Legislature(2013 - 2014)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/27/2013 08:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing: University of Alaska Board of Regents | |
| Confirmation Hearing: Alaska Board of Education and Early Development | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 27, 2013
7:59 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Charlie Huggins
Senator Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Dale Anderson
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Sue Hull
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DALE ANDERSON, Appointee
University of Alaska Board of Regents
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information for his confirmation
hearing.
SUE HULL, Appointee
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided information for her confirmation
hearing.
ACTION NARRATIVE
7:59:58 AM
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 7:59 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Gardner, Stedman, Dunleavy, and Chair
Stevens.
^Confirmation Hearing: University of Alaska Board of Regents
CONFIRMATION HEARING
University of Alaska Board of Regents
8:00:14 AM
CHAIR STEVENS announced that there would be two confirmation
hearings at today's meeting.
DALE ANDERSON, Appointee, University of Alaska (UA) Board of
Regents, introduced himself.
SENATOR HUGGINS arrived.
CHAIR STEVENS requested information about Mr. Anderson's
background.
MR. ANDERSON shared his personal and professional information.
He said he has done both public and private sector work for over
45 years. He noted he served as commissioner of the Limited
Entry Commission, as a legislative aide to the House Finance
Committee, and on the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly. He
said he has already served one year on the UA Board of Regents
and enjoyed the work.
8:02:56 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked Mr. Anderson what he would like to
accomplish in his term on the UA-Board of Regents.
MR. ANDERSON said it was an 8-year term and he wanted to address
various facility and land projects, as well as deferred
maintenance funding. He noted he was excited about the direction
education is headed at UA.
He said he is a fiscal conservative who looks for efficiencies
in spending.
8:04:47 AM
SENATOR STEDMAN asked if he has visited the other Southeast
Alaska campuses in Ketchikan and Sitka.
MR. ANDERSON replied that UAS campuses need bolstering. He said
he has not yet visited the Ketchikan and Sitka campuses, but he
is scheduled to attend all three UAS commencements.
CHAIR STEVENS asked about the geographical structure of the
board.
8:06:08 AM
MR. ANDERSON replied that members from the major cities are
represented.
CHAIR STEVENS asked if he was the only member from Southeast
Alaska.
MR. ANDERSON said Ken Fisher is also from Southeast Alaska.
SENATOR GARDNER asked about Mr. Anderson's work on statewide
regional learning centers when he was a legislative aide.
MR. ANDERSON explained that it was a very interesting project
that required travel to the various areas of Alaska. He said he
saw the importance of regional learning centers for small
villages. He concurred with the idea of keeping children in
their own villages for school.
8:09:09 AM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked about Mr. Anderson's art talent.
MR. ANDERSON replied that art is now a hobby.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked for the top two changes in the university
system Mr. Anderson would like to see during his tenure.
MR. ANDERSON replied that he would improve budget planning and
fund facility maintenance. He added that he also would like to
see e-learning expanded.
8:11:33 AM
CHAIR STEVENS called attention to a study on the organizational
structure of the university. He asked if Mr. Anderson was
familiar with it.
MR. ANDERSON replied that one of the areas the board worked hard
on last year was to reduce competition between campuses. He
explained efforts to make the programs interchangeable and the
system more unified.
CHAIR STEVENS asked Mr. Anderson to address disparities between
UA campuses.
8:14:15 AM
MR. ANDERSON answered that some teachers have a higher level of
expertise in a certain field. He opined that all students should
have access to that teacher via e-learning and be able to earn a
transferrable credit. He shared an example.
8:15:53 AM
CHAIR STEVENS stated that Mr. Anderson's recommendation would be
moved forward.
^Confirmation Hearing: Alaska Board of Education and Early
Development
CONFIRMATION HEARING
Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development
8:16:11 AM
CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Hull to introduce herself.
SUE HULL, Appointee, Alaska State Board of Education and Early
Development, introduced herself.
CHAIR STEVENS asked Ms. Hull to describe her involvement with
the board.
MS. HULL related that she currently serves on the Fairbanks
North Star Borough School Board. Prior to that she said she was
involved in PTA, both on the state and national level. She said
in the 80's she served on the Alaska State Board of Education
for five years.
CHAIR STEVENS asked why Ms. Hull wished to serve on the board
again.
MS. HULL explained that she has concerns about the disconnect
between the Department of Education and local school districts.
She said she is interested in bringing the perspective from a
local school board to the state board.
CHAIR STEVENS suggested that new educational trends such as e-
learning depend more on the department's and other districts'
involvement.
8:18:57 AM
MS. HULL replied that not only digital learning, but all options
for learning should be considered. There should be more
collaboration with the department when setting student
achievement as the top goal and when implementing Alaska
Standards and related assessment tests. In order to accomplish
all of Alaska's educational goals, the districts and department
should be working together in a united fashion.
8:21:23 AM
SENATOR DUNLEAVY stated that the K-12 educational system has
been focused on process rather than outcomes. He asked Ms. Hull
to respond to that idea.
MS. HULL replied that education is all about the outcome; it is
what the public expects. She opined that parents get to decide
"the how" and schools can provide the options. She said
education should be student driven.
SENATOR DUNLEAVY asked if Ms. Hull wanted an expanded public
education system focused on outcomes or a traditional
neighborhood school model.
MS. HULL did not think it was her job to make that decision; it
is the parents' job to do so. She stated she believes in more
options, not less options.
CHAIR STEVENS inquired about the frequency of testing.
8:24:13 AM
MS. HULL replied that it is not the number of tests, but the
effectiveness of the tests that is important. She noted there
are new assessments pending. She voiced concern about doing away
with the TerraNova test because then it would no longer be
possible to make comparisons with national norms. She maintained
that there are better tests out there.
CHAIR STEVENS asked for Ms. Hull's opinion on the high school
exit exam.
8:26:02 AM
MS. HULL discussed the high school qualifying exam. She did not
think the test was as necessary today as it once was.
CHAIR STEVENS thanked Ms. Hull and said her nomination would be
moved forward.
SENATOR DUNLEAVY moved to forward the Governor's appointee to
the University of Alaska Board of Regents, Mr. Dale Anderson,
and the appointee to the Alaska Board of Education and Early
Development, Sue Hull, to a joint session of the legislature for
consideration. There being no objection, it was so ordered.
8:27:48 AM
There being no further business to come before the Senate
Education Standing Committee, Chair Stevens adjourned the
meeting at 8:27 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 03272013_Confirmation_Board of Education_Hull.pdf |
SEDC 3/27/2013 8:00:00 AM |
Confirmation - Board of Education |
| 03272013_Confirmations_UnivAK_Regents_Oneill.pdf |
SEDC 3/27/2013 8:00:00 AM |
Confirmation - Board of Regents |
| 03272013_Confirmations_UnivAK_Regents_Anderson.pdf |
SEDC 3/27/2013 8:00:00 AM |
Confirmation - Board of Regents |