HB 147-RURAL DEF. TEACHER EDUCATION LOAN PROGRAM  9:10:55 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 147, "An Act relating to the teacher education loan program; and providing for an effective date." 9:11:18 AM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 147, Version 32-LS0692\B, Klein, 5/5/2021, as a working document. There being no objection, Version B was before the committee. 9:11:46 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY, as prime sponsor, presented the proposed CS for HB 147, [Version B]. She asserted that the purpose of the proposed legislation is to address the increased difficulty of retaining teachers in the state. She stated that data shows the issue is pronounced in rural and very remote communities in Alaska. She cited a presentation by the Institute of Education Sciences that relates data on teacher turnover; teacher turnover is higher in high poverty schools and is associated with lower student outcomes. Also, high teacher turnover is costly for schools and districts. She stated that, to improve educator recruitment and retention, it is consistently recommended to locally grow teachers and increase incentives, such as loan forgiveness programs. In alignment with these recommendations, she provided a 2021 factsheet [included in the committee packet] from the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest. REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY stated that the Teacher Education Loan (TEL) program was created in 1986 and managed by the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE). The program provided low-cost education loans to high school graduates who were pursuing careers in elementary or secondary education. She stated that each year ACPE mailed nomination forms to rural school districts. The districts nominated students interested in pursuing education as a career. Upon receipt of these nominations, ACPE mailed informational letters concerning the TEL program to the students. After confirmation of an education program [admittance] and financial aid eligibility, the students then could receive $7,500 in funding per year. These recipients could apply annually, up to five years. She stated that upon program completion, the TEL recipients could receive forgiveness equal to 100 percent of the principal and interest, if they met all forgiveness eligibility requirements and worked as a teacher for a rural Alaska community, as defined by statute. 9:15:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY expressed her appreciation to the committee for considering HB 147. She continued that Version B proposes a narrow change to a statutory definition that, due to an arbitrary and outdated population ceiling, unintentionally disqualifies rural Alaska communities for loan forgiveness eligibility. She indicated that a constituent brought the issue to her attention. The constituent qualified for TEL, completed college education, and earned a master's degree. Currently teaching in Bethel, the constituent was informed by ACPE that the community no longer met the statutory definition of rural. She stated that Version B changes the loan program's definition of a rural community to match the definition in the Medical Education Program for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI). She expressed the opinion that TEL's current definition of rural is arbitrary in comparison. She stated that the proposed legislation also includes a retroactivity clause. This would restore eligibility of loan forgiveness for those who received the loan after January 1, 2016. She stated that [Version B] is an effort to bring uniformity to the definition of rural and fulfill [the state's] promise to Alaska-grown teachers. She added that the legislation could add incentives for teachers to return to teach in a rural school district. She stated that the House Education Standing Committee has consistently heard that teachers familiar with the unique conditions and cultures in rural communities contribute to the success of rural students. She encouraged the committee to do a small part by supporting the legislation. 9:18:08 AM KATY GIORGIO, Staff, Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Zulkosky, prime sponsor, gave a sectional analysis of the proposed CS for HB 147, [Version B]. She stated that Section 1 of the bill aligns population limits in the TEL program with the definition in the WWAMI program. She stated that there are two different types of rural communities: those off the road system and those connected by roads to Anchorage or Fairbanks. She explained that Section 1 raises the population requirement ceiling from 5,500 or less, to 7,500 or less, matching the TEL program definition of rural communities off the road system to the WWAMI program definition. This change would include Bethel and Kodiak on the list of communities defined as rural. She stated that Version B does not change the rural requirements for communities on the road system. She added that the WWAMI definition of rural schools on the road system is a population of 3,500 or less, while the TEL definition is 1,500 or less. She stated that the bill sponsor would welcome a friendly amendment to change the TEL definition of rural schools on the road system from 1,500 to 3,500, to match WWAMI's definition. She stated if an amendment were to be presented, the list of rural communities on the road system would then include Seward, North Pole, Willow, Anchor Point, Kenai, Farm Loop, and Houston. MS. GIORGIO stated that Section 2 would make the legislation retroactive to January 1, 2016. This clause enables the state to fulfill its promise to rural teachers who entered the TEL program in good faith that their loans would be forgiven. She stated that, while the TEL program has ceased, there are still teachers in rural areas who are seeking to have their loans forgiven. She stated that Section 3 establishes an effective date. 9:20:21 AM REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM asked if teachers, who have been paying back their loans, would receive reimbursements for the entire time. 9:20:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY responded that she would like to defer Representative Gillham's question to the executive director of ACPE. In response to Co-Chair Drummond's question, concerning the two different fiscal notes, she stated that the most recent, larger fiscal note of $3 million reflects the original bill version, in which an unintentional change made the definition of rural communities too broad. She stated that by adopting Version B the population ceiling is lifted from 5,500 to 7,500, in alignment with WWAMI's definition of rural communities off the road system. She assured the committee that the smaller fiscal note of $1 million is aligned with Version B. 9:22:55 AM SANA EFIRD, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education, Department of Education and Early Development, answered questions during the hearing on HB 147, [Version B]. In response to Representative Gillham, she stated that when the [TEL] program began, the borrowers in the program initially received funds from the Alaska Student Loan Corporation (ASLC). She stated that general funds were never appropriated for the loan forgiveness piece of the legislation; therefore, when loans were repaid, they would have been contributed to ASLC. She stated that the fiscal note shows [loan repayment] funds - that would have been for the forgiveness piece - going back to the ASLC through general funds. She stated that since TEL was a state program, it was not initially covered to provide forgiveness. She stated that this is her understanding of the original intent of the program, that there were never general funds to backfill or support the forgiveness. 9:24:20 AM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS offered his understanding that the [TEL] program has stopped operation. He suggested that the bill just supports educators in Bethel who were initially part of the program, but now excluded. He clarified that the legislation is not opening the door to new teachers but only provides funding for those who were left in "the donut hole" of Bethel when the program was operating. 9:24:58 AM MS. EFRID responded that this is the spirit and intent of the bill. She stated that the program no longer functions because there is no support for the forgiveness piece. 9:25:23 AM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS estimated that $1 million would be available for 20 eligible teachers, and that this would be the only cost. He questioned whether the $1 million would come out of the general fund or from ASLC. MS. EFRID responded that the $1 million is being requested from the general fund. She noted that Kodiak would also be included, if the definition changes for off-road rural communities. REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY underscored that a friendly amendment could expand the definition for on-road communities to include the communities of Seward, North Pole, Willow, Anchor Point, Kenai, Farm Loop, and Houston. She noted that this population limit change would likely alter the fiscal note. 9:27:03 AM The committee took a brief at-ease at 9:27 a.m. 9:27:28 AM MADELINE REICHARD, Teacher, Lower Kuskokwim School District, testified in support of HB 147, [Version B]. She paraphrased from the following written statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity to testify in support of HB 147[;] my name is Madelene Reichard. My [Yup'ik] name is Arnaucuaq, I am named after Arnaucuaq Angiak from Tununak Alaska who was a storyteller, which is why I think I talk so much. So I will try to keep it brief today. -I am a teacher here in Bethel at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, our [Yup'ik] charter school. I was born and raised here in Bethel and am incredibly proud to have grown up in the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. I attended elementary, middle and high school here before graduating from Bethel Regional High School in 2011. -Prior to graduating in the fall of 2010, the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) selected me for their future teacher candidate scholarship, they submitted my name to the State of Alaska through the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) to be considered for the Teacher Education Loan (TEL) Program. -I was subsequently accepted into the TEL program. Where was mutually agreed upon that if I returned to rural Alaska to teach for 4 years that the TEL loan would be forgiven in full, and any payments I had made towards the loan would be returned to me. -I attended the University of Oregon and received my Bachelor of Science in Educational Foundations. I then continued into an accelerated program in which I also earned my Master's Degree in Curriculum and Teaching, with a special focus in elementary education and English as a second language. -Upon graduating in 2016, I happily accepted a teaching position with LKSD at the Bethel Regional High School. After one year there, I accepted a new position at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik where I am currently teaching, right now Kindergarten-6th grade art and English Language Development. -Mrs. Hankins and Mr. Daniel can speak more to this but My school is a Title 1 Yup'ik Immersion Charter school wherein 90% of our students are Alaska Native. We focus on language and cultural education and preservation as well as western education. 9:30:11 AM -Teacher retention has been a long-standing issue within rural communities. For some rural districts the teacher turnover rate is as high as 50-80% per year, as you have heard recently and this revolving door of teachers leaving has detrimental effects on students in our area. Growing up as a student here, the turnover of teachers is very evident. It is disruptive. You lack consistency. You miss out on opportunities to build trust and focus on learning because you are constantly having to adapt[.] -Having to frequently reintroduce yourself and learning needs as well as readjust to new teachers every year, especially ones who do not understand or value the cultural background you come from, is exhausting. - It was very important to me to come home and teach to provide another stable, consistent influence for kids that grew up just like me. I want to show that kids from our community can succeed. Having local teachers who understand your language, your culture, the community removes a barrier and allows you to be in a better starting position as a teacher. I was especially enthusiastic to return to the state of Alaska and specifically Bethel, because it's my home and I want to give back to the community that has always supported me. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to work with families I have known my whole life or to build relationships with new families getting to watch their children learn and grow from kindergarten to junior high. -After my first year of teaching I applied for forgiveness from ACPE as I had been instructed. I was shocked when I received a letter back from the ACPE stating I had not been approved for forgiveness, because my school was not in a rural community. According to AS 14.43.700, "rural means a community with a population of 5,500 or less that is not connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks...". -These population guidelines were originally set the year I was born, which as my students like to constantly remind me? was a very long time ago, left no room for population growth or any language allowing for mirroring of Federal or other state guidelines. -Bethel does not technically meet the population component of the definition. However, I would note that because of its remote location "not connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks," it is clear to anyone who has lived, worked, or visited Bethel that it is, in fact, a very rural community. -The goal of programs like the LKSD scholarship and TEL is to create homegrown teachers. The programs are meant to help improve teacher retention by encouraging local students to become teachers and return to their home communities. - That is why this issue is consequential not only for me but for all rural students who wish to become teachers in the future. If we as a state plan to truly invest in the future of education, this program would benefit from a rewrite. During this pandemic we have seen teacher retention rates taken an even greater hit and we owe it to our kids to do better for them. I have spoken to Department Directors, The Commissioner of Education and even the Governor himself, everyone was equally confused and in support of the definition changing to reflection what is accurate. -I am a proud public school educator committed to the education of students in the YK delta but I am also just a kid from Bethel, asking for the state of Alaska to hold up the end of their promise so I can continue to hold up my side of teaching these awesome kids in this strong, resilient community. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak on this bill I stand ready to answer any questions from the committee. 9:35:09 AM KIMBERLY HANKINS, Superintendent, Lower Kuskokwim School District, testified in support of HB 147, [Version B]. She paraphrased from the following written statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Chair Drummond and House Education Committee members, thank you for the time today to speak in support of HB 147, the importance of growing our own teachers, and supporting multiple pathways for teacher retention. I'm Kimberly Hankins, Superintendent of the Lower Kuskokwim School District. This is my second year serving as superintendent, and 19th year with the district. The Lower Kuskokwim School District is headquartered in Bethel. We serve approximately 4,000 students in 29 schools, in 24 locations, across an area of approximately 22,000 square miles. Access to Bethel is via Alaska Airlines from Anchorage, weather permitting, and access to our 24 village locations is via small air carrier, snow machine, four-wheeler, boat, ice road in the winter, and/or dog sled. Over the past decade and a half, LKSD has worked incredibly hard to implement language immersion models, including a dual language enrichment model program and a Yupik immersion program in the majority of our schools. We have worked to develop place-based, culturally rich and relevant education materials aligned to state standards, in both English and Yugtun. The mission of our district is to ensure bilingual, culturally appropriate and effective education for all students, and this is supported by the LKSD Board of Education's four Key Measures, one of which focuses directly on Yup'ik/Cup'ik proficiency. In order to staff our schools, the district looks to develop teachers from within our communities as well as recruit from around our state and nation. In the past few years, our teacher turnover rate has hovered between 20-25%, and has been as high as 38%. Unfortunately, we have seen a trend over the past several years in that we are unable to staff all of our teacher openings despite exhaustive, ongoing recruitment. This places a burden on the district and on individual schools that are not fully staffed, but ultimately underserves our students. Teacher retention and turnover has been and continues to be an issue we face annually, both here in Bethel and in our village sites. Most recently, the district has found it increasingly difficult to staff positions in Bethel due to the high cost of living rent and utilities in particular; for your reference a gallon of milk in Bethel is nearly $9, apples can cost as much as $4.99/pound, and an 18- pack of eggs costs over $6.00. While Bethel has a larger population than surrounding villages, it faces similar challenges both in teacher recruitment and retention, and common struggles associated with living in rural Alaska. (high cost of rent, housing shortages, high cost of utilities, access to services, isolation) In a 2021 study titled "Education Retention and Turnover in Alaska," published by the Institute of Education Sciences and REL [Regional Educational Laboratory] Northwest at Education Northwest, it is stated that educator turnover is associated with a broad range of negative outcomes for students. It is also noted that rural schools in Alaska continue to be hit hardest by turnover, and that teachers and principals prepared outside Alaska continue to be more likely to turn over. 9:39:05 AM In the same study, the following strategies are noted for improving educator recruitment and retention in Alaska: - Create and support multiple teacher preparation pathways that can increase the supply of Alaska- educated teachers, including grow-your-own programs - Increase incentives for educators, including loan- forgiveness programs For more than a decade LKSD has developed and implemented our own TEACH program as a way to develop local talent and grow our own teachers both as a way to meet teacher turnover needs and as a way to staff our dual language and immersion model schools. Our district commits hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to this program and we have numerous certified teachers who have completed this program working throughout the district. Each year, LKSD devotes a significant amount of time and man-hours in developing new hires and in educating them on district programs, instructional models, and in helping them learn about the culture of the region, communities, and students that they serve. This is a continuous cycle. Locally grown teachers, such as Madelene Reichard, are incredibly valuable in that they are from the region, they have grown up in the culture, they are familiar with and have connections in our communities, and they serve as excellent role models and mentors both for our students and our new to district teachers. They are familiar with the familial structures found in our region, they understand the cultural context of our students and our communities, they enhance relationships in their schools and greatly contribute to school climate and connectedness. Programs that support developing local talent or growing your own and teacher loan forgiveness programs are critical solutions in solving the education retention and recruitment issue faced in rural Alaska. 9:41:44 AM MS. HANKINS, in response to Representative Prax, stated that to qualify for the [TEL] program the recipient must have been a resident of a rural area when he/she applied. In response to a follow-up, she stated that the recipient would return to teach in a rural area for four years. She asked that Representative Zulkosky confirm the requirements. 9:42:32 AM MS. EFIRD, in response to Representative Prax, referred to the TEL information sheet in the committee packet. She stated that, after five years of teaching in an area defined as rural, the loan would be forgiven. 9:43:06 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY, in response to Representative Prax, answered that the purpose of the legislation is to fulfill the state's promise to rural teachers, specifically those in Bethel and Kodiak. She stated that LKSD nominated Ms. Reichard to receive the loan because she intended to pursue a career in education and return to Bethel to teach in the community. However, once she applied for loan forgiveness, because of the outdated statute governing the program, she was told she was ineligible. She stated that Ms. Reichard brought the issue forward, but the legislation could help other teachers. 9:44:32 AM REPRESENTATIVE ZULKOSKY, in response to a follow-up question, stated that the program is no longer utilized by ACPE. She stated that she and Ms. Efird have had an ongoing conversation regarding different programs for teacher retention in rural communities. This legislation seeks to remedy the promise the TEL program made to teachers who continue to teach in rural Alaska, but due to the outdated definition, are unable to qualify for the forgiveness element. These teachers have paid down their loans under the impression their community would be considered rural because they were nominated by a rural school district. 9:45:57 AM SEGUE GRANT, Vice President, National Education Association Alaska Affiliate (NEA-Alaska), testified in support of HB 147, [Version B]. She provided her Yup'ik name, Chagusak (ph), and stated that public education is her career and passion. She stated that she has worked in LKSD for 13 years. As an itinerant educator, she travels to villages in the district supporting other teachers in their classrooms. She offered her gratitude to Representative Zulkosky for introducing legislation that would fulfill the promises made to educators committed to working in rural Alaska. She said that the state widely promoted the TEL program years ago. To attract students in rural Alaska to the education profession, the state offered loans that would be reduced or forgiven, provided the recipient return to work in rural Alaska. However, school districts grew in population and no longer fit under the definition of rural. She continued that the unintended consequence makes the TEL recipients ineligible for the loan forgiveness, even though the population of the community was within the definition of rural when the teacher originally applied for the loan. She stated that the legislation would allow a statutory fix for applicants on the original terms of the TEL program, adding that the retroactivity clause is critical to fulfill the promise to those who applied for the loan under the impression they would qualify for loan forgiveness. She stated that attracting and retaining teachers to rural Alaska has been a challenge for decades. She stated that NEA-Alaska supports the initiatives to create a strong cohort of teachers who intend to return to communities to pass on their knowledge. She argued that students learn best from educators who share their values, history, and connection to the land. She continued that educators who return to their home to teach are less likely to seek a job in another district or state. She stated that continuity has profound implications on generations of young Alaskans. She urged the committee to support the legislation, as it is important to her community and to the teachers. 9:50:42 AM LISA PARADY, PhD, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA), testified in support of HB 147, [Version B]. She shared that ACSA is the umbrella organization for superintendents, elementary and secondary principals, school business officials, and "all hard-working school administrators" in Alaska. Referencing the importance of the first sentence in the sponsor statement, she read the from the statement, as follows, "Teacher recruitment and retention pose significant challenges to Alaska schools, but the issue is most pronounced in rural communities. Overtime, this can be a contributing, systemic factor to success and, most importantly, achievement gaps experienced in Alaska classrooms." She stated that preparing, attracting, and retaining qualified educators is one of the highest priorities for ACSA, NEA-Alaska, and the Association of Alaska School Boards. She stated that to solve the crisis there must be intentionality. Retaining effective educators is imperative to increase student achievement and eliminating academic disparity for all of Alaska students. She expressed gratitude to the committee for looking at the research that supports these ideas. She stated that ACSA strongly encourages the development of statewide programs that would prepare, attract, and retain high-quality, diverse educators. She added that ACSA recommends funding for a robust educator pipeline, creating incentives for graduates to stay in Alaska. She commented that while the Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest was doing research in Alaska, a new definition of rural had to be applied. Due to the remoteness of the state the federal government's definition of rural "did not fit." 9:54:29 AM DR. PARADY stated that the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research and the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, published an article on February 24, 2022, that addressed teacher turnover in Alaska as the "perfect storm." The article related that Alaska has traditionally recruited teachers from the contiguous U.S. The article also related that there are fewer people going into teacher preparation programs across the country. Because there is a high demand and a diminished supply, competition for teachers from within Alaska and across the country is elevated. She stated the research suggests Alaska is in a significant crisis. She compared the situation to a weave of cloth made up of multiple crisscrossed strands. She said that the state needs multiple strands to fix the educator staffing crisis, with one of the strands being loan forgiveness. She stated that ACSA, not only supports the bill, but encourages reconsideration of a comparable [TEL] program for the entire state. She expressed the belief that staffing classrooms with high-quality, locally grown educators would support the weave of cloth. She expressed hope that the committee would support the legislation, as well as look at solutions to attract and retain high-quality staff. She offered her thanks to the committee for its work in supporting public education. 9:57:10 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND requested that Dr. Parady provide to the committee the statistics on teacher retention and student performance. She stated that these statistics help explain the importance of retaining teachers. 9:57:49 AM DR. PARADY answered that she did not have the statistics available but could supply them at a later date. She stated that a study by the Institute of Social and Economic Research found the lowest achievement in reading proficiency was found in the districts with the highest teacher turnover; the districts with the lowest teacher turnover had the highest achievement in reading proficiency. 9:59:01 AM DR. PARADY, in response to Representative Prax, agreed that the legislation only addresses the past. She stated that, due to circumstances outside of their control, teachers were reliant on a program that shifted. She expressed hope that the committee would support future programs for locally grown educators with loan forgiveness. 10:01:11 AM MS. EFIRD clarified that ASLC did provide forgiveness for over 300 of the loans. She responded to Representative Hopkins that ACPE absolutely agrees the number one priority for Alaska is recruitment and retainment of teachers. She stated that the spirit of the legislation shows a good faith effort by the state. 10:03:05 AM CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that HB 147 was held over.