Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/31/1993 01:47 PM Senate HES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
March 31, 1993
1:47 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Steve Rieger, Chairman
Senator Bert Sharp, Vice-Chairman
Senator Loren Leman
Senator Mike Miller
Senator Jim Duncan
Senator Johnny Ellis
Senator Judy Salo
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING - STOWELL JOHNSTONE, STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION
SENATE BILL NO. 160
"An Act relating to memorial scholarship loans."
SENATE BILL NO. 61
"An Act implementing certain recommendations of Alaska 2000
to improve the state's education system; and providing for an
effective date."
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 160 - No previous action to record.
SB 61 - See HESS minutes dated 2/8/93, 2/10/93, 2/17/93,
2/24/93, 3/3/93, 3/8/93, 3/17/93, 3/19/93, 3/29/93.
WITNESS REGISTER
Stowell R. Johnstone
4822 Loretta Lane
Anchorage, AK 99507
Kathleen Niles, Admissions Clerk
University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka
1332 Seward Ave.
Sitka, AK 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 160
Joe Ambrose, Staff to Senator Robin Taylor
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered information on SB 160
Elaine Sunde, Director, Sitka Campus
University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka
1332 Seward Ave.
Sitka, AK 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 160
Wendy Redman, Vice President for University Relations
University of Alaska
910 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775-2388
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports SB 160
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-32, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN RIEGER called the Senate Health, Education and Social
Services (HESS) Committee to order at 1:47 p.m. He announced
the first order of business would be a confirmation hearing
on Governor appointee Stowell Johnstone to the State Board of
Education. Mr. Johnston, a teacher and school adminstrator,
has live in the State of Alaska for approximately 28 years.
CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked Mr. Johnstone his thoughts on the
current length of the school year. STOWELL JOHNSTONE answered
that the amount of time teachers have to spend with students
has been severely depleted over the past 10 to 15 years as a
result of the programs that have been put into schools. He
believes that consideration should be given to more time in
schools with students, with instructors. He said if teachers
were able to concentrate a greater proportion of their time
on dealing with the fundamentals of education in the academic
area, they would be able to make greater progress toward those
things they tend to be rated on, such as standardized tests.
CHAIRMAN RIEGER asked if the process is too restrictive on the
flexibility of a teacher or a school to control who attends
the classroom or who doesn't, such as students who are
disruptive in the classroom. STOWELL JOHNSTONE replied that
it is his opinion that even though there has been substantial
change since the Supreme Court decision where rights were
granted to students, there has been ample opportunity to
develop processes that will allow teachers to have class
control. If that isn't happening, it should be happening, he
stated.
Number 086
SENATOR ELLIS asked for his comments on what he believes is
the appropriate extent and scope of the state's role in early
childhood education. STOWELL JOHNSTONE answered that his
concentration in teaching has been basically at the senior
high and university levels, but he is confident that the early
childhood education can be a great leveler for students that
do not have the opportunity at home. He added that those
students that are considered "special" probably benefit more
from early childhood as a leveler than regular students do.
SENATOR ELLIS asked for Mr. Johnstone's comments on the use
of school construction funds for repair and maintenance of
schools. JOHNSTONE replied there is great need in the state
for construction. The villages are growing and, for the most
part, it is hard to find a school that is not crowded. The
state of repair of some of the schools, not only in the
villages, but in the urban areas as well, is not acceptable
by our standards, he said.
Number 180
SENATOR LEMAN commented that there is a real need to do
improvements to West High in Anchorage. In addition to that,
a high priority of his is to deal with the military schools
that need repairs. Unfortunately, it is a case of being
caught in the bureaucracy where the federal Department of
Education is supposed to bring those schools up to a level so
that the Anchorage School District can accept them. He
encouraged Mr. Johnstone to get actively involved in the issue
to see what can be done to help ensure that those schools are
brought up to standard.
Number 219
SENATOR SALO said in other states, when a school is either
being financially mismanaged or if there are significant
curriculum or learning deficiencies in the district, the
Department of Education has taken a pretty aggressive role in
stepping in to either monitor the situation or rectify it.
She asked Mr. Johnstone how he felt about that level of state
involvement. STOWELL JOHNSTONE answered that it is a two-
edged sword in that the State of Alaska has empowered the
local school boards to be the authorities within the schools.
He said while he thinks the state board has the responsibility
to get involved if things are running amuck in the school
district, he would hope they would encourage the State
Department of Education to provide services that will help
school districts improve. He added he was not sure how much
authority there is from a legal standpoint, but he would take
a look at what they can do if that is the case.
SENATOR SALO said it is her understanding that the Department
of Education is taking severe budget cuts this year, and one
of the areas they are being cut in is teacher certification.
She asked if, as a state board member, Mr. Johnstone saw
himself as potentially an advocate for the education budget,
or does he feel that is not his role. STOWELL JOHNSTONE
responded that as a state board member he would see the
position as an advocate for that. He said if we're going to
maintain the level of service that the state department is
expected to do at this time, there must be some way to provide
for that to happen. He also noted that one of the reasons
that he is interested in being on the State Board of Education
is that he sees this as a real time in education where some
things are going to happen. He said that for the first time,
we are recognizing that we do have two sets of standards to
maintain. One of them is school standards whereby we judge
what the where-with-all is to provide the environment for
education. The second is students standards, which we haven't
dealt with a great deal, and we need to establish those
standards and develop them.
Number 321
CHAIRMAN RIEGER closed the confirmation hearing and thanked
Mr. Johnstone for his participation.
Number 330
CHAIRMAN RIEGER introduced SB 160 (MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP LOANS)
as the next order of business, noting that testimony would be
taken over the teleconference network from the Sitka site.
Number 332
KATHLEEN NILES, Admissions Clerk, University of Alaska
Southeast-Sitka, related that she has already received 138
requests for the next Law Enforcement Certificate Program,
however, they are limited to accepting 30 of those applicants.
In 1992 there were 20 students that attended the class and 14
of them required financial aid. She said the change in the
eligibility requirements for receiving a Michael Murphy
memorial scholarship loan would be a way to help these people
who are interested in entering the law enforcement field.
Number 347
JOE AMBROSE, staff to Senator Robin Taylor, explained the
legislation would modify the eligibility requirements for the
Michael Murphy Scholarship to include certificate programs.
Current wording of AS 14.43.300 limits the awarding of
scholarship loans to students who pursue a degree program in
law enforcement, law, probations and parole, or penology or
closely related fields. This language prevents students in
certificate programs, such as the Law Enforcement Certificate
Program offered at the Sitka campus, UAS, from eligibility.
Concluding, Mr. Ambrose said SB 160 would potentially benefit
Alaska students attending an Alaska school with an eye toward
employment in Alaska.
Number 370
ELAINE SUNDE, Director of the Sitka campus of the University
of Alaska Southeast in Sitka, said the Law Enforcement
Certificate Program is done in partnership with the Alaska
Public Safety Academy. The students come in from throughout
the state and are in residence for about 17 weeks. These
individuals are funding their own education as opposed to the
municipalities doing it for them. The opportunity to offer
them some funding would be an incentive for them to remain in
the state, she said.
Number 385
WENDY REDMAN, representing the University of Alaska and
testifying in Juneau, stated it was a pleasure to testify in
support of a bill which has no downside to any constituency.
It is a bill that will expand opportunities for their students
to be able to get financial aid, which does not come from the
state, to enter into certificate or degree programs. She
explained that the money that goes into the Michael Murphy
memorial scholarship is all private donations. She urged
passage of SB 160.
Number 395
There being no further testimony on SB 160, the Chair stated
he would entertain a motion on the bill.
SENATOR MILLER moved that SB 160, along with the accompanying
zero fiscal note, be passed out of committee with individual
recommendations. Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.
Number 401
CHAIRMAN RIEGER brought SB 61 (IMPLEMENT ALASKA 2000
RECOMMENDATIONS) before the committee as the final order of
business. He directed attention to a draft committee
substitute.
Number 409
SENATOR SALO pointed out that the draft did not contain an
agreed upon change to page 9, line 1, where the phrase "must
be nonsectarian and" was to be inserted after the words
between "charter school."
BETTY HARGRAVE, staff to the HESS committee, explained that
the change was sent to the drafter who changed the wording to
"religion" because he thought that would satisfy Senator
Salo's concern. However, he does not have a problem with
putting the original language back in.
SENATOR SALO said she thinks there is a difference in the
effect of the language, that a school could be sectarian and
still not discriminate on the basis of religion.
The committee agreed to insert "must be nonsectarian and" on
page 9, line 1, and to delete "religion" on page 9, line 2.
The Chair then asked for the pleasure of the committee.
SENATOR MILLER moved that CSSB 61(HES) be passed out of
committee with individual recommendations. Hearing no
objection, it was so ordered.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
the meeting was adjourned at 2:19 p.m.
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