Legislature(2021 - 2022)BUTROVICH 205
02/28/2022 09:00 AM Senate EDUCATION
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Update on Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 28, 2022
9:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Roger Holland, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Peter Micciche
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): UPDATE ON TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
TASK FORCE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
DR. BARBARA ADAMS, Adams Analytic Solutions LLC
Nenana, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented teacher recruitment and retention
taskforce updates.
SONDRA MEREDITH, Teacher Certification Administrator
Department of Education and Early Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on teacher recruitment
and retention updates.
ED KING, Staff
Senator Roger Holland
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke to a non-agenda item on the parameters
and history of teacher residency and paraprofessional training
programs.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:03:13 AM
CHAIR ROGER HOLLAND called the Senate Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Stevens, Begich, Hughes, and Chair Holland.
^PRESENTATION(S): Update on Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Task Force
PRESENTATION(S): UPDATE ON TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
TASK FORCE
9:03:50 AM
Chair Holland announced the consideration of a Department of
Education and Early Development (DEED) Teacher Retention and
Recruitment (TRR) Task Force update. The committee previously
heard from Ms. Adams on May 5, 2021, regarding the results of
the TRR survey. Finding solutions to identified problems is the
goal of the meeting. A committee bill to address the shortage of
teachers in Alaska was being drafted.
9:04:37 AM
DR. BARBARA ADAMS, Adams Analytic Solutions LLC, Nenana, Alaska,
stated she was looking forward to finding collaborative
solutions to the problems that the TRR taskforce had identified.
Studies are being conducted that focus on the pandemic's
contribution to the nationwide shortage. Committee members were
given copies of supplemental studies that show the connections.
An international study presented at a research webinar focused
on how education fared during the first wave of COVID-19
lockdowns. She opined that globally Alaska was in the middle
relative to student learning and teacher issues. She asked if
the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) had
specific numbers for Alaska's teacher shortage.
9:06:46 AM
SONDRA MEREDITH, Administrator, Department of Education and
Early Development, Juneau, Alaska, stated that an assessment and
accountability report is given to the legislature annually. The
report shows approximately 20-23 percent teacher turnover
yearly, with about half relocating to another district within
Alaska. That leaves DEED needing to recruit the other half.
Historically, this has been a consistent turnover rate, but it
does not tell the whole story. She found that the number of
teachers decreased by about 200 across the state over the past
five years. During that period, DEED did not experience a huge
number of layoffs which caused her to question the reason for
the decrease.
9:09:04 AM
MS. MEREDITH reported that five years ago, the State Board of
Education established that districts had to report first-day
vacancy information in October in addition to staffing
information. By doing this, DEED would know how many positions
were not filled by the start of the school year. From this, DEED
found that the number of empty positions at the beginning of the
school year has trended upwards. Vacancies at the start of the
school year had been 150. They are now 300. Schools are starting
without teachers, and districts are doing what they can with the
information. Emergency certificates were reinstituted at the
start of the COVID pandemic. People with emergency certification
have not completed all the requirements for regular
certification. However, they are the ones frequently filling the
vacant positions. There has also been an increase in the number
of teachers being hired who are enrolled in teacher preparation
programs, so they are not fully prepared. Qualitative data comes
from hiring managers who report that teacher recruitment now
continues year-round. Positions are filled all year long, and
pool selection has diminished. She said this is a broad overview
of what the department sees.
9:11:12 AM
SENATOR STEVENS asked where the school locations are that do not
have teachers. He speculated that it is easier to find teachers
for urban schools. He wondered what was being done to ensure and
help people obtain regular certification.
MS. MEREDITH stated that districts support education and testing
requirements for the limited certificate teachers. Mentoring is
also offered to those who are less experienced. DEED, school
districts, and schools are working to provide needed support.
9:13:14 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated that innovation is needed, such as
working closely with the university and other institutions that
could help the teachers become certified. He asked about the
locations of schools that start without certificated teachers.
MS. MEREDITH replied that the locations are across the state,
with rural Alaska a little more acute. She offered to provide
the numbers to the committee.
9:14:29 AM
SENATOR STEVENS responded that he would like the department to
be aggressive in bringing about certification for the teachers.
Accomplishing this may mean more money or hiring outside
trainers. It is a big problem that needs to be addressed. He
will look to the department for a plan.
SENATOR HUGHES asked how districts manage vacant positions while
teachers are being recruited. She asked if long-term subs,
retired teachers, teacher aides, and virtual education were
used.
MS. MEREDITH replied that districts are utilizing all of those
means to accommodate the drought of certified teachers.
9:15:47 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that 300 vacant positions impact many
students. She asked if the department believes it is handling
the shortage in a way that students do not suffer academic loss.
MS. MEREDITH replied that intuitively the comment is correct.
She opined that historically the education system is impacted
without teachers in place.
MS. ADAMS said districts are also putting students into larger
groups to provide them with certified teachers, for example,
combining 3rd and 4th grades. It creates a higher burden for
existing teachers, but it is a method used until a teacher is
hired.
9:17:39 AM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 3. She said she was asked to discuss
barriers, blockages, and breaks in our current educator
pipeline. In essence, the TRR task force did not use the same
perspective, but the work that has been happening can shed light
on the barriers, blockages, and breaks. As a reminder, she
mentioned essential items from the TRR survey that were
presented to the committee in May 2021. These items were:
• Competitive salary commensurate with the cost of living
• Workplace conditions
• Manageable workloads
• Retirement benefits
• Health care benefits
• Quality support from leadership
• Positive school culture,
• Certification requirements
• Recertification requirements.
These findings aligned with many of the breaks in the pipeline.
Potential solutions from the TRR task force fell under six
essential areas that focus on aligning education's stakeholder
systems to support the efforts happening at local levels. The
six categories were:
• Enhancing recruitment efforts
• Streamlining certification
• Creating paraprofessional pathways
• Developing leadership
• Restructuring retirement options
• Strengthening working conditions
There were 18 recommendations in total from the six areas.
Details for the recommendations are found in the TRR Action Plan
[education.alaska.gov/trr].
9:20:14 AM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 6 and stated that the focus needs to
be on taking action to implement the recommendations and achieve
resolutions. The situation is urgent and requires innovative and
aggressive action. Efforts to forward these solutions mean
implementing the TRR action plan by holding convenings and
working groups. There are funds in place to contract actual
studies. These studies are to compile, align, analyze, and
recommend solutions to working groups. It is also necessary to
develop ways of sharing strategies effectively. There are 54
districts in Alaska. Districts may hear of good ideas that
originate elsewhere, but implementation does not always happen
in a way that supports action. Although funds are available to
find and implement innovative solutions for the shortage of
teachers in Alaska, the timeline for achieving it is slower than
she wanted. Last Thursday was the first-time convening. There
were over 60 people in attendance representing various
stakeholders, such as teachers, principals, superintendents, and
many partner groups. It was held by zoom and provided
information about the action plan in addition to a discussion on
implementation.
9:22:59 AM
SENATOR BEGICH agreed that the process is moving slower than
anyone would like. He explained that the committee has been
working on pieces of legislation developed around professional
pathways and mentoring, which relate to the 18 solutions in the
action plan. He asked if Ms. Adams could offer suggestions on
existing legislation in real-time, so it can move forward while
a larger convenience is awaited. He opined that her knowledge of
teacher recruitment and retention would be beneficial if it were
allowed under her contract with the department.
MS. ADAMS replied that the question was interesting, and she
would need to talk with the department before answering.
9:24:51 AM
SENATOR BEGICH responded that he is hopeful the answer is
positive so that the committee does not spend time heading in a
direction different from the data she may have. He stated his
belief that the paraprofessional bill is generally heading in
the right direction. The committee has been involved in trying
to provide greater support from the department because it makes
for a more robust response. He would like action to be taken so
cohorts, teachers, and students, do not continue to be lost.
9:25:49 AM
SENATOR STEVENS opined that housing is a major problem for
teachers in villages. He has seen teachers living in squalid
conditions. He opined that people from cities would not stay
long in rural Alaska if housing was not adequate and
comfortable. He said Alaska Housing Authority has money and is
building all over the state. He asked if there was a problem
with the department aggressively seeking to bring agencies to
rural Alaska to build comfortable housing for teachers.
9:26:57 AM
MS. ADAMS replied that housing is an interesting topic because
it came up as an issue but was not a top concern; it was a
moderate priority. She stated there had been housing
improvements in some areas but not others, so the topic remains
in discussion. There are various housing issues. The struggle
can be with the actual house, the lack of available housing, or
that teacher housing is only for a year before personal housing
must be obtained. In some housing situations, teachers have
roommates, which can be a struggle. April 2021, Senator
Murkowski's office was concerned about the housing problem and
met with the department to provide support. This is how a whole
system can support local control. This is a very important
struggle in some places. She stated she is open to specific
recommendations and will note the concern.
9:28:58 AM
MS. ADAMS said the department is aiming to have contracts out by
April. Volunteers are being recruited. Subcommittees and working
groups are forming. There is a ground swelling of people with
ideas and recommendations about moving forward, so there will
need to be a consensus. The proposed subcommittees were
organizational health, innovative recruitment strategies, and
alternative certification inclined towards paraprofessional
pathways. At the first convening, it was determined that a
retirement subcommittee was also desired and would be added.
9:30:34 AM
MS. ADAMS said that legislation to advance solutions would occur
next session since suggestions will come from the work and the
work's progress is slow. She stated that current efforts do
align. Micro credentialing is a legislative effort that the
department is considering. Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas,
and Texas utilize it. It has been applied in teacher
preparation, actual certification, and alternative certification
support where there might be a pedagogical strand of micro
credentials. Before using it in Alaska, the department needs to
know that micro credentials will be allowed for use towards
certification and fit into regulations and statutes. The long-
term goal is to have system alignment across the state that
supports local control.
9:32:07 AM
SENATOR STEVENS said a considerable amount of money has come
from the federal government to the department and school
districts. He asked if those funds have been used to move ahead
on recruitment and retention.
MS. ADAMS responded that she did not know the answer but could
find out. She stated she serves as a board member in Nenana, and
thus far, attention has focused on student health, and social
and emotional learning.
9:33:41 AM
MS. MEREDITH said that a portion of the federal COVID relief
money would support teachers' professional development. Some of
the money is providing additional support for reading through
convenings at the department level. Funds are also being used to
modernize the department's teacher certification system, which
is tied to recruitment. It would move from a paper-based process
to an online system that provides better communication tools.
The department has been working on revisioning regulations. The
Education Board will meet this coming Tuesday and Wednesday. The
agenda includes reviewing public comments on revising teacher
certification regulations and using micro credentialing.
Building upon this would be continued through stakeholder input.
There were also changes to regulations that may be burdensome
when applying for certification and to educators who may be
entering Alaska.
MS. ADAMS thanked the committee and said that a lot of
collective will could be found across all areas of education.
9:36:45 AM
SENATOR BEGICH said that as early as 2016, Dr. Adams was
involved in work with former Commissioner Covey to identify why
teachers were leaving. Strengthening working conditions was one
of the six essential areas mentioned in the presentation. He
opined that committee members could lose sight of why specific
language was put into a bill. He said that working condition
support came directly from the Moore lawsuit, and the data it
produced was used in the reading specialist elements found in
the Reads Act, SB 111 and HB 164. He emphasized that much of the
information regarding the six elements have been known for
years. The data exists but must be acted upon to happen. He
encouraged his colleagues in the House to move the Reads Act
forward. He reported the Senate was ready. He opined that acting
on SB 111 would address one of the six essential areas. The new
bill would address more of the areas. The committee's job should
be to constantly move pieces of legislation forward that move
the entire system forward. It should not be piecemealed. He
stated his belief that the new bill would move the system one
step forward.
9:38:39 AM
SENATOR STEVENS stated he would like to learn more on micro
credentialing.
MS. ADAMS replied that the department would be happy to share
more information on micro credentialing.
9:39:18 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND asked Ed King to present the Senate Education
Committee's bill draft regarding paraprofessional training and
teacher registered apprenticeship programs in Alaska. The
committee hopes to offer it as a bill soon.
9:39:51 AM
ED KING, Staff, Senator Roger Holland, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, stated he could speak about the history and
research of the committee's bill draft. He stated his belief
that the bill draft would be heard next week, and Sondra
Meredith would provide information on the bill's background
structure. She would also return Monday to speak on the
specifics of teacher certifications available in Alaska. He
suggested that Ms. Meredith could also address micro
credentialing at that time. The University of Alaska will speak
next Wednesday on its teacher preparation programs and the
requirements for becoming a teacher in Alaska. He said school
districts would share experiences and how situations are handled
the following week. In two weeks, agencies and invited testimony
would address whether the bill would be effective in its
mission.
9:41:10 AM
MR. KING stated that the bill does not have a bill number yet
because it has not been filed. He said the bill draft creates
two major programs and adjusts existing language in laws. The
bill draft would allow the Department of Education and Early
Development (DEED) to approve alternative pathways to
certification. Alaska is one of five states that cannot
authorize alternative pathways. If the programs have state board
approval, the bill draft expands the universe of teacher
preparation programs to include nationally accredited, non-
traditional, and alternative teacher programs. The bill draft
would allow a prospective teacher to demonstrate subject matter
expertise via a competency exam, thereby adding to the expert-
limited teaching certificates. Existing programs behind the idea
of alternative pathways are Professional Administrative
Certification of Excellence (PACE), American Board for
Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), Teach for America,
Troops to Teachers, and Council for the Accreditation of
Educator Preparation (CAEP). The teacher residency program is
one program that the bill draft would create. It would be like a
medical residency with an experienced teacher working in
conjunction with a person who has a bachelor's degree but did
not attend a teacher preparation program. Under current law the
person with a four-year degree can teach while simultaneously
taking courses in pedagogy.
9:43:32 AM
MR. KING said thirty-one states require this type of
introduction for new teachers. Thirty-eight states have some
form of a teacher residency program. Alaska does not have
either. The university has a statewide mentorship program which
it will speak to next week, but it is not required by law.
Research shows that successful residency programs require
mentors to have training. The bill draft would provide
professional development for mentors so that adequate mentorship
is given to resident teachers. Mentor professional development
training would not be a requirement because the teacher shortage
already burdens current teachers. The goal is to strengthen the
pipeline so that there is less leakage from teachers entering
the profession and getting burned out immediately. This creates
a revolving door, and an experienced workforce is not developed.
The residency program would run parallel with the expert-limited
teaching certificate. That option would be available if a
district decides to satisfy an immediate need. However, if it
wanted to participate in the residency program, it could.
9:45:02 AM
SENATOR BEGICH sought affirmation that a bill had not been
introduced. Rather, the parameters of a committee's bill draft
are being walked through. He expressed concern about following
the rules and noted that a bill hearing had not been scheduled.
MR. KING replied that what is being discussed is the research
that went into the bill draft. It is not a bill hearing. The
parameters of the bill draft are being discussed so the
committee can introduce the bill if it chooses.
9:45:49 AM
At ease.
9:46:25 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting. He affirmed that a bill is
not being heard; the parameters of a drafted bill are being
discussed.
9:46:39 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said that a medical residency is for someone on
the pathway to becoming a physician. They are in four years of
medical school. The student is taking classes and doing
rotations in hospitals and clinics. It is part of medical
school. When they graduate, they have an MD after their name.
They then do a residency where they function as doctors. There
is oversight, but they are working with patients without another
physician. She asked if her understanding of residency teaching
was correct.
CHAIR HOLLAND restated the question by asking whether teacher
residencies would be like a super aide who would be in a
classroom with an experienced teacher or would the teacher have
a mentor monitoring and checking occasionally.
SENATOR HUGHES replied she hoped it was the latter.
9:49:40 AM
MR. KING replied that under AS 14.20.022, the subject-matter
expert limited teacher certificate is used to hire someone with
a degree and experience in a subject but has not completed a
teacher preparation program. This person can be the teacher of
record for a classroom if they have an assigned mentor. The
mentor must only be an experienced teacher and does not have to
work alongside the mentee. Research shows that this type of
mentorship is unbeneficial and results in unprepared teachers
who burn out from working as full-time teachers and taking
preparation courses simultaneously with little or no support.
MR. KING said the residency program would be an alternative
pathway to the expert-limited teaching certificate. It would be
the same in that the resident teacher would be teaching and
taking preparation coursework. Still, the mentor relationship
would be stronger because the resident teacher would not be the
teacher of record for the classroom. The resident teacher would
work with a mentor to gain experience, build a support system,
and establish a strong foundation for becoming a teacher of
record, perhaps the following year.
9:51:34 AM
MR. KING said the draft bill is intentionally silent on how a
district designs the program. Research shows flexibility is key
to the program's effectiveness due to the many scenarios and
situations within various communities.
9:52:16 AM
SENATOR HUGHES said she taught in a private school without going
through a teacher certification program and did it well. She
stated that some people with degrees are naturally good teachers
and are ready to be a teacher of record without taking an entire
teacher preparation course. She expressed her belief that if
teachers were surveyed, they would say only a fraction of their
teacher training program helped them in the classroom. She
suggested that to fill teacher vacancies, another option could
be to allow a person with a degree to independently work as the
teacher of record with another teacher and pare down the
coursework needed for full certification. She opined that many
professionals do not want to go through a whole teacher training
program, but they would be fantastic teachers. She asked if the
idea had been considered.
9:53:48 AM
MR. KING replied that the alternative pathway to certification
addressed in the bill draft was perhaps similar in reference. It
would allow such things as work experience in place of
coursework. With the Board of Education's approved training
plans, the alternative pathway would be available. The residency
program is a more supportive pathway for a teacher that needs
it. It is meant to augment other options, not replace them.
SENATOR BEGICH stated that attempts at solving the teacher
shortage should not focus on only one issue. He opined that a
continuing reduction in the quality of teachers would not solve
the bigger problem of educating Alaska's children. Working
conditions, retirement, and developing leadership are part of
the issue, and he cautioned against taking away from the quality
of the education system to fill vacancies.
9:55:30 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND said that Alaska suffers from a 20 23 percent
turnover rate of teachers. He asked what the percentage is for
other states and how Alaska compares to the rest of the nation.
MS. ADAMS replied that she would look for the information from
the Education Commission of the States and get back to the
committee. She added that it would be interesting to see how
Alaska's rural areas compare to the rural areas of other states.
9:56:25 AM
MR. KING said another potential certification pathway that might
be included in the draft bill is a teacher apprenticeship
program for school district employees who work with students and
express interest in becoming teachers. Research has suggested
that paraprofessionals in education may have difficulty
affording school if they are not working or find it challenging
to work full-time and do coursework. The teacher apprenticeship
program would have a tiered pay structure based on experience.
It would provide a structured training plan in conjunction with
a paid wage for doing valuable service that ultimately results
in the employee completing the program and becoming a fully
certificated teacher. The Department of Labor would run the
program. Money for apprenticeship programs is available through
the federal government and possibly through state grants. DOL
and DEED could collaborate with the university to create
training plans that allow school employees to work and earn
money while progressing towards full certification. There are 28
states that have these paraprofessional pathways to a
certification program, but Alaska currently does not.
9:58:54 AM
At ease.
9:59:12 AM
CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting.
9:59:47 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Holland adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee
meeting at 9:59 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 2.28.2022 (S) EDC - Teacher Recruitment and Retention.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| RAND Study Synopsis - Job-Related Stress Threatens the Teacher Supply.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| ak-educator-retention-infographic.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| ak-educator-retention-infographic-update.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| 2021-2022 School Turnover.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| 2021-2022 District Turnover.pdf |
SEDC 2/28/2022 9:00:00 AM |