SB 20-OUT OF STATE TEACHER RECIPROCITY  9:03:35 AM CHAIR HOLLAND announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 20 "An Act relating to recognition of certificates of out-of-state teachers." He invited Senator Stevens and staff to introduce the bill. 9:03:49 AM SENATOR GARY STEVENS, speaking as sponsor of SB 20, stated this legislation is about teacher certification reciprocity. It is an attempt to help districts solve the teacher shortage. It is a balance between setting a high bar for excellent teachers and on the other hand, acknowledging the barrier to entry some folks face. Teaching is a heavily regulated profession with stringent guidelines, training, and assessment programs. This bill is simply an effort to offer a pathway that is clear, reflects the unique needs of Alaska, and maintains an awareness of the state's history and culture, but it also gets teachers in good standing from other states, possibly even military spouses, quickly. He is looking forward to hearing from districts about whether this would help them solve teacher shortages. 9:05:04 AM TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said SB 20 aligns with some regulatory emergency suspensions of the past year. Superintendents around the state have requested assistance with improving the supply of qualified teachers, primarily in the form of relaxing some training requirements, specifically the three credits in Alaska studies and multicultural studies. It is assumed that if teachers are in good standing in another state, if they have the basic requirements of a baccalaureate degree, Praxis test passing score, and have passed a background check, they should be eligible to legitimately resume teaching in Alaska as well. This bill will give them a window of time to complete the Alaska-specific trainings. 9:06:25 AM MR. LAMKIN presented the sectional analysis for SB 20: Sec. 1: AS 14.20.010, relating to a teaching certificate being required to teach in Alaska, removes the reference of there being a preliminary certificate. Sec. 2: AS 14.20.015(a), relating to out-of-state teaching certificates, removes reference to there being a preliminary certificate, and also removes a requirement for a out-of-state teachers to have a baccalaureate degree. Sec. 3: AS 14.20.015(b), relating to out-of-state teaching certificates, removes a requirement for passing a competency exam, and replaces it with a requirement to complete a college course in Alaska studies and multi or cross-cultural studies within 3 years. Sec. 4: AS 14.20.015(c), relating to out-of-state teaching certificates, removes reference to there being a preliminary teaching certificate. Sec. 5: AS 14.20.020(b), relating to requirements of teacher certificates generally, exempts out-of-state teaching certificate holders from having to complete a college course in Alaska studies and multi or cross- cultural studies before receiving their Alaska certificate. Sec 6: AS 14.20.020(h), relating to a requirement to complete a college course in Alaska studies and multi or cross-cultural studies, to allow an out-of-state teacher to receive their Alaska certificate, but to complete those studies within 3 years. Sec 7: AS 14.20.020(k),relating to the requirement of a variety of trainings to take place before being issued an Alaska teaching certificate, to allow out-of-state certificate holders 3 years to complete such trainings. Sec. 8: AS 14.20.015 (d), (e), and (f), relating to preliminary teaching certificate employment, tenure and expiration are repealed. 9:09:01 AM SENATOR BEGICH asked if the assumption is that holding a valid teaching certificate from another state requires that someone have a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. He asked how that would be known for sure. MR. LAMKIN responded that there is a national movement for conformity in teaching certificates. He is not aware of any state that issues a teaching certificate without the applicant having a baccalaureate degree. SENATOR BEGICH said that in the past, a bill came up to allow teachers to teach a foreign language without a teaching certificate. He has been opposed to that because he sees it as a loosening of the structure for education. He asked where the protection in the law is to ensure someone has a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science to teach. MR. LAMKIN answered that he believes this is covered in a section of the bill. Someone trained in Alaska must get a baccalaureate degree. This is shifting the preliminary certificates to a full certificate and applicants must prove they have a baccalaureate. He is sure it is in the bill, but he would defer to the commissioner on this. 9:11:12 AM SENATOR MICCICHE asked if the original requirement for Alaska studies came from a bill by Senator Stevens. SENATOR STEVENS replied yes. He taught that class for many years at the university. 9:11:37 AM SENATOR HUGHES said there has been discussion of this in other professions as well. She wants to make sure the bar is not lower in other states. There are other requirements besides a college degree. Mississippi requires that teachers pass a test about how to teach reading. It would be reassuring to have a national comparison about teacher certifications. Alaska might want to say yes for these states and no for others. She asked if there a resource that allows for comparisons of requirements. She asked if that is something the sponsor might think necessary. MR. LAMKIN responded that people online can contribute to the conversation and give a picture of the national landscape. They will formally present on Friday. SENATOR HUGHES said the committee is looking at early literacy bills. If the state brought in a teacher from Mississippi, that teacher would know how to teach reading. The literacy bill would require three credits in reading instruction, but that may not be required in another state. That person would not be as prepared. That is her concern. CHAIR HOLLAND moved to invited testimony. 9:14:30 AM LARRY LEDOUX, Ph.D., Superintendent, Kodiak Island Borough School District, Kodiak, Alaska, described SB 20 as an important bill because teachers are difficult to find in Alaska. Alaska cannot grow its own teachers in sufficient numbers to fill positions and must look outside to find teachers. Alaska used to enjoy hundreds of teachers who wanted to come to Alaska. When he attended job fairs in Anchorage in the past, there would be 1,200 candidates lined up during the job fairs. Now it seems there are more administrators looking for teachers than teacher candidates. It is a competitive market. Alaska's salaries are not as high as they used to be compared to other states. The state needs to make it easier for qualified staff to come to Alaska. This year, because of the emergency declaration and the waiving of many requirements, it has been easy for Kodiak to fill vacancies with quality teachers. The state waived Praxis scores and the three semester hours in Alaska studies and multicultural education. The Alaska certification office has been exemplary in helping Kodiak certify its teachers. Many teachers in Kodiak are military spouses. They often come in the summer. Anything that holds up certification of these teachers makes it difficult for them to be in classrooms on the first day of school. This bill will help fill positions and attract more teachers who sometimes go elsewhere because they don't want to go through all the immediate steps necessary to be fully certified, especially since they are taking a risk, from their point of view, in coming to Alaska. SENATOR STEVENS said that Senator Hughes brought up the issue of applicants from other states who may not be as qualified as they should be. He assumes Superintendent LeDoux would not hire unqualified applicants. DR. LEDOUX answered that his district would never hire a teacher, especially in elementary areas, who did not have sufficient credentials in reading. Generally, he has found that elementary teachers have the reading background and experience. If the district could not ascertain that, the district would not hire them in spite of this bill. 9:18:51 AM DEENA BISHOP, Ph.D., Superintendent, Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska, said that SB 20 allows potential applicants to consider teaching in Alaska at a higher rate. The bill allows the flexibility needed at just the right time in the state. Many alternative certificate programs in the lower 48 do not require student teaching but have a blended approach to gaining certification. This bill allows new hires to move to the professional certificate whereas they are not presently able to do so because of the state's student teaching requirement. Often they won't choose Alaska because of this provision. More people are entering education as a second career than ever. Second career educators are highly cherished. She personally has high regard for them. They have so much more to offer to students, especially when considering that education is preparing students for the real world or success in life. Many second career educators have worked in the private sector, which adds value to classrooms. They are more inclined to enter into an alternative certificate program. Anchorage has eight immersion programs. Out-of-country educators often do not participate in the traditional student teaching roles. This bill would allow for out-of-country candidates to move to professional certification as well. They cannot do that now because of the student teacher requirement. The Anchorage School District, like Kodiak, has about 7 percent of teachers and other certificated staff coming from military families. They are military spouses. Recreational opportunities in Alaska attract families but so does work. In order to keep military spouses employed, a more flexible certificate path is always valued in their transfers. SB 20 allows the time and flexibility need to transition to Alaska. SB 20 maintains high standards but allows more time to complete the requirements. 9:22:15 AM SENATOR MICCICHE asked if any teachers in the Anchorage School District are without a baccalaureate degree. DR. BISHOP answered that the district has some, primarily in career and technical education. The state has a type M certificate. Districts must request a type M certificate for people they want to teach particular courses. That keeps districts accountable. Districts hire the best candidates. The Anchorage School District has hundreds of type M people who do not have a baccalaureate degree. 9:23:13 AM MICHAEL JOHNSON, Ph.D., Commissioner, Department of Education and Early Development, Juneau, Alaska, thanked the committee for focusing legislation on the shared priorities of the Alaska Education Challenge. Priority four is to prepare, attract, and retain effective education professionals. SB 20 will improve the trajectory toward this priority. The state will continue to work on preparing Alaskans to become certified teachers and recognizes the current challenge to recruit enough teachers requires the state to invite safe and skilled educators from across the country. Many current teachers chose to move to the state, learn from fellow Alaskans, respect the state's cultures, and care for Alaska's students. This past year has given the state an opportunity like never before to appreciate teachers who work tirelessly for students, even when faced with a global crisis. Alaska need teachers for students. Sondra Meredith, the head of teacher certification, can answer any question about current certification statutes and regulations. Tiffany and Cassidy from Education Commission of the States have the national perspective. SENATOR BEGICH questioned the reason for the statutory requirement to have a baccalaureate degree to be a teacher when 300 teachers in the Anchorage School District do not have one. 9:26:14 AM COMMISSIONER JOHNSON answered that he cannot say why it was placed in statute originally. It is easy to say that teaching increasingly requires a higher level of training. Like many other industries, that postsecondary training is essential for the work; however, increasingly, many pathways exist to achieve those skills and preparations that may not have been available in the traditional, higher education setting 15 or 20 years ago. The broad answer is that it is a matter of training and skills. Students are complex and it requires a special kind of training to meet their needs. SENATOR MICCICHE cited AS 14.20.022, which could require a baccalaureate or at least five years of experience in the subject matter that the person will be teaching. He asked if that is the certificate that most teachers are using who do not have a BA or BS. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON deferred to Sondra Meredith, who knows the statutes and regulations for all certificates and knows what was waived during the pandemic. 9:28:43 AM SONDRA MEREDITH, Administrator, Teacher Certification, Department of Education and Early Development, Juneau, Alaska, clarified that the type M certificate is a separate section than the one Senator Micciche quoted. The statute for a subject matter expert allows individuals with a bachelor's degree but who have not completed a teacher education program to be licensed in the state. Type M appears further along in the statute. SENATOR MICCICHE voiced support for the bill and said producing evidence of a baccalaureate is easy. He understands why the Alaska studies and cross-cultural studies are removed. It allows districts to put a teacher to work right away. There are other avenues without dropping the bar on every teacher without requiring a BA. He asked why that is in the bill. MS. MEREDITH said that when it comes to this particular pathway that is in existence that the bill will change slightly, when her agency looks at certifications from other states, it uses the NASDTEC (National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification) agreement to determine whether it is a regular certificate. That has been established by NASDTEC. The agency looks to see if the particular certificate being presented represents a certificate that shows that the person has completed a teacher preparation program and has a bachelor's degree as the minimum requirement. She assumes the bill sponsor would want that to continue. Her agency will continue to look at the certificate to ensure that it is a regular certificate issued by a state. 9:32:35 AM SENATOR BEGICH asked if she said this is essentially removing a redundancy. MS. MEREDITH answered yes. As part of its processes, her agency would be looking to the state that issued the certificate to make sure it represented what she mentioned before. SENATOR BEGICH asked if NASDTEC was an accrediting association. MS. MEREDITH replied that it is a national association for her licensing manager peers. The state has an agreement in statute that connects the state to that agency. SENATOR BEGICH said that satisfies his concern. 9:33:48 AM SENATOR MICCICHE said that doesn't quite get him there. Other than a subject matter expert, he doesn't see anywhere else in code where a baccalaureate is required. He asked if the state is thinking of dropping the requirement for a BA or a BS for a teacher certificate. If not, he doesn't understand the value of removing that section requiring that level of education. He is just curious whether the state is considering for certain subjects, other than subject matter experts, where the state is having a difficult enough time landing educators in Alaska, that someone with an associate of arts might be a target for employment in the future. MS. MEREDITH responded that most certifications are issued under AS 14.20.020. In subsection b of that provision, a bachelor's degree is the minimum requirement. That is the overarching statute for all certificates except for the subject matter expert and the out-of-state reciprocity language that is separate from the section. 9:36:09 AM CASSIDY FRANCIES, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Commission of the States, Denver, Colorado, said generally, experience is the biggest indicator of teacher effectiveness. A lot of policy makers have used that as justification for providing reciprocity, that the out-of-state teachers have experience teaching. 9:37:27 AM TIFFANY MCDOLE, Policy Researcher, Education Commission of the States, Denver, Colorado, said she and Cassidy are presenting at a later hearing with a formal analysis of the national landscape on statute related to reciprocity. They will speak about how states consider bachelor degrees or baccalaureates in the licensing process. MR. LAMKIN said that to touch upon Senator Micciche and Senator Begich's concern, the key word is reciprocity. The target is that if a teacher is in good standing in a particular subject matter with the respective certificate, there would be reciprocity for that certificate. The intent is not to lower the bar regarding a baccalaureate degree. Senator Steven's office will make sure that the bill is not doing that. SENATOR BEGICH clarified that Ms. Meredith said that AS 14.20.020(b) requires a baccalaureate degree. This simply removes a redundancy in the law. If the agency is examining certificates through reciprocity and the accreditation process, then teachers will have met that requirement. Once she explained that to him, it makes it clear to him that it is a redundancy and the bill is not lowering the standard. He will look at .020(b) to make sure that is the case, but that seems to be what folks are saying. He has deeper concerns that he will bring up with the Anchorage superintendent about the hundreds of type M certificates but not now. SENATOR MICCICHE said that he sees the statement in .020 and agrees that it has a requirement, but this bill seems to indicate unless it is a certificate born out of reciprocity. That concerns him. He would like to understand that. It seems to point in that direction, trusting in the certification of other states. He does not think that is the goal and is not sure it needs to be removed. He would like to know if others can point the committee in that direction, that it still does satisfy that requirement. He does not think it is redundant. He thinks it is saying when the state is receiving other certificates, a BA or BS is still required, unless it is a type M certificate. 9:41:31 AM SENATOR HUGHES offered her understanding that one of the regulations that was suspended for out-of-state teachers during COVID-19 was fingerprinting because it slowed the hiring process. She said she wonders if the timing of fingerprinting will be a problem. She asked if the fingerprint records from other states are being accepted so teachers. If not, she asked what kind of delay could be expected. 9:42:27 AM MR. LAMKIN said he is reviewing the emergency orders and he does not see that fingerprinting regulations were suspended. SENATOR HUGHES suggested that should be double checked, and whether Alaska would want to accept the fingerprinting done in another state so there would be no delay. MR. LAMKIN deferred to Ms. Meredith. MS. MEREDITH explained that the fingerprint regulations were not suspended because of a provision under AS 14.20.010 that allows individuals applying for certification to present their fingerprint cards. That gives the department 90 days to work with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to receive their criminal history report. During that time, those individuals are considered to be fully licensed in Alaska, so there is no penalty to the applicant or district as long as the fingerprint card is provided. The department did work with DPS during the emergency orders. DPS allowed the department to submit a name- based check for individuals having difficulty getting hand- rolled prints. That worked well and gave the individual more time to get fingerprints rolled. With the removal of the emergency orders, that is no longer an option, but the department still has the additional time after someone initially applies for certification. SENATOR HUGHES thanked her for the clarification. 9:45:34 AM CHAIR HOLLAND held SB 20 in committee.