Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106
04/16/2021 08:00 AM House EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: School District Perspectives & Updates; Looking Ahead by Fairbanks North Star Borough, Cordova City, & Alaska Gateway School Districts | |
| HB19 | |
| HB60 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 60 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
April 16, 2021
8:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Harriet Drummond, Co-Chair
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky
Representative Grier Hopkins
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Mike Cronk
Representative Ronald Gillham
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: School District Perspectives & Updates; Looking
Ahead by Fairbanks North Star Borough~ Cordova City~ & Alaska
Gateway School Districts
- HEARD
HOUSE BILL NO. 19
"An Act relating to instruction in a language other than
English; and establishing limited language immersion teacher
certificates."
- MOVED CSHB 19(EDC) OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 60
"An Act relating to mental health education."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 19
SHORT TITLE: LIMITED TEACHER CERTIFICATES; LANGUAGES
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KREISS-TOMKINS
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) EDC, L&C
04/09/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/09/21 (H) Heard & Held
04/09/21 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/12/21 (H) FIN REPLACES L&C REFERRAL
04/12/21 (H) BILL REPRINTED
04/12/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/12/21 (H) Heard & Held
04/12/21 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/14/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/14/21 (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
04/16/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 60
SHORT TITLE: PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CLAMAN
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/15/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) EDC, FIN
03/31/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
03/31/21 (H) Heard & Held
03/31/21 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
04/16/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
KAREN GABORIK, PhD, Superintendent
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Took part in a presentation on School
District Perspectives and Updates.
ALEX RUSSIN, Superintendent
Cordova City School District
Cordova, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Took part in a presentation on School
District Perspectives and Updates.
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent
Alaska Gateway School District
Tok, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Took part in a presentation on School
District Perspectives and Updates.
REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KREISS-TOMKINS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 19.
SOPHIE JONAS, Staff
Representative Matt Claman
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 60 0n behalf of Representative
Claman, prime sponsor.
JASON LESSARD, Executive Director
National Alliance on Mental Illness Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony on HB 60.
EMMA KNAPP, Alumni
Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony on HB 60.
GEORGE RHYNEER JR, MD
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided invited testimony on HB 60.
KATIE BOTZ
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 60.
PAMELA SAMASH
Nenana, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HB 60.
KATHLEEN WEDEMEYER
Citizens Commission on Human Rights, Alaska and Washington
Chapter
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 60.
APRIL ORTH
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 60.
BARBARA TYNDALL
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 60.
REPRESENTATIVE MATT CLAMAN
Alaska State Legislature
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, answered questions about
HB 60.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:01:07 AM
CO-CHAIR ANDI STORY called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:01 a.m. Representatives
Drummond, Hopkins, Gillham, and Story were present at the call
to order. Representatives Zulkosky, Prax, and Cronk arrived as
the meeting was in progress.
^Presentation: School District Perspectives & Updates; Looking
Ahead by Fairbanks North Star Borough, Cordova City, & Alaska
Gateway School Districts
Presentation: School District Perspectives & Updates; Looking
Ahead by Fairbanks North Star Borough, Cordova City, & Alaska
Gateway School Districts
8:03:40 AM
KAREN GABORIK, PhD, Superintendent, Fairbanks North Star Borough
School District (FNSBSD), took part in the presentation on
School District Perspectives and Updates. She said FNSBSD had
opened its school to in-person learning for any family that
wanted to access the option at the beginning of the second
semester. She offered that the district provided a few weeks
after winter break to adjust for any COVID-19 transmission that
may occur after travel [before beginning the semester]. She
shared that elementary schools began on January 19, 2021, middle
schools started on January 26, 2021, and high schools on
February 2, 2021.
DR. GABORIK said FNSBSD's in-person attendance was at 68
percent. Elementary schools had a higher rate at approximately
80 percent when compared to 52 percent at secondary schools.
She said these numbers represented traditional schools but noted
that charter schools are using different schedules along with
the correspondence school and special programs. She commented
that the district was not seeing the jump in attendance it had
hoped for over the spring semester. She shared that 2,000
students left the district due to COVID-19 related factors in
the previous fall, along with 650 students who moved from in-
person instruction to correspondence school. She said this had
a significant revenue impact. She said the enrollment was up
from October 2020, with an approximate count of 11,200 to 11,700
students. She noted that the district would be doing an
enrollment campaign to encourage families to re-enroll in the
district.
DR. GABORIK said that anecdotally the district heard from many
families that were still waiting [to re-enroll]. She noted that
the eligible age for the COVID-19 vaccination was 16, and some
families wanted to vaccinate their children before returning to
in-person school. She shared that some parents wanted to finish
out the school year in their current model. She added that some
parents wanted to know what the next year will look like. She
remarked that FNSBSD wouldn't have a hybrid option, and would
rather be fully in-person, although the district would have an
expanded "E-learning" option and a correspondence option. She
said that the other concern was what social distancing and
masking would be like in the fall. She commented that some high
school students were not returning because "the high school
isn't quite ... what they were wanting."
DR. GABORIK said FNSBSD's current school day is shorter than
what it normally would be. She shared that the district
implemented longer teacher planning time, so teachers had time
for the hybrid-remote learning option along with in-person
instruction. She said that transportation and food services
were running normally. She explained that the district was
still working in "pods" with strict "cohorts," but that the
learning environment was getting closer to what it would have
looked like pre-COVID-19.
8:09:48 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked about the district's student count
before the pandemic.
DR. GABORIK answered that before the pandemic, NSBSD was
projected at 13,281 students, and the October count was 11,260.
8:10:37 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked the next presenter, Alex Russin, what a
school day looked like for his district.
ALEX RUSSIN, Superintendent, Cordova City School District
(CCSD), took part in the presentation on School District
Perspectives and Updates. In response to the question, he said
CCSD looks at every day as an opportunity to learn something new
and to grow. He offered that his district has been in person
all year, but that CCSD started off the school year in a "staged
approach," which meant dividing the kindergarten through
twelfth-grade ("k-12") classes into two different cohort groups.
He explained that the district has two schools, a kindergarten
through sixth-grade elementary school and a seventh- through
twelfth-grade junior/senior high school. He explained that each
cohort comes in for part of the school day in person. He said
the schools prepared for the need to go to a remote learning
platform. He said cohort "A" spent the first week of school in
person, while cohort "B" started online. He said this was
because there were new mitigation strategy processes and new
things to implement to which students and staff weren't
accustomed. Rather than flooding the schools with all students
at one time, he offered that CCSD took a deliberate approach in
having each cohort come for a week. During the second week of
school, cohort B came to school and learned the mitigation
strategies and expectations, while cohort A was online doing
distance delivery. He said by week three, the district brough
all students back to the building, but separated by the cohort
model, which is how the district has been operating since
August.
MR. RUSSIN said there were few positive cases in the school. He
offered that recently nine students tested positive [for COVID-
19] from an event outside of the school, but there was no spread
of COVID-19 within the school. He attributed that to the
mitigation strategies.
MR. RUSSIN explained that students come to school for part of
the day, and then work independently with para-professional and
family support outside of the structured school day. He said
that students work for a few hours doing independent study and
exploratory study. He noted that this aligns with one of the
fundamental tenants of CCSD's strategic vision, "that learning
happens outside of the four walls of the school building." He
said the district has partnered with families and local entities
to help make that successful.
8:15:13 AM
MR. RUSSIN said CCSD was following the waiver process from the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a food
service program and has been distributing over 2,000 meals a
week. He said the school population was at 288 students this
past year, although normally the district has between 325 to 330
students. He explained "brick and mortar" enrollment is down 15
to 19 percent this year. The district has a correspondence
program, but he said it doesn't compare to some of the other
state correspondence programs. He said 25 students who left in-
person schooling have enrolled in the city's correspondence
program, and between 5 to 10 students have selected other
correspondence programs in the state.
MR. RUSSIN said there is in-person schooling Monday through
Thursday. He shared that on Fridays, students have the
opportunity to come to school to work in small groups or with
paraprofessionals. He shared that students also take field
trips and explore the Cordova area on Fridays. He noted that
the district has had sports and activities the past year, but
with no student or staff travel. He explained that the focuses
have been on skill building, being part of a team, and
resiliency.
8:17:56 AM
SCOTT MACMANUS, Superintendent, Alaska Gateway School District
(AGSD), took part in the presentation on School District
Perspectives and Updates. He shared that he has been with AGSD
for 20 years and has been its superintendent for the last 5
years. He said that in March of 2020, when the school shut down
was announced, his staff used spring break to design a virtual
learning program, and "made do." He commented that the district
kept all of its staff employed and made and delivered over 5,000
meals weekly. During this transition, teachers made packets for
parents [to assist in home learning] and were often working 12-
to 14-hour days. He shared that in the summer the district "re-
tooled with the intent of going into a virtual blended learning
program." He explained that the district merged hands-on
activities with computer-assisted and classroom instruction,
which continued into the fall for three weeks. He said the
intention was that the district could move classes into and out
of the school as needed.
MR. MACMANUS said that AGSD made certain all students had
computers that could be taken home. He explained that at the
beginning of the pandemic, about 50 percent of homes had
Internet, but had since pushed that to 98 percent. He said the
district worked with local Internet service providers (ISPs) and
came up with a subsidized Internet plan of which AGSD paid for a
portion. He explained this was with the intention of [the
schools] moving in and out of closure, using the "Alaska's Smart
Start 2020" plan from the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED). He said there had been some cases in the
community, but AGSD is not aware of any cases of in-school
transmission.
8:22:19 AM
MR. MACMANUS attributed that to mitigations that had been put
into place such as masks. He shared that there has been testing
in the district since November 2020. He said that with BynaxNOW
testing the district caught a number of cases before they got
into the schools, which has helped the district remain open.
MR. MACMANUS said that despite all the effort, the [blended
learning plan] wasn't working. He said students were not very
responsive, it was difficult to maintain contact with homes, and
spite of the Internet availability, there were bandwidth issues.
He explained that AGSD was constantly reevaluating the program
and retooled again in the late fall.
8:21:29 AM
MR. MACMANUS continued, stating that kids did not necessarily
respond well to distance learning. In late fall, 2020, the
district retooled its approach based on the Alaska Statewide
Virtual School (AKSVS) training taken by the Eagle, Alaska
school. He shared that the district took a longer in-service in
January so as to have time to train for the new education
delivery method, which focused on a personalized learning
approach. He said all schools are currently open, although the
district has had to close schools briefly. He shared that there
was one COVID-19 case the past week, but it had been caught with
the district's screening protocols, which allowed the school to
stay open. He noted that this has repeatedly been the case.
8:25:51 AM
MR. MACMANUS said that the district had a sports program,
including basketball and volleyball. He explained that all
players tested every week and before games, and all the teams
they play also test before the games. Teams have refused to
test, he commented, and so AGSD did not play those teams with
the hope that they can schedule games the following year.
MR. MACMANUS said the district had 95 percent of its families
having students in-person in school. He shared that the schools
have antigen testing and are running "fairly normally." He said
visitors are allowed but are tested and must wear masks and
maintain distance. He offered that the district was preparing
for an intra district basketball tournament.
8:27:17 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked for clarification about the learning
program AGSD used that had the most success.
MR. MACMANUS answered that AKSVS was promoted last year by DEED.
He commented that the program is a lot of work for teachers. He
said it wasn't as simple as giving students computers, and it
was labor intensive on the teachers' side to facilitate the
learning and set up the hands-on activities; however, the
district found it worked when done correctly.
MR. MACMANUS shared that AGSD uses Northwest Evaluation
Association's (NWEA's) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)
assessment testing. He said this helps educators design
instruction to meet individual needs. This, with AKSVS, has
been very helpful to the district, he explained, in maintaining
student fidelity to a curriculum. He said in the small schools,
this has made a "big difference."
8:29:51 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Mr. Russin what the greatest needs of
CCSD's students at this point in the school year were.
MR. RUSSIN replied that at a recent school board meeting, CCSD's
student representative said, "We need more time," in the current
schedule. Said students are lined up, waiting to get in the
building every morning because they need to be in school, need
interaction with friends, need the stability of a schedule, and
need the interaction with school and staff. He said that tied
to social and emotional learning (SEL) needs, explaining that
that even though CCSD was able to have in-person school, it
isn't what is usual or normal. He asserted that children need
some sense of normalcy in their lives. He opined that in a
small community such as Cordova, the school district plays a
critical role in helping to meet the academic and the SEL needs
of students.
MR. RUSSIN said CCSD is in the early stages of training 10 of
its 60 staff members in an SEL framework with the Yale Center
for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI). He said at the start of the
next school year, the district would "pull in" community members
and families to receive the training, so that students can be
supported both in and out of school.
8:33:14 AM
MR. RUSSIN referred to the list of topics and questions
[included in the committee packet] and addressed the next topic,
which was a question concerning district plans to address
learning loss and credit recovery for at-risk students. He
informed the committee that Cordova has a small graduating class
this year of 17 seniors, 3 of whom have already finished all of
their credits after the first semester. He said the
junior/senior high school has a program called the Attendance,
Behavior, and Course-Grades Early Warning System (ABCEWS) which
is used to identify students who are in need of support. He
said he was uncomfortable with the term learning loss and
explained that there is a broad assumption that all students
have lost a year of learning [because of the pandemic], but he
asserted that that is not true. He agreed that life hasn't been
normal for students, but he stated that educators must address
the notion of learning loss, ask whether it has happened, and,
if so, to what degree. He said CCSD uses MAP assessment data,
and that shows comparative data to previous years.
MR. RUSSIN emphasized that CCSD is constantly in a state of
trying to do better and to help students achieve more but is
taking the notion of learning loss with a cautious approach. He
said the district didn't want "to get caught up in the rhetoric
that every student has lost a year of learning." He asserted
that maintaining context was important to the district as it
continued to assess the needs of its students. He concluded by
reiterating the importance of students' SEL needs.
8:37:05 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Mr. MacManus what he saw as the greatest
needs of his students at the end of the pandemic school year.
MR. MACMANUS shared that AGSD is an SEL district that has been
using the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning (CASEL) model for the past five years. He said it had
taken on a new importance for the district and shared that AGSD
currently has a grant that has allowed an extra counselor on
staff. He said that small, normal everyday things can suddenly
turn into big things. The stress of the pandemic, he opined,
ripples through the community and has caused challenges.
MR. MACMANUS stated his agreement with previous comments about
lost learning. He said he was aware of the worry, but that he
wasn't seeing it in his district's test scores, which have gone
up. He relayed that his teachers said this was because the
students were trying and working harder. He explained that this
effort wasn't sustainable and said that "people are tired."
MR. MACMANUS offered that counseling is an issue and asserted
that children need to be in school. He opined that this has
become more apparent, and he emphasized his observation that
students need [school's] social structure. He pointed out
attendance and participation in after school activities.
8:41:30 AM
MR. MACMANUS commented that Tok, Alaska, has a wide range of
views about how to approach the pandemic, which he is trying to
balance. He shared AGSD has support from other districts,
largely facilitated by the Alaska Superintendents Association
(ASA). He said initially during the pandemic, ASA was meeting
daily, which transitioned to a few times weekly, and now once
every other week. He said one of the issues that had been
discussed is equity amongst homes. He said this has largely
been addressed through Internet access. He noted that turning a
computer into a textbook has made the job of a teacher much more
difficult. He explained students are not in the same place in
their content, which makes it hard for a teacher to have a
regular class.
8:44:40 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY commented that the committee appreciates the work
that educators have been putting forth. She asked Ms. Gaborik
what she was seeing as the greatest needs of her students when
closing out the pandemic school year.
DR. GABORIK reiterated her colleagues' statements. She said
that in terms of academics, "it's a hyper focus on areas that
we're always focused on." She mentioned that early literacy is
a concern for kindergarten through the third-grade as children
return to in-person learning. She commented that some students
are not "where they might have been at this time in the school
year." She discussed high school students, sharing that it was
a priority to make sure that this year's seniors have the
supports they need to stay on track for graduation. She said
some students hadn't done any work prior to returning to classes
in February 2021. She emphasized providing supports for these
students to recover credits and shared that FNSBSD runs a
program called "intersession" in June for students to catch up
on credits. She shared that the district added the program in
January this past year. She said there has been space in the
schedule where students have had extra time for academic
supports and focusing credit recovery.
8:47:04 AM
DR. GABORIK addressed students' social and emotional needs. She
said the pandemic has highlighted the complexity of wraparound
services for families and referred to the agencies involved as
"a community chain." She stated that when the chain is broken,
schools are the front line, in terms of analysis and crisis
response. She explained that when children aren't in the
building, staff doesn't have the opportunity to identify whether
a student or family is in crisis and needs help or a referral.
She said as students return to in-person learning, staff are
trying to be "hyper-vigilant" observing students and reaching
out to families.
DR. GABORIK said food insecurity has been an issue, so it has
been important to provide breakfast and lunch to students. She
explained that even with efforts by the district to provide food
at multiple drop-off points, there was a significant drop in the
number of families accessing the service. She said now that
students are back [in-person], utilization of the service has
risen. She discussed the broad definition of homeless students
and how time spent in school is important to help homeless
students navigate their situations. She explained that the
school has food pantries with clothing and supplies with the
help of community partners. She said getting those basic needs
to children and families was difficult when schools where
closed.
8:50:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked what each district's plans were for
helping students prepare for the following year during the
summer.
DR GABORIK responded that FNSBSD is expanding its summer options
for students as made possible under the federal Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. She commented that
staff are tired, which is making it difficult to fill the summer
school teaching and support positions. She said the district
was trying to be strategic about that by having the first round
of programs in June, then taking a break until August for some
elementary school programs. She offered a "K-3 Jump Start
Program" as an example of a new offering before school began in
the fall.
8:52:50 AM
MR. MACMANUS stated that two schools completely closed during
Thanksgiving of 2020 and the following Christmas. He explained
those two schools would be operating into June 2021. He said
this was done with the communities with the expectation the
schools would be further along.
MR. MACMANUS said that in terms of summer programs, the district
would be hosting summer camps for students who hadn't finished
their credits, so they could do the work required to finish
their classes. These are bootcamps, he explained, that are
targeted specifically on what students need to do to get classes
wrapped up. He agreed with Dr. Gaborik's comments about the
difficulty of hiring staff for the summer months. He offered
that his district has addressed the issue by utilizing new staff
that was hired for the oncoming school year. He shared that his
district has a high population of Alaska Natives and is trying
to incorporate summer subsistence activities into academic
learning. He offered the example of a fishwheel project being
done in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS) in the
Wrangell-St. Elias Park. He said the district would be taking
students down for a weeklong camp along the Copper River that
would fulfill curriculum requirements by including fisheries
biology He shared that the trip also would teach them about
camping and fishing techniques that are important for village
life.
8:56:17 AM
MR. RUSSIN told Representative Hopkins that it is CCSD's intent
to offer two different summer school sessions. He said the
first is scheduled in May and June and will focus on the
district's migrant students. He said that at the end of July
through the beginning of August, the district will host "a
bootcamp" program for students with federal funds. He said this
camp would pay particular attention to incoming kindergarten
students. He explained that there are 40 new students, and they
did not have the opportunity for pre-kindergarten, because the
district was unable to run it during the 2020-2021 school year.
8:57:38 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked Mr. Russin to define migrant students.
MR. RUSSIN replied that 30 percent of his district's student
population qualifies as migrant students. He said it was based
on federal guidelines for students who do "migrant activities"
or subsistence activities outside of Cordova. He said this
could mean going out on a boat and fishing for a period of time
for at least seven days and seven nights of the year, although
it didn't have to be consecutive. He also offered berry picking
and gathering as activities. He clarified that this referred to
students who went outside of the community to help meet family
needs.
8:59:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked Dr. Gaborik how students have fared
academically, noting that the other two presenters had mentioned
MAP testing.
DR. GABORIK replied that she had heard anecdotally from other
superintendents that the district would see an increase in test
scores; however, she argued that is directly related to who is
testing. She explained that she felt both MAP and Performance
Evaluation for Alaska's Schools (PEAKS) would provide an
interesting data point but argued that the district would have
to look at who did and didn't test. She commented that the
students who "had been hanging with us" had probably had family
support to test. She argued that it was important to recognize
that the students that didn't have that support may not test
because they do have an opt-out option, which she thought the
scores may reflect.
9:00:47 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Mr. MacManus where his district stood
financially.
MR. MACMANUS answered that many families moved to AGSD from
larger cities when the pandemic began. This lead enrollment
numbers to be near [pre-pandemic] estimates, which he explained
did not negatively impact district funding. He also shared that
AGSD's correspondence program had about 10 percent increased
enrollment. He noted, however, that the district has been flat
funded for a number of years, which is a cost to AGSD of between
$700,000 to $1,000,000 in terms of buying power.
MR. MACMANUS stated that since AGSD is a small district, it has
had to rely on grants. He said most of what he had previously
discussed regarding learning recovery had not been financed from
the district's general revenue. He explained that as a Regional
Educational Attendance Area (REAA), AGSD does not have a local
contribution. He said that instead it has Impact Aid Grant
System money [from the United States Department of Education],
of which it receives 10 percent.
MR. MACMANUS said the district has issues getting appropriately
staffed and with deferred maintenance. He stated that finances
are an issue for AGSD. He emphasized that the district has been
hurting. He acknowledged that the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) money would help but commented that he was worried about
the coming years.
9:03:31 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked Dr. Gaborik where FNSBSD stood financially.
DR. GABORIK stated that this has been the most challenging
budget year she has ever experienced. She said there was a
reduction in revenue due to the 2,000-student decrease in
enrollment. She shared that the current year's revenue loss was
over $9 million, so the district completely drained its
unassigned fund balance in order to cover the losses in the
current year. She stated that the revenue loss next year would
be $22 million with the hold harmless protection accounted for.
She said this was related specifically to the general fund (GF)
and student enrollment. She said $2 million was lost for
transportation because of the lower student enrollment, along
with monies for nutrition services.
DR. GABORIK said that because of the lost revenue, FNSBSD's
school board is issuing $26 million in cuts. She said the
district is using Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 funds
to offset cutting some positions the district no longer can
afford. However, she pointed out that grant funding teachers
and staff is not sustainable. She said the district is planning
to be strategic with funding from ARPA, by spreading it out
through October 2024. She pointed out that as students return,
state funds will not match the increased needs and will need to
be supplemented. She summarized that FNSBSD is "in a tough
spot," and that its "unassigned fund balance is projected to be
near zero."
9:07:42 AM
MR. RUSSIN stated that as a city school district, CCSD relies on
local contributions for its budget. Although historically
Cordova's city council had fully funded its portion of the
district's budget, he said in the last three to five years its
contributions have been lower, adding up to about $1 million in
budget losses. He said this has made CCSD have to consider
spending down its fund balance, which is not necessarily
operational cash, rather inventories and pre-paid expenses. He
shared that since 2017, health insurance costs have increased
between 15 and 20 percent along with the cost of salaries and
associated accounts, while student enrollment has gone down.
MR. RUSSIN noted that budget conversations have been about the
district's needs rather than its wants. He said the district
doesn't believe its needs will change or be reduced, rather its
needs have been increasing. He pointed out that the district
was unable to provide a pre-kindergarten program during the
current school year and likely wouldn't [have the resources to]
offer a pre-kindergarten program the following year. He
explained that the district didn't have the grant funding to
continue these programs.
9:11:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK asked Mr. MacManus to summarize how his
district has worked with the local community.
MR. MACMANUS said his district comprised seven communities, six
of which are villages. He said his approach has been to
maintain constant communication with villages. He said the
district has followed the communities' individual leads in
closing schools and following each community's quarantine
requirements. He said it is because of the villages and the
Alaska Native community in the Arctic Gateway Borough that the
district has done so well with vaccine distribution. He
commented that AGSD has a great relationship with Tanana Chiefs
Conference (TCC) and Ahtna, Incorporated.
9:14:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK opined that Mr. MacManus gave a perfect
example of why one size does not fit all.
CO-CHAIR STORY thanked each superintendent.
HB 19-LIMITED TEACHER CERTIFICATES; LANGUAGES
9:15:45 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the next order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 19, "An Act relating to instruction in a
language other than English; and establishing limited language
immersion teacher certificates."
9:16:31 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KREISS-TOMKINS, as prime sponsor,
presented HB 19. He thanked the committee for the discussion
during the previous hearing.
9:17:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY moved to adopt Amendment 1 to HB 19,
labeled 32-LS0169\B.1, which read as follows:
Page 2, lines 18 - 19:
Delete "(f) of this section and"
Page 2, lines 24 - 30:
Delete all material.
9:17:20 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND objected for the purpose of discussion.
9:17:27 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY explained that this amendment would
remove subsection (f) from the proposed legislation. She argued
that the language was "looking to resolve an issue that does not
exist." She directed attention to subsection (c) and said there
were already safety measures in place for a rigorous application
process that would preclude world language teachers who teach
non-indigenous languages from being able to misuse this type of
certificate. She stated her belief that it was important to
simplify the language, which would clarify the intention of HB
19 and focus on Alaska Native languages.
9:19:28 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND removed her objection. There being no further
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.
9:20:08 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND commented that she was excited to bring this
option to schools and noted that it was the third legislative
session she had heard the proposed legislation. She mentioned
that she was disappointed by the lack of public testimony and
alluded to testimony that was given during past iterations of
the proposed legislation.
9:21:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked if HB 19 was identical to the
recent version that was crafted in the House Labor and Commerce
Standing Committee during the previous legislative session.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS responded that it is identical to
the version from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee
from the previous legislature, with the exception of the
amendment that was just adopted.
9:22:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND moved to report HB 19, as amended, out
of committee with individual recommendations and the
accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB
19(EDC) was reported out of the House Education Standing
Committee.
9:23:03 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 9:23 a.m. to 9:25 a.m.
HB 60-PUBLIC SCHOOLS: MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
9:25:56 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 60, "An Act relating to mental health
education." [The motion made on 3/31/21 to adopt the proposed
committee substitute (CS) for HB 60, Version 32-LS0261\B, Klein,
3/25/21, as a work draft was left pending with an objection.]
9:26:38 AM
SOPHIE JONAS, Staff, Representative Matt Claman, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HB 60 on behalf of Representative Claman,
prime sponsor. She clarified that the only thing the proposed
legislation would mandate would be that the Alaska State Board
of Education update guidelines to include instruction in mental
health. She explained that it would not mandate that school
districts adopt a specific curriculum, rather the guidelines
could be voluntarily incorporated.
9:27:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked if the proposed legislation would
offer guidelines to teach students about mental health
situations and how they could seek help within the health
curriculum.
MS. JONAS confirmed that was correct.
9:27:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked how many districts already had
guidelines in place.
MS. JONAS replied that she did not know how many, but she would
find an answer to the question. She offered that by having
state-wide guidelines, schools could have a standardized format
to implement their own mental health curricula.
9:28:57 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY opened invited testimony on HB 60.
9:29:24 AM
JASON LESSARD, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) Anchorage, provided invited testimony on HB 60.
He stated his belief that mental health education is an
important and vital component to Alaska schools' curricula. He
stated his desire to dispel misunderstandings that he was
hearing from the proposed legislation's opposition. He argued
that there is no "indoctrination" or mandate implied by HB 60,
rather it is an update to [AS 14.30.360(a)], which reads, "Each
district in the state public school system shall be encouraged
to initiate and conduct a program in health education for
kindergarten through grade 12." He said that school districts
should operate in a safe and effective manner and opined that
not all programs that are brought into schools to talk about
this subject do this well. He said NAMI Anchorage would like to
have evidence-based programs and best practices involved to help
school districts.
MR. LESSARD mentioned a letter of opposition from the Alaska
Republicans of District 3 [included in the committee packet] and
referenced a line from paragraph 8 which read, "Whereas any
given district may pursue such standards through their local
school boards if they choose," with which he agreed. He
explained that the proposed legislation would not change that,
rather it helps to bring on programs that will work and be
effective. He offered an anecdote about a high school's
response to a suicide in Anchorage. He said the school rolled
out a program with good intentions but without involving best
practices. He stated that the program had adverse effects on
the students. He reiterated that the goal of the legislation
was to help districts with [these issues] in a safe and
effective way. He explained that there are experts involved and
school districts across the nation who have been working on
this. He emphasized that the intention is not to take away
school districts' decision whether to implement a mental health
program, rather to be sure that a program being brought on is
safe. He summarized his argument by stressing that the proposed
legislation is not a mandate and is not indoctrination; it is a
way to help schools help students. He noted crisis levels of
suicide in Alaska youth according to Youth Risk Behavior
Surveillance System (YRBSS) data from the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
9:32:21 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked Mr. Lessard to describe what the high
school in Anchorage did that adversely affected students.
MR. LESSARD replied that the school showed a "somewhat dated"
film that addressed suicide but did not facilitate a
conversation or add any opportunity for dialogue. He explained
that, although done with the best of intentions, this left many
students feeling worse. He shared that there was a survey
conducted by students at the school asking for other students'
thoughts, and over 100 students responded. He said that the
administration and students are now working together to bring
programming to the school. He stressed the desire to bring on
programs that are effective and evidence based.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked for a brief description of YRBS.
MR. LESSARD answered that the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
is conducted every other year. He said it asks students
questions related to topics such as substance abuse and mental
health. He commented that the numbers he uses deal with suicide
ideation and suicide attempts. He said that from 2017 to 2019
there had been a significant increase in every category
concerning suicide ideation and attempts.
9:34:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX referenced page one of the "2019 Alaska
Youth Risk Behavior Survey Highlights," [hard copy included in
included in committee packet]. He commented that the paper
indicated that about 20 percent of students had attempted
suicide. He asked if there had been follow up to verify the
number.
MR. LESSARD replied that he had not followed up on the reported
numbers. He explained that the state has been doing this survey
through the Department of Health and Social Services for some
time.
9:36:10 AM
EMMA KNAPP, Alumni, Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling
(MHATS), provided invited testimony in support of HB 60. She
recalled her experience with mental health issues, and the need
to address these issues with students. She told the committee
that three weeks ago, a former student of her high school
committed suicide. She explained that she knew the individual
personally and took a week off from school to grieve. She
stated that returning to school was a conscious decision she
made with the help of her parents, therapist, and school
counselor. She said the "dated film" that addressed suicide
triggered her emotions surrounding her friend's death and
triggered her previous suicidal ideations. She shared that she
is now part of an effort at her school to make its mental health
programs more accurate and comprehensive but argued that
responsibility of an accurate mental health curriculum should
not be put on students such as herself. She said if HB 60 were
in place, she would not have had to get involved during the time
she was grieving.
MS. KNAPP shared that two years ago she was "in a dark place,"
and suffered from depression and multiple panic attacks a week.
She said that at the time, she didn't know these were
"classifiable experiences." She said she was convinced that no
one else felt that way and believed she would feel that way for
the rest of her life. She explained that she didn't know that
she needed help, because mental health was not normalized in
schools. She shared that she went months without reaching out
for help. Once she got help, she said she still felt lost,
found herself contemplating suicide, and was afraid to tell her
therapist. She pointed out that all of this happened while she
had a good support system, and that her family had the financial
resources to get her help. She said she is "more than an
anecdote," and she referenced statistics relating to depression
in high school students. She argued that HB 60 would help
individuals such as herself.
9:40:03 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY thanked Ms. Knapp for her testimony and
commended her poise and bravery.
9:40:36 AM
GEORGE RHYNEER JR, MD, provided invited testimony in support of
HB 60. He stated that adults deal with their mental health
every day, as do youth, but youth do not have experience [to
understand how to process their mental health] and frequently
have no help. He commented that it was encouraging to hear the
superintendents who spoke previously discuss concerns about the
mental health of their students, as that was not something
talked about in the past. He said this wasn't something that
required parental consent, as consent wasn't required for what
was being introduced [regarding health education] now.
DR RHYNEER opined that a current problem in the United States,
as exemplified by shootings and violence, is mental health. He
stated that 22 children are shot in America per day, and half of
the shootings are related to mental health issues. He urged the
committee members to support HB 60, stating that healthy young
individuals will become healthy adults.
9:42:51 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY opened public testimony on HB 60.
9:43:19 AM
KATIE BOTZ testified in support of HB 60. She stated that it is
important to address mental health for students, especially when
students have been suffering from social distancing and not
being able to be with their friends. She shared that she is a
school bus driver for the Juneau School District. She said
students don't know how to speak up about their issues and
problems, and many don't know that it is okay to ask for help.
She stated that one cannot have physical health without mental
health. She shared that she has major depressive disorder and
has struggled during the pandemic. She shared that it is
difficult to deal with depression and discussed the stigma of
mental health.
9:45:24 AM
PAMELA SAMASH testified on HB 60. She said it has been "quite a
journey listening to all these testimonies." She said she
initially called in to testify in opposition, citing government
overreach. After learning more, she stated, she now has
questions regarding the proposed curriculum. She explained that
while mental health is an issue, she has concerns about
government becoming involved in citizens' private lives. She
said she is on the fence regarding HB 60, but would like to see
amendments protecting families from government overreach. She
expressed concern about things being considered child abuse.
9:49:05 AM
KATHLEEN WEDEMEYER, Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR),
Alaska and Washington Chapter, testified in opposition to HB 60
and requested amendments to the proposed legislation. She said
the intent to improve mental health education must be focused on
improving the health of youth and should be with the full
agreement of parents. She argued that there are several
problems with mental health education in schools. She said
mental health education is driven by providers who benefit from
screening, referrals, diagnosis, and treatment that has led to
roughly 7 million youth being on psychiatric drugs. She said
parents should have the right to say "no," if psychiatrists and
psychologists are using schools to test or assess students. She
said the only groups that benefit from such screenings are
psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry. She said suicide
should be seen as a behavior rather than a mental health
disorder. She said that the Alaska Statewide Suicide Prevention
Council recognizes this to be true. She asked that the proposed
legislation be amended to broaden the scope of the committee in
each district to include parents, healthcare professionals,
business leaders, and spiritual advisors. She said CCHR would
be happy to discuss the legislation and provide materials on its
points.
9:52:48 AM
APRIL ORTH testified in opposition to HB 60. She declared
herself a proponent for mental health, citing it as "amazing and
necessary in our families that need the services." However, she
said she is opposed to mental health education in school
districts. She argued that there are services that identify
young people who need help that keep parents involved. She said
mental health is a "whole family experience," and she expressed
concern that the proposed legislation would separate parents
from children. She also argued that mental health care in
school couldn't be covered by the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). She said the proposed
legislation was being sold with "emotional blackmail" which was
a form of "indoctrination."
9:56:35 AM
BARBARA TYNDALL testified in opposition to HB 60. She said she
agreed with the previous two testifiers' positions and argued
that "guidelines tend to become mandates down the line." She
referenced Representative Cronk's statement that one size does
not fit all because Alaska is a large and diverse state. She
pointed out her desire that parents be involved, and that this
should be a local, community, and family issue.
9:58:58 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY closed public testimony on HB 60.
9:59:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK asked whether, under HB 60, the words
"physical health" would be removed from statute.
REPRESENTATIVE MATT CLAMAN, as prime sponsor, answered questions
about HB 60. He replied that the language was removed during
Legislative Legal Service's drafting of the proposed
legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS added that mental health was being added
to the definition of what would be taught in "health and
personal safety," which was previously described as "physical
health and personal safety."
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK clarified that "physical" health would be
removed from Section 2, subsection (a), and asked why that was.
CO-CHAIR STORY commented that it could be considered.
10:01:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX stated that he was struggling with the same
ideas expressed by some of the testifiers. He said that
addressing mental health in a public setting like schools opens
up problems. He said that using a top-down approach would not
work, and this required diversification.
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN replied that the proposed legislation is
not a mandate and has the goal of giving flexibility to local
communities. He commented that current guidelines from the
state leave room for districts to make their own policies, and
this would be no different. He explained that the purpose of
the proposed legislation is not to address what counselors may
or may not do to help students, rather it is to add a discussion
about mental health to health classes. He said this bill is not
an effort to solve mental health problems or a constrictive
approach.
10:04:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked about broadening the stakeholder group
that creates the guidelines.
REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN replied that the language of the proposed
CS for HB 60 was rewritten to be broad regarding who could
participate in crafting guidelines.
10:07:01 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY announced that HB 60 was held over. [The
objection to the motion made on 3/31/21 to adopt the proposed
committee substitute (CS) for HB 60, Version 32-LS0261\B, Klein,
3/25/21, as a work draft was left pending.]
10:07:34 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:07 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Topics & Questions.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
|
| HB 60 Testimony - Received as of 4.8.2021.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 60 |
| HB 60 HEDC opposed 4.15.21.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 60 |
| HB60 HEDC support 4.15.21.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 60 |
| HB 19 Amendment B.1.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 19 |
| House Education Committee Presenters 4.16.21.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
School District Updates |
| HB 60 Testimony Support 4.16.21.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 60 |
| HB 60 Testimony Opposed 4.16.21.pdf |
HEDC 4/16/2021 8:00:00 AM |
HB 60 |