03/13/2023 08:00 AM House EDUCATION

          HB 106-TEACHER RECRUITMENT; LUMP SUM PAYMENT                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:11:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 106, "An  Act authorizing lump sum payments for                                                               
certain  teachers as  retention and  recruitment incentives;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:11:58 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SUSIE MCKENZIE,  Director, Division  of Innovation  and Education                                                               
Excellence,  Department  of   Education  and  Early  Development,                                                               
presented HB  105 on behalf of  the bill sponsor, House  Rules by                                                               
request of the governor.   She stated the bill addresses Alaska's                                                               
Education Challenge  priority number four, which  is "to prepare,                                                               
attract,  and retain  effective  education  professionals."   She                                                               
stated the  Department of Education and  Early Development (DEED)                                                               
acknowledges that  teachers have  a tremendous impact  on student                                                               
achievement,  and notes  there are  approximately 7,300  teachers                                                               
working  in  Alaska public  schools,  and  teacher stability  and                                                               
effectiveness  are essential  components of  student achievement.                                                               
She  gave  examples  of  teacher  turnovers  and  the  number  of                                                               
teachers coming  from out of  state.  She reminded  the committee                                                               
that  the  governor  ordered  a task  force  to  examine  teacher                                                               
retention  and  recruitment  back  in  2020.    Reported  from  a                                                               
previous survey,  she explained,  the highest-ranking  issue with                                                               
teacher retention is  salary, and HB 106 proposes  to address the                                                               
highest  ranked  finding of  the  report.    She noted  the  bill                                                               
discusses  three  tiers that  Ms.  Riddle  will  go over  in  the                                                               
sectional analysis.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:16:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DEBORAH RIDDLE,  Operations Manager,  Division of  Innovation and                                                               
Educational  Excellence,   Department  of  Education   and  Early                                                               
Development,  presented   the  sectional  analysis  for   HB  106                                                               
[included  in  the  committee  packet],  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1:  Amends  uncodified law  by  adding  a  new                                                                
     section  that  establishes  a program  that  would  pay                                                                    
     certificated  full-time   teachers  with  a   lump  sum                                                                    
     payment on, or around, July  1, 2024, July 1, 2025, and                                                                    
     July   1,   2026.  The   payment   of   the  lump   sum                                                                    
     appropriation is contingent  on appropriations made for                                                                    
     this  purpose in  the  relevant  fiscal years  (FY2025,                                                                    
     FY2026,  and FY2027).  The bill  limits the  payment to                                                                    
     full-time  teachers assigned  to  a classroom  teaching                                                                    
     assignment   and   specifically   excludes   temporary,                                                                    
     substitute, or  assistant teachers. To be  eligible for                                                                    
     payment, a teacher must occupy  a teaching position for                                                                    
     the entire  school year immediately preceding  the date                                                                    
     of payment.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     In  addition,  to  be eligible  for  payment,  teachers                                                                    
     would be  required to submit an  application and school                                                                    
     districts  would  be  responsible  for  certifying  the                                                                    
     applications.  The Department  of  Education and  Early                                                                    
     Development  (DEED) would  develop the  application and                                                                    
     it would  be due no later  than the last day  of school                                                                    
     for the eligible school year.  Once the application and                                                                    
     certification  requirements are  met, DEED  would grant                                                                    
     school  districts  funding  to pay  the  retention  and                                                                    
     recruitment  incentive   as  a  lump  sum   payment  to                                                                    
     eligible teachers.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     The  bill   also  considers   all  lump   sum  payments                                                                    
     compensation   for  the   purposes  of   the  Teachers'                                                                    
     Retirement System (TRS).                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Finally, DEED may adopt  regulations necessary to carry                                                                    
     out the purposes of this bill.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2: This bill is effective on July 1, 2023                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:18:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCKENZIE further synopsized the tiers and proceeded to                                                                      
briefly go over the fiscal note [included in the committee                                                                      
packet.]                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:21:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR ALLARD announced HB 106 was held over.