Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
02/16/2022 03:30 PM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Understanding Culturally Relevant Education in Alaska | |
| SB20 | |
| Presentation: Understanding Culturally Relevant Education in Alaska | |
| SB20 | |
| Presentation: Understanding Culturally Relevant Education in Alaska | |
| SB20 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | SB 20 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 20-OUT OF STATE TEACHER RECIPROCITY
4:28:17 PM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the final order of business would
be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 20(FIN), "An Act relating to teaching
certificates for teachers holding out-of-state certificates."
4:28:53 PM
SENATOR GARY STEVENS, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, offered that [CSSB 20(FIN)] is a response to a long-
standing teacher shortage in Alaska. He explained the proposed
bill does not lower the licensing standards for teachers, but
simply addresses delays for out-of-state teachers with good
standing and places them promptly in Alaskan classrooms.
4:30:34 PM
TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State
Legislature, presented CSSB 20(FIN) on behalf of Senator
Stevens, prime sponsor. He said the bill is for teachers with
years of experience, who have current, valid, laureled teaching
licenses in other states, enabling them to fluidly cross state
borders and use that licensed status in Alaska classrooms. He
said the bill is not intended to "lower the bar" or to "skirt
any level of professional preparedness." He announced that one
issue will need to be addressed: states that have developed
"alternative paths" to obtain teaching licenses. He proffered
there is a "fairly simple" fix to be explained once the
discussion reaches that section.
MR. LAMKIN proceeded to the sectional analysis of CSSB 20(FIN),
[included in the committee packet], which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
Sec. 1: AS 14.20.010, relating to a teaching
certificate being required to teach in Alaska, removes
the reference of there being a preliminary
certificate.
Sec. 2: AS 14.20.015(a), relating to out-of-state
teaching certificates, removes reference to there
being a preliminary certificate.
MR. LAMKIN referenced a likely change in Section 2 of CSSB
20(FIN) by directing attention to page 2, line 11, which read,
"hold a valid teaching certificate of another state". He said
this will likely change to "valid regular" or "standard," but
before a change is made vernacular used by other states will be
referenced. He continued with the next portion of the sectional
analysis, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Sec. 3: AS 14.20.015(b), relating to out-of-state
teaching certificates, removes a requirement for
passing a competency exam, and replaces it with a
requirement to complete a college course in Alaska
studies and multi or cross-cultural studies within 2
years, and trainings related to sexual assault
awareness and suicide prevention within 3 months.
Sec. 4: AS 14.20.015(c), relating to out-of-state
teaching certificates, removes reference to there
being a preliminary teaching certificate.
Sec. 5: AS 14.20.015(g) is added to direct the
department to establish regulations to expedite the
out-of-state teaching certification application
process for military spouses.
Sec 6: AS 14.20.020(h), relating to a requirement to
complete a college course in Alaska studies and multi
or cross-cultural studies, to allow an out-of-state
teacher to receive their Alaska certificate, but to
complete those studies within 2 years.
Sec 7: AS 14.20.020(k), relating to the requirement of
trainings regarding sexual abuse, and assault
awareness, and suicide awareness and prevention to
take place before being issued an Alaska teaching
certificate, to allow out-of-state certificate holders
3 months to complete such trainings.
Sec. 8: AS 14.20.015 (d), (e), and (f), relating to
preliminary teaching certificate employment, tenure
and expiration, are repealed.
4:35:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS announced that licensure reciprocity for
military spouses is an issue specifically of interest in
Fairbanks. He explained if spouses can go to work quickly, this
may be a deciding factor for military families moving to Alaska.
He also expressed interest in the details of tenure being
repealed in Sec.8.
MR. LAMKIN responded that in the statute, the word "preliminary"
in "preliminary teaching certificate" is being removed, thus
tenure and other associated terms become moot in this instance.
He confirmed tenure would still be available to qualified [out-
of-state] teachers once hired.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS suggested [out-of-state] teachers will
not be tenured as soon as they are hired, but at the same rate
[as resident teachers]. He sought clarification that a
preliminary teaching certificate is what [out-of-state] teachers
currently receive, requiring them to "jump through the hurdles"
to get tenure and other benefits. He stated he understood the
proposed legislation would eliminate the preliminary step,
allowing these teachers to immediately obtain a teaching
certificate in Alaska and then go through the process to make it
permanent.
MR. LAMKIN acknowledged this is correct, adding that the
coordinator from licensure in the Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) should confirm.
4:37:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS agreed with Senator Stevens, stating that
Fairbanks and Kodiak are alike in that military spouses with
out-of-state teacher certifications experience delays for
licensure in Alaska. He added that in Fairbanks, [out-of-state]
teachers will often become support staff or a paraprofessional
even though they are a certified teacher.
4:38:23 PM
SONDRA MEREDITH, Teacher Certification Administrator, Department
of Education and Early Development, validated Representative
Hopkin's statement that the proposed change to CSSB 20(FIN)
would eliminate the preliminary teaching certificate, allowing
out-of-state teachers to obtain a certification in Alaska "day
one," instead of waiting until the courses on sexual assault and
suicide prevention and other necessary training are complete.
4:39:40 PM
SENATOR STEVENS responded to Co-Chair Story that he had spoken
with various school districts and was assured the three-month
deadline is a realistic timeframe to complete the required
courses and training.
MR. LAMKIN added the districts have training modules that can be
completed in an eight-hour course over an evening or a weekend,
thus a two- or three-month timeframe is realistic.
4:40:36 PM
DEENA BISHOP, PhD, Superintendent, Anchorage School District,
presented she is a leader in a large school district and is
engaged in research on the issue of teacher certification. She
stated CSSB 20(FIN) provides flexibility for school districts at
just the right time, as Alaska is not the only state with a
teacher shortage. To emphasize the importance of quality of
education, she noted there are other quality-of-education bills
currently being heard in the legislature. She stressed CSSB
20(FIN) opens avenues for school districts to find top
educators. She described the current certification requirements
in Alaska as a hindrance that narrows the pool of candidates.
From her research she found that many states allow alternative
teacher certification programs. These programs do not require a
university setting or a student teaching experience, but use a
blended approach to certification, including internships, co-
teaching, substituting, and other alternative methods. She
stated one in five new teachers in the U.S. becomes a teacher
through means other than a four-year university degree or
master's program. She stated she believes the problem is that
Alaska requires student teachers specifically to be
professionally certificated. She explained this requirement
denies a professional certificate to individuals who have worked
successfully in a classroom for an extended period. She said,
"They cannot move beyond the initial certification, so hence
there isn't a long-term future for them in our state." Citing
studies at the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data
in Education Research (CALDER), she said more teachers are
entering teaching as a second career. She stated she believes
these educators offer expertise from the private sector and
knowledge from previous upper-level studies. She stated
research shows second career educators are more inclined to
enter alternative programs to obtain teacher certification. She
added the National Council for Teacher Quality found no
statistical difference in alternative certification than a
traditional university path, emphasizing the intent of the
proposed bill will not lower the teaching standards, but grow
the candidate pool.
DR. BISHOP posited on how the proposed legislation can help
right now. First, she stated that Anchorage School District
(ASD) hires out-of-country educators for immersion programs.
Due to the individual country's certification requirements,
these out-of-country educators may not have traditional student
teaching experience, which currently prohibits certification in
Alaska. The proposed bill would allow new, internationally
certified candidates to move to professional certification
without this qualification. Second, she stated that about 7
percent of ASD teachers and certificated staff are military
spouses. Once hired through reciprocity, military spouses with
out-of-state certifications will begin work directly, making
Alaska military bases more attractive for recruits. Third, she
addressed supply and demand, stating that even before the COVID-
19 pandemic, Alaska had a teacher shortage, and that Alaska
universities only provide 25 to 30 percent of the open positions
for educators in any given year. She summarized that CSSB
20(FIN) directly responds to the needs of students and schools
in Alaska by awarding teaching certificates via reciprocity with
other states. She affirmed that ASD offers its support of CSSB
20(FIN).
4:47:52 PM
TAMMIE PERREAULT, Northwest Regional Liaison, Military Community
and Family Policy, U.S. Department of Defense, presented that
she is a resource for state policy makers who work to address
quality of life issues for military families. She stated
previous testimony heard on CSSB 20(FIN) is appropriate to
support military spouses in Alaska. She notably backed
expediting the application process for military spouses, stating
she believes the ability of teachers to "seamlessly continue
their career path" can contribute to the overall wellbeing of
military families. She explained teachers with out-of-state
licenses face obstacles in Alaska that may include requirements
for extensive documentation, additional testing and coursework,
and delays in application processing. She added the U.S.
Department of Defense (DoD) finds approximately 34 percent of
military spouses require a license to work, teaching being one
of the most prevalent. The amount of military spouse population
that moves across state lines is 14.5 percent, compared to only
1.1 percent of civilian spouses. Additionally, 68 percent of
married service members report their spouse's ability to
maintain a career impacts their decision to remain in the
military. She emphasized that spouse employment is a military
readiness issue.
4:51:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS inquired whether the proposed bill would
help Alaska's standing with DoD's military branches in
determining the placement of new base sites.
MS. PERREAULT responded that each of the DoD services has its
own formula for base site placement. She stated that there is
an effort to coordinate basing decisions within the services.
4:53:11 PM
CO-CHAIR STORY opened public testimony on CSSB 20(FIN).
4:53:40 PM
TOM KLAAMEYER, President, National Education Association-Alaska,
announced that the National Education Association-Alaska (NEA-
Alaska) supports CSSB 20(FIN). He began that Alaska is facing a
historical educator shortage with a recruitment and retention
crisis. In example, he stated students in Seward started the
year without a special education teacher. The Juneau School
District (JSD), at one point, had openings for eight special
education teachers and for over 40 paraprofessionals. He
continued that at present over 800 positions in public education
in Alaska remain unfilled. He expressed concern over one
unintended consequence of the bill: teacher quality dropping
below requirements of teachers who study and train in Alaska.
He insisted that the bill should make sure reciprocity is
granted only to those who truly have equivalent certificates.
He warned that some states have significantly lowered teaching
standards by offering certification programs from for-profit
companies. He stated these companies have no connection with
institutions of higher education and do not require any time
working under a mentor teacher. He interjected that some of
these programs do not even require the individual to walk into a
classroom, let alone work directly with students. He
appreciated that the bill protects requirements to complete the
Alaska studies and multi-cultural courses currently required.
He commended the proposed change in the bill that requires out-
of-state teachers have a "standard" or "regular" certificate
from their state of origin to obtain an Alaska teaching
certificate. He stated it is important the proposed legislation
include specification that this policy would continue in statute
beyond the tenure of the current head of DEED.
4:57:31 PM
CO-CHAIR STORY, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on CSSB 20(FIN).
CO-CHAIR STORY requested that Ms. Meredith clarify the points on
the bill that Mr. Klaameyer suggested may lower standards for
teacher certification.
4:58:25 PM
MS. MEREDITH responded that the bill would first eliminate the
need for an initial license, instead the qualified individual
would be eligible for a regular professional license. This
license would be good up to five years with staggered mandatory
training requirements. The individual would have 90 days to
complete the mandatory training and then two years to complete
the two courses. Once an individual passed these benchmarks,
instead of reapplying at the end of the current preliminary
certificate, he/she would hold a continual five-year
certificate. Second, the bill would allow for individuals with
many years of teaching experience and licensure in another state
"to move right into the professional" without having to take
exams that were not required in their original teacher
preparation program and licensure. The third part of the bill
addresses the out-of-state certificates that would be honored.
Now, DEED looks at licensures from other states that are regular
certificates, indicating the individual has completed an
approved teacher preparation program that includes a component
of guidance from an already certified teacher. Moving forward
with the proposed legislation, DEED would not require teachers
in Alaska to get the two- or three-year preliminary certificate,
instead the department would accept assurances from the
individual's origin state that the teachers hold regular
certificates.
MS. MEREDITH responded to a follow-up from Co-Chair Story that
DEED worked with the sponsor and is comfortable with changes
suggested by the bill.
5:02:19 PM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that CSSB 20(FIN) was held over.