Legislature(2007 - 2008)CAPITOL 106
02/21/2008 03:30 PM House HEALTH, EDUCATION & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SCR17 | |
| HB274 | |
| HB50 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 274 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SCR 17 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 50 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 274-UNIV. REPORT: TEACHER TRAINING/RETENTION 4:01:19 PM CHAIR WILSON announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 274, "An Act relating to a report to the legislature on teacher preparation, retention, and recruitment by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska." 4:01:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE MIKE HAWKER, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor, informed the committee that HB 274 is the result of a recommendation brought forward by the Joint Legislative Education Funding Task Force. He noted that Representatives Roses and Seaton, members of the committee, also served on the task force. This bill began as a discussion about the lack of coordination, or communication, between the legislature and the University of Alaska (UA) on what UA is doing to prepare teachers to enter the field of teaching and to retain those teachers in Alaska. House Bill 274 asks UA to prepare an annual report to the legislature titled "Alaska's University for Alaska's Schools," that describes the efforts of the university to attract, train, and retain qualified public school teachers. 4:02:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER continued to explain that the report will include an outline of the university's past, current, and future plans to close the gap between known teacher employment vacancies in the state and the number of state residents who complete teacher training. He asked the committee to carefully consider the following testimony from UA officials, that was not available at the time the bill was written, that suggests that the goals of this bill are already being accomplished. 4:04:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER asked whether the bill's sponsors are looking for the requested information in a certain form or simply for review. 4:04:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER responded that his interpretation is that the sponsors are looking for a tool to create a specific discussion document in order to foster communications with UA on this subject. 4:04:56 PM REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER surmised that the information that UA already has could be combined into one document and there is no need for new research. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER agreed. 4:05:33 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON observed that the bill has a zero fiscal note. He inferred that the bill will not require UA to do any additional work. REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER deferred the question to a representative of UA. 4:06:21 PM PAT PITNEY, Vice President, Budget and Planning, University of Alaska, informed the committee that the Budget and Planning office is the source for much of the university's data, including, and beyond, budget requests. She stated that the intent of the bill is to create a dialog between UA Board of Regent's members and the legislature, beginning in the first month of each session. Ms. Pitney explained that, because UA already does several reports, including the Alaska teacher supply and demand report generated every two or three years, it will not require additional money to comply with the bill. She provided an overview that describes pertinent activities by UA including schools of education at Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks, each of which provide different programs ranging from baccalaureate and master's degrees to secondary programs. In addition, the Institute for Social and Economic Research has issued a report on how many teachers are graduated by UA, how many become teachers, and how many stay in the workforce. Ms. Pitney indicated that UA provides 30 percent of the teachers that the state needs. The largest areas of need are secondary teachers of science, technology, and math, and for special education teachers. Furthermore, the turnover at rural schools is very high. She opined that a request from the committee for this report would suffice, but passing a law provides UA the opportunity for dialog with the legislature about its efforts to reach its goals. Ms. Pitney recalled that, in FY 08, there was a re-allocation of funds that allowed the addition of faculty at the University of Southeast (UAS). This bill would provide an opportunity for dialog with the legislature, not only about the budget, but about programs. 4:10:56 PM MS. PITNEY spoke of the elementary school program, "Future Teachers of Alaska," that was developed in partnership with the school districts and the Department of Education and Early Development. This program aims to raise teaching career awareness with elementary and middle school students. Furthermore, the teacher mentoring program, again in partnership with DEED, is supporting 300 teachers around the state during their first and second years of teaching; master teachers travel to the new teacher's school and have been instrumental in raising the retention rates. She stressed that the bill will give a formal opportunity for the UA Board of Regents to share information about these, and other, programs with the legislature. 4:12:37 PM CHAIR WILSON expressed her concern that instructors need to go to Bush schools in order to better prepare students for teaching in rural areas. Many new teachers are hired to teach in rural areas and do not have the skills to be confident. 4:14:42 PM MS. PITNEY pointed out that there is a rural practicum program, initiated in 2007, that provides two-week to one-semester internships in rural schools. This is a costly program, but will provide the needed prospective to new teachers. She stressed that UA must provide not only training, but teachers who are willing to take the jobs that are available. There is interest to expand the internships to one year; however, lengthy internships are an obstacle to some students. 4:16:47 PM CHAIR WILSON asked whether education students are taught to deal with anger management. MS. PITNEY said she would defer questions about curriculum to the dean. 4:17:10 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES recalled his membership on a committee that researched teacher enhancement. The group ultimately created the statewide mentorship program and also looked at the terms of the programs and determined that the master's degree would include six weeks internship in rural school districts. Representative Roses opined that the data needed should include what UA has determined to be the obstacles to expansion of the program, such as the difficulty of transferring courses. Also, there is not enough capacity within UA to accommodate the incoming education student's needs for specialty courses such as science and math. 4:20:24 PM MS. PITNEY expressed her belief that the report required by HB 274 would provide updates on improvements that UA has made. She acknowledged that the transferability of credits between majors will always be a problem. Ms. Pitney assured the committee that she will respond to any student's problems of which she is informed. Turning to the obstacles listed by Representative Roses, she said that UA is subject to state policy and these issues will be best solved by dialog with the legislature, the EED, Alaska Post Secondary Education, the Department of Labor & Workforce Development (DLWD) and other related policy units. She cited wage inequities. 4:23:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH stated her support of the bill should UA be requested to look at its efforts to supplement, produce and retain teachers to work in Alaska. She said that she was open to a different discussion regarding pay grades and retirement; however, the fiscal note attached to HB 274 refers to a joint report and indicates that that there are two different purposes to this bill. She expressed her understanding that this bill will ask what UA is doing, with the dollars invested by the legislature, to meet the needs of teachers and teacher retention. Representative Fairclough supported the value of the two separate and distinct issues; however, this legislation will accomplish the first. 4:25:09 PM MS. PITNEY expressed her support for the larger and broader question. She agreed that the legislation is focused on the results of UA programs and investments with the understanding that it is not the whole picture of teacher retention in Alaska. 4:25:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH pointed out an omission in the structure of the document. 4:27:08 PM CHAIR WILSON noted the omission. She then stated her belief that the bill should call for results and improvements in the Schools of Education programs. Chair Wilson opined that legislators want changes in what is being taught and how teachers are prepared. 4:28:49 PM MS. PITNEY explained that accreditation reports are mandated by the state Board of Education and Early Childhood Development. Accreditation of schools of education requires a certain curriculum and follow-up and outcomes assessment. She invited the committee to ask accreditation questions of the deans and of the faculty; however, this subject may not be at the level of the dialog between the Board of Regents members and the legislature required by this bill. 4:30:30 PM CHAIR WILSON spoke of another state's requirements that professors "go out." 4:31:05 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES noted that the education task force dropped this subject, but recommended the reestablishment of a standing committee on education, or subcommittees in each body, to thoroughly investigate education issues. When enacted, early forward funding will allow the opportunity for legislators to analyze the education system. He pointed out that HB 274 is just one of the recommendations to reach the goal of a closer look, by the legislature, at educational issues. 4:32:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER responded to Representative Fairclough's question about the omission in the document and said that the omission will be handled by the revisor when the statute is incorporated into law. 4:33:36 PM CHAIR WILSON closed testimony on HB 274. 4:33:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON recalled that the education task force was a funding task force and a number of issues were brought up during discussion. He expressed his belief that this is a subject for overviews that should be presented to the future standing committee on education. With a zero fiscal note, he opined that this legislation will not do much. Representative Seaton said that he was reluctant to have UA generate a report that does not receive due notice and he recommended that this issue be assigned to the new standing committee. Representative Seaton said that further conversation between UA and the education committee will be more in depth and that he did not support this legislation. 4:35:56 PM REPRESENTATIVE FAIRCLOUGH suggested that the committee wait until the senate bill is referred. 4:36:36 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON clarified that he is not indicating that the bill should be held for leverage; he stated that his intent is that there is a need for a standing committee on education to address this issue in detail. 4:37:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE ROSES pointed out that the report will be to the committee, not to the entire legislature. He stated that this bill will accomplish the objective by requiring this report. 4:38:37 PM CHAIR WILSON commented that some discussions should go before the main body in order to better inform legislators about matters such as social service and education. She announced that the bill would be held and expressed her belief that this bill "will not get us where we want to be." 4:39:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out that many reports are given to legislators and are then filed away; overviews presented to committees are a better way to relay information. He surmised that the sponsor agreed. 4:40:39 PM REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER offered his belief in the appropriateness of creating this dialog; however, he said that this is a rare bill with a single committee of referral, and he encouraged erring on the side of caution. 4:42:34 PM [HB 274 was held over.]
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