HB 260-STATE EDUCATION POLICY: EARLY CHILDHOOD  9:49:17 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 260 "An Act relating to the state education policy." 9:49:41 AM REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, Alaska State Legislature, introduced HB 260 as prime sponsor. She expressed her strong interest in education policy, having been an educator for over 20 years. She stated recognition that teachers are overburdened yet key sources of information and allies to overcoming societal problems with families and communities. She asked the committee to consider existing research on the "school to prison pipeline." She summarized her research demonstrating a relationship between punitive suspension and expulsion policies in public schools being related to individuals' participation in the criminal justice system. She stated that her research on this phenomenon led her to learn about "restorative practices." She noted that the preparation of this proposed legislation took into consideration timing of other laws and acts being heard, passed and implemented, as well as her understanding of the burdens upon public school systems in Alaska. She listed communities from which stakeholders participated and contributed to the development of the proposed legislation: Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Valdez, Homer, Sitka, Juneau, Bethel, Chevak, Chignik, and Kwethluk. 9:52:07 AM REPRESENTATIVE TARR stated that educators from these locations met throughout four summits, and together developed a consensus regarding restorative practices, what trauma-informed policies consist of; identification of resources to implement trauma- informed policies, including educator training resources that may be necessary for implementing restorative practices. She indicated that, after much work among these stakeholders, they fully endorsed the proposed legislation in HB 260. REPRESENTATIVE TARR expressed that, while the language of HB 260 is brief, the intent is impactful and would be the first legislation that would acknowledge trauma-informed schools in Alaska's public education policy. She echoed testimony from previous witnesses that was reminiscent of her own difficult experiences as a teacher. She drew attention to handouts containing information on harm reported to children level at 40 percent, and which depicts cost impacts of trauma to public resources. She urged consideration of HB 260 as a needed change to Alaska's public education policy. 9:55:19 AM TREVOR STORRS, President and CEO, Alaska Children's Trust, testified in support of HB 260. He stated that Alaska Children's Trust (AST) mission is the prevention of child abuse and neglect. He explained ACEs are differentiated from normal, manageable stress in that they disrupt normal brain development and can lead to lifelong social, emotional, and cognitive impairment. He noted that children who suffer from ACEs are more likely to have poor social performance, not graduate, exhibit high absenteeism, and exhibit behavioral challenges in the school environment. He asserted that HB 260 is evidence- based and would bring trauma informed care to students and would lead to increased SEL to meet more students' needs in the classroom. 9:58:54 AM TIM PARKER, President, NEA-Alaska, testified in support of HB 260. He described HB 260 as a policy change that reflects the priority identified in Alaska's Education Challenge - to cultivate safety and well-being. He related that student safety and well-being has always been a high priority among educators, and that as of late, it has emerged as a top priority. MR. PARKER referred to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs pyramid which depicts safety as a most basic psychological need and Bloom's Taxonomy, both of which teachers learn and understand as a part of their training. He suggested that for teachers to teach and for students to learn, Maslow's must be taken into consideration, and trauma identified and addressed. 10:01:41 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND reasoned that three of the four bills presented to the committee were closely related. 10:02:12 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX echoed Co-Chair Drummond's observation that the bills presented were related. CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 260 would be held over.