Legislature(1993 - 1994)

04/02/1993 01:50 PM Senate HES

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
  CHAIRMAN RIEGER  called the Senate Health, Education and Social              
 Services (HESS) Committee to order at 1:50 p.m. and introduced                
  SB 65  (CENTRALIZED CORRESPONDENCE STUDY) as the only order of               
 business.                                                                     
                                                                               
 DONNA EMERSON, a 13-year resident of Funter Bay, said her two                 
 children have been educated exclusively through the Alaska                    
 Centralized Correspondence School, and they have found it to                  
 be both an excellent and very supportive school curriculum.                   
                                                                               
 Ms. Emerson said she is aware of the budget cuts CCS is facing                
 and her concern is that they be able to maintain their                        
 excellent educational opportunities to students throughout the                
 state, for both students who have no alternative schooling                    
 available and students who choose this form of education.  She                
 pointed out that the average cost per student on CCS is $2,600                
 as opposed to the average cost per student attending regular                  
 schools is $7,335.                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 090                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DUNCAN, prime sponsor of SB 65, explained that the                    
 Alaska Centralized Correspondence School receives its funding                 
 through AS 14.17.022, which allows counting of only elementary                
 students and not secondary students, and is prorated at 65                    
 percent of the unit value.  This funding scenario has created                 
 an inequity because the centralized correspondence unit                       
 provides services to over 1,160 students, half of those                       
 students being in high school.  The result is that the                        
 correspondence study program is grossly underfunded to                        
 continue the valuable service it provides throughout the                      
 state.  Current year proposed cuts to the summer school                       
 program causes further difficulties.                                          
                                                                               
 SB 65 allows the school to count enrollment of both elementary                
 and secondary students for funding purposes.  The bill also                   
 amends the centralized correspondence study statutes to                       
 recognize the correspondence study program as a public school                 
 of the state with a term of 180 days.  With the bill, the                     
 State Board of Education serves as the school board for                       
 correspondence study teachers, and these teachers will be                     
 fully recognized as public school teachers rather than state                  
 employees.                                                                    
                                                                               
 Senator Duncan said he thinks the bill acknowledges the                       
 contributions made to education in this state by the                          
 centralized correspondence program and will enable it to                      
 continue.                                                                     
                                                                               
 Senator Duncan directed attention to a proposed committee                     
 substitute which was drafted at the request of the Centralized                
 Correspondence School Association, based on the Department of                 
 Education's objections to some of the provisions that were                    
 contained in the original bill.                                               
                                                                               
 Number 150                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO asked if the bill addresses the problem of the                   
 elimination of the summer school program.  SENATOR DUNCAN                     
 answered that this would give a stable funding source to the                  
 correspondence study program and allow them to get funding for                
 not only elementary students, but for secondary students as                   
 well, so it should help solve that problem.                                   
                                                                               
 Number 160                                                                    
                                                                               
 BILL ELKINTON, a Centralized Correspondence School teacher                    
 representing the membership of the Central Correspondence                     
 School Education Association (CCSEA), presented a review of                   
 his teaching experience and educational courses he has taken                  
 over the years, as well as the education received by two of                   
 his children who participated in the Central Correspondence                   
 School.                                                                       
                                                                               
 Mr. Elkinton said correspondence is a valid type of delivery.                 
 They are an accredited K-12 school as evaluated by the                        
 Northwest Accreditation Association.                                          
                                                                               
 Mr. Elkinton said through the years, CCS has sought to meet                   
 the need of those students who seek their services or whose                   
 district refers them to the program. The most recent growth                   
 in service was generated in the late eighties by the mandate                  
 to provide summer school by mail to those youth endorsed by                   
 their local school.  The revenues generated by this service                   
 obscured for awhile the desperate need for equity in funding.                 
 This resulted from the sharing of some facilities, staff and                  
 equipment with their regular school.  With the virtual decease                
 of summer school due to the $2 million cutback last session,                  
 CCS has been confronted with a dismal scene.                                  
                                                                               
 Mr. Elkinton said SB 65 seeks equity in school and teacher                    
 status.  CCS's standing as an accredited public school of                     
 Alaska demands equity of funding, and as certified, well                      
 trained and experienced teachers, they deserve equity of                      
 treatment under Title 14.                                                     
                                                                               
 Mr. Elkinton related that after receiving the Department of                   
 Education's response in February to the original bill, the                    
 membership of CCSEA voted to seek the committee substitute                    
 which deletes tenure and the individual contract provisions.                  
 He said this reflects an honest attempt to expedite this                      
 legislation and counter some anticipated resistance on those                  
 items by the administration.  He urged the prompt                             
 consideration and passage of the committee substitute.                        
                                                                               
 Number 275                                                                    
                                                                               
 GAIL HAYNES, a counselor with the Centralized Correspondence                  
 School and representing CCSEA, distributed pictures of a group                
 of academic decathlon students and discussed their academic                   
 achievements.  These five students were able to bring home                    
 three gold medals and one silver this year.  She noted that                   
 four senior students all scored above the 90th percentile in                  
 their SAT's and ACT's.                                                        
                                                                               
 Ms. Haynes also discussed the importance of CCS to at-risk                    
 students who sometimes will be in the program just a short                    
 while and then they will choose to go back to the regular                     
 schools, which is a positive thing that CCS strives for.                      
                                                                               
 Ms. Haynes said CCS also serves a diverse body of people such                 
 as people who are traveling around the world and are Alaska                   
 residents; seasonal and transient people who are Alaska                       
 residents, but spend only part of the year in the state;                      
 missionaries in Africa and South America who are Alaska                       
 residents; and Alaska exchange students who are supplementing                 
 their education in other countries.                                           
                                                                               
 Ms. Haynes also emphasized the importance of family                           
 participation and support to the schools in order for them to                 
 do their job.                                                                 
                                                                               
 Ms. Haynes urged the committee's favorable consideration and                  
 passage of the committee substitute.                                          
                                                                               
 Number 410                                                                    
 DAVE STEWART, Human Resources Manager, Department of                          
 Education, outlined the following four items in the committee                 
 substitute that the department believes are unnecessary:                      
                                                                               
  (1)  AS 14.14.105 & .107 relating to the sick leave bank.                    
 The department believes that teachers in Centralized                          
 Correspondence Study are covered by collective bargaining on                  
 this issue.                                                                   
                                                                               
  (2)  AS 14.20.220 relating to school experience for                          
 salary scales.  The CCS teachers' salaries are currently                      
 collectively bargained.  The current collective bargaining                    
 agreement does not call for bringing in experience outside of                 
 the Centralized Correspondence Study school.                                  
                                                                               
  (3)  AS 14.20.280 - .350 dealing with sabbatical are                         
 unnecessary as CCS teachers have negotiated contract language                 
 allowing professional development.  There are currently no                    
 state supported sabbaticals.  Sabbaticals outside of school                   
 districts are either at the employee's expense or subsidized                  
 by the school district.  Language in the current collective                   
 bargaining agreement would allow that same relationship                       
 between teachers in the Centralized Correspondence Study                      
 school.                                                                       
                                                                               
  (4)  AS 23.40.070 - .260 relating to the Public Employees                    
 Relations Act.  The department believes that the Centralized                  
 Correspondence Study teachers are currently covered by that                   
 Act.                                                                          
                                                                               
 Number 435                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO said over the years the Centralized                              
 Correspondence Study teachers have been a group of teachers                   
 who basically are treated as state employees and that has                     
 caused problems from their perspective.  She asked if the                     
 committee substitute addresses those problems.  DAVE STEWART                  
 replied that it is difficult for him to understand what it is                 
 they want that they don't already have.                                       
                                                                               
 Number 453                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SHARP commented that the fiscal note shows an increase                
 in the source of funding for the foundation of $351,400, and                  
 asked if that is attributable to picking up 65 percent of the                 
 secondary students.  DAVE STEWART responded that the change                   
 in the foundation funding is a result of the change in the                    
 elementary to secondary funding levels.  In the formula, the                  
 secondary level students are being funded at an elementary                    
 level rather a secondary level, and the number of secondary                   
 level students in the school has increased.                                   
                                                                               
 Number 485                                                                    
                                                                               
 MARYLOU PURVIS, Coordinator of Student Services, Centralized                  
 Correspondence School, said she was present to represent the                  
 Department of Education's position on Section 2 of SB 65.  The                
 department supports Section 2 as an equitable way of funding                  
 the secondary students that are currently served by                           
 Centralized Correspondence School.                                            
                                                                               
 At present, CCS operates primarily on foundation funds, based                 
 on the number of students served.  The school is allowed to                   
 use 65 percent of the elementary level.  Their student                        
 population has changed over the years and, now, approximately                 
 50 percent of the students served by CCS are secondary                        
 students.  She said allowing secondary funding for secondary                  
 students is critical to maintaining a quality program as there                
 are greater costs associated with educating secondary                         
 students.                                                                     
                                                                               
 Ms. Purvis said overall enrollment in CCS has increased by 70                 
 percent since 1979, thus, their enrollment of over 1,100                      
 students places CCS as the 15th largest school district in the                
 state if they were to be compared to the other 54 school                      
 districts.                                                                    
                                                                               
 CCS teachers have developed secondary courses to meet the                     
 needs of secondary students.  The costs associated with                       
 preparing the courses, publishing the materials, ordering the                 
 text books, distributing materials and teaching the courses                   
 have increased.  The department requests that the Senate                      
 consider passing Section 2 of SB 65 to help maintain the                      
 quality of their education, Ms. Purvis said.                                  
                                                                               
 Number 506                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DUNCAN asked Mr. Stewart if the Department of                         
 Education supports Section 1 of the committee substitute.                     
 DAVE STEWART answered that with the deletion of paragraphs 1,                 
 6 and 7 in Section 1, the department would support that                       
 section.  BILL ELKINTON said he could find no objections to                   
 having these provisions in the standard statutory language as                 
 it is for other teachers.  CCS teachers are certified,                        
 experienced, quality teachers, and they need equity with other                
 teachers across the State of Alaska.                                          
                                                                               
 Number 550                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO noted her district eliminated its correspondence                 
 programs during the last five years when they have been under                 
 a financial crunch, and she asked Ms. Purvis if other                         
 districts have done the same.  MARYLOU PURVIS answered that                   
 some districts have pared their programs down, but several                    
 districts have very active correspondence programs.                           
                                                                               
 Number 563                                                                    
                                                                               
 WILLIE ANDERSON, representing NEA-Alaska, noted that Senator                  
 Rieger had, in looking at the fiscal note, asked if there                     
 should be an offset because the students would be leaving the                 
 public school setting.  Mr. Anderson said a student in the CCS                
 program is not counted in a regular school program.                           
 Currently, they are counted as correspondence students and                    
 funded at an elementary level.  All of the students in                        
 Centralized Correspondence Study are funded at 65 percent of                  
 the elementary level.  The fiscal note reflects an increased                  
 cost for secondary students, so that is an accurate reflection                
 of the cost.                                                                  
                                                                               
 TAPE 93-33, SIDE B                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 030                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN RIEGER said he thought there were two issues in the                  
 bill:  one is of trying to resolve some kind of a labor issue                 
 between CCS teachers and the Department of Education; and the                 
 other is trying to make correspondence study monies available.                
 SENATOR DUNCAN agreed, saying there were two distinct sections                
 of the bill.  DAVE STEWART reiterated that the department                     
 supports Section 1 with the deletion of paragraphs 1, 6 and                   
 7.                                                                            
                                                                               
 Number 070                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR SALO stated that CCS teachers are certified and                       
 experienced teachers, and she believes that they should be                    
 able to include that experience.  DAVE STEWART explained  it                  
 is not that the department objects to the inclusion of                        
 experience outside of CCS, rather the department maintains                    
 that the inclusion of that experience is a matter of                          
 collective bargaining and should be discussed and that                        
 determination be made at the bargaining table.                                
                                                                               
 Number 100                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DUNCAN said he had hesitation about removing the                      
 provisions in Section 1, but he also thinks it is important                   
 for Section 2 to move forward.                                                
                                                                               
 Number 115                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DUNCAN moved to delete lines 3, 10, 11 and 12 on page                 
 2 of the draft CSSB 65(HES) and to adopt the revised committee                
 substitute.  Hearing no objection, the motion carried.                        
                                                                               
 Number 145                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR DUNCAN moved that CSSB 65(HES) be passed out of                       
 committee with individual recommendations.  Hearing no                        
 objection, it was so ordered.                                                 

Document Name Date/Time Subjects