04/02/2008 08:30 AM House FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 241                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to a report to the legislature on                                                                         
     teacher preparation, retention, and recruitment by the                                                                     
     Board of Regents of the University of Alaska."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GARY STEVENS,  SPONSOR, described  the bill  as the                                                                    
result  of recommendations  made  by  the Joint  Legislative                                                                    
Education   Funding   Task   Force.  The   bill   recognizes                                                                    
difficulty  in Alaska  training,  recruiting, and  retaining                                                                    
teachers. The bill requires a  report from the University of                                                                    
Alaska   regarding   teacher   workforce   development   and                                                                    
training;   specifically  the   recruiting,  training,   and                                                                    
retaining of public school teachers.  The bill requires that                                                                    
the report  be presented to  the House and  Senate education                                                                    
                      th                                                                                                        
committees  on the  30   legislative  day  of each  session;                                                                    
after 2013 the  report will be every two years.  He felt the                                                                    
provision sends  a clear message that  the legislature wants                                                                    
the  University  of  Alaska  and the  Board  of  Regents  to                                                                    
address the teacher shortage.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:51:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara  recommended  moving the  bill  out  of                                                                    
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hawker pointed  out that  CS SB  241(HES) is                                                                    
accompanied  by a  letter of  intent from  the chair  of the                                                                    
Health, Education, and Social  Services Committee and a zero                                                                    
fiscal  note.  He  further  noted that  the  sponsor  is  in                                                                    
agreement  with  the  changes  made  in  the  House  Health,                                                                    
Education, and Social Services Committee.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hawker MOVED to REPORT  CSSB 241 (HES) out of                                                                    
Committee with individual  recommendations, the accompanying                                                                    
fiscal note, and letter of intent from the House Health and                                                                     
Social Services Committee. There being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                     
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  241 (HES)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                    
pass"   recommendation,  a   zero  fiscal   note  from   the                                                                    
University of Alaska, and a  letter of intent from the House                                                                    
Health, Education, and Social Services Committee.