Legislature(2019 - 2020)BUTROVICH 205
02/18/2020 09:00 AM Senate 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 | |
| SB169 | |
| SB113 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 169 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 113 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 113-TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
9:16:38 AM
CHAIR STEVENS reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 113, "An Act relating to
national board certification for public school teachers."
He stated his intention to hear an overview and then to hold the
bill in committee for further review.
9:16:50 AM
SENATOR HUGHES, speaking as sponsor of SB 113, said the bill
originated in the office of Representative Jonathan Kreiss-
Tomkins, but she also wants students to have the best teachers
possible. High-quality teachers can make a difference in a
child's ability to learn and achieve. SB 113 pertains to
certification by the National Board as an indication of teacher
quality. It would require schools to display the name of each
National Board Certified (NBC) teacher in the school in the
hopes of inspiring other teachers to go after this esteemed
certification. The goal is that by 2025 4 percent of public
school teachers in Alaska would be National Board Certified.
DAWSON MANN, Intern, Senator Shelley Hughes, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said National Board Certification
is an indication that a teacher has met the defined standards
for accomplished teaching grounded in the organization's five
core propositions:
Teachers are committed to their students and their
learning. Teachers know the subjects they teach and
how to teach those subjects to students. Teachers are
responsible for managing and monitoring student
learning. Teachers will be systematic about their
practice and learn from experience. Teachers are
members of learning communities.
Studies have shown that National Board Certification has been
beneficial to teachers and learning outcomes for students.
9:19:43 AM
MR. MANN presented the sectional analysis:
Sec. 1 AS 14.20.010 Page 1, Lines 3-9
Section one of the bill amends AS 14.20.010 by adding
that public schools must prominently display names of
national board-certified teachers. The section also
outlines the 2025 four percent national board
certification goal for the state and further clarifies
that "national board certification" means
certification by the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards.
Sec. 2 AS 14.20.010(c) Page 1, Line 10
This section establishes a repeal date of July 1,
2026.
9:20:36 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked what the cost is for a teacher to become
National Board Certified.
MR. MANN answered that the four components of the certification
cost $475 each for a total of $1,900, plus a $75 registration
fee.
SENATOR BEGICH pointed out that in the past, at least through
2013, the state used to subsidize this cost. He has a concern
about the potential disadvantage for some teachers if their
districts do not support National Board Certification. He asked
if there has been any consideration of how to make certification
available to all teachers.
SENATOR HUGHES said Tim Parker [president of NEA-Alaska] might
be able to speak to it from the teacher perspective. Many
districts do provide $2,000 after teachers have completed
National Board Certification. Tamara Van Wyhe with the
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is an NBC
teacher and online. Mr. Parker is working on his National Board
Certification. The program takes 250 to 400 hours to complete.
The certification is good for 10 years. It is going to switch to
5 years with a requirement for renewal. Currently, that cost is
$1,250, but efforts are being made to lower the cost. Tara
Bivins in the Anchorage School District would also be happy to
answer questions that perhaps cannot be answered today.
CHAIR STEVENS shared that he took a sabbatical to get his
doctorate degree and everything was tax deductible at that time.
He would be interested in knowing what the tax laws are today.
SENATOR HUGHES replied that question came up in the other body.
The answer was the cost is not deductible. That could be because
the standard deduction is now so high. If a person exceeded the
standard deduction and did not get reimbursed for the $2000,
perhaps it would be tax deductible. That would need to be
confirmed by a tax attorney.
9:25:09 AM
SENATOR BEGICH asked whether National Board Certification would
count toward teacher recertification. He noted that would fit
well with the conversations the committee had the last two weeks
with SB 6 and the certification process.
SENATOR HUGHES deferred the question to Tamara Van Wyhe. She
said she too was interested in what literacy training is
provided in the National Board Certification process.
CHAIR STEVENS called on Tamara Van Wyhe to testify.
9:26:50 AM
TAMARA VAN WYHE, Director, Educator and School Excellence,
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), Anchorage,
Alaska, said teachers who hold National Board Certification
qualify for master level teacher certification within the state
certification system.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if there is any literacy training as part
of National Board Certification that would tie into the Alaska
Reads Act.
MS. VAN WYHE replied teachers who apply for National Board
Certification apply for a specific discipline and certificate
level depending on the content area and classroom grade level.
For a language arts teacher, their National Board content work
would address literacy. National Board candidates focus on four
components: content knowledge, differentiation in instruction,
teaching practice and learning environment, and effectiveness
and reflectiveness as a practitioner. Literacy can tie into
those components. It depends on the content area that a teacher
is applying for.
CHAIR STEVENS called Tim Parker to the table.
9:29:09 AM
TIM PARKER, President, NEA-Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, said he is
a high school English teacher from Fairbanks. He said his
association is in favor of SB 113 and likes the goal of 4
percent of Alaskan teachers being National Board Certified by
2025. Displaying names prominently is okay, but the concern is
that this recognition probably will not provide enough
motivation to reach that goal. The actual motivation stems from
how much learning happens in their classrooms.
MR. PARKER shared that he has completed two of the four
components to National Board Certification and opined that the
process makes someone a better teacher. Teachers who have
completed the national certification will say it is the best
professional development in their careers. People tend to go
through this process after the first five years of teaching.
When teachers work through the process and become better at
teaching, the joy of teaching increases. Achieving National
Board Certification is a fairly good recipe to be successful in
the classroom. He pointed out that money is a factor. Some bills
have been proposed to address that but have not passed. Some
districts offer an additional $2,000 per year for achieving
National Board Certification. That amount of money has not
necessarily moved the dial. The website has 199 teachers from
Alaska listed as National Board Certified. Last year, the House
did a close count of who is actually in front of kids in a
teaching role and the number is only 58. That is not even 1
percent.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if some of those teachers have become
principals.
MR. PARKER responded that some of the teachers on the list are
principals, some are retired, and some are out of state. By
contrast, Washington state has tackled National Board
Certification by adding a significant financial incentive. Since
2013, the state gives $5,500 on an annual basis to each teacher
who achieves National Board Certification. In terms of
addressing equity, teachers who teach in a Title I or high-needs
school get an additional $5,000. That resulted in change. The
average salary for teachers is about $65,000, so an increase of
$10,000 can be a big deal. Many teachers have second jobs so
this financial boost is a way to allow teachers to dedicate
themselves to their craft.
MR. PARKER in 2013, 12.5 percent or 7,336 of the 57,897 teachers
in Washington were National Board Certified. In 2019, 17 percent
or 11,365 of the 66,409 teachers in Washington were National
Board Certified. The monetary incentive for teachers to attain
National Board Certification benefited many students. NEA-Alaska
supports the ideas and concepts in the bill and appreciates the
work in this area.
9:35:56 AM
MR. PARKER added that no interest loans also pay a role. He
noted that Senator Wielechowski introduced a bill two years ago
that provided about $1,500 and an interest-free loan of $2,500.
Washington state has also done that. It costs close to $2,000 to
complete National Board Certification, plus 250 to 400 hours to
complete the four components. It is a big investment and a lot
of time, but the end result is a big win for students.
CHAIR STEVENS asked about the process to get National Board
Certification.
MR. PARKER replied that in 2002, NEA-Alaska began Jump Start. It
is a one-week program offered annually. Teachers spend five days
studying the components, looking at a specific content area, and
planning out the year because the 250 to 400 hours will be
spread out over 12 months. Teachers think about what will be
done in their classrooms and spend the next year executing the
plan. Teaching practice and learning environment requires a
video of students learning in the classroom. One component is to
take a test to demonstrate personal content knowledge. The two
other components require submitting a lot of lessons and other
things that connect how students learned. The process is
challenging, he said.
9:39:36 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked how long it will take him to complete the
process.
MR. PARKER replied he completed two components in one year and
hopes to complete all four in one year. Teachers are given three
years to complete National Board Certification. Each component
is done separately, and components can be redone.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if the expenses are tax deductible.
MR. PARKER answered they are not deductible.
SENATOR BEGICH asked how Senator Wielechowski's bill on low-
interest loans would have worked.
MR. PARKER replied he didn't recall the mechanism to offer low-
interest loans but he recalled amount was around $1,500.
CHAIR STEVENS commented that that is the type of thing the
Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education would be involved
in.
9:42:03 AM
SENATOR HUGHES asked how many teachers represent 4 percent and
if he believes that goal is achievable.
MR. PARKER answered that there are just under 8,000 teachers in
the state, so 4 percent would be about 320. He added that
Washington is close to 17 percent of one in six teachers. If
Alaska got to that point, each of the 500 schools in Alaska
could have a National Board Certified teacher. He opined that an
incentive like Washington offers would be a modest fiscal note.
SENATOR HUGHES asked why Washington had 11 percent of its
teachers National Board Certified before offering a financial
incentive and Alaska has less than 1 percent.
MR. PARKER responded that Washington had an extensive internal
program and was famous for the Jump Start. Training was provided
throughout the state, which was supported by the districts and
union. With additional money, the numbers grew even more. He
said he could look into the matter further, but he believes it
was dedication at the district level and union level for
professional development.
SENATOR HUGHES asked him to please follow up on that because the
difference in percentages of National Board Certified teachers
between the two states shows that something is missing in
Alaska.
9:45:27 AM
SENATOR COGHILL noted that the committee has heard about
struggles with teacher and principal retention. He asked how
much horizontal support is needed with administration and with
teachers to make this happen.
MR. PARKER replied a recipe for success is to have a principal
or school board that is supportive and willing to give teachers
time to do work on certification. Horizontal support such as
creating cohorts of teachers to work together is a recipe for
success. As far as retention, teachers who are National Board
Certified do stay longer and do not turn over as fast.
CHAIR STEVENS asked whether he thought being National Board
Certified would be a good qualification for a principal.
MR. PARKER deferred the question to Lisa Parady [Executive
Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators]. He
said the certification is very specific about content and making
learning happen in classrooms. Somebody with certification would
be viewed as an instructional leader, both at the principal and
superintendent level. Tamara Van Wyhe is working for DEED now,
but she has worked as a principal and a superintendent. She
prides herself on knowledge of subject and content areas.
Management is a big part of a principal's and superintendent's
job, but this is about students and their learning.
9:49:48 AM
NORM WOOTEN, Executive Director, Association of Alaska School
Boards, Juneau, Alaska, said National Board Certification makes
for a more highly qualified teacher. School boards believe that
the backbone of public education in this state and across the
nation is teachers. The guide to National Board Certification is
contained in the committee's packet. The requirements for
becoming National Board Certified are rigorous. It is not
something that is undertaken lightly by any teacher. It takes a
dedicated teacher to commit to that rigorous process. The four
components relate to a lot of the other things that the
committee has been considering with the Alaska Reads Act. The
cost is significant. That is quite a personal investment. It
gives assurance to parents that those teachers are the very
best. The association is behind anything that elevates the
profession of teaching and puts great teachers in front of
students.
CHAIR STEVENS asked what school boards can do to make that
certification important and give support so that teachers can
see this through to the end.
MR. WOOTEN replied he served about 30 years on the Kodiak School
Board, and at one point, the board would provide sabbaticals to
teachers to obtain advanced degrees and certifications to become
principals and administrations. Then times got tougher and the
board back-peddled on a lot of those things. School districts
could provide support through professional development and set
up professional learning communities. There are many things
school boards could do and are doing, such as providing time to
do this and moral support. Superintendents, principals, and
school boards across the state are doing that, he said.
9:55:07 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked what the association is doing.
MR. WOOTEN answered that AASB does not provide rules to school
districts. It acts in an advisory capacity and provides services
to school districts, who are members. The association is
consistent and deliberate and intentional in having school
boards understand what can be done. Better governance leads to
better student achievement. Governance encompasses many things,
including providing every support possible to teachers.
SENATOR HUGHES asked if school boards are aware of the teachers
who are working on board certification and whether that was
information he could gather.
MR. WOOTEN offered to work with Dr. Parady to find data or at
least some anecdotal information and also to elevate the
knowledge about that and explain the benefits of National Board
Certification.
SENATOR HUGHES suggested that Tara Bivins or Tamara Van Wyhe
might know how many are working on certification. She commented
that the bill sets a high bar to reach by 2025.
CHAIR STEVENS added that the committee would look forward to
getting that information.
SENATOR BEGICH said the data the National Board provided shows
that 38 teachers are currently pursuing National Board
Certification. He articulated his concern that 32 of those are
in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, Juneau, and Ketchikan, and only
six are in other districts. He asked what strategies would
spread the gospel of National Board Certification to more of
these districts and what is holding districts back from
encouraging their teachers to seek National Board Certification.
MR. WOOTEN answered that it is difficult being a teacher in a
remote rural school district because they do a myriad of other
things on a daily basis. Teachers are always on duty and often
live in teacher-provided housing. He has seen teachers in rural
Alaska work after school hours to become more heavily involved
in extracurricular activities than in urban school districts. It
becomes even more difficult, but doable, for the administration
in those school districts to provide that support. Just
listening to this testimony and reading the bill has elevated,
in his mind, the need to pay more attention to this.
10:00:55 AM
CHAIR STEVENS opened public testimony and noted written
testimony could be sent to [email protected].
10:01:26 AM
JESSIE BJORKMAN, Teacher, Nikiski, Alaska, said he also serves
on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, but he is speaking as a
teacher. He teaches at Nikiski Middle High School and has been a
National Board candidate. Regarding Senator Hughes' question
about literacy, the second component is all about
differentiation in instruction. Teachers must submit student
writing samples as proof and evidence of how they teach to
different readiness levels and improve student writing. Teachers
submit writing samples before a unit or period of time and then
after to show growth. That component has excellent measures of
progress to show that teaching is effective. Another component
is reflecting on practice and how to make it better.
MR. BJORKMAN suggested that districts might be more reticent to
pick up things that are tried and true because it does not seem
as innovative. He knows as a National Board candidate that the
process is the best professional development he has ever done.
He has heard of a study through the Alaska Staff Development
Network that students can recognize National Board Certified
teachers. That matters. Teachers who decide to become a National
Board Certified teacher have horizontal support. There are
National Board Certified teachers in their district these
teachers can speak to about the process. Plus, school districts
talk about the value of National Board Certified teachers. He
contended that school districts could focus more on National
Board Certificate training.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if he could recommend things that the
legislature, the school board association, school districts, and
principals could be doing to increase the recognition of those
who have completed this certification.
MR. BJORKMAN opined that Senator Hughes' bill to recognize
National Board Certified teachers in public is a great start.
Money does not make things better all of a sudden, but it does
show the state values and prioritizes teachers as a community of
learners. But it has to be more than that. It has to be what the
education industry calls collective teacher efficacy, which
means teachers feel part of a team and function as a team. That
allows them to work better.
CHAIR STEVENS expressed appreciation for his candid comments.
10:08:00 AM
CHAIR STEVENS stated he would hold public testimony open on SB
113.
SENATOR HUGHES calculated that to achieve the 4 percent goal,
the state needs 89 more Nationally Certified teachers by 2025.
She described that as reasonable and achievable. She also
recommended looking into what the state of Washington did before
adding the financial incentive. She expressed the desire for
Alaska to have 11 percent of its teachers have National Board
Certification. She added that great teachers need to be paid
well, although the fiscal situation might not allow that now.
10:09:50 AM
CHAIR STEVENS held SB 113 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 01_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Sponsor-Statement.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 02_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Bill-Text_Version A.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 03_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Sectional_Version A.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 04_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_FiscalNote01_DEED-TeacherCert_14Feb2020.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 06_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Research_The Impact of National Board Certified Teachers_May2017.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 07_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Background_NBPTS AK Stats_2018.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| 08_SB113-Teacher-National-Certification_Testimony_Parker-NEA-Alaska_29Jan2020.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 113 |
| SB169_Arts-Council_Amendment_M2_Legal-Counsel_12Feb2020.pdf |
SEDC 2/18/2020 9:00:00 AM |
SB 169 |