Legislature(2025 - 2026)DAVIS 106
02/06/2025 08:00 AM House TRIBAL AFFAIRS
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| Presentation: State Tribal Education Compacting Pilot Update | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON TRIBAL AFFAIRS
February 6, 2025
8: a.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Maxine Dibert, Chair
Representative Ashley Carrick
Representative Andi Story
Representative Rebecca Schwanke
Representative Jubilee Underwood
Representative Elexie Moore
Representative Robyn Niayuq Burke
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present.
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: STATE TRIBAL EDUCATION COMPACTING PILOT UPDATE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
MISCHA JACKSON, Tribal Education Liaison
Education Development
Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented a PowerPoint presentation,
titled "STEC Tribal Partners."
JOEL ISAAK, PhD, Compacting Consultant
Department of Education and Early Development
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the presentation.
KIMINAQ MADDY ALVANNA-STIMPFLE
King Island Native Community
Nome, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the PowerPoint presentation,
titled "STEC Tribal Partners."
CARL CHAMBLEE, Education Director
Knik Tribe
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the PowerPoint presentation,
titled "STEC Tribal Partners."
MARK ROSEBERRY, Director of Education
Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope
Barrow, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the PowerPoint presentation,
titled "STEC Tribal Partners."
SONYA SKAN, Education and Training Director
Ketchikan Indian Community
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-presented the PowerPoint presentation,
titled "STEC Tribal Partners."
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:04:10 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDI STORY called the House Special Committee on
Tribal Affairs meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Representatives
Carrick, Schwanke, Underwood, Moore, and Story were present at
the call to order. Representative Dibert arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: State Tribal Education Compacting Pilot Update
PRESENTATION: State Tribal Education Compacting Pilot Update
[Contains discussion of HB 59.]
8:05:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY announced that the only order of business
would be an update on the State-Tribal Education Compact pilot.
8:07:07 AM
MISCHA JACKSON, Tribal Education Liaison, Education Development,
Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
(Tlingit and Haida), introduced the PowerPoint, titled "STEC
Tribal Partners" [hard copy included in the committee packet].
She introduced herself to the committee, gave her Tlingit name,
and made a land and people acknowledgement of Áak'w Kwáan. She
stated that the Tlingit and Haida "are nothing without our
cultural structures." She pointed out that the five tribes
selected for the State-Tribal Education compact (STEC) pilot are
partners and each will be a part of the presentation, as seen on
slide 1. She discussed the STEC process, stating that the
tribes have been working together to create a vision.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 2, titled "What Success in education
looks like when operated by Tribes." She stated that the tribes
have been providing their own education since time immemorial,
as education is the root of all culture. She presented a video
made by the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, titled "Our Future
Ancestors: A Story of Education in Alaska" [link provided on
slide 2 of the presentation]. She stated that the video
provides an overview of the historical context of Native
education in Alaska, as well as setting the stage for tribal
compacting in education.
8:23:15 AM
MS. JACKSON, in response to a committee question, stated that
the Cook Inlet Tribal Council created a website which not only
has a link to the video, but it also provides testimonials the
tribe collected in making the video.
MS. JACKSON remarked that the history shown in the video is
still present in the current generation. She expressed the
importance of stating that she is the granddaughter of a Native
boarding school survivor, and her goal is to raise her children
in a traditional and educational setting. She spoke about the
importance of partnerships in education.
8:26:18 AM
MS. JACKSON expressed the opinion that the video speaks to what
parents and community members want, and this includes having
Native language and Elders in the schools. She noted that in
the 1990s and 2000s the state had adopted standards for
culturally responsive education; however, now they exist as only
a supplemental in the conventional education system.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 3 and explained tribal education
compacting. She stated that since 2013, Washington State has
had a framework for STEC schools, and the state has eight
compact schools, with some federally funded. She pointed out
that this model is being used in Alaska; however, Alaska tribes
are restricted from using federal funds in education because of
appropriations language. She gave details on the federal
funding mechanism.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 4 and discussed the history of STEC
legislation in the state. She pointed out that tribal
compacting in education had met one of the five strategic goals
in Alaska's Education Challenge [developed in 2016], and this
had led to Senate Bill 34 [passed during the Thirty-Second
Alaska State Legislature]. She explained that this legislation
directed the negotiations between the five tribes and the
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). She added
that during these negotiations, the five tribes were speaking on
behalf of all Alaska Native tribes. She stated that the [State-
Tribal Education Compact Schools Demonstration Legislative
Report] resulted from these negotiations.
MS. JACKSON, on slide 5, explained that [HB 59] resulted from
this legislative report. She stated that the proposed
legislation would create equitable funding for compact schools
through the base student allocation. It would also address
teacher certification, as this would help communities with a
high rate of teacher turnover. She stated that STEC governance
structures would be similar to school boards, but local tribal
bodies would be used, as this would be consistent with tribal
self-determination. She stated that the proposed legislation
would create a stand-alone demonstration project with the five
tribes that participated in the negotiations. The demonstration
project would last five-to-seven years, and through a
collaboration with DEED, reports on the project would be
produced, and this would create an education service compact
agreement.
8:37:01 AM
JOEL ISAAK, PhD, Compacting Consultant, Department of Education
and Early Development, in response to a question from
Representative Story, stated that currently the tribe would not
directly receive the base student allotment (BSA) appropriation,
as this funding would be funneled through a local school
district. He explained that with compacting, the tribe would
operate as a school district, and then it would receive the
funding directly. He pointed out that funding for some of the
teachers could be through grants. In response to a follow-up
question concerning school districts retaining 4 percent of BSA,
he explained that the tribe would function as the school
district, so no other entity would retain any of the funding.
He stated that the bill is modeled after the Mount Edgecumbe
High School, and its process, which receives the full amount of
funding through the state's education foundation formula. He
stated that this is the structure of equitable funding.
MS. JACKSON, in response to a follow-up question, stated that
mechanisms relevant to culture and Indigenous language are
already in place through the Type M teacher certificate, but it
would be up to the local school district to make the
recommendation to DEED to provide the certificate. She stated
that currently tribes are not part of this process, but with
compacting, tribes would have more of a voice. She deferred to
Dr. Isaak.
DR. ISAAK stated that Title 14 of the Alaska Statutes governs
teacher certification, and compact schools would follow these
guidelines. He stated that HB 59 would be anchored in this
existing law, and the commissioner of DEED would need to verify
that the skillsets for teacher certification would match the
existing law. He explained that the proposed legislation would
not be changing the types of skills needed for teachers; rather,
it would allow the tribes to articulate their needs in relation
to this. He added that the process would resemble the current
teacher certification process; however, the government-to-
government partnership would recognize that tribes may have a
different way of communicating this.
8:45:25 AM
DR. ISAAK, in response to a question from Representative
Carrick, stated that as school districts, the tribes would be
eligible for budget funding for infrastructure and maintenance
for compact schools. He acknowledged that there would be no
funding to build a new school because HB 59 is written as
uncodified law, and it would only set up a five-year pilot
program. He maintained that the proposed bill would not change
any existing law concerning major maintenance and construction.
DR. ISAAK, in response to a question from Representative Story,
stated that the pilot project timeline has not yet started. He
explained the timeline up to this point, clarifying that Senate
Bill 34 had called for a compacting project demonstration and
the tribes to "be at the table drafting this." After these
negotiations, the legislative report was filed; therefore, the
timeframe would start when HB 59 passes. He explained that
tribes would have up to two years to start a school, with the
pilot running for five years.
DR. ISAAK, in response to a question from Representative
Schwanke concerning support systems for the compact schools,
stated that the subject had been discussed. He pointed out that
existing school districts have support systems, and these would
support STEC schools. He indicated there was a suggestion in
the legislative report that DEED form a tribal advisory
commission. He discussed the negotiation process that created
the legislative report, stating that after the bill passes,
there would be another negotiation process to finalize the
compact framework. He added that this would allow DEED and the
tribes to negotiate. He noted that the proposed legislation
would require the tribes to make an annual report to DEED on the
progress of the compact schools. He stated that also there have
been discussions with the existing school districts on the
available support.
REPRESENTATIVE SCHWANKE discussed the importance of place-based
education in the state, and Representative Story concurred.
8:54:59 AM
MS. JACKSON, in response to a question from Representative
Underwood concerning local teacher recruitment in compact
schools, remarked that since her involvement with the tribes in
Southeast Alaska, she has been "growing the seeds" for young
adults to become educators. She noted that Natives are "natural
born educators, it just has not been communicated right and
effectively." She pointed out that there are already young
Native educators working in the Juneau School District, and more
local teachers are becoming interested in STEC schools. She
stated that the tribes have created bonds over tribal school
compacting, so they would not be isolated. She pointed out that
there has also been communication with tribes on a national
level.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 6 and pointed out the key highlights
in the proposed legislation. She stated that the main issue
would be sovereignty in education, as tribes would be able to
determine their own educational system. Concerning language and
culture, she stated that the creation of a language task force
has already been written into statute, and a priority would be
to ensure this is done. She addressed the following highlights
of the proposed legislation: family and community engagement,
values-based success, innovation and collaboration, equitable
funding, and holistic impact.
9:01:25 AM
MS. JACKSON, in response to a question from Representative
Carrick concerning equitable funding, stated that tribal schools
would be funded through the BSA formula as a regional attendance
area, like in other local school districts. Under the proposed
legislation, STEC schools would be considered local education
agencies, and she said this would improve access to state and
federal grants.
DR. ISAAK, in response to a follow-up question, reiterated that
currently tribes are eligible as local education agencies to
apply for state or federal grants; furthermore, he explained
that because tribes are governments, they already have staff to
support schools, and this would reduce funding needs. He
reiterated that this creates efficiency. He clarified that HB
59 has not been structured to reduce state funding.
REPRESENTATIVE CARRICK expressed appreciation for the answer, as
there was concern that creating tribally compacted schools might
reduce funding to existing school districts.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 7 and stated that there has been an
agreement to call the schools, "Tribally Compacted Public
Schools (TCPS)." She voiced that this expresses local control
centered around tribes and communities together. She moved to
slide 8, titled "Why This Matters to Tribes." She explained
that during the remainder of the presentation, each of the five
tribes would speak to this question, explaining each education
program currently offered and HB 59's effect.
9:06:44 AM
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 9, and she spoke as the Tribal
Education Liaison of Tlingit and Haida. She stated that a high
priority for Tlingit and Haida is education and preserving
sovereignty. She noted that the tribes are developing an
education campus in Juneau. She explained that the actual land
is being developed because land-based education is an important
element of tribal education.
MS. JACKSON moved to slide 10 and addressed the current Tlingit
and Haida education programs, which include early education with
Head Start, childcare, and language immersion nests. She
discussed the language nest in Juneau for young children, as
there are young teachers who are language speakers at this
school. She discussed youth engagement and the Generations
Southeast program. She stated that the goal with educational
programing would be to offer "cradle to grave" services and
intergenerational services. She listed the many services
offered. On slide 11, she reiterated the importance of
community and family engagement and intergenerational learning.
She noted the emphasis on academic, cultural, and social-
emotional support. She added that this opportunity would create
a holistic impact. She played a short video on local education
[link provided on slide 11 of the presentation].
MS. JACKSON pointed out that Tlingit and Haida is not currently
operating a public school, but a team has been created, as seen
on slide 12. She maintained that there is not a shortage of
education expertise in the tribes, and she expressed the
understanding that often there is a "deficit mindset" on whether
tribes could operate their own schools. She argued that the
tribes' educators are "primed and ready." She moved to slide
13, stating that the opportunity to create a tribal school
represents a transformation in the education system. She stated
that Tlingit and Haida's focus is on culture, land-based
teaching, learning, and support. She discussed the benefits of
being able to start these schools "fresh," from the ground up.
She moved to slide 14 and discussed TCPS as an opportunity to
create pathways for student and family choice in schools. She
noted that the following programs would be available: language
immersion, service-based learning, career and technical
education, pre-apprenticeship, college preparation, and dual-
credit apprenticeship.
9:17:59 AM
KIMINAQ MADDY ALVANNA-STIMPFLE, King Island Native Community,
stated that the King Island Native Community is working together
with the Native Village of Soloman. She noted that currently
these communities do not have a tribal school. She shared that
she has been a public-school teacher for nine years and an
immersion teacher for the past four years; however, she has now
left this position. She expressed the hope that TCPS would
bring life back to the Inuit language, which is the tribe's
identity.
MS. ALVANNA-STIMPFLE moved to slide 16 and pointed out that the
goal is to start small, with the "grow as we go" approach. She
stated that the main goal is to revitalize the Inuit language,
adding that immersion schools are a proven, successful approach
as they instill identity and pride in students. She noted that
the Elders, as first-language speakers, would be in the school
teaching traditional knowledge. She emphasized that time is
important, as the youngest fluent speakers are around 60 years
old. She discussed place-based learning, asserting that the
environment should shape curriculum. She stated that the school
would be taught in Inuit and English, fostering relationships
between students, Elders, and parents to create a strong
community of learners and leaders. She explained that teachers
would be trained in the Indigenous worldview and value system.
She described the education system as "holistic," creating
mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing rooted in Inupiat
values. She stated that this would ensure self-determination
and tribal sovereignty.
MS. ALVANNA-STIMPFLE, in response to a question from
Representative Story, stated that the immersion program that she
worked in was not cut; however, there was not enough support
within the public school for two teachers, so she decided to
move to Qargi Academy. She added that doing this has allowed
her to create more language resources, which could be used in
building the tribal school program.
9:26:20 AM
CARL CHAMBLEE, Education Director, Knik Tribe, explained that
the tribe is an Upper Cook Inlet tribe, located in Wasilla. He
stated that the education program started five years ago. He
stated that a mission and a vision was developed, and a charter
school was opened through the Matanuska-Susitna School District.
On slide 18, he pointed out that the Knik Tribe's mission is to
prepare students for success by providing an excellent education
through Native culture and value-based learning. He continued
that the tribe's vision is for students to become lifelong
learners and successful in their chosen paths. He played a
video, titled "Knik Charter School" [link provided on slide 18
of the presentation]. The video emphasized that many different
tribes are represented in this area of Alaska, and it gave an
overview of Knik Charter School. He stated that opening the
school had taken over 40 community meetings in over two years.
He stated that people in the community came together and created
the goals for the school, as seen on slide 19. He spoke about
the funding, as the charter school has blended into the tribal
education department, which was already receiving several
million dollars in federal grants for supplemental learning
programs. He moved to slide 20 and stated that the school
currently serves over 200 students, which is up from the first-
year enrollment of 80 students. He discussed the connection
between the STEAM Academy and the charter school campus.
MR. CHAMBLEE, in response to a question from Representative
Story, stated that there is a waitlist for the kindergarten and
first grade class. He moved to slide 21, which shows the
organization of the Knik Tribe and the path to creating a tribal
education agency. He expressed the opinion that it would be
"seamless" to go from being a charter school to a compact
school. He discussed the organization of a compact school, as
seen on slide 22. He stated that having STEC would allow the
school more autonomy in how it spends its money, staff
certification, and curriculum development, and this would be the
difference.
9:37:34 AM
MR. CHAMBLEE, in response to a question from Representative
Schwanke concerning the difference between a compact and charter
school, pointed out that the school district currently controls
transportation routes. He expressed the opinion that a compact
school would provide better transportation for its students,
such as for field trips. He added that staff development is a
"huge" issue with the charter school, as instructing students in
a tribal school is "so far outside the box" compared with the
school district's focus. He discussed the problems with money
for staff development, as funding for a charter school is not
tailored to the needs of a tribal school. He expressed the
understanding that a compact school would be able to hire staff
who meet the cultural needs of the students. He noted that the
tribe owns the school facility, so the tribe controls the
maintenance, as the school district provides "zero" support. In
conclusion, he stated that the difference is about local
control.
MR. CHAMBLEE, in response to a question from Representative
Underwood concerning the charter school's 10-year contract,
stated that the transition to a compact school would need to be
determined. He stated that the governing board of the charter
school would make the decision whether it would pursue
compacting.
MR. CHAMBLEE, in response to a question from Representative
Story concerning state funds for student transportation,
expressed the belief that funds could be allocated within the
charter school budget. He noted that this budget is "tight."
He expressed the understanding that a compact school would be
able to work more seamlessly with the funds from the tribe.
9:43:01 AM
MARK ROSEBERRY, Director of Education, Inupiat Community of the
Arctic Slope (ICAS), noted that he is also the administrator for
Qargi Academy Tribal School. On slide 23, he pointed out the
legal authority of ICAS to provide educational services, and he
noted that each tribe has created education systems differently.
He explained that Qargi Academy is not a charter school, but a
tribal school that does not receive state funding. He stated
that ICAS had used funds from the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) to start the school. In relation to school test scores,
he addressed the idea that Native people do not care about
education. He argued that Native people do care, and he
discussed ICAS's problem with state funding, emphasizing the
tribe's self-determination. He reiterated ICAS's authority as a
sovereign Indian tribe, stating that it has the right to
preserve its tribal language and culture and provide its people
with the skills to fulfill potential. He stated that ICAS's
tribal council had a vision and went forward without funding,
and "now things are coming together."
MR. ROSEBERRY moved to slide 25 and stated that Qargi Academy
Tribal School started almost four years ago as a charter school
with 20 students. He discussed the process of starting the
school and pointed out the importance of having local educators.
He explained that when Native students go to public schools,
they are stepping into a different community, which causes
stress. To solve this problem, he said that the tribal school
had contracted with virtual teachers to work with the teachers
in the community. From this effort, the students had the same
experience in the classroom as they had in their community, and
he noted that within four years there were no serious discipline
issues.
MR. ROSEBERRY explained what makes Qargi Academy different from
conventional schools. He noted that the origins of conventional
schools centered on efficiency, with the idea of moving people
into factories. They had also centered on the idea that a child
is a blank slate. He stated that Qargi Academy's model is not
like this; rather, it is a constructivist model. This model
lets the students develop themselves in an organized manner, and
the teacher's responsibility would be to develop the
environment. He stated that using this model, the school does
not tell a student what to think, but it prepares an environment
where the student would learn what to think by experience. He
stated that this is the Inupiat way of educating. He pointed
out that this has made a difference in the students and the
teachers, as there has been no teacher turnover in four years.
He stated that the school is preparing its own teacher
certification program based on the Inupiat way of educating,
which looks different from conventional models. He discussed
the similarities between the Montessori model of teaching and
the Inupiat way of educating. He played a video of a parent
discussing the success of her daughter as a student at Qargi
Academy [link provided on slide 26 of the presentation].
9:59:05 AM
MR. ROSEBERRY, in response to a question from Representative
Moore, stated that the school had three teachers, but one passed
away, and now the borough is giving the school a grant to hire
two more teachers. He noted that the school is outside of the
mainstream system, and even being underfunded and understaffed,
it is showing success. In response to a follow-up question from
Representative Story, he stated that because community is
important, the school's goal is to expand the classroom size.
He explained that this is the difference in the model, as the
Montessori example, along with research, shows that larger
classrooms are better because students are directed to work
together. He noted that Qargi Academy is lacking two teachers,
and it has 31 students.
MR. ROSEBERRY, in response to a question from Representative
Schwanke, addressed whether the school is working with higher
education systems to train teachers to use this model. He
expressed the understanding that these models do not necessarily
work the same. He reasoned that if the compact school model
works, then the teacher-training model would have to change.
10:03:58 AM
SONYA SKAN, Education and Training Director, Ketchikan Indian
Community (KIC), displayed slide 31 and discussed KIC's [Tribal
Scholars High School Program]. She pointed out that it
concentrates on workforce development, language revitalization,
and higher education. She noted that there is a high school
after school program, and there are Native arts and culture
programs. She expressed thanks to the tribal council, as it has
made education a priority. She pointed out that the program was
started with a Native Equity Education grant, and the high
school has been open for 13 years. She emphasized that the
school has a 100 percent graduation rate, noting that these
students earn college credit while attending the program.
MS. SKAN directed attention to a quote on the slide, which read
as follows [original punctuation provided]:
It was my lifelong dream teaching in a program like
this, being able to take open ended field trips and
projects in science in the best way to help students
become lifelong learners. I have seen students more
engaged, with higher attendance and engagement in the
Tribal Scholars program. Personally I think programs
that [emphasize] individual learning is the education
of the future.
Joey Fama, Tribal Scholars Math/ Science Secondary
teacher 2014
10:06:47 AM
MS. SKAN, in response to a question from Representative Carrick,
stated that the program does not have open enrollment because
the school is funded by a grant for Native children only. She
stated that Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District funds the
teacher for the program, but everything else has other funding,
including the language teacher in the high school. She added
that the language and the art classes in the high school have
open enrollment. She pointed out that compacting would allow
open enrollment and expand capabilities. She stated that there
is not a waitlist for the program, but there has been one in the
past because of space issues. She added that currently there
are around 16 students.
MS. SKAN stated that the program is located on the same campus
as KIC social services, and this creates better access to
services. On slide 32, she pointed out the goals for the Tribal
Scholars Program, as follows: engage students through
personalized learning, increase testing competencies, have a
learning atmosphere where relationships, respect, and
accountability are paramount, and correlate education to
students' lives and future aspirations. She expressed the
opinion that students learn better if they have a relationship
with their teacher and feel like they belong. She discussed
education "as a whole," as it would enrich future generations.
She pointed out that having Native art in the classroom would
help Native students feel welcome and have ownership of the
space. She directed attention to the pictures on slide 33 and
slide 34, showing students on fieldtrips, which are funded by
grants. These trips have included a visit to a camp where the
students were taught to fish and shrimp. She added that the
students also found an old village site around the camp. She
moved through the photos and discussed some of the students
shown. She expressed the expectation that programs would grow
with compacting, because currently everything has limited
funding.
MS. SKAN moved to slide 35, titled "What Works for Tribal
Scholar Students." She pointed out the highlights, with one of
the primary goals being to prepare students for success in both
traditional and contemporary cultures. She expressed the
opinion that education should add to what people already know,
not take away from whom they are. She stated that teachers
monitor students for academic, social, and emotional progress,
as the teachers are in tune with this. She added that students
often return to visit once they have left the program. She
pointed out that each student receives an individualized
learning plan every year, and after graduation, staff are still
available to the students for career training support. She
stated that the focus on the learning plans depends on each
student, as this helps with a student's stability.
10:17:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY thanked the presenters and gave final
comments.
10:19:19 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Tribal Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 10:19
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| STEC Tribal Partners.pdf |
HTRB 2/6/2025 8:00:00 AM |