Legislature(2023 - 2024)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
04/03/2023 03:30 PM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB113 | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| SB97 | |
| SB110 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 113 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 97 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 110 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 97-TEACHER RECRUITMENT; LUMP SUM PAYMENT
4:10:00 PM
CHAIR TOBIN reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 97 "An Act authorizing lump sum
payments for certain teachers as retention and recruitment
incentives; and providing for an effective date."
4:10:26 PM
HEIDI TESHNER, Acting Commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, thanked the committee
for the opportunity to present SB 97, sponsored by the governor.
She stated the following:
We know that recruitment and retention of teachers has
long been an issue here in Alaska and across the
nation. Teachers have a tremendous impact on student
achievement, and teachers' stability and effectiveness
are essential components of a student's achievement.
Priority number four of Alaska's Education Challenge
is to prepare, attract, and retain effective education
professionals. This bill supports our teachers and
this priority of Alaska's education challenge.
A few reminders for this committee and the listening
public: I want to provide a few facts regarding
teacher retention and recruitment in Alaska.
We have approximately 7,300 teachers working in our
Alaska Public Schools.
We have fewer applicants for vacant positions, as
demonstrated through our first-day vacancies.
We have an increased number of first-day-of-school
vacancies. There were 394 in 2023 compared to 115 in
2019.
In Alaska, most of our teachers are recruited from the
lower 48.
We have seen an increasing number of teachers filling
positions from out of state. There were 461 in 2018 to
1,043 in 2023.
We have issued an increasing number of emergency
licenses.
About 22% of Alaska's teachers are turning over
annually.
Turnover is higher in our rural, remote, and lower-
income schools.
As you may recall, the governor ordered a task force
to examine teacher recruitment and retention in 2020.
In a report by a 30-member Alaskan working group, the
Teacher Retention and Recruitment Action Plan, dated
April 2021, was completed, and it identified root
causes using a teacher retention and recruitment
survey and qualitative supplemental study of written
comments from teachers that held active certifications
in Alaska at that time. There were six essential areas
that were identified:
1. Strengthening working conditions
2. Developing leadership
3. Restructuring retirement options
4. Enhancing retirement efforts and
opportunities
5. Creating paraprofessional pathways
6. Streamlining certification and
recertification
From the survey, salary ranks number one. In an effort
to attract teachers to Alaska and address the highest-
ranked findings in that report, Senate Bill 97
proposes the following:
It provides three years of incentive payments for
eligible teachers at approximately $58 million each
year.
It will be paid in fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027
for work completed in fiscal years 2024, 2025, and
2026.
It provides three tiers of incentive payments based on
the type of district:
Tier I - urban districts at $5,000 per year for
three years. This is approximately $24.8 million
a year for our five largest districts with
approximately 5,000 teachers.
Tier II - rural districts at $10,000 per year for
three years. This is approximately $9.52 million
a year for 24 districts with approximately 1,100
teachers.
Tier III - most remote and rural districts at
$15,000 per year for three years. This is
approximately $17.2 million a year for 25
districts with approximately 1,300 teachers.
This bill is targeting the largest incentives to
remote and rural districts who have struggled the most
to recruit and retain their teachers. The incentive
payments are for full-time teachers.
Doing the same isn't working. So, this incentive pay
will be just one solution and will be considered a
pilot or a study. We want to see if the incentives
help with the retention recruitment issues we are
having in Alaska. We would survey teachers to see if
they stay in their district or if they go to another
district or even if they go out of state. We want to
track who came from the lower 48 and find out why they
went to a particular district. By the end of the three
years of this pilot, we would have the data to better
answer the question on whether or not incentive
payments help with the recruitment and retention
issues that we were experiencing.
I also want to add that in November 2015, there was a
report issued by the University of Alaska Anchorage's
Center for Alaska Education Policy Research titled
"Salary and Benefits Schedule and Teacher Tenure
Study." This was another study commissioned by the
state. While it was not recommended, teacher
differentials for districts was encouraged. SB 97's
tiered incentive approach for the governor is
evidenced in that research.
In summary, there are years of data and discussion
about investing in our teachers. Through the
introduction of SB 97, the governor is showing that
he's listening to the stakeholders and directly
incentivizing the people to do the work in our
classrooms. This bill supports our teachers and shows
that they matter.
4:16:12 PM
LACEY SANDERS, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED), Juneau, Alaska, provided the sectional
analysis and fiscal note overview, OMB 2796, for SB 97. She
stated the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 97 Teacher Recruitment; Lump Sum Payment
Sectional Analysis
"An Act authorizing lump sum payments for certain
teachers as retention and recruitment incentives; and
providing for an effective date."
Section 1: Amends uncodified law by adding a new
section that establishes a program that would pay
certificated full-time teachers with a lump sum
payment on, or around, July 1, 2024, July 1, 2025, and
July 1, 2026. The incentive payments would be
contingent upon appropriations made for this purpose
in the relevant fiscal years (FY2025, FY2026, and
FY2027). The bill limits the payments to full-time
teachers assigned to a classroom teaching assignments
and specifically excludes temporary, substitutes, or
assistant teachers.
In addition, to be eligible for the payment, teachers
would be required to submit an application and the
school districts would be responsible for certifying
the applications. The Department of Education and
Early Development (DEED) would develop the application
and it would be due no later than the last day of
school for each eligible school year. Once the
application and certification requirements are met,
DEED would grant school districts funding to pay the
incentive payments to eligible teachers.
The bill also considers all incentive payments
compensation for the purposes of the Teachers'
Retirement System (TRS).
The bill provides DEED authority to adopt regulations
necessary to carry out the purposes of the bill.
Section 2: This bill is effective on July 1, 2023.
4:17:57 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked whether the effective date would allow enough
time to develop regulations and hold public commentary.
4:18:12 PM
MS. SANDER explained that the effective date of the bill aligns
with the upcoming school year, allowing teachers to become
eligible during that year. She opined that the timeline provides
adequate time because while the teacher is earning eligibility,
the department would develop regulations and the application.
4:18:41 PM
MS. SANDER said the fiscal note, OMB 2796, for SB 97, is divided
into two components. The first part involves the cost of
establishing a non-permanent position, specifically an Education
Associate III, who is responsible for program implementation,
regulation and application development, application review, and
payment distribution to school districts. The second part
comprises incentive grant payments, estimated at around $51.5
million for approximately 7,000 full-time teachers in Alaska.
Additionally, there is a $6.5 million value associated with the
employer contribution to the Teacher Retirement System (TRS).
This funding provides support to school districts in making the
additional TRS contribution.
4:20:08 PM
SENATOR KIEHL raised a mechanical question regarding processing
incentive payments to teachers. He noted that the application
deadline falls at the end of May or early June, with payments
scheduled for July 1 or a reasonable time thereafter. He
expressed concern about the workload, suggesting that many
teachers might submit applications close to the deadline.
Senator Kiehl questioned whether one person could handle
processing these applications during the brief period between
late May and July 1, and if so, what would the person's
responsibilities be for the rest of the year.
4:20:55 PM
MS. SANDER clarified that while there will be a heavy workload
concentrated during a specific time frame, the department is
aiming to establish an electronic application process to
streamline the procedure and avoid the complications of paper
applications. She noted that the non-permanent position created
for this task may not be required for the entire year, as the
workload could vary, being heavier during one part of the year
and lighter during another. This aligns with the intended
flexibility of the non-permanent position.
SENATOR KIEHL observed that the budget allocated $110,000 for
personnel services in all three years of the program. He
remarked that this indicates the position is not intended to be
permanent. Senator Kiehl expressed a desire to calculate how
many months the $110,000 budget would cover at a Range 17, B, or
C.
MS. SANDER replied that the $110,000 budget for personnel
services was an initial estimate for setting up one position.
She stated that the department could return to the legislature
with more specific details once the program is established and
operational.
SENATOR KIEHL inquired about the location of the employer
contribution to the Teacher Retirement System within SB 97.
4:22:52 PM
MS. SANDER replied that employer contribution is located on page
4, line 14, "Payment made under this section will be considered
compensation for the purposes of AS 14.25."
SENATOR KIEHL said that makes sense in terms of requiring a
contribution and counting it towards eligibility, especially for
Tier II teachers. However, he suggested clarifying language may
be needed regarding who is responsible for paying the employer
contribution.
4:23:37 PM
CHAIR TOBIN noted that the legislation outlined different
incentive amounts based on school size. She asked whether a
teacher transferring from the Anchorage School District to the
Bering Strait District would be eligible for the larger, $15,000
bonus.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER replied yes if the teacher worked
the entire school year.
CHAIR TOBIN expressed concern about what appeared to be a
potential imbalance in school funding. She questioned whether
the varying size of the incentive could lead to some schools
losing resources in favor of others and if there was a legal
opinion or specific rationale behind the selection of $5,000,
$10,000, and $15,000 as the incentives for different districts.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER stated her understanding that the
size of incentive aligns with the recommendations of studies and
might be slightly higher than what other regions are
implementing.
4:25:09 PM
CHAIR TOBIN commented that if SB 97 passes, it might be
lucrative for teachers to move from the Anchorage School
District to her home community.
4:25:13 PM
SENATOR KIEHL asked what happens after the three-year incentive
program ends. He pointed out that there is no proposal to triple
the teacher education programs at the university and no proposal
from the administration to address other recommendations. He
questioned how this program fits into the broader plan to
address the ongoing teacher shortage in the state.
4:26:10 PM
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER replied that the three-year
incentive program is just one part of a broader effort to
address teacher recruitment and retention issues. A final report
with all the recommendations would be available in August, and
DEED would consider additional measures based on the
recommendations. The program is a pilot, and DEED would evaluate
its effectiveness in improving retention over the three years.
It's an attempt that the governor is introducing to tackle
Alaska's teacher retention and recruitment challenges.
4:26:52 PM
SENATOR STEVENS commented that the annual turnover rate for
teachers is 23 percent. He asked what the turnover rate is for
principals.
4:27:11 PM
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER responded that she did not know but
would provide the committee with an answer.
CHAIR TOBIN noted that reporting measures or mechanisms were
mentioned several times, but she could not locate any mention of
them in SB 97 or the fiscal note. She inquired about the
specific location and details of the reporting requirements.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER stated that the bill did not contain
a provision mandating the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED) report back to the legislature. However, DEED
would collect and furnish the legislature with the information,
CHAIR TOBIN stated that she found it slightly concerning that SB
97 did not contain a reporting requirement. She pointed out that
there are other bills with reporting requirements, and it did
not seem like a significant burden for the department to handle
such reporting. She suggested amending SB 97 to include
reporting measures and allocating a portion of the $110
personnel line item for this purpose.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER replied that the suggestion would be
a friendly amendment.
4:28:20 PM
CHAIR TOBIN opened invited testimony on SB 97.
4:28:42 PM
MAE PITKA, Teacher, Lower Yukon School District, Russian
Mission, Alaska, stated that she is a teacher born and raised in
Russian Mission. She stated that she had witnessed high teacher
turnover rates both as a student and a teacher. This year marks
her 29th year in teaching, and it is challenging to recall
everyone who has come and gone. She emphasized the importance of
quality teachers in her life and expressed gratitude for being
able to live and teach in her hometown community. She also
expressed hope that some of her students would choose teaching
careers.
MS. PITKA stated that she supports SB 97 to ensure students have
access to quality teachers. She stated her belief that longevity
incentives with lump sum payments were a positive step to
support and attract teachers. She acknowledged that teacher
retention would remain an ongoing issue and suggested that
financial incentives were necessary to attract and retain high-
quality educators. She thanked the committee members for their
support of education in Alaska.
4:31:21 PM
DAWN BOCKELMAN, Teacher, Anchorage School District, Anchorage,
Alaska, stated she is a primary school teacher with six years of
experience. She said she supports paying teachers an annual
incentive for three years and stressed the importance of
education in Alaska's future. She highlighted challenges caused
by administrative support issues and the loss of university
accreditation.
MS. BOCKELMAN praised Governor Dunleavy's proposal to provide
direct financial incentives to teachers instead of channeling
funds through school districts. She stated that giving
incentives to the teachers recognizes their value. She urged the
committee to consider SB 97 to retain effective classroom
teachers.
4:34:22 PM
CHAIR TOBIN opened public testimony on SB 97; finding none, she
closed public testimony.
4:34:44 PM
SENATOR STEVENS stated he understands that Alaska's overall
percentage of teacher turnover is 23 percent. He asked for a
breakdown of teacher turnover for the three incentive
categories.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER said she would provide the committee
with a spreadsheet since the amount varies across all districts.
SENATOR STEVENS said he would like DEED to organize the
spreadsheet by category, not district.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER said she does not have a spreadsheet
organized by category but can calculate the amount by category.
She said she would provide the amounts to the committee.
SENATOR KIEHL questioned the basis for calculating the bonuses
in the proposed program. He said the department appears to have
tied the incentive amounts to the average daily membership of
districts. He expressed concern that this metric may not
accurately reflect the cost of living in the teachers'
communities. He pointed out that district cost factors, such as
1.08 in Ketchikan and 1.05 in Juneau, do not align with the
bonuses, where Ketchikan teachers would receive twice that of
Juneau teachers. Senator Stevens asked for clarification on the
rationale for these calculations and bonuses.
4:36:20 PM
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER clarified that DEED did not base the
allocation of funds on average daily membership. Instead, the
decision was based on several factors, including district
performance, teacher turnover rates, remote locations of
districts, and whether an area was urban. The five largest urban
districts received $5,000 each, and the allocation for rural and
middle-tier districts was $10,000. The $15,000 allocation was
based on factors such as location, road accessibility, and
district performance. In summary, a combination of factors
determined the allocation, not average daily membership.
SENATOR KIEHL stated he did not see a matrix in the packet and
that without a solid basis, there is a local and special acts
problem. He asked for a copy of the analysis that led to the
department's categorization of the districts.
4:37:38 PM
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER replied she would provide a copy to
the committee.
CHAIR TOBIN asked for the top three priorities from the teacher
retention working group.
ACTING COMMISSION TESHNER asked if Chair Tobin was referring to
the six essential areas that were identified.
CHAIR TOBIN replied she was referring to a comprehensive list
the committee received. She recalled that two top priorities
were leadership pipeline and defined benefits. The flexibility
of work was also on the list.
4:38:17 PM
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER stated her belief that the three
priorities Chair Tobin is requesting are:
1. Strengthening working conditions.
2. Developing leadership.
3. Restructure and retirement options
4. Enhancing recruitment efforts and opportunities
5. Creating paraprofessional pathways
6. Streamlining certification and recertification
4:38:40 PM
CHAIR TOBIN asked under which priority would incentives belong.
ACTING COMMISSIONER TESHNER said incentives belong under the
Strengthening Working Conditions priority. Pay is part of the
findings in that category.
4:39:00 PM
CHAIR TOBIN held SB 97 in committee.