02/04/2015 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

                  HCR 2-AK SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:09:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                              
HOUSE  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION  NO.  2, Designating  January  25-31,                                                              
2015, as Alaska School Choice Week.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:09:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN  GATTIS, Alaska State Legislature,  introduced                                                              
HCR 2, and deferred to staff.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:10:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DREW  FORD,  Staff,  Representative   Lynn  Gattis,  Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature, paraphrasing  from the sponsor statement,  which read                                                              
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     House  Concurrent Resolution  No.  2 designates  January                                                                   
     25-31,  2015 as  Alaska School  Choice Week.   As  state                                                                   
     leaders  it   is  incumbent  upon  the   legislature  to                                                                   
     prepare   the   youth   of  Alaska   for   the   future.                                                                   
     Recognizing  these dates  as school  choice week  simply                                                                   
     acknowledges  the  importance   of  effective  education                                                                   
     options  for  students.     Alaska  has  highly  diverse                                                                   
     education  opportunities  through   public  neighborhood                                                                   
     schools,  public charter schools,  public home  schools,                                                                   
     independent  home  schools,  as  well  private  schools.                                                                   
     School   Choice   Week   is   a   national   celebration                                                                   
     recognized   by    millions   of   students,    parents,                                                                   
     educators,  schools   and  community  leaders   for  the                                                                   
     purpose of  raising public  awareness to the  importance                                                                   
     of effective education options.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTIS explained  that the  resolution is  a means                                                              
to acknowledge  the legislative  embrace  for parents to  exercise                                                              
school choice,  without invoking statutory  action.  It is  a show                                                              
of  collective,   legislative  importance  being   placed  on  the                                                              
subject.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:12:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD stated  support for  school choice.   She                                                              
opined  that,  if  nationalized   standards  and  assessments  are                                                              
adopted,  driving the  curriculum,  choice will  be  negated by  a                                                              
"one size  fits all" approach to  education.  She asked  where the                                                              
resolution fits into that picture.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTIS responded  that  the resolution  celebrates                                                              
the  opportunity for  parental choice  among educational  options,                                                              
which include:   private school,  public school, home  school, and                                                              
independent home school.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD reiterated  concern  that one  curriculum                                                              
will  be  imposed  regardless  of where  a  student  attends,  and                                                              
opined  that true choice  really  needs to be  parental choice  of                                                              
the curriculum.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:13:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER questioned the January 25-31, 2015, effective date.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTIS  answered that  an  amendment  to the  date                                                              
would be welcomed.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:14:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  referred to page  1, line 7,  to paraphrase                                                              
the language, which read [original punctuation provided]:                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     WHEREAS the state recognizes the critical role that an                                                                     
     effective and accountable system of education plays in                                                                     
      preparing all children in the state to be successful                                                                      
     adults; and                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON   said  that  accountability   has  been  a                                                              
legislative  concern  and  noted  that  some  of  the  educational                                                              
choices  recognized  have no  means  for accountability,  such  as                                                              
independent homeschools  where parents choose the  curriculum.  He                                                              
asked how accountability is addressed in the resolution.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS  acknowledged that when government  money is                                                              
not  received the  accountability rests  with the  parents; as  in                                                              
the case of independent homeschoolers.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  agreed  with  the  sponsor  and  expressed                                                              
support for the resolution.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER concurred.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER  agreed with the sponsor, and  suggested the                                                              
need to amend the resolution to reflect dates for 2016.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER closed public testimony.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:18:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER moved Conceptual Amendment 1, as follows:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, line 1:                                                                                                            
          Delete: "2015"                                                                                                        
          Insert: "2016"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 7:                                                                                                            
          Delete: "2015"                                                                                                        
          Insert: "2016"                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER objected for discussion.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON asked  for  and received  affirmation  that                                                              
the sponsor agrees to the amendment.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER withdrew objection.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:19:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KREISS-TOMKINS  questioned  the  specified  dates,                                                              
and suggested  that it may  be customary  that a specific  week of                                                              
the month be designated.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. FORD  stated his  believe that  it falls on  the last  week in                                                              
January,  beginning  on  a  Sunday and  ending  on  the  following                                                              
Saturday.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KELLER  suggested  setting  the  bill  aside  in  order  to                                                              
confirm the appropriate dates.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER withdrew Conceptual Amendment 1.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KELLER announced HCR 2 as held.