SB 8-PRE-K/ELEM ED PROGRAMS/FUNDING; READING  10:12:41 AM CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting and announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 8 "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; and providing for an effective date." He stated his intention to introduce and hold the bill in committee. He invited sponsor Senator Begich to introduce his bill. 10:13:04 AM SENATOR TOM BEGICH, speaking as sponsor of SB 8, stated that he would hold the sectional analysis until the next hearing. 10:13:24 AM At ease 10:13:38 AM CHAIR HOLLAND reconvened the meeting. 10:13:40 AM SENATOR BEGICH explained that what the committee would hear was not dissimilar from what they heard from Senator Hughes. He asked the committee to read his sponsor statement, which focuses more on the early learning components. In late 2019, he began to work with the commissioner [of the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)] and the governor to address reading. The committee has often discussed the state's reading scores. Senator Stevens and Senator Hughes and others have been driven by a desire to improve outcomes. In his discussions with the commissioner, he recognized early on that this relationship existed between reading and prekindergarten. That relationships led himself, the commissioner, and the governor to sit down at one point and identify the principles they believed needed to be in a successful education bill if the state were to truly turn the curve. A lot of that was built on the prior work of Senator Stevens and Senator Hughes. 10:15:19 AM SENATOR BEGICH said the three principles are 1) high-quality, voluntary early education, 2) high-quality reading, and 3) substantive support from DEED to ensure that teachers are prepped and ready and the districts have the support to succeed. All of this led to a comprehensive amount of research to identify what programming worked best out there. They looked at Mississippi, Florida, Colorado, and Oklahoma. They tried to draw the best of the best in a collaborative effort. Last year, the committee had seven hearings. The prior chair said thank goodness it is Valentine's Day. May they finally show the love to this bill and move it out, and the committee did. The committee did it thoughtfully, not hastily. The committee included almost everything suggested. The committee listened to superintendents, teachers, education experts, the education association, and the Alaska Policy Forum. The committee listened to all the voices in between. Not everyone was satisfied with the final product that came out of the committee, but everyone recognized that a final product cannot be perfect for everyone. It was not a bipartisan bill; it was a nonpartisan bill. The difference is that a bipartisan bill takes one political opinion and another political opinion and mashes them both up and comes out with a piece of mud in the middle that is often reflective of the worst, not the best, of an effort. A nonpartisan bill does the opposite. It creates a consortium of ideas, taking the best from either side, putting partisanship aside. This bill does that. It takes a nonpartisan approach to education based on evidence and moves that forward. 10:17:42 AM SENATOR BEGICH said SB 8 and SB 42 both take a nonpartisan approach to putting forward good, consistent education policy. If the committee or this body passes policy that makes them feel good for a moment, it doesn't solve the problem for generations of children. It does the opposite. It sets them up for failure not just of opportunity but of expectation. With that in mind, SB 8 does not have as many items as SB 42. It focuses strictly on the prekindergarten connection to reading, how those work together with support from the Department of Education and Early Development, how it provides support to teachers, and how it was developed with all those elements in mind. His hope is that the committee will see the wisdom of putting these ideas together in a common bill that the entire committee can support and that supports all of the elements that he is describing. If the committee doesn't do that, he thinks it will be a mistake. He is open to finding a process that works for everyone at this table and in this legislature, and for the children and their parents. 10:19:20 AM SENATOR STEVENS said both bills are extremely important. Years ago he was involved in a Chamber of Commerce project to help adults who cannot read. The committee would be amazed by the number of adults who have difficulty reading. It is so unfair to not help children learn to read. The committee has to make sure that these waivers make sense. This is life threatening and life enhancing. People who can't read will have problems their entire lives. They will have lower incomes and be in prison more. He hopes they address that very seriously and not just let children be socially advanced. The committee should do the best it can to make sure every child reads at level. 10:20:43 AM SENATOR MICCICHE shared that when he arrived in the legislature eight years ago, the partisan difference was that one party thought if the reading issue was not faced head on, it would solve itself. The other party was education at whatever the cost may be. He has seen the two sides come together, which is amazing. The evolution has been productive. Now a conservative group like the Alaska Policy Forum is saying the state is ranked dead last in the nation in fourth grade reading. That is a fact and that is not good for anyone. He has four kids and one had a reading problem. The reading intervention from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District was significant and turned her life around quickly. He saw a significant difference in her capacity to be successful in other subjects as well. Senator Hughes talks about pockets of success. His hope for this process is that even though they got one bill across the finish line in the Senate last year, the committee will spend time with successful districts to see what is and is not working. Perhaps the committee can put something together to move the state from beyond dead last after all these years. Money doesn't do it. Senator Begich is right, just pouring money into it doesn't deliver results. Senator Hughes has put a lot of thought into what can be successful as well. He continued to say: What we do know is we're lagging and will continue to lag if we don't find the sweet spot. It doesn't matter the party, doesn't matter the approach, it has to be the right one. I am excited about working through this. I do know that being a dad of some pretty amazing kids, every child is different. It doesn't matter how intelligent they may be if they don't have the right intervention when they're running into a problem, they're going to fall behind and stay there and I hope whatever bill comes out of this committee can help solve that problem. 10:23:40 AM CHAIR HOLLAND held SB 8 in committee.