02/01/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 83                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  providing for payment  and loan  incentives to                                                                    
     public    school    teachers   for    national    board                                                                    
     certification."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:14:16 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas explained SB 83. He referred to the Sponsor                                                                      
Statement (copy on file):                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Teaching  is one  of the  most difficult  and important                                                                    
     jobs  we have  in our  society. In  order to  have good                                                                    
     schools, we must have good teachers.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  83 provides  an incentive for  teachers to                                                                    
     ramp  up their  professional  knowledge  and skills  by                                                                    
     becoming nationally certified by  the National Board of                                                                    
     Professional  Teaching  Standards.  Teachers  would  be                                                                    
     provided with  zero interest loans designed  to pay the                                                                    
     expense  of enrolling  in the  program. Once  certified                                                                    
     they  would receive  a $1,000  annual  stipend for  the                                                                    
    duration of their certification period (ten years).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     If the  teacher is  serving in  a low  performing, high                                                                    
     poverty area  they would receive  a $1,000  stipend for                                                                    
     enrolling in the program, and  $1,500 loan for the rest                                                                    
     of the  expense. They would also  receive an additional                                                                    
     $500  annually  as  long  as they  remained  in  a  low                                                                    
     performing, high poverty area.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Becoming  nationally   certified  is  a   rigorous  and                                                                    
     demanding  process, and  can take  up  to three  years.                                                                    
     There  are 25  different  areas  of certification  (see                                                                    
     page  7  of the  packet),  and  teachers specialize  in                                                                    
     their specific subject  area. The certification process                                                                    
     focuses  on  five  aspects of  teaching:  Students  and                                                                    
     their learning,  the subjects being  taught and  how to                                                                    
     teach them,  managing and monitoring  student learning,                                                                    
     thinking   systematically   about   the   practice   of                                                                    
     teaching, and being members of the learning community.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
    We appreciate your support on this important bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MURRAY RICHMOND, STAFF, SENATOR  JOE THOMAS, explained SB 83                                                                    
further.  He   stressed  that   the  board   was  nationally                                                                    
recognized,  and noted  that  certification  was a  rigorous                                                                    
three-year process. He explained the sections of the bill.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
10:19:26 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  noted the  new zero  fiscal note  from the                                                                    
Department  of  Education  and  Early  Development  for  the                                                                    
Commission on  Post-secondary Education  and the  new fiscal                                                                    
impact  note  from the  Department  of  Education and  Early                                                                    
Development for Teaching and Learning Support.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
RON   THORPE,  PRESIDENT   AND  CEO,   NATIONAL  BOARD   FOR                                                                    
PROFESSIONAL   TEACHING   STANDARDS,  WASHINGTON   DC   (via                                                                    
teleconference),  testified   in  support   of  SB   83.  He                                                                    
explained  that  the board  was  at  the forefront  of  high                                                                    
quality teaching  education. He  felt that  board membership                                                                    
would provide peace  of mind to parents.  He emphasized that                                                                    
board certification  standards were  very high.  He stressed                                                                    
that students  who were  taught by  board-certified teachers                                                                    
displayed higher test scores.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
10:24:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Thorpe  discussed the national board  certified teachers                                                                    
in Alaska. He stated that  there were currently 135 National                                                                    
Board  Certified teachers  in Alaska,  with over  40 percent                                                                    
teaching  in  Anchorage  and 20  percent  in  Fairbanks.  He                                                                    
stressed that  the number of certified  teachers represented                                                                    
only 1.5 percent  of the Alaska K-12  workforce. He stressed                                                                    
that the  number of certified teachers  was growing rapidly.                                                                    
He  explained  that in  December  2011,  there were  14  new                                                                    
Alaska  teachers   who  had  earned  their   national  board                                                                    
certification.  He explained  that  if a  group of  teachers                                                                    
could pursue the certification together.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Thorpe shared  a  story  about a  rural  school in  New                                                                    
Mexico. He  stated that  in 2009, the  school had  never met                                                                    
federal  standards. He  stated  that in  2009, a  nationally                                                                    
certified  teacher  was  hired  as the  principal,  and  the                                                                    
school gained  9 percent in  math and 5 percent  in reading,                                                                    
which resulted in the school meeting federal standards.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
PETE  LEWIS, SUPERINTENDENT,  FAIRBANKS  NORTH STAR  BOROUGH                                                                    
SCHOOL DISTRICT  (via teleconference), testified  in support                                                                    
of SB 83.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
10:30:22 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TAMMY   SMITH,   FAIRBANKS    EDUCATION   ASSOCIATION   (via                                                                    
teleconference), spoke in support of SB 83.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  ALCANTRA,  GOVERNMENT  RELATIONS,  NATIONAL  EDUCATION                                                                    
ASSOCIATION, ALASKA,  spoke in  support of  SB 83.  He noted                                                                    
that  400  National  Education Association  (NEA)  delegates                                                                    
gathered to profess support of  SB 83. He explained that the                                                                    
state of  Wyoming has  a $4000  annual stipend  for National                                                                    
Board certification for its teachers.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:36:33 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson  wondered   what  if  national  certification                                                                    
affected  drop-out rates.  Mr.  Alcantra  agreed to  provide                                                                    
that information.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson wondered  what positive  impacts would  occur                                                                    
with  national  certification.  Mr.  Alcantra  replied  that                                                                    
there  was  evidence of  higher  benchmark  test scores  and                                                                    
students advancing by one year.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson wondered how many  teachers in private schools                                                                    
were nationally certified. Mr. Alcantra did not know.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman noted  the two fiscal notes  attached to SB
:  one  new fiscal  impact  note  from the  Department  of                                                                    
Education  and Early  Development, and  one new  zero fiscal                                                                    
note   from   the   Department  of   Education   and   Early                                                                    
Development.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SB 83 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                               
consideration.