ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              SENATE EDUCATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                        February 1, 2013                                                                                        
                           7:59 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Mike Dunleavy, Vice Chair                                                                                               
Senator Charlie Huggins                                                                                                         
Senator Berta Gardner                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Bert Stedman                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATE BILL NO. 17                                                                                                              
"An Act extending the special education service agency; and                                                                     
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     - MOVED CSSB 17(EDC) OUT OF COMMITTEE                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION: WE THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: SB 17                                                                                                                   
SHORT TITLE: EXTEND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY                                                                            
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) STEVENS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
01/16/13       (S)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
01/16/13       (S)       EDC, FIN                                                                                               
01/23/13       (S)       EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
01/23/13       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
01/23/13       (S)       MINUTE(EDC)                                                                                            
01/30/13       (S)       EDC AT 8:00 AM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)                                                                      
01/30/13       (S)       Heard & Held                                                                                           
01/30/13       (S)       MINUTE(EDC)                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
TIM LAMKIN, Staff                                                                                                               
Senator Gary Stevens                                                                                                            
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented changes to  SB 17 on behalf  of the                                                            
sponsor.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
PATRICK PILLAI, Executive Director                                                                                              
Special Education Service Agency (SESA)                                                                                         
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT:  Presented  information  related  to  Special                                                            
Education Service Agency (SESA).                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
LES MORSE, Deputy Commissioner                                                                                                  
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)                                                                            
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SESA.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ELIZABETH NUDELMAN, Director of School Finance                                                                                  
Department of Education and Early Development (DEED)                                                                            
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SESA.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
NILS ANDREASSEN, Executive Director                                                                                             
Institute of the North                                                                                                          
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT:  Presented  information  related to  "We  the                                                            
People of Alaska."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PAMELA ORME, Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator                                                                              
Anchorage School District                                                                                                       
Anchorage, Alaska                                                                                                               
POSITION  STATEMENT: Testified  in support  of "We  the People  of                                                            
Alaska."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
7:59:43 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   GARY  STEVENS   called  the   Senate  Education   Standing                                                            
Committee meeting  to order  at 7:59 a.m.  Present at the  call to                                                              
order  were   Senators  Dunleavy,  Huggins,  Gardner,   and  Chair                                                              
Stevens.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
         SB 17-EXTEND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE AGENCY                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
7:59:59 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  announced that  the first  order of business  would                                                              
be  SB 17,  which extends  the sunset  for  the Special  Education                                                              
Service Agency  (SESA). He noted it  was the third hearing  of the                                                              
bill. He stated his intention to move the bill out of committee.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:00:55 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNLEAVY  moved to  adopt the  CS for  SB 17, labeled  28-                                                              
LS0289\C, as the working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS objected for discussion purposes.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:01:16 AM                                                                                                                    
TIM LAMKIN,  Staff, Senator  Gary Stevens,  explained the  changes                                                              
to SB  17 on  behalf of  the sponsor.  He reviewed  that the  bill                                                              
addresses  three  policy areas  the  committee was  encouraged  to                                                              
consider.  The first  was whether  or not to  extend SESA's  date;                                                              
the second  was to consider the  manner in which SESA  is governed                                                              
and structured, in  light of the audit; the third  was the funding                                                              
of SESA.  He noted a  fourth area of  consideration in the  new CS                                                              
that would address language changes.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He stated  that it  appears that  the committee  wishes to  extend                                                              
the sunset date,  to leave the structure of SESA  in place, and to                                                              
not take up the funding issue at this time.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAMKIN addressed  extraneous language in Section  1 of version                                                              
C,  lines 10-14.  He said  he noticed  the language  did not  make                                                              
sense  and  that it  has  been  "on  the books"  since  1986.  The                                                              
language  appears to  say that  the Department  of Education  will                                                              
pay into TRS  and PERS on behalf  of SESA and will  withdraw those                                                              
funds from  SESA in order  to reimburse  itself. He noted  that is                                                              
not  the way  DEED does  business.  He said  after contacting  the                                                              
Division  of  Retirement  and Benefits,  the  Department  of  Law,                                                              
DEED, and  SESA, they all agreed  the language was  extraneous and                                                              
should be  repealed. He referred  to two statements of  support in                                                              
members files.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEVENS said  the committee  would return  to the topic  of                                                              
extraneous language later in the meeting.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:03:51 AM                                                                                                                    
PATRICK  PILLAI,  Executive Director,  Special  Education  Service                                                              
Agency (SESA),  agreed that  the language  can be eliminated  from                                                              
the statute.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked if Mr. Pillai had further comments on SB 17.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. PILLAI  thanked the committee  for understanding  the critical                                                              
need  that  SESA  provides.  He  hoped  that  the  Senate  Finance                                                              
Committee would consider  increasing funding to SESA.  He said the                                                              
continuation of  SESA until 2021  will provide a  critical service                                                              
to school districts.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:05:42 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS agreed  that the structure of SESA  should remain in                                                              
place.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  PILLAI  commented  that  school  administrators  and  special                                                              
education directors  appreciate the extra services  SESA provides,                                                              
especially  for   multiple  disability  students   and  unexpected                                                              
service needs.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS thanked Mr. Pillai for his efforts with SESA.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:07:52 AM                                                                                                                    
LES  MORSE,  Deputy  Commissioner,  Department  of  Education  and                                                              
Early Development  (DEED), testified in  support of SESA.  He said                                                              
he was available to answer questions.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEVENS asked  Mr. Morse  to address the  status of  SESA's                                                              
structure.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE  replied that the current  system works well  as long as                                                              
everyone  is  actively  engaged.  He explained  that  he  and  Ms.                                                              
Nudelman  reviewed  statutory  requirements  of SESA  and  ensured                                                              
that DEED  has an appropriate  two-year plan  and budget  and that                                                              
the state's  special education administrator  is an  active member                                                              
of SESA's board.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS  asked if Mr. Morse  was in agreement  with removing                                                              
the extraneous language.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said he was.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:10:07 AM                                                                                                                    
ELIZABETH  NUDELMAN, Director  of  School  Finance, Department  of                                                              
Education and  Early Development  (DEED), testified in  support of                                                              
SESA.  She said the  department  concurs with  the removal  of the                                                              
language.  The  department  does  not  make  payments  for  SESA's                                                              
employer contributions.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if SESA employees are under TRS.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORSE said yes.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS noted no further public testimony.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GARDNER  voiced appreciation  for SESA's services  and its                                                              
importance.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:12:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEVENS removed  his objection;  therefore,  version C  was                                                              
before the committee.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DUNLEAVY  moved to  report CS for  SB 17, version  C, from                                                              
committee  with  individual recommendations  and  attached  fiscal                                                              
note.  There being  no objection,  CSSB 17 was  reported from  the                                                              
Senate Education Standing Committee.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:12:45 AM                                                                                                                    
At ease.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
^PRESENTATION: WE THE PEOPLE OF Alaska                                                                                          
             PRESENTATION: WE THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA                                                                          
                                                                                                                              
8:18:52 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEVENS  announced  the   next  order  of  business  was  a                                                              
presentation. He welcomed Mr. Andreassen.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
NILS  ANDREASSEN,  Executive  Director, Institute  of  the  North,                                                              
provided  information   about  "We  the  People   of  Alaska."  He                                                              
explained that  over the  course of the  last year,  the Institute                                                              
has  been developing  a program  to engage  students with  Alaska'                                                              
rich  history and  critical  issues facing  the  state today.  The                                                              
program is geared  to become a part of Alaska  Studies high school                                                              
curriculum, which  lacked materials and relevance.  He referred to                                                              
a national  program called "We the  People" from which  the Alaska                                                              
program is modeled.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:21:17 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  asked for a brief  explanation of the  Institute of                                                              
the North.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDREASSEN  explained  that  the  Institute  is  a  nonprofit                                                              
organization  founded by  Governor Hickel  fifteen years  ago. Its                                                              
mission  is  to inform  public  policy  and cultivate  and  engage                                                              
citizenry, consistent  with a  focus on the  North and  the belief                                                              
that  its  resources   should  be  managed  for   the  benefit  of                                                              
individual and community prosperity.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He  related  that the  Institute  has  three focus  areas:  arctic                                                              
infrastructure,  Alaska  resource  and economic  development,  and                                                              
engaging  the  future  generation  in  citizenship.  He  said  the                                                              
Institute  has  a  meeting  in Talkeetna  every  year  called  the                                                              
Alaska  Dialogue and  has  recently gone  to  Norway and  Iceland.                                                              
There is also a strong Emerging Leaders program.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS agreed it was a great organization.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:22:42 AM                                                                                                                    
MR.  ANDREASSEN  continued to  explain  about  "We the  People  of                                                              
Alaska."  He  noted  that  a  standard  statewide  Alaska  Studies                                                              
curriculum was  lacking, as was  support and resources. He  said a                                                              
goal  of the  program  is to  encourage  Alaska  students to  care                                                              
about  state  issues.  The  Institute  believes  that  place-based                                                              
learning connects  young citizens to where they  live and promotes                                                              
civic engagement.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:25:00 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDREASSEN  listed  the goals  of "We the  People of  Alaska."                                                              
They  are to  promote  stronger  civic and  political  engagement,                                                              
provide   a   foundation   for   students  to   gain   a   greater                                                              
understanding  of the  current issues  facing  the state,  inspire                                                              
students  by their  own learning  and  investigation, and  develop                                                              
teamwork  skills through  problem solving.  Students will  be able                                                              
to demonstrate critical thinking skills by working in teams.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN  related that  the program  consists of  six units:                                                              
citizenship,   natural   resources,    Alaska   Native   governing                                                              
entities, the  economy, and the  Alaska model. For each  of these,                                                              
students  can choose  to  respond to  three  questions. He  showed                                                              
examples of the  types of questions asked. Students  must research                                                              
the  questions and  connect the  history  with present-day  issues                                                              
and form  an opinion about their  place relative to  the question.                                                              
Mock legislative hearings are used to present the information.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:27:19 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDREASSEN said  the curriculum is a supplement  to the Alaska                                                              
Studies program and  is not more work for teachers.  He noted that                                                              
"We  the  People  of  Alaska" covers  40  percent  of  the  Alaska                                                              
Studies  program in  the Anchorage  School District.  He said  the                                                              
response from teachers,  students, parents, and the  community has                                                              
been positive.  It allows  current Alaska  leaders to  participate                                                              
in  teaching aspects  of  the program  and  act as  judges in  the                                                              
competition. He  said the classroom  experience is needed  and has                                                              
been positive.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:30:21 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDREASSEN  stated that the  goal is to implement  the program                                                              
throughout  the state beyond  Anchorage.  He said the  legislature                                                              
can help with  this by providing  the funding to do so.  Last year                                                              
the legislature  provided a one-time  capital request  for $50,000                                                              
to  get the  program going.  The  Institute will  support DEED  to                                                              
implement  the   program  in  classrooms   around  the   state  by                                                              
providing resources and a recognition program.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDREASSEN   stressed  the   importance  of  having   a  more                                                              
formalized  approach  to  having  the  program  available  to  all                                                              
teachers and  allowing students  to have  a connection  to current                                                              
legislative issues.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:32:07 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GARDNER  asked if  the  program  focuses on  high  school                                                              
students.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN said  it is designed for the Alaska  Studies class,                                                              
grades 9 - 12.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GARDNER commented  that it  is for  schools that  already                                                              
offer an Alaska Studies course.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN  said  yes, because  that was  an area that  needed                                                              
development.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GARDNER  asked  what percentage  of  students  takes  the                                                              
Alaska Studies class.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN replied that it was a required course.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS  commented that  he was  involved in developing  the                                                              
Alaska  Studies course.  He agreed  that a new  delivery mode  was                                                              
needed. He asked  for more information about the  mock legislative                                                              
session.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:34:19 AM                                                                                                                    
MR. ANDREASSEN explained  that mock sessions are made  up of teams                                                              
of three  or four students who  take six minutes to  present their                                                              
findings to  an audience  and then answer  questions from  a panel                                                              
of judges for  another four minutes. There is  also an opportunity                                                              
for a  more formal  presentation  to the legislature  or to  other                                                              
organizations.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR HUGGINS  asked for an example  of how the best  teacher in                                                              
Anchorage might present the program to students.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDREASSEN responded  that  the program  was a  fundamentally                                                              
different  way to teach  Alaska Studies.  Teachers are  introduced                                                              
to the program  through the social studies  curriculum coordinator                                                              
and have  all the  resources. The  teachers encourage  students to                                                              
form teams  and then  choose the  questions to research,  followed                                                              
by weekly  practice rounds. All  responses are public,  lending to                                                              
a community of learning.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:37:14 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  STEVENS   commented  favorably   about  a  program   called                                                              
"Legislators  in the  Classroom."  He thanked  Mr. Andreassen  for                                                              
his efforts.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  ANDREASSEN  pointed out  that  the  program was  a  wonderful                                                              
opportunity for the  state and for the Alaska  Studies program. He                                                              
stressed  the importance  of formalizing  the  integration of  "We                                                              
the People of Alaska" into the social studies curriculum.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:38:25 AM                                                                                                                    
PAMELA  ORME,  Social Studies  Curriculum  Coordinator,  Anchorage                                                              
School  District,  testified  in  support  of "We  the  People  of                                                              
Alaska." She  expressed gratitude for  the Institute of  the North                                                              
and their involvement  in improving the social  studies curriculum                                                              
in  Alaska.  She  shared  her personal  experience  with  "We  the                                                              
People"  and  how   important  and  valuable  it   is  because  it                                                              
incorporates so many useful skills, such as critical thinking.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:42:58 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  thanked Ms. Orme  for her enthusiasm. He  asked how                                                              
teachers see this curriculum.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. ORME  answered that  the curriculum  strengthens the  learning                                                              
process in  the classroom and  provides excellent resources  so it                                                              
is seen favorably by teachers.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:45:55 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR STEVENS  hoped to  implement the  curriculum throughout  the                                                              
state.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. ANDREASSEN  pointed out  that the program  is a  great example                                                              
of a  potential public/private  partnership.  He concluded  with a                                                              
summary of the benefits of the program.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS thanked Mr. Andreassen for his work.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:47:17 AM                                                                                                                    
There being no further business to come before the committee,                                                                   
Chair Stevens adjourned the Senate Education Committee at 8:47                                                                  
a.m.