ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE
January 21, 2022
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Harriet Drummond, Co-Chair
Representative Andi Story, Co-Chair
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky
Representative Grier Hopkins
Representative Mike Prax
Representative Mike Cronk
Representative Ronald Gillham
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 18
"An Act relating to national board certification for public
school teachers."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 21
"An Act relating to the Board of Regents of the University of
Alaska."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 164
"An Act relating to early education programs provided by school
districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to early
education programs; establishing a parents as teachers 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; relating to a virtual education consortium; and
providing for an effective date."
- BILL HEARING CANCELED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 18
SHORT TITLE: TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KREISS-TOMKINS
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) STA, EDC
02/25/21 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
02/25/21 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/02/21 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/02/21 (H) Heard & Held
03/02/21 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/04/21 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/04/21 (H) Heard & Held
03/04/21 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/09/21 (H) STA AT 3:00 PM GRUENBERG 120
03/09/21 (H) Moved HB 18 Out of Committee
03/09/21 (H) MINUTE(STA)
03/10/21 (H) STA RPT 3DP 1DNP 1NR 2AM
03/10/21 (H) DP: CLAMAN, TARR, KREISS-TOMKINS
03/10/21 (H) DNP: EASTMAN
03/10/21 (H) NR: STORY
03/10/21 (H) AM: KAUFMAN, VANCE
04/30/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/30/21 (H) Heard & Held
04/30/21 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
05/10/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
05/10/21 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
01/21/22 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
BILL: HB 21
SHORT TITLE: ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) WOOL
02/18/21 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/21
02/18/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/18/21 (H) EDC, STA
04/26/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
04/26/21 (H) Heard & Held
04/26/21 (H) MINUTE(EDC)
05/10/21 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
05/10/21 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
01/21/22 (H) EDC AT 8:00 AM DAVIS 106
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 18.
LISA PARADY, PhD, Executive Director
Alaska Council of School Administrators
Alaska Superintendents Association
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered a PowerPoint presentation in
support of HB 18.
REPRESENTATIVE ADAM WOOL
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HB 21.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:00:00 AM
[The call to order and beginning of attendance was begun before
the scheduled start time; therefore, the information was not
captured on the recording but has been provided from the
secretary's log notes.]
CO-CHAIR HARRIET DRUMMOND called the House Education Standing
Committee meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Representatives Story,
Cronk, Gilham, Prax, Zulkosky, and Drummond were present at the
call to order. Representative Hopkins arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
HB 18-TEACHERS: NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
8:00:33 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 18, "An Act relating to national board
certification for public school teachers."
8:01:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, re-introduced HB 18, [which was heard previously
by the House Education Standing Committee on 4/30/21]. He said
the proposed legislation seeks to acknowledge teachers who have
pursued and achieved the national board certification, a
rigorous certification process. He said many states offer
incentives to teachers who achieve this certification. He said
the underlying idea is the importance of teachers and the
acknowledgement of the work they do. He stated, "Everything we
can possibly do to incent and attract excellent ... and high-
quality teachers is incredibly important." He said HB 18 sets a
goal for the number of National Board certified teachers the
state might be able to attract, as well as puts forward a
recognition of those teachers that would achieve that status.
He related that he has worked with all aspects of the
educational community in terms of the proposed legislation and
has found universal support for HB 18.
8:04:57 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND noted there was a zero fiscal note
accompanying HB 18.
8:05:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK offered his understanding that the National
Board standards are comparable to a master's program, and he
asked whether it would make more sense to "stick with" the
University of Alaska.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS suggested Lisa Parady could
address this query more thoroughly; however, he offered his
understanding that the national board certification is "more
clinically oriented" and addresses how teachers work in the
classroom, whereas Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degrees are
"more knowledge and theory oriented." He added that he does not
see the two as mutually exclusive.
8:08:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked the bill sponsor why he chose
national board certification rather than other awards or
accolades.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS answered that the national board
certification has emerged as "the gold standard," recognized in
all 50 states. In response to a follow-up question, he said
getting certified is a multi-year process, and he offered his
understanding that the cost for certification is $2,000. He
said many teachers pursue this certification by self-initiative,
as a commitment to self-improvement. He mentioned a policy
proposal to reimburse teachers, but said that is not put forth
in HB 18; however, he opined it would be "a no-brainer" thing to
do.
8:11:29 AM
CO-CHAIR STORY asked whether the National Education Association
in Alaska (NEA-Alaska) has scholarship funds that could be
applied to support teachers without financial means to pursue
this certification.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS said he is not aware of such a
fund, but would not be surprised if there were such a thing on
some level.
8:13:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked about the goal stated in HB 18 to
reach a minimum of 4 percent of teachers being certified by
2025. He offered his understanding that about 220 teachers, or
about 2 percent, currently have obtained this certification.
Further, he said he heard there may be another 24 teachers in
the process. He questioned whether [4 percent by 2025] was a
reasonable goal.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS proffered that currently 2.5
percent are certified. He said it is a nonbinding goal for
motivation. He said he would defer to the wisdom of the House
Education Standing Committee to determine the best number to
inspire but not be unobtainable.
8:16:53 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND said there are a half dozen school districts
in Alaska that provide financial incentive to teachers that
achieve national board certification. She noted that this has
had the benefit of lowering teacher turnover by three times.
She further noted that several states provide additional
stipends. She said the committee could consider this at some
point to address the serious issue Alaska is having in regard to
teacher retention.
8:17:57 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:18 a.m. to 8:20 a.m.
8:19:56 AM
LISA PARADY, PhD, Executive Director, Alaska Council of School
Administrators (ACSA), Alaska Superintendents Association,
offered a PowerPoint presentation in support of HB 18. She
displayed slide 3, "ACSA's Joint Position Statements," which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Preparing, Attracting and Retaining Qualified
Educators
• Retaining effective educators and leaders is
imperative to increase student achievement and
eliminate academic disparity for all of Alaska's
students. ACSA strongly encourages the development of
comprehensive statewide programs to prepare, attract,
and retain high quality, diverse educators and
professionals.
DR. PARADY said the joint statements are derived from ACSA's
members, including superintendents, elementary and secondary
principals, school business officials, and school administrators
across Alaska. She moved to slide 4, "How Does National Board
Certification Help?," which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
• National Board Certification is recognized as the
gold standard in teacher certification, the National
Board believes higher standards for teachers means
better learning for students
• Maintains high and rigorous standards for what
accomplished teachers should know and be able to do
• Builds leadership within classrooms, school
buildings, and school districts
• Improves new teacher quality and retention
DR. PARADY turned to slide 5, "Current National Board
Certification Numbers," which shows the following [original
punctuation provided]:
• In the 2021 National Board Certification report,
Alaska ranked 25th in the nation
• 2.64% of teachers have a National Board
Certification
DR. PARADY said ACSA believes the goal proposed under HB 18 is
an ambitious but attainable one. She pointed out that the
process of certification is cyclical with limited windows of
entry. She suggested moving the goal of 4 percent out to 2027.
She explained that teachers who go for the certification often
carry major loads in their work. She said in many cases
teachers who achieve this certification are recognized as
leaders, and mentorship from these certified teachers can
improve new teacher quality and retention.
8:24:46 AM
MS. PARADY drew attention to the information on slide 6,
"Current Challenges," which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
• Certification costs $1,900
• Board Certification typically takes 3 years to
complete
• Only 12 testing centers in Alaska
• Teachers in rural communities have additional travel
costs
MS. PARADY pointed out that there is an added cost to some
teachers to travel to a recognized testing site. She also noted
that "submissions and tests" do not always coordinate with the
teacher's school year schedule, which requires planning. To
promote this certification, she recommended consideration of
financial support in order to make certification available to
all Alaska teachers.
DR. PARADY showed slide 7, "ACSA Supports HB 18," which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Increasing the share of Alaska teachers with National
Board Certification is an important step, along with
comprehensively addressing teacher recruitment and
retention, to improve Alaska schools for all students.
We are proud to support this policy and the goal of
providing an effective teacher for all students.
DR. PARADY displayed contact information on slide 8 and offered
to answer questions from the committee.
8:27:19 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND asked how many teachers take the test each
year.
DR. PARADY said she did not know but would find out and bring
the answer back to the committee.
8:28:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX noted that the National Board of
Certification is a private institution related to Article 1,
Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Alaska. He
questioned whether an opinion from Legislative Legal and
Research Services may be necessary.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND suggested the question would be more suited
for Legislative Legal and Research Services rather than Dr.
Parady. She thanked Dr. Parady for her PowerPoint presentation
on HB 18.
8:29:31 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opened public testimony on HB 18. After
ascertaining there was no one who wished to testify, she closed
public testimony. She set an amendment deadline of Monday,
1/24/22, at 5 p.m.
8:30:00 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced HB 18 was held over.
HB 21-ADD FACULTY MEMBER UNIV BOARD OF REGENTS
8:30:11 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced that the final order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 21, "An Act relating to the Board of
Regents of the University of Alaska."
8:30:36 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ADAM WOOL, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 21, which would add another position to
the University of Alaska (UA) Board of Regents for a tenured
faculty member and which would carry a two-year term. He said
the term would be identical in length to that of a student
regent, and that the additional member would provide both parity
and fairness. He characterized the proposed legislation as a
move that would give the faculty a voice on the Board of
Regents. He said the Faculty Senate for each campus would
nominate two faculty, and the governor would appoint one out of
the six nominees for legislative approval.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND noted the accompanying zero fiscal note.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL replied that there may be a small fiscal
note to cover travel expenses.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND then acknowledged the $4,500 fiscal note.
8:33:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether UA has commented on the
proposed legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL responded that UA has not commented.
8:33:39 AM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether the current regents have
taken a position on the proposed legislation.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL replied that he doesn't know whether the
board has taken a formal position, though he believes individual
regents may have personal positions. He said that as a whole,
he believes the board may prefer the status quo due to the odd
number of members. He said if there is a tie vote, further
discussion on the proposition would be warranted. He expressed
the importance of having a faculty member on the board, and he
addressed the concern of a faculty member having a conflict of
interest in areas such as salary increases, explaining that the
same concern could apply to the student regent with respect to
tuition increases. He pointed out that the Board of Regents
votes on program cuts, which affect both students and faculty,
but there still exists a student regent.
8:36:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM commented that there would never be a tie
vote with 11 regents, but with 12 regents, there would need to
be tie-breakers.
8:37:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS referred to the HB 21 sponsor statement
[included in the committee packet] which read, in part [original
punctuation provided]:
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
has stated that the University of Alaska system should
"create a space for inclusive dialogue as the Board of
Regents deliberates on the future of the University of
Alaska System." One way to ensure that this inclusive
dialogue occurs through current fiscal stressors as
well as future organizational challenges is through
the addition of a seat for a qualified Faculty Regent.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked whether these notes came from the
recent struggles with accreditation issues.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL responded that the discussion of having a
faculty regent arose before the concerns with accreditation
issues. He said he's heard from faculty members requesting a
voice on the board since 2015. Faculty expressed frustration at
not being included in discussions around possible university
consolidation, and later with regard to the accreditation
issues.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS asked about the term for the faculty
regent.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL replied that it would be a two-year term,
the same as that of a student regent. He expressed that having
a relatively short term would be good in order to consider
different voices.
8:38:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX expressed the idea that the regents serving
eight-year terms have more "historical knowledge" than a faculty
member serving a two-year term.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL responded that having a board member who is
also a functioning member of the faculty would bring a
perspective that regular board members don't have. He said the
regular board members, who are generally business owners and
community members, don't necessarily have any university
experience other than perhaps earning a degree themselves. He
noted that a hospital board will usually include a physician
and/or a nurse instead of only business people.
8:40:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK asked where the list of nominees for
gubernatorial appointments comes from.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL repeated his earlier explanation that each
Faculty Senate would nominate two faculty for appointment and
legislative approval.
8:41:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GILLHAM asked why the University of Alaska
Southeast (UAS) would not be included.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL responded that UAS, as one of the three main
campuses, would be included.
8:41:57 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND opined that having an even number of
representatives tends to push consensus, since a passing vote
for a 12-member board would be 7-5 instead of 6-5. She asked
whether the student regent currently serves a two-year term.
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL confirmed that the student regent serves a
two-year term.
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND expressed that she would be surprised if the
Faculty Senates at each campus nominated new faculty to
represent the campus on the Board of Regents.
8:44:00 AM
CO-CHAIR DRUMMOND announced HB 21 was held over.
8:44:32 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Education Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 8:44 a.m.