team. He concluded by saying he did not support HB
339.
CHAIR DRUMMOND thanked him for his testimony.
9:07:48 AM
BRIAN SINGLETON, Principal, Begich Middle School, Anchorage
School District (ASD), stated that this was his 18th year as an
educator and his 13th year as a principal. He asked to testify
about safety in our schools. He said building safety at Begich
Middle School, with over 1,000 students in 6th-8th grade was his
biggest concern. He expressed concern that since January, the
United States has had 18 school shootings, yet one of the cuts
at his school was for school security. He said that schools
were getting less instead of more funding for school safety.
MR. SINGLETON offered his belief that teachers were asked to do
more although students were performing well despite some of the
misunderstandings over results. The ASD graduation rates have
improved. The district does not have sufficient funds to
upgrade the school security system. He stated that his school
needed a "buzz in" system to ensure that school officials know
who enters the building. He acknowledged that sometimes the
public only considered subjects like reading and math; however,
he thinks about school safety before considering classroom work.
As funding does not keep up with rising costs, it compromises
school safety. He said students at the Anchorage schools speak
over 96 different languages and a University of Alaska study
indicated that the Begich Middle School was number one or two in
the United States in terms of diversity. Keeping students safe
represented his highest priority, he said.
9:10:13 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON asked how old the Begich Middle School
in Anchorage was now.
MR. SINGLETON answered that it was 11 years old.
9:10:57 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON related her understanding that when the
Begich Middle School was first constructed it did not have a
security system installed.
MR. SINGLETON answered that the school has cameras, but the
building does not have any "buzz in" doors or collection areas.
He stated that it was possible to upgrade the security system.
9:11:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON was unsure but recalled that some of the
bonding was to provide funds for security.
MR. SINGLETON responded that there are approximately 65
elementary schools in Anchorage. He stated that his school had
significant needs due to the size and the number of buildings
that needed to be kept secure. He acknowledged that funding for
door construction was available, but it was only one piece of
achieving secure buildings.
9:12:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSTON asked whether Begich Middle School was
on this year's bonding proposal.
MR. SINGLETON answered no; not to my knowledge.
9:12:45 AM
MR. JAMES DOEPKEN stated that he was the parent of students in
elementary school, that he coaches music at the high school, and
his wife was a librarian and works with students who need
additional assistance. He said he has volunteered in many
schools in Anchorage, Girdwood, and Seward. He asked to testify
in support of HB 339 because he has concerns about how the lack
of funding will affect programs that "fill the gaps" for kids
that might "slip through them." He supported HB 339 to offset
inflation. He offered that he has seen too many students who
rely on the school as their lifeline and without adequate
funding, these kids might "fall through the cracks." He and his
wife have worked with some of these children. Although it said
it might sound trite, he asked members to remember the children
and do it for the kids.
9:14:27 AM
REBECCA BERNARD thanked members for holding the hearing. She
stated that she was the mother of two children who attend public
school in Anchorage and a longtime supporter of education. She
testified in support of HB 339 and urged members to pass the
bill along for a vote on the floor. Ideally, she would like to
see funding that kept up with the rising costs schools must cope
with each year; funding that would keep up with inflation.
MS. BERNARD said that she would like to see students thrive in
schools that were securely funded; ones that did not need to
make cuts to staff, programs, and services each year. She would
like to see schools with their dedicated teachers and staff know
early on the amount of their school funding instead of
scrambling at the end of the school year to match their budgets
to reflect legislative appropriations. She said she was
encouraged that the committee was considering this bill early on
in the legislative session. She stated that our students needed
and deserved to have funding stability in their schools, similar
to how businesses operate. She offered that investing in
schools was the key to our students' and to the future of all of
us who live in Alaska because these kids will run things and
take care of us when we can no longer do so. She said, "So,
let's invest in kids. Let's invest in our own future. Let's
invest in our schools and keep the funding up with inflation."
She thanked members for their time.
9:16:57 AM
DAVID BOYLE, Senior Policy Fellow, Alaska Policy Forum, stated
his opposition to HB 339 to increase the BSA as it was now
written. He stated that the bill does not have any
accountability for results in student achievement. He offered
his belief that the goal of everyone in Alaska was to improve
student achievement and provide them with best education
possible. He related that the state has had terrible results
for the NAEP [National Assessment of Educational Progress]
scores.
MR. BOYLE referred to slide 9 of the PowerPoint in members'
packets [not specifically identified]. He said that it only
considered the general operating budget, but not transportation,
school bond debt reimbursement, or other funding steams such as
quality schools. He asked members to look at the entire budget.
The education system has indicated that teachers would receive
"pink slip," which no one wants. He said it was not necessary
but represents a strategy to get the attention of parents,
Alaskans, and legislators.
MR. BOYLE provided data from the CAFR [Comprehensive Annual
Financial Report], which he said was not anecdotal nor did it
contain opinions as with the previous document, the PowerPoint.
He said there were no pinks given in the ASD to 268 food service
workers, 354 custodians, 147 principals and assistant
principals, 95 IT [Information Technology] staff, 200
maintenance staff, and 141 transportation employees. He asked
members for the reason. He said slide 9 showed 394 FTE
[fulltime equivalent] positions, which were positions, not
people. He said one slide showed that classroom sizes have
increased. He stated that was incorrect. According to the ASD
CAFR, classroom sizes have not increased, with the average
student to teacher ratio at 16-1. He said that slide 10
indicate that fixed costs have skyrocketed, which they have, but
these represent variable costs since they are negotiable costs
with collective bargaining units.
9:19:49 AM
MR. BOYLE reported that Anchorage taxpayers paid about $21,000
per NEA member for health care. He said one member of this
committee voted against reducing health care costs when that
member opposed combining all school districts into one health
care consortium. He stated that only the ASD opposed this and
he asked for the reason, then answered that the legislature
would fund more dollars. He asked members to look at the facts
in the CAFR and not at opinions or anecdotes.
CHAIR DRUMMOND advised the public that anyone could submit their
testimony in writing. She was unsure of the specific
PowerPoint, Mr. Boyle had referenced.
9:20:55 AM
ANDY HOLLEMAN, Member, Anchorage School Board (ASB), Anchorage
School District (ASD), stated that over the past ten years, the
district has pared down staff to the point that programs, such
as gifted programs, counselors, security, music, and art can
barely function. These programs help keep the schools connected
to students. In the aftermath of what has happened in our
country, people understand the critical nature of that
connection, he said.
MR. HOLLEMAN predicted that continuing with "flat funding" and
cutting staff would result in dropping the connections to
students. The most dangerous students with critical needs were
the ones that schools lose the connection with first. He
lamented that time did not allow him to discuss the success in
the schools but that schools have a lot more to do and they need
more staff to do it. He indicated that members who were
familiar with the mechanics of issuing "pink slips" could
explain the process to those who were not familiar with the
budget cycle. He characterized the idea of using "pink slips"
as a grandstanding exercise was preposterous and untrue. He
stated that using the accounting number for the FTEs to reflect
what was happening in the classroom was a misrepresentation.
9:23:03 AM
MIKE BRONSON, Member, National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP), stated that he was affiliated with
the NAACP in Anchorage. He said several of his daughters
graduated from West High School recently. He offered the
NAACP's support for HB 339 and the base student allocation (BSA)
increase of $100.
9:23:41 AM
MR. BRONSON agreed that the public does expect the legislature
to hold the schools accountable for results. He echoed Mr.
Holleman of the importance of the teacher to student ratio. He
referred to the science emphasis at the Central Middle School,
noting that many military kids need more assistance and struggle
to learn multiplication tables typically mastered by the fourth
grade. He said that two years ago classes were overflowing and
this year the ASB would be voting to reduce teacher numbers,
which would increase class sizes. One consequence would be that
students who were already behind may never catch up in middle
school or in high school.
9:25:31 AM
JOSH KEATON, Vice-President, Juneau School Board (JSB), Juneau
School District (JSD), stated he was a parent of two children in
the Juneau School District (JSD). He serves on multiple
committees and volunteers in the schools. He offered the JSB's
support, as well as his personal support for HB 339, which would
increase the base student allocation (BSA). He has heard
testimony today about celebrating some of the successes or lack
thereof in the schools. He said, "We're doing amazing work here
in Juneau; however, we're doing this at a time we've - in the
past five years - have cut over $10 million in budget and have
lost over 90 staff members." He characterized the current
situation as being in the position of having to make an
impossible choice. The JSD has a $3 million budget shortfall,
which meant the JSB must decide if it can fund high school
librarians or counselors, or whether to raise kindergarten class
sizes to an unmanageable 30 students. He asked members for any
support that they can give to help. He said that the JSD was
doing amazing work. He recalled earlier testimony from members
of the community but added that this $100 BSA increase would go
a long way to help with inflation costs. He asked members for
additional support for our schools.
9:27:16 AM
WILLIAM HARRINGTON stated that the big question was results and
student achievement. He did not believe that we were getting
what we were paying for. He advocated for education that
resulted in usable job skills and not just college preparation.
He suggested the community face the realities of single-family
homes. He advocated for the basic ability of financial
responsibility. He acknowledged that oil revenues had provided
for education. He agreed with the previous testifier who stated
that he received a good education without some of the amenities,
which were nice, but the lack of academic and real-life learning
was a glaring fault of the highly paid administrators over a
long period of time. He accused administrators of using kids as
pawns while they did mediocre jobs but received great benefits.
He and his family support education but he did not think the
schools were achieving results. When oil was $100 [per barrel]
the school districts should have asked for more funding but
right now we just need to concentrate on education that provides
usable job skills and teaches consequences they will need to
face when they finish school, whether they graduate or not.
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked testifiers to comment on HB 339, which is
for the $100 increase to the BSA.
9:29:13 AM
ROXANNE BROWER, President, Board of Education, North Slope
Borough School District (NSBSD), spoke in support of HB 339.
She stated that school districts face increasing costs in
delivering education each year. In order to maintain adequate,
quality instruction and programs that align with each school
district's vision, adequate funding was necessary. She reported
that the graduation rate grew from 76.1 in 2016 to 78.2 in 2017.
MS. BROWER related that an investment in education was an
investment in Alaska. She said that economic benefits come to
the communities through employment of school staff and programs.
More importantly investing in education for Alaska's children
was one of the surest ways to sustain our economy. Educating
children reduces the numbers of adults in need of assistance and
social programs.
9:30:53 AM
MS. BROWER said that the rural caucus and the NSBSD supports
funding behavioral health services in all of Alaska's schools.
She characterized behavioral health needs as one of the most
urgent needs for our students.
MS. BROWER reported that the NSBSD's student graduation rate
rose from 58.48 percent in 2016 to 78.38 percent in 2017. The
NSBSD has been creating personalized relevant learning and
expanding its career technology education program and case-based
learning opportunities for all students. Given the chance to
sustain adequate education funding, the NSBSD would continue to
produce results for its students. She stated that the NSBSD
needed sustainable and adequate funds to recruit and retain its
teachers who are using the Inupiaq learning framework for their
students and seeing results.
MS. BROWER stated that the $100 increase to the base student
allocation (BSA) would provide the school district with a modest
increase to keep up with increased costs and help sustain its
educational workforce. Alaska needs to provide more for it its
children. The NSBSD has been doing its part to educate
children.
9:32:20 AM
STEWART MCDONALD, Superintendent, North Slope Borough School
District (NSBSD), stated that the school board president just
spoke. He reiterated the NSBSD's student graduation rate rose
from 58.48 percent in 2016 to 78.38 percent in 2017. He said it
was important to see these results and know the NSBSD celebrates
the outcome. He said that this happened because of innovation
and using funding appropriately. He said without the $100
increase to the base student allocation (BSA) there would be a
reduction to the educational force. He said that you cannot
keep buying the same things with the same amount of money year
after year. He stated that the NSBSD would continue facing
losing employees. The mental health counseling services provide
help to students who have challenging circumstances or are in
trouble. He emphasized the need to retain counselors and have
those connective services for students. He urged members to
please consider the increase of $100 for the BSA so the school
district can maintain the school district's momentum and the
school district's work force. He thanked members for their
service.
9:34:32 AM
JENNIFER SCHMITZ, Principal, Scenic Park School, Anchorage
School District (ASD) stated she was a lifelong Alaskan and that
she was her in her 7th year at Scenic Park School and her 12th
year as a principal. She related that 385 students were at
Scenic Park School when she started, currently 470 students are
enrolled, and she expects approximately 20 more next year.
Although she has 100 more students now, she has seven fewer
fulltime staff members, including a counselor, a Cook Inlet
Tribal teacher, and extended learning staff. She highlighted
the importance of having support staff in the building. She
related that some of her students have one or more parents who
are incarcerated, students who are considered homeless, and
dozens in foster care. She stated one of her students has been
in three foster homes and she now goes to the shelter to be with
her mom at night. The Office of Children's Services visits her
school weekly to interview and check on students who have
suffered neglect and abuse.
9:36:03 AM
MS. SCHMITZ lamented that she does not have a way to help these
students. On top of trying to help each student reach academic
milestones, she and her teachers are also tasked with supporting
students whose families undergo some incredibly tough
situations. She said that they were not trained for this nor do
they have the resources to do so. Many students need mental
health support and with flat-funding in education the school has
lost significant support it once had. She expressed that
obtaining additional funds to the BSA would help provide
students with the necessary support. More and more has been
required of classroom teachers and because this was their chosen
path, these teachers do their very best to be everything to
their students. She said, "It isn't enough." Teachers have
been taking on more and more with curriculum, individual
learning plans for students, and interventions to meet student
needs on top of the emotional support they must give. She
stated that this was her 27th year at the ASD and she would like
to say that her young teachers would stay as long but she
believed that too much was being asked of them. She concluded
by saying, "We need more supports in our schools.
DOUGLAS GRAY, Principal, Lake Otis Elementary School, Anchorage
School District (ASD), provided his background, noting that he
started his career as a special education teacher in Tokiak and
he has worked in various locations and positions throughout
Alaska. He reported that the BSA has not been increased in over
four years but as the cost of living increases so does the cost
of education.
9:37:28 AM
MR. GRAY highlighted that one model for research practices
schools are looking at was the Multiple Tiers of Systems of
Support (MTSS), which relies on the use of support staff to
support students who are not making the growth of achievement
the school would like to see. He explained that the school has
lots of measures that the school uses to assess student
progress. He stated that the school now needs the systems in
place to provide support for those students. The school tests
students' numerous times throughout the year so the data exists
but the school needs funds in order to do so.
9:38:17 AM
LISA PRINCE, Principal, Eagle River Elementary School, Anchorage
School District (ASD), stated that she has previously served as
principal of elementary and middle schools and was a high school
administrator. She said that students who are loved at home
come to learn and students who are not come to school to be
loved. She related that she has found the need to provide
social support for children has increased. Children cannot
learn when they are crying, when they have not been fed, or when
they do not have a place to stay. Children also cannot learn
when they are testing positive for meth because drugs are
present in their homes.
MS. PRINCE related a scenario in which she had to fix a leaking
urinal that was vandalized at the same time robbers were headed
towards Eagle River from Anchorage. Although some of the video
surveillance cameras were broken the school managed to keep
students safe. She then had to conduct Alice training drills to
prepare for intruders. She said one student was afraid to come
into the school because of concerns about personal safety at
school. These were the things that students face. She
acknowledged that her school has been able to get results and be
creative with funding. She said she personally paid teachers to
tutor kids after school because the school did not have the
funding. She reported that at Bartlett High School passing
rates improved and the graduation rate approved. As a single
parent, she still budgets $150 per month from her personal
budget for students' expenses, including paying to fix cavities
and starting clothing closets at school. This year she asked
her supervisor if it was possible to keep the United Way food
bank at their school. She thanked members for the opportunity
to support schools.
9:40:42 AM
TIM PARKER, President, NEA Alaska; Teacher, Lathrop High School,
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, asked to speak
about student learning, which he said was really the favorite
thing of nearly every educator in the state. He said that
educators care about student learning, that it is their focus
and what they want to see happen in every classroom for every
day.
MR. PARKER, on behalf of the 13,000 NEA members, offered support
for HB 339, relating to base student allocation (BSA) increases.
He advised members that many educators cannot testify today
because they are working in the 500 schools around the state
making sure student learning happens. He stated that inflation
is real and math teachers could help with the figures.
MR. PARKER, referred to the proposed $100 base student
allocation (BSA). He offered his belief that the best way to
view it is from student's perspective. He said he has taught at
Lathrop High School for 20 years. The first point of contact
was when students arrive; however, due to budget cuts it has
been difficult to hire bus drivers and provide bus services.
Since custodial staff has been cut, he reported that the schools
are not as clean as they once were. Class sizes are up, in
fact, a couple of years he was teaching a class of 35, which is
not a reasonable class size, he said.
9:42:47 AM
MR. PARKER asked members to think about it from the student's
perspective about what is happening, which is that he/she cannot
get the personal help that they need. He said that is what
increasing the BSA represents. When students raise their hands
and ask their teachers for more information can they ask their
questions and get more information when they need it.
9:43:06 AM
AMY JO MEINERS, Teacher, Riverbend Elementary School; Auke Bay
Elementary School, Juneau School District (JSD), stated that she
was recognized as the 2016 Alaska Teacher of the Year. She
stated that she was in her 29th year of teaching in Juneau. She
was raised in Juneau and attended Juneau schools. She has also
had three children who have gone through the Juneau school
system.
MS. MEINERS said she came today wearing a T-shirt "Amy Strong"
in honor of a former student, Amy Henderson, who recently died.
Amy leaves behind two students. She compared the services that
the school district provided 28 years ago when Amy was in first
grade compared to what the school district provides for Amy's
two children. The school district had a superintendent and an
assistant superintendent, as well as someone in charge of
curriculum, and someone in charge of professional learning. The
schools had fulltime counselors, physical education teachers,
nurses, and librarians.
MS. MEINERS said that today many of those positions are gone,
she said. She has been "on the chopping block" since 2008, but
the legislature will not see her as a "pink slip," however, her
K-2 services have been completely eliminated. She now serves
two elementary schools. In the proposed budget she has been
scheduled to serve six elementary schools next year.
MS. MEINERS recognized that relationships matter and are pivotal
to student learning; however, she was unsure how she could do so
effectively. If the committee considers the cuts and budget for
services, the committee would see a huge impact.
9:45:06 AM
MS. MEINERS said that since her former student's time, the
standards have increased. Those first set of students are now
in 4th grade and the school district was just beginning to see
the statewide data results under the new standards. The state
has worked on a teacher evaluation system that has had a great
impact on effective learning, so some things have improved. In
addition, attendance rates have improved, and Thunder Mountain
had a 100 percent graduation rate for Alaska Natives last year.
She acknowledged that improvements were happening; however, the
cuts have been drastic. She reported that the school district
has cut $11 million since 2011 and she anticipate an additional
$3 million next year.
9:45:45 AM
LISA SKILES PARADY, PhD; Executive Director, Alaska Council of
School Administrators (ACSA); Representative, Alaska
Superintendents Association (ASA)& Association of Alaska School
Boards (AASB), stated that she represents superintendents,
elementary and secondary principals, school business officials,
and school administrators across Alaska.
9:45:58 AM
MS. PARADY offered her belief that members have received a copy
of their position statements. She read, "The State of Alaska
must provide timely, reliable, and predictable revenue for
schools, funding the true cost of an adequate education in all
districts." She emphasized that HB 339 goes directly to the
point of funding the true costs. She suggested that testimony
today has indicated that probably has not been happening in many
cases throughout Alaska.
9:46:35 AM
MS. PARADY said this bill was short and to the point; increase
the base student allocation (BSA) by $100. She said that her
organizations support this. The questions within the bill were
complex since it goes right at the heart of the priorities of
the state, she said. It was counter intuitive since it proposes
to increase funding for education at a time of ongoing budget
shortfalls. She emphasized her organizations' position that
this represents an investment for the future of our students and
of our state. It really can be argued that funding for
education is the primary constitutional duty, she said.
9:47:08 AM
MS. PARADY said the central question before the committee was
whether the legislature has provided the resources that students
in our state need. She encouraged members to listen to the
educators who are testifying today. She said, "We are doing the
best we can. As you know from basic economics, "flat funding"
is in plain truth a cut." She asked members to consider health
care and all the costs districts face. She said these cuts have
hollowed out our capacity to sustain schools. The school
districts and schools have been resourceful and have kept cuts
away from classrooms to the greatest degree possible. However,
the state cannot continue to run schools without quality
educators, teacher's aides, maintenance staff, secretaries,
administrators and bus drivers. All of these positions are
necessary to support teachers and students. Direct cuts, or
funding below inflation, has resulted in increased class sizes,
reduced course offerings and programs, and less support for
students all across the state. She argued that we are not
talking about trimming the fat but about the core of what
educators provide. She concluded with her organizations' support
for this bill. She thanked the committee for their
consideration of HB 339.
9:48:25 AM
SUNNA SCNAME, Student, Montessori Borealis Elementary School,
Juneau School District (JSD), stated she and her brother Caleb
attend Montessori Borealis Elementary School. She said, "We
would like the bill to pass, because if it didn't pass, we would
have to lose a teacher from our school. And it would make the
classrooms more cramped, and louder, and harder to focus. And
we wouldn't be able to have as many lessons. Thank you."
9:50:29 AM
EMILY FERRY stated that she was Caleb and Sunna Scname's mom.
She said she was a member of the Montessori Borealis Site
Council and she also was involved with the Great Alaska Schools
volunteers. She offered her support for HB 339, to help
inflation-proof education funding. She expressed frustration
hearing testifiers describe how teachers must do more with less
every year. The parents, teachers, and support staff at the
Montessori Borealis Elementary School, where her children attend
school, have all "dug in" to make that school the best it can
be, she said. She indicated the school was slated for a capital
projects renovation; however, those projects were frozen several
years ago. She characterized the school building as "ancient."
The parents worked with the school district and raised our own
funds replace the old carpet. Parents, volunteers, and teachers
have painted the hallways "making that school shine" because
they did not get the renovation funds. She offered her belief
that the funding for teachers was down to "bare bones." She
thanked the committee for considering how to help fund
education.
9:51:53 AM
KATHY TRAN, Student; Student Body President, Thunder Mountain
High School (TMHS), Juneau School District, stated that she was
representing herself and student government. She offered her
support for HB 339, increasing the base student allocation
(BSA). She reported that she submitted 21 letters of testimony
to the committee.
MS. TRAN offered to share her story as a first-generation
Vietnamese American. She stated that growing up she learned two
languages simultaneously. She acknowledged that she struggled
with reading and writing. She was lower than the rest of her
peers and she felt like learning to read and write was an
unattainable goal. Through the help she received from the
school district she learned to read and write beyond her grade
level. She highlighted that her little brother who attends
kindergarten, speaks mostly English. In preschool he spoke
Vietnamese, so his parents were advised to speak less Vietnamese
to him. She offered her belief that her little brother has not
been receiving the support that she did. She asked committee
members to support HB 339. She characterized education as in
investment not a cost. She said it was an investment in
Alaska's children and the future of Alaska. She thanked the
committee for their time.
9:54:16 AM
MICHELLE STRICKLER stated that she was a parent of five children
who have all attended schools in the JSD. She stated that she
has been active in the Site Council and has been for many years.
She expressed her gratitude to committee members, the
legislature, and the school board for their work to address the
challenges. She offered her support for HB 339 for the 1.7
percent increase [to the base student allocation (BSA)] that has
not happened over several years. As a business owner in this
community, she was constantly reviewing business costs and she
has raised her rates more than 1.7 percent this year.
MS. STRICKLER said she also helps run her husband's medical
practice. She suggested that medical practitioners have likely
raised their rates more than 1.7 percent this year, just to keep
up with the cost of doing business.
9:55:23 AM
MS. STRICKLER viewed education as a business and as a
recruitment tool to recruit members to our communities. She
argued that if we care about our economy in Alaska, education
was a top recruiting tools to bring staff and physicians to our
community. She would like to be able to tell them that their
children would receive an excellent education. She said that
the base student allocation (BSA) increase of $100 would allow
teachers to do excellent work and keeps them out of ongoing
financial discussions. She estimated she personally has spent
more than 30 hours poring over financial statements, trying to
find ways to scrape $3 million for Juneau's school district
budget. She said when she observes teachers testifying instead
of being in the classroom, she realizes that we have a broken
system. She argued that we know education needs to be funded
and should reflect the actual cost of education. She wanted
members to let our teachers and staff return to the hard work of
making positive changes in our schools. She thanked the
committee for their time.
9:56:48 AM
ELLA LUBIN, Student, Sitka High School (SHS), Sitka School
District (SSD), stated that she was currently a junior at Sitka
High School. She said that during this time of fiscal
uncertainty that the legislature has sought solutions; however,
she said that cutting education funding is not the solution.
She said that HB 339 would support public education in Alaska
and provide the solution to a successful future for our state.
In the years to come, young people would be making important
decisions for our state. She stressed that it was in Alaska's
best interest to provide them with the education and tools they
will need.
9:57:32 AM
MS. LUBIN stated that flat funding would leave the Sitka School
District (SSD) with a $2.3 million deficit, which equates to
about 10-12 lost teaching positions. She said that this scared
her as she could imagine class sizes growing and the range of
courses being offered being reduced. As a student, she offered
her belief that all Alaskan students deserve the opportunity to
grow and flourish. They cannot do this if materials, teachers,
and facilities are not available to them, she said. She
emphasized that our state needs this bill to pass to make sure
that Alaska's most valuable resource, its students, can continue
to be supported and encouraged to challenge themselves and
learn. She thanked the committee for listening and for their
time.
9:58:21 AM
ROGER SCHMIDT stated he was the father of two girls who attend
the Sitka School District (SSD). He offered his support for HB
339. He related that he grew up in Sitka and attended the
schools. As Ella mentioned, the Sitka School District (SSD)
advised it has a $2.3 million deficit. He stated that over the
last few years the school district has been forced to make cuts
due to declining revenues and rising costs. The school district
has had to keep making cuts and the teachers have less resources
to teach with, along with larger classes. He reported that
teaching positions and programs have been eliminated. Each year
the students have less opportunities and resources, he said.
Obviously as the schools continue to decline, people leave the
community and move out of Alaska. He asked to echo what Ella
said, that the education of children in Alaska was our most
valuable resource. He said funding education was the most
important investment that we can make toward the state's future.
He urged members to support HB 339.
9:59:49 AM
JENNIFER SAMPSON stated she is the mother of three children in
school in Fairbanks, a member of the Parent Teacher Association
(PTA), and a concerned parent. She offered her support for HB
339. She urged members to support the bill.
MS. SAMPSON expressed concern that the base student allocation
(BSA) has not kept up with inflation, which was not okay. She
said it cripples schools. She emphasized that schools were
expected to do more with less and less. She stressed that we
must support schools in their endeavor to produce educated
members of society. We must make education a priority. She
stated that her daughter's class size was expected to grow
beyond the 29 current students. She questioned how children
could get any attention under those circumstances. She knows
her children's peers and teachers. She has observed their
struggles, lack of supplies, and not enough individual attention
from teachers. She offered her belief that school provides the
means for children to succeed in life. We need to ensure that
our children's education is the best it can possibly be because
they are the future: your future, my future. She urged members
to please invest in our future and support HB 339.
10:01:22 AM
JOSIAH SAMPSON, Student, Tanana Middle School, Fairbanks North
Star Borough School District (FNSBSD) stated that he attends
Tanana Middle School. He said that the classes are already big
so increasing class sizes and cutting teachers would mean that
students will not be able to get the help they need. He stated
that if the legislature increased funding for schools, more
teachers will be able to help students and improve their
education. He thanked the committee.
10:02:12 AM
DEENA MITCHELL, Member, Great Alaska Schools, stated she was a
member of the statewide, non-partisan advocacy group. She said
there was little she could add to the eloquent testimony given
today.
MS. MITCHELL characterized it as heartbreaking to sit through
the ASD's Board meeting and listen to the superintendent outline
options for the $13 million in cuts due to flat funding this
year. She said students talked about how damaging it was not to
have counselors to talk to about problems. She heard about the
counselor positions that have been lost and the workload for the
remaining ones, some of whom have class loads of 700 or more
students. She spoke about how nurses must take the place of
some counselors in schools, such that some schools need to share
nurses. She offered her belief that we are selling our children
short. She said it was not just her concern for every child but
for the future of Alaska because she loves this state and she
wants Alaska to have vibrant teachers. The only way to do that
was to provide support for children, noting that much of those
connections gets made through counselors in schools and through
the personal connections.
10:03:27 AM
MS. MITCHELL said teachers who have large class sizes and are
beginning to break under the load cannot make those personal
one-on-one connections that we know have the ability to save
lives. She applauded members for introducing this bill, noting
that while it does not come close to meeting the needs that we
have, it was a step in the right direction. Every child
deserves to have the same opportunities as those who came before
them or after them. She thanked the committee for the
opportunity to testify.
10:04:07 AM
SANDY DAWS, Purchasing Supervisor, Kodiak Island Borough School
District (KIBSD), stated that in the past year the KIBSD has
seen a large reduction in its staff. From FY 17 to now, KIBSD
has had to cut 18 teaching positions, reduce hours for
classified staff, cut staff travel, classroom, maintenance and
curriculum supplies, and reduced professional development for
the entire staff.
MS. DAWS stated that these cuts amounted to $2.1 million budget
cut. The FY 19 preliminary budget requested $1.5 million from
the Kodiak Island Borough. This would place the KIB's
contribution at 96 percent to the cap. She wondered what was
going to happen next year. She acknowledged that we need a
long-term early planning solution from the state. She offered
her belief that increasing the base student allocation (BSA) was
a place to start. She cautioned that not receiving additional
funding from the state or borough would result in cutting an
additional nine teachers and seven classified positions, which
would translate into larger class sizes and fewer options for
students. In addition, the school district would need to reduce
funding for renewal and replacement of facilities and endure
deeper cuts in the curriculum replacement. She said that the
key to student success was quality and high content with diverse
learning interest. Flat funding does not keep up with
inflation, teacher salary, or raises.
10:05:21 AM
MS. DAWS said that the KIBSD has been working hard to reduce
these costs. She related that 80 percent of the school
district's staff were on a high-deductible health care plan. By
June 30, 2020 the entire district will be on the high-deductible
health care plan. The district has been exploring options to
stabilize their technology purchases by leasing and spreading
out costs over a four-year period. She asked members to please
help them find solutions. She offered the KIBSD's support for
HB 339.
10:06:24 AM
BRENDA TAYLOR, Teacher, Juneau Community Charter School, Juneau
School District (JSD) stated her students were currently taking
a test and she had someone else supervise them so she could
testify today. She recalled a question the committee had at an
earlier hearing on online learning. She explained that her son
is a high school junior and has taken four online classes. She
said in one course, an online world history course, he was
taking a test and encountered things he knew were wrong;
however, online courses do not provide a means for students to
interact and point out errors. She wondered how students could
make ethical decisions when faced with having to take screen
shots of the exam to prove the errors in the test, when
photographing an exam could be viewed as unethical. She offered
her belief that the turnaround time for scoring of online
courses was also rather long. She said her son experienced a
lot of frustration with his online courses.
MS. TAYLOR stated her son took an online health class. She
asked members to consider Alaska's issues related to domestic
abuse, suicide, and alcoholism. She questioned how students
would learn how say no in an online class; however, classroom
teachers would be available to assist students who faced
sensitive situations at home or in their lives.
CHAIR DRUMMOND asked her to submit written testimony describing
other scenarios.
10:08:42 AM
DEMETRY SHANE said his six children attend school in Anchorage
in various schools, four of whom previously were in foster care.
He related that two of his children have learning disabilities
and his children's teachers do their best to ensure that their
needs are met. He stated that his children need more resources
at times. He expressed concern that his son was in a classroom
of 35 kids and that teacher must use a microphone in order for
the children to hear her. As an immigrant he sometimes hangs
out with a group of other immigrants and when teachers are
asking parents for school supplies, his immigrant friends wonder
what country they live in. They question why teachers must beg
for school supplies when they live in the richest country on
earth. He commented that it is absolutely shameful. He said we
all should be ashamed of this; our teachers deserve better and
our children deserve better.
10:10:29 AM
CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 339 would be held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 212 - Sponsor Statement 2.16.18.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #1 Districts covered by the bill.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #2 REAA & Sm School Fund.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #3 School School Construction Grant Fund, Final List.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #4 Major Maintenance List FY19 Final.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #5 Kasayulie Order.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Attachment #6 Annual Report School Capital Project Funding Under SB237.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 SB 237 |
| HB 212 Bill version D.PDF |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Fiscal Note DEED Education Support and Admin Services.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| HB 212 Support Document 2.17.18.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 212 |
| AASB Support of HB 339.pdf |
HEDC 2/21/2018 8:30:00 AM |
HB 339 |