Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/23/2004 02:49 PM Senate HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SB 239-LENGTH OF SCHOOL TERM
The committee took up SB 239.
MR. JOHN STEINER, an elected member of the Anchorage School
Board (ASB), testified that the ASB is on record, according to
formal board action, as being in favor of having flexibility to
ensure that students have full instructional contact time with
teachers, and yet, not be necessarily tied to specific day
limits if the equivalent contact time can be provided in another
format. This legislation provides for flexibility in scheduling
and also for some local control, without diminishing the
educational services provided to students. He emphasized that
schools now, more than ever, are held accountable due to the No
Child Left Behind progress requirements, the High School
Graduation Qualifying Exam and the benchmark system; there is no
way that a school district wants to make changes that would
diminish the effectiveness of education. Therefore, he said
concern about flexibility being abused is also diminished due to
the accountability procedures now in place. Those procedures
and also the fiscal situation mean that with increased
flexibility, things may be done more efficiently while still
educating students; such is the merit.
SENATOR WILKEN referred to the March 3 letter from
Superintendent Comeau that speaks to the resolution concerning
restructuring the school day to allow for flexibility for
professional development.
MR. STEINER said he has not seen the resolution recently but
probably did see it at the time.
SENATOR WILKEN expressed his concern with students starting
their day 10 or 15 minutes earlier, and then keeping track of
that time - banking that time - so that when enough time had
accumulated there would be a shortened day once or twice a
month. Because of being on a shortened schedule, teachers would
have more time off for professional development. He said the
purpose seems to be to manipulate the time in class so teachers
could have more time for professional development or
collaboration (in-service days). He noted that one thing people
in Fairbanks don't want is more in-service days and said, "I
think you're setting yourselves up for a paperwork nightmare and
I don't understand the reason why, unless it is so important in
your district to have more in-service days." He said he thought
the bill had big problems.
MR. STEINER said he didn't view this specifically as more in-
service days, although professional development is one option.
Collaboration is another option, and it addresses a problem in
middle schools in particular where there are seven periods per
day, allowing for only one period per day for teacher
collaboration. Collaboration helps to integrate those classes,
and because of budget cuts, teachers are having less opportunity
to compare notes or to collaborate, and this is counter-
productive. He suggested doing a pilot project to assess
whether this works or is an administrative nightmare. He
referred to a charter school that has operated for years on a
four-day schedule, and although there has not been a problem
associated with that schedule, now it isn't allowed because the
new commissioner interprets this language as, "I don't have the
flexibility to do that."
MR. STEINER continued that the goal of SB 239 is to provide for
that flexibility. There has been some talk in districts about
possibly going to a four-day week at certain schools, which
would save a variety of costs such as transportation costs.
"Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know. But it gives
a local district an option to do that at least for a period, as
one of the tools in the toolbox to deal with our short budgets."
He continued that because of the accountability measures in
place, "I don't think it will be abused, I think it will be used
carefully." He suggested that if it doesn't work, educationally
and administratively, it wouldn't be used, but having the option
would be desirable.
VICE CHAIR GREEN asked Senator Wilken if he wanted to re-work
the bill, noting that it would certainly be discussed with Chair
Dyson before moving it on.
SENATOR WILKEN responded that some changes need to be made to
the bill, as this is an "open-ended opportunity for school
districts to cheat the system." He said this is something that
in five years from now will be looked back upon and "we'll
wonder why we have 14 different schools around the state with
different systems." He suggested that if the Anchorage School
District wants to do this, for example, ASD should approach the
commissioner and make a request for x,y, and z and then have the
commissioner approve those requests for a certain period of
time. If Valdez or Fairbanks wants to have a modified school
year, the request to the commissioner should be on record, maybe
even presenting the case to the Legislature. "I can see this
turning into a rat's nest; I don't trust our school districts,"
he added.
MR. STEINER said the bill speaks of equivalence, and his notion
is that someone has to conclude whether there is equivalence.
His assumption is that this won't be a free ticket for every
district to what it wants because either through regulation or
policy, school districts will be required to get certification
indicating, "Yes this is appropriate, we agree that it's
equivalent." Equivalence is the basis upon which it would have
to be reviewed. For example, if a district decided upon three
12-hour days, the commissioner would be appropriate in saying
that equal hours do not mean equivalence. Instruction has to be
effective. The commissioner's authority is implicit in the
bill.
SENATOR WILKEN offered that the problem is that somebody has to
decide what "equivalency" means, and someone has to decide what
a "school day" is. It's not defined in the bill. He said he'd
be glad to work with Chair Dyson on this, but as it is today
it's a bad bill.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
VICE CHAIR GREEN adjourned the Senate Health, Education and
Social Services Standing Committee meeting at 3:23 p.m. SB 239
was held in committee.
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