Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106

03/11/2022 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ SB 72 SEC. SCHOOL CIVICS EDUCATION TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
*+ HB 147 RURAL DEF. TEACHER EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
*+ HB 312 ALLOW NATURAL HAIRSTYLES TELECONFERENCED
Scheduled but Not Heard
-- Invited & Public Testimony --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
        HB 147-RURAL DEF. TEACHER EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:10:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DRUMMOND announced  that  the final  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 147,  "An Act  relating to  the teacher                                                               
education loan program; and providing for an effective date."                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:11:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS moved  to  adopt  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)   for  HB   147,  Version   32-LS0692\B,  Klein,                                                               
5/5/2021,  as a  working  document.   There  being no  objection,                                                               
Version B was before the committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:11:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   ZULKOSKY,  as   prime  sponsor,   presented  the                                                               
proposed  CS for  HB 147,  [Version B].   She  asserted that  the                                                               
purpose of the  proposed legislation is to  address the increased                                                               
difficulty of retaining  teachers in the state.   She stated that                                                               
data  shows the  issue is  pronounced  in rural  and very  remote                                                               
communities  in  Alaska.    She   cited  a  presentation  by  the                                                               
Institute  of Education  Sciences  that relates  data on  teacher                                                               
turnover; teacher turnover is higher  in high poverty schools and                                                               
is associated  with lower student  outcomes.  Also,  high teacher                                                               
turnover is costly  for schools and districts.   She stated that,                                                               
to   improve   educator   recruitment  and   retention,   it   is                                                               
consistently recommended  to locally  grow teachers  and increase                                                               
incentives,  such as  loan forgiveness  programs.   In  alignment                                                               
with  these  recommendations,  she   provided  a  2021  factsheet                                                               
[included in the committee packet]  from the Regional Educational                                                               
Laboratory Northwest.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY  stated that  the Teacher  Education Loan                                                               
(TEL)  program was  created in  1986  and managed  by the  Alaska                                                               
Commission  on  Postsecondary  Education  (ACPE).    The  program                                                               
provided low-cost  education loans  to high school  graduates who                                                               
were pursuing careers in elementary  or secondary education.  She                                                               
stated  that each  year  ACPE mailed  nomination  forms to  rural                                                               
school districts.   The  districts nominated  students interested                                                               
in  pursuing  education as  a  career.    Upon receipt  of  these                                                               
nominations,  ACPE mailed  informational  letters concerning  the                                                               
TEL program to the students.   After confirmation of an education                                                               
program [admittance] and financial  aid eligibility, the students                                                               
then could receive $7,500 in  funding per year.  These recipients                                                               
could apply  annually, up to  five years.   She stated  that upon                                                               
program completion, the TEL  recipients could receive forgiveness                                                               
equal to 100  percent of the principal and interest,  if they met                                                               
all forgiveness eligibility requirements  and worked as a teacher                                                               
for a rural Alaska community, as defined by statute.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:15:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY   expressed  her  appreciation   to  the                                                               
committee for considering  HB 147.  She continued  that Version B                                                               
proposes a narrow  change to a statutory definition  that, due to                                                               
an  arbitrary and  outdated  population ceiling,  unintentionally                                                               
disqualifies  rural  Alaska   communities  for  loan  forgiveness                                                               
eligibility.  She indicated that  a constituent brought the issue                                                               
to her attention.   The constituent qualified  for TEL, completed                                                               
college  education,  and earned  a  master's  degree.   Currently                                                               
teaching in  Bethel, the  constituent was  informed by  ACPE that                                                               
the community  no longer met  the statutory definition  of rural.                                                               
She stated that  Version B changes the  loan program's definition                                                               
of  a rural  community to  match  the definition  in the  Medical                                                               
Education Program  for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska,  Montana, and                                                               
Idaho  (WWAMI).   She expressed  the opinion  that TEL's  current                                                               
definition of rural is arbitrary  in comparison.  She stated that                                                               
the proposed  legislation also  includes a  retroactivity clause.                                                               
This would restore eligibility of  loan forgiveness for those who                                                               
received  the  loan after  January  1,  2016.   She  stated  that                                                               
[Version B]  is an effort  to bring uniformity to  the definition                                                               
of  rural  and  fulfill  [the state's]  promise  to  Alaska-grown                                                               
teachers.   She added that  the legislation could  add incentives                                                               
for teachers to return to teach  in a rural school district.  She                                                               
stated   that  the   House  Education   Standing  Committee   has                                                               
consistently  heard  that  teachers   familiar  with  the  unique                                                               
conditions and  cultures in rural  communities contribute  to the                                                               
success of rural students.  She  encouraged the committee to do a                                                               
small part by supporting the legislation.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:18:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATY  GIORGIO,  Staff,  Representative Tiffany  Zulkosky,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  on behalf  of Representative  Zulkosky, prime                                                               
sponsor,  gave a  sectional analysis  of the  proposed CS  for HB
147, [Version B].   She stated that Section 1  of the bill aligns                                                               
population limits in  the TEL program with the  definition in the                                                               
WWAMI program.  She stated that  there are two different types of                                                               
rural communities: those off the  road system and those connected                                                               
by roads to  Anchorage or Fairbanks.  She  explained that Section                                                               
1 raises the  population requirement ceiling from  5,500 or less,                                                               
to 7,500  or less, matching  the TEL program definition  of rural                                                               
communities off the road system  to the WWAMI program definition.                                                               
This  change would  include  Bethel  and Kodiak  on  the list  of                                                               
communities defined  as rural.   She stated  that Version  B does                                                               
not change  the rural  requirements for  communities on  the road                                                               
system.  She added that the  WWAMI definition of rural schools on                                                               
the road system  is a population of 3,500 or  less, while the TEL                                                               
definition is  1,500 or less.   She stated that the  bill sponsor                                                               
would welcome a  friendly amendment to change  the TEL definition                                                               
of  rural schools  on the  road system  from 1,500  to 3,500,  to                                                               
match WWAMI's definition.  She stated  if an amendment were to be                                                               
presented,  the list  of  rural communities  on  the road  system                                                               
would  then include  Seward, North  Pole,  Willow, Anchor  Point,                                                               
Kenai, Farm Loop, and Houston.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  GIORGIO stated  that Section  2 would  make the  legislation                                                               
retroactive to  January 1, 2016.   This clause enables  the state                                                               
to  fulfill its  promise to  rural teachers  who entered  the TEL                                                               
program in  good faith that their  loans would be forgiven.   She                                                               
stated that,  while the TEL  program has ceased, there  are still                                                               
teachers  in rural  areas who  are  seeking to  have their  loans                                                               
forgiven.   She stated  that Section  3 establishes  an effective                                                               
date.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:20:21 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM  asked if  teachers, who have  been paying                                                               
back  their loans,  would receive  reimbursements for  the entire                                                               
time.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:20:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY  responded that  she would like  to defer                                                               
Representative Gillham's  question to  the executive  director of                                                               
ACPE.   In response to  Co-Chair Drummond's  question, concerning                                                               
the two different fiscal notes,  she stated that the most recent,                                                               
larger  fiscal note  of  $3 million  reflects  the original  bill                                                               
version, in which an unintentional  change made the definition of                                                               
rural  communities  too  broad.   She  stated  that  by  adopting                                                               
Version B the  population ceiling is lifted from  5,500 to 7,500,                                                               
in  alignment with  WWAMI's definition  of rural  communities off                                                               
the  road system.   She  assured the  committee that  the smaller                                                               
fiscal note of $1 million is aligned with Version B.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:22:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SANA   EFIRD,   Executive    Director,   Alaska   Commission   on                                                               
Postsecondary  Education,  Department   of  Education  and  Early                                                               
Development,  answered questions  during the  hearing on  HB 147,                                                               
[Version B].   In response to Representative  Gillham, she stated                                                               
that when the  [TEL] program began, the borrowers  in the program                                                               
initially   received  funds   from   the   Alaska  Student   Loan                                                               
Corporation (ASLC).   She  stated that  general funds  were never                                                               
appropriated for  the loan forgiveness piece  of the legislation;                                                               
therefore,  when   loans  were  repaid,  they   would  have  been                                                               
contributed  to ASLC.   She  stated  that the  fiscal note  shows                                                               
[loan  repayment]   funds  -  that   would  have  been   for  the                                                               
forgiveness  piece  - going  back  to  the ASLC  through  general                                                               
funds.   She stated that  since TEL was  a state program,  it was                                                               
not initially  covered to provide  forgiveness.  She  stated that                                                               
this is her understanding of  the original intent of the program,                                                               
that there  were never general  funds to backfill or  support the                                                               
forgiveness.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:24:20 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  offered his understanding that  the [TEL]                                                               
program has stopped  operation.  He suggested that  the bill just                                                               
supports  educators in  Bethel  who were  initially  part of  the                                                               
program, but now excluded.   He clarified that the legislation is                                                               
not opening  the door to  new teachers but only  provides funding                                                               
for those  who were left in  "the donut hole" of  Bethel when the                                                               
program was operating.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:24:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. EFRID  responded that this  is the  spirit and intent  of the                                                               
bill.   She stated that  the program no longer  functions because                                                               
there is no support for the forgiveness piece.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:25:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS  estimated  that   $1  million  would  be                                                               
available for  20 eligible teachers,  and that this would  be the                                                               
only cost.   He questioned whether the $1 million  would come out                                                               
of the general fund or from ASLC.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. EFRID responded  that the $1 million is  being requested from                                                               
the general fund.  She noted  that Kodiak would also be included,                                                               
if the definition changes for off-road rural communities.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY underscored  that  a friendly  amendment                                                               
could expand  the definition for  on-road communities  to include                                                               
the  communities of  Seward, North  Pole,  Willow, Anchor  Point,                                                               
Kenai, Farm  Loop, and Houston.   She noted that  this population                                                               
limit change would likely alter the fiscal note.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:27:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 9:27 a.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:27:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MADELINE  REICHARD,  Teacher,  Lower Kuskokwim  School  District,                                                               
testified in  support of  HB 147, [Version  B].   She paraphrased                                                               
from the  following written statement [included  in the committee                                                               
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Thank you  Madam Chair for  the opportunity  to testify                                                                    
     in support of  HB 147[;] my name  is Madelene Reichard.                                                                    
     My  [Yup'ik]  name  is  Arnaucuaq,  I  am  named  after                                                                    
     Arnaucuaq  Angiak   from  Tununak  Alaska  who   was  a                                                                    
     storyteller, which is why I think  I talk so much. So I                                                                    
     will try to keep it brief today.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     -I am a teacher here in Bethel at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik,                                                                     
     our [Yup'ik] charter school.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     I was born and raised  here in Bethel and am incredibly                                                                    
     proud to have grown up  in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. I                                                                    
     attended  elementary,  middle   and  high  school  here                                                                    
     before graduating  from Bethel Regional High  School in                                                                    
     2011.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     -Prior to  graduating in  the fall  of 2010,  the Lower                                                                    
     Kuskokwim School District (LKSD)  selected me for their                                                                    
     future  teacher candidate  scholarship, they  submitted                                                                    
     my  name to  the  State of  Alaska  through the  Alaska                                                                    
     Commission  on  Postsecondary  Education (ACPE)  to  be                                                                    
     considered  for   the  Teacher  Education   Loan  (TEL)                                                                    
     Program.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     -I  was subsequently  accepted  into  the TEL  program.                                                                    
     Where was  mutually agreed upon  that if I  returned to                                                                    
     rural Alaska  to teach  for 4 years  that the  TEL loan                                                                    
     would be forgiven in full,  and any payments I had made                                                                    
     towards the loan would be returned to me.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     -I attended  the University of  Oregon and  received my                                                                    
     Bachelor of Science in  Educational Foundations. I then                                                                    
     continued into  an accelerated program in  which I also                                                                    
     earned my  Master's Degree in Curriculum  and Teaching,                                                                    
     with  a  special  focus  in  elementary  education  and                                                                    
     English as a second language.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     -Upon  graduating   in  2016,  I  happily   accepted  a                                                                    
     teaching  position with  LKSD  at  the Bethel  Regional                                                                    
     High School.  After one  year there,  I accepted  a new                                                                    
     position at  Ayaprun Elitnaurvik  where I  am currently                                                                    
     teaching,  right  now  Kindergarten-6th grade  art  and                                                                    
     English Language Development.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     -Mrs. Hankins  and Mr.  Daniel can  speak more  to this                                                                    
     but My  school is  a Title  1 Yup'ik  Immersion Charter                                                                    
     school wherein  90% of our students  are Alaska Native.                                                                    
     We  focus  on  language   and  cultural  education  and                                                                    
     preservation as well as western education.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:30:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     -Teacher  retention  has  been  a  long-standing  issue                                                                    
     within rural communities. For  some rural districts the                                                                    
     teacher turnover  rate is as  high as 50-80%  per year,                                                                    
     as you have  heard recently and this  revolving door of                                                                    
     teachers  leaving has  detrimental effects  on students                                                                    
     in  our  area.  Growing  up  as  a  student  here,  the                                                                    
     turnover   of  teachers   is   very   evident.  It   is                                                                    
     disruptive.  You  lack  consistency. You  miss  out  on                                                                    
     opportunities  to build  trust  and  focus on  learning                                                                    
     because you are constantly having to adapt[.]                                                                              
     -Having   to   frequently  reintroduce   yourself   and                                                                    
     learning  needs as  well as  readjust  to new  teachers                                                                    
     every year,  especially ones who  do not  understand or                                                                    
     value  the  cultural  background   you  come  from,  is                                                                    
     exhausting.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     - It  was very important to  me to come home  and teach                                                                    
     to  provide another  stable,  consistent influence  for                                                                    
     kids that  grew up just  like me.  I want to  show that                                                                    
     kids  from  our  community can  succeed.  Having  local                                                                    
     teachers  who understand  your language,  your culture,                                                                    
     the community  removes a barrier  and allows you  to be                                                                    
     in  a better  starting  position as  a  teacher. I  was                                                                    
     especially  enthusiastic  to  return to  the  state  of                                                                    
     Alaska and  specifically Bethel,  because it's  my home                                                                    
     and  I want  to give  back  to the  community that  has                                                                    
     always supported  me. One  of my  favorite parts  of my                                                                    
     job is  getting to work  with families I have  known my                                                                    
     whole life or to  build relationships with new families                                                                    
     getting  to watch  their children  learn and  grow from                                                                    
     kindergarten to junior high.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     -After  my  first  year  of   teaching  I  applied  for                                                                    
     forgiveness from ACPE  as I had been  instructed. I was                                                                    
     shocked when  I received  a letter  back from  the ACPE                                                                    
     stating  I  had  not  been  approved  for  forgiveness,                                                                    
     because  my  school  was  not  in  a  rural  community.                                                                    
     According  to AS  14.43.700, "rural  means a  community                                                                    
     with  a  population  of  5,500  or  less  that  is  not                                                                    
     connected   by   road   or   rail   to   Anchorage   or                                                                    
     Fairbanks...".                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     -These  population guidelines  were originally  set the                                                                    
     year  I  was  born,  which   as  my  students  like  to                                                                    
     constantly remind  me? was a  very long time  ago, left                                                                    
     no room for population  growth or any language allowing                                                                    
     for mirroring of Federal or other state guidelines.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     -Bethel  does  not   technically  meet  the  population                                                                    
     component  of the  definition.  However,  I would  note                                                                    
     that because  of its remote location  "not connected by                                                                    
     road or  rail to Anchorage  or Fairbanks," it  is clear                                                                    
     to  anyone who  has  lived, worked,  or visited  Bethel                                                                    
     that it is, in fact, a very rural community.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     -The  goal of  programs like  the LKSD  scholarship and                                                                    
     TEL is  to create homegrown teachers.  The programs are                                                                    
     meant to help improve  teacher retention by encouraging                                                                    
     local students  to become teachers and  return to their                                                                    
     home communities.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     - That is why this  issue is consequential not only for                                                                    
     me  but  for all  rural  students  who wish  to  become                                                                    
     teachers in the future. If we  as a state plan to truly                                                                    
     invest in  the future of education,  this program would                                                                    
     benefit from  a rewrite.  During this pandemic  we have                                                                    
     seen teacher retention rates taken  an even greater hit                                                                    
     and we  owe it  to our  kids to do  better for  them. I                                                                    
     have spoken  to Department Directors,  The Commissioner                                                                    
     of Education  and even  the Governor  himself, everyone                                                                    
     was equally  confused and in support  of the definition                                                                    
     changing to reflection what is accurate.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     -I am a  proud public school educator  committed to the                                                                    
     education of  students in  the YK delta  but I  am also                                                                    
     just a kid from Bethel,  asking for the state of Alaska                                                                    
     to hold up  the end of their promise so  I can continue                                                                    
     to hold  up my side  of teaching these awesome  kids in                                                                    
     this strong,  resilient community. Thank you  again for                                                                    
     the opportunity to speak on  this bill I stand ready to                                                                    
     answer any questions from the committee.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:35:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KIMBERLY   HANKINS,   Superintendent,  Lower   Kuskokwim   School                                                               
District,  testified in  support of  HB  147, [Version  B].   She                                                               
paraphrased  from the  following written  statement [included  in                                                               
the   committee  packet],   which  read   as  follows   [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Chair Drummond  and House Education  Committee members,                                                                    
     thank you for the time today  to speak in support of HB
     147, the  importance of growing  our own  teachers, and                                                                    
     supporting multiple pathways for teacher retention.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     I'm  Kimberly  Hankins,  Superintendent  of  the  Lower                                                                    
     Kuskokwim School District.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     This is  my second year serving  as superintendent, and                                                                    
     19th  year  with  the  district.  The  Lower  Kuskokwim                                                                    
     School District  is headquartered  in Bethel.  We serve                                                                    
     approximately  4,000  students  in 29  schools,  in  24                                                                    
     locations,  across  an  area  of  approximately  22,000                                                                    
     square miles.  Access to Bethel is  via Alaska Airlines                                                                    
     from Anchorage,  weather permitting, and access  to our                                                                    
     24  village locations  is via  small air  carrier, snow                                                                    
     machine, four-wheeler,  boat, ice  road in  the winter,                                                                    
     and/or dog sled.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Over  the  past decade  and  a  half, LKSD  has  worked                                                                    
     incredibly   hard  to   implement  language   immersion                                                                    
     models,  including  a  dual language  enrichment  model                                                                    
     program and  a Yupik immersion program  in the majority                                                                    
     of our schools. We  have worked to develop place-based,                                                                    
     culturally  rich   and  relevant   education  materials                                                                    
     aligned  to  state  standards,   in  both  English  and                                                                    
     Yugtun.  The  mission  of our  district  is  to  ensure                                                                    
     bilingual,   culturally   appropriate   and   effective                                                                    
     education for  all students, and  this is  supported by                                                                    
     the LKSD  Board of  Education's four Key  Measures, one                                                                    
     of    which   focuses    directly   on    Yup'ik/Cup'ik                                                                    
     proficiency.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     In order  to staff our  schools, the district  looks to                                                                    
     develop teachers  from within  our communities  as well                                                                    
     as recruit  from around  our state  and nation.  In the                                                                    
     past few  years, our teacher turnover  rate has hovered                                                                    
     between 20-25%, and has been as high as 38%.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Unfortunately,  we  have seen  a  trend  over the  past                                                                    
     several years  in that  we are unable  to staff  all of                                                                    
     our  teacher   openings  despite   exhaustive,  ongoing                                                                    
     recruitment. This  places a burden on  the district and                                                                    
     on individual  schools that are not  fully staffed, but                                                                    
     ultimately underserves our  students. Teacher retention                                                                    
     and turnover has  been and continues to be  an issue we                                                                    
     face annually, both  here in Bethel and  in our village                                                                    
     sites.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Most recently,  the district has found  it increasingly                                                                    
     difficult to staff positions in  Bethel due to the high                                                                    
     cost of  living  rent and utilities  in particular; for                                                                    
     your reference  a gallon  of milk  in Bethel  is nearly                                                                    
     $9, apples can cost as  much as $4.99/pound, and an 18-                                                                    
     pack  of eggs  costs  over $6.00.  While  Bethel has  a                                                                    
     larger population  than surrounding villages,  it faces                                                                    
     similar  challenges  both  in teacher  recruitment  and                                                                    
     retention, and common  struggles associated with living                                                                    
     in   rural  Alaska.   (high  cost   of  rent,   housing                                                                    
     shortages, high cost of  utilities, access to services,                                                                    
     isolation)                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     In  a  2021  study   titled  "Education  Retention  and                                                                    
     Turnover  in Alaska,"  published  by  the Institute  of                                                                    
     Education  Sciences   and  REL   [Regional  Educational                                                                    
     Laboratory]  Northwest at  Education  Northwest, it  is                                                                    
     stated  that educator  turnover  is  associated with  a                                                                    
     broad range  of negative  outcomes for students.  It is                                                                    
     also noted that rural schools  in Alaska continue to be                                                                    
     hit  hardest   by  turnover,  and  that   teachers  and                                                                    
     principals prepared outside Alaska  continue to be more                                                                    
     likely to turn over.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:39:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     In the  same study, the following  strategies are noted                                                                    
     for  improving educator  recruitment  and retention  in                                                                    
     Alaska:                                                                                                                    
     -  Create  and  support  multiple  teacher  preparation                                                                    
     pathways  that  can  increase  the  supply  of  Alaska-                                                                    
     educated teachers, including grow-your-own programs                                                                        
     -  Increase incentives  for educators,  including loan-                                                                    
     forgiveness programs                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     For  more   than  a  decade  LKSD   has  developed  and                                                                    
     implemented our own  TEACH program as a  way to develop                                                                    
     local talent  and grow our  own teachers both as  a way                                                                    
     to meet  teacher turnover needs  and as a way  to staff                                                                    
     our  dual language  and  immersion  model schools.  Our                                                                    
     district commits hundreds of  thousands of dollars each                                                                    
     year  to this  program and  we have  numerous certified                                                                    
     teachers  who  have   completed  this  program  working                                                                    
     throughout the district.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Each year,  LKSD devotes a  significant amount  of time                                                                    
     and man-hours in developing new  hires and in educating                                                                    
     them  on district  programs, instructional  models, and                                                                    
     in helping them learn about  the culture of the region,                                                                    
     communities, and  students that  they serve. This  is a                                                                    
     continuous  cycle.  Locally  grown  teachers,  such  as                                                                    
     Madelene  Reichard,  are  incredibly valuable  in  that                                                                    
     they are  from the  region, they have  grown up  in the                                                                    
     culture, they  are familiar  with and  have connections                                                                    
     in our  communities, and they  serve as  excellent role                                                                    
     models and  mentors both for  our students and  our new                                                                    
     to  district  teachers.  They  are  familiar  with  the                                                                    
     familial   structures  found   in   our  region,   they                                                                    
     understand  the cultural  context of  our students  and                                                                    
     our  communities, they  enhance relationships  in their                                                                    
     schools and  greatly contribute  to school  climate and                                                                    
     connectedness.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Programs  that support  developing  local  talent    or                                                                    
     growing  your  own      and  teacher  loan  forgiveness                                                                    
     programs   are  critical   solutions  in   solving  the                                                                    
     education  retention  and  recruitment issue  faced  in                                                                    
     rural Alaska.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:41:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. HANKINS, in  response to Representative Prax,  stated that to                                                               
qualify  for the  [TEL] program  the recipient  must have  been a                                                               
resident of a  rural area when he/she applied.   In response to a                                                               
follow-up, she  stated that the  recipient would return  to teach                                                               
in a  rural area for four  years.  She asked  that Representative                                                               
Zulkosky confirm the requirements.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:42:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. EFIRD,  in response to  Representative Prax, referred  to the                                                               
TEL information sheet in the  committee packet.  She stated that,                                                               
after five  years of teaching  in an  area defined as  rural, the                                                               
loan would be forgiven.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:43:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY,  in  response to  Representative  Prax,                                                               
answered that  the purpose of  the legislation is to  fulfill the                                                               
state's promise  to rural teachers, specifically  those in Bethel                                                               
and  Kodiak.   She stated  that  LKSD nominated  Ms. Reichard  to                                                               
receive  the loan  because she  intended  to pursue  a career  in                                                               
education  and  return  to  Bethel to  teach  in  the  community.                                                               
However, once  she applied for  loan forgiveness, because  of the                                                               
outdated  statute governing  the program,  she was  told she  was                                                               
ineligible.   She  stated  that Ms.  Reichard  brought the  issue                                                               
forward, but the legislation could help other teachers.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:44:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  ZULKOSKY, in  response to  a follow-up  question,                                                               
stated  that the  program is  no longer  utilized by  ACPE.   She                                                               
stated that  she and Ms.  Efird have had an  ongoing conversation                                                               
regarding  different  programs  for teacher  retention  in  rural                                                               
communities.   This legislation seeks  to remedy the  promise the                                                               
TEL  program made  to teachers  who  continue to  teach in  rural                                                               
Alaska,  but  due  to  the outdated  definition,  are  unable  to                                                               
qualify for  the forgiveness element.   These teachers  have paid                                                               
down their  loans under the  impression their community  would be                                                               
considered rural  because they were  nominated by a  rural school                                                               
district.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:45:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SEGUE  GRANT,  Vice  President,  National  Education  Association                                                               
Alaska Affiliate  (NEA-Alaska), testified  in support of  HB 147,                                                               
[Version B].   She provided  her Yup'ik name, Chagusak  (ph), and                                                               
stated  that public  education is  her career  and passion.   She                                                               
stated  that  she  has worked  in  LKSD  for  13  years.   As  an                                                               
itinerant  educator,  she travels  to  villages  in the  district                                                               
supporting other teachers  in their classrooms.   She offered her                                                               
gratitude to Representative  Zulkosky for introducing legislation                                                               
that would  fulfill the promises  made to educators  committed to                                                               
working  in  rural  Alaska.    She said  that  the  state  widely                                                               
promoted  the TEL  program years  ago.   To  attract students  in                                                               
rural  Alaska  to the  education  profession,  the state  offered                                                               
loans that would  be reduced or forgiven,  provided the recipient                                                               
return to work  in rural Alaska.  However,  school districts grew                                                               
in population  and no longer  fit under the definition  of rural.                                                               
She  continued  that the  unintended  consequence  makes the  TEL                                                               
recipients ineligible  for the loan forgiveness,  even though the                                                               
population of  the community was  within the definition  of rural                                                               
when the  teacher originally  applied for the  loan.   She stated                                                               
that the legislation  would allow a statutory  fix for applicants                                                               
on  the  original terms  of  the  TEL  program, adding  that  the                                                               
retroactivity clause is critical to  fulfill the promise to those                                                               
who applied for the loan  under the impression they would qualify                                                               
for loan forgiveness.   She stated that  attracting and retaining                                                               
teachers to rural  Alaska has been a challenge for  decades.  She                                                               
stated  that  NEA-Alaska supports  the  initiatives  to create  a                                                               
strong cohort of teachers who  intend to return to communities to                                                               
pass on  their knowledge.   She argued  that students  learn best                                                               
from educators  who share their  values, history,  and connection                                                               
to the  land.  She continued  that educators who return  to their                                                               
home to teach  are less likely to seek a  job in another district                                                               
or state.   She stated that continuity  has profound implications                                                               
on generations  of young  Alaskans.  She  urged the  committee to                                                               
support the legislation, as it  is important to her community and                                                               
to the teachers.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:50:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LISA PARADY,  PhD, Executive Director,  Alaska Council  of School                                                               
Administrators (ACSA),  testified in support of  HB 147, [Version                                                               
B].   She  shared  that  ACSA is  the  umbrella organization  for                                                               
superintendents,  elementary  and  secondary  principals,  school                                                               
business officials, and  "all hard-working school administrators"                                                               
in Alaska.   Referencing the importance of the  first sentence in                                                               
the  sponsor  statement, she  read  the  from the  statement,  as                                                               
follows,  "Teacher  recruitment  and retention  pose  significant                                                               
challenges to  Alaska schools, but  the issue is  most pronounced                                                               
in  rural communities.   Overtime,  this can  be a  contributing,                                                               
systemic  factor to  success and,  most importantly,  achievement                                                               
gaps  experienced  in  Alaska  classrooms."     She  stated  that                                                               
preparing, attracting,  and retaining qualified educators  is one                                                               
of  the   highest  priorities  for  ACSA,   NEA-Alaska,  and  the                                                               
Association of  Alaska School Boards.   She stated that  to solve                                                               
the  crisis there  must be  intentionality.   Retaining effective                                                               
educators  is  imperative  to increase  student  achievement  and                                                               
eliminating academic disparity  for all of Alaska  students.  She                                                               
expressed gratitude to the committee  for looking at the research                                                               
that  supports  these  ideas.   She  stated  that  ACSA  strongly                                                               
encourages  the  development  of statewide  programs  that  would                                                               
prepare,  attract, and  retain  high-quality, diverse  educators.                                                               
She  added that  ACSA recommends  funding for  a robust  educator                                                               
pipeline, creating  incentives for  graduates to stay  in Alaska.                                                               
She  commented that  while  the  Regional Educational  Laboratory                                                               
Northwest  was doing  research  in Alaska,  a  new definition  of                                                               
rural had to be applied.  Due  to the remoteness of the state the                                                               
federal government's definition of rural "did not fit."                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:54:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. PARADY  stated that  the Center  for Alaska  Education Policy                                                               
Research and  the Institute  of Social  and Economic  Research at                                                               
the  University of  Alaska, Anchorage,  published  an article  on                                                               
February 24, 2022,  that addressed teacher turnover  in Alaska as                                                               
the  "perfect  storm."    The article  related  that  Alaska  has                                                               
traditionally recruited  teachers from  the contiguous U.S.   The                                                               
article  also related  that  there are  fewer  people going  into                                                               
teacher preparation  programs across the country.   Because there                                                               
is  a  high  demand  and a  diminished  supply,  competition  for                                                               
teachers from within  Alaska and across the  country is elevated.                                                               
She  stated the  research  suggests Alaska  is  in a  significant                                                               
crisis.  She  compared the situation to a weave  of cloth made up                                                               
of multiple crisscrossed strands.   She said that the state needs                                                               
multiple strands  to fix the  educator staffing crisis,  with one                                                               
of the  strands being  loan forgiveness.   She stated  that ACSA,                                                               
not only supports  the bill, but encourages  reconsideration of a                                                               
comparable [TEL]  program for  the entire  state.   She expressed                                                               
the belief  that staffing  classrooms with  high-quality, locally                                                               
grown educators would support the  weave of cloth.  She expressed                                                               
hope that  the committee would  support the legislation,  as well                                                               
as look  at solutions to  attract and retain  high-quality staff.                                                               
She  offered  her  thanks  to  the  committee  for  its  work  in                                                               
supporting public education.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:57:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DRUMMOND  requested  that  Dr. Parady  provide  to  the                                                               
committee  the  statistics  on   teacher  retention  and  student                                                               
performance.  She  stated that these statistics  help explain the                                                               
importance of retaining teachers.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:57:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR.  PARADY  answered  that  she  did  not  have  the  statistics                                                               
available but  could supply  them at  a later  date.   She stated                                                               
that a  study by  the Institute of  Social and  Economic Research                                                               
found the lowest achievement in  reading proficiency was found in                                                               
the districts  with the highest  teacher turnover;  the districts                                                               
with the lowest  teacher turnover had the  highest achievement in                                                               
reading proficiency.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:59:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DR. PARADY, in  response to Representative Prax,  agreed that the                                                               
legislation only  addresses the  past.  She  stated that,  due to                                                               
circumstances outside of their control,  teachers were reliant on                                                               
a program  that shifted.   She expressed hope that  the committee                                                               
would support  future programs for  locally grown  educators with                                                               
loan forgiveness.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:01:11 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. EFIRD  clarified that ASLC  did provide forgiveness  for over                                                               
300 of the  loans.  She responded to  Representative Hopkins that                                                               
ACPE  absolutely agrees  the number  one priority  for Alaska  is                                                               
recruitment  and retainment  of teachers.   She  stated that  the                                                               
spirit of the legislation shows a good faith effort by the                                                                      
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
10:03:05 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 147 was held over.                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 147 FN EED ACPE 1.7.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 147 Sponsor Statement ver. B.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 147 Supporting Document_ Education Retention and Turnover in Alaska.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 147 Supporting Document_Teacher Education Loan Program Background.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB0147 work draft Version B.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB0147A.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 147 Sectional Analysis ver. B.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 147 Committee Packet HEDC 3.11.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 147
HB 312 EED SSA 2.10.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
HB 312 Sectional Analysis.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 312
HB 312 Committee Packet 3.11.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HB 312
HB 312 Sponsor Statement.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
HB 312 Supporting Document - Brookings.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
HB 312 Supporting Document - Gaddy.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
HB 312 Supporting Document - Glamour.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
HB0312A.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
HL&C 4/4/2022 3:15:00 PM
HB 312
CS for SB 72 (CRA).PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
CS for SB72 EDC.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
CS for SB 72 FIN.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB 72 Committee Packet HEDC 3.11.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB 72 FN EED SSA 2.9.22.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB 72 Oppose 031022.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB 72 Support 031022.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB0072A.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Bill Text verison D.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Fiscal Note 1.12.2022.PDF HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Research 128-Test-Questions.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Research Forbes_NeglectingCivics_2.21.2020.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Research Links-to-Resources.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Research RAND_Focus-on-Civic-Ed 12.8.2020.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Research WSJ_3.2.2021.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Sectional version D.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72
SB072 Civics Sponsor Statement 2.10.2021.pdf HEDC 3/11/2022 8:00:00 AM
SB 72