JOINT HOUSE AND SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE February 28, 1995 3:40 p.m. HOUSE MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Con Bunde, Co-Chair Representative Al Vezey Representative Gary Davis Representative Norman Rokeberg Representative Caren Robinson Representative Tom Brice SENATE MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Lyda Green, Chairperson Senator Loren Leman, Vice Chair Senator Johnny Ellis Senator Judy Salo HOUSE MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Cynthia Toohey, Co-Chair SENATE MEMBERS ABSENT Senator Mike Miller COMMITTEE CALENDAR Confirmation Hearings: State Board of Education * HJR 17: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Alaska relating to education. SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD (* First public hearing) WITNESS REGISTER MARY ANN EININGER Resolution Now 2120 Cushman, Suite 202 Fairbanks, AK 99701 Telephone: (907) 452-7733 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding her confirmation. MIKE WILLIAMS P.O. Box 126 Akiak, AK 99552 Telephone: (907) 765-7426 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding his confirmation. ROBERT GOTTSTEIN 630 West 4th Avenue, #300 Anchorage, AK 99501 Telephone: (907) 257-5600 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding his confirmation. ABBE HENSLEY 7045 Tree Top Circle Anchorage, AK 99516 Telephone: (907) 346-1802 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding her confirmation. R. WEAVER IVANOFF P.O. Box 113 Unalakleet, AK 99684 Telephone: (907) 624-3025 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding his confirmation. MARILYN WEBB 720 Sixth Street Juneau, AK 99801 Telephone: (907) 586-2248 POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding her confirmation. PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HJR 17 SHORT TITLE: CONTROL & FUNDING OF PUB & PVT SCHOOLS SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) VEZEY JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION 01/19/95 81 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S) 01/19/95 81 (H) HES, JUD 02/28/95 (H) HES AT 03:30 PM CAPITOL 124 ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 95-12, SIDE A Number 000 CO-CHAIR CON BUNDE called the joint meeting of the House and Senate Health, Education and Social Services standing committees to order at 3:40 p.m. Present at the call to order were Representatives Robinson, Rokeberg, Vezey, and Bunde. Senator Green was also present. Co-Chair Bunde asked for a brief introductory statement from each of the State Board of Education appointees, and asked that they answer questions. Number 030 MARY ANN EININGER introduced herself. She lives in North Pole, Alaska and has lived in this state for 26 years. During that 26 years, she has constantly been a member of the public school system in one way or another. MS. EININGER said she has been a strong advocate for public schools and students of all ages. CO-CHAIR BUNDE asked for more detail concerning her involvement in public education. MS. EININGER said when she came to Alaska in 1969, she had recently completed college at the University of Chicago and graduate school at the University of Minnesota. She had, up to that point, served as a school psychologist intern and as a school psychologist in Minnesota for a year and a half. Upon her arrival in Alaska, she worked for the North Star Borough School District as a school psychologist. She worked in this capacity for four years. MS. EININGER then went to work for the National Education Association (NEA) - Alaska from 1973 to 1991. When she went to work, her job title was "professional staff." There was a variety of duties involved, including working with local organizations, local teacher organizations and employee organizations. MS. EININGER continued that before she retired, NEA also began to represent noncertified school employees. That work might have involved anything from helping individuals negotiate contracts, representing individuals in grievances, and working in arbitration as an advocate. One of her interests was minority involvement in the public schools, particularly in increasing the number of Native Alaskan teachers. For several years, she worked with the teachers who were also interested in accomplishing that goal. MS. EININGER said she performed a very interesting and diverse set of duties, and she enjoyed all the duties. She retired in 1991, in order to be with her ill husband and 11-year-old daughter. She had been doing some volunteer and some paid activities until last spring, when she opened a business called Resolution Now. This business involves consulting work, organizational development and conflict resolution. Currently, she is doing some work for the Bureau of Land Management. MS. EININGER said she has also worked for the school system in Fairbanks as well as doing inservice for the Catholic schools. She has also done quite a bit of meeting facilitation. Number 110 CO-CHAIR BUNDE asked for her comments on particular philosophies, such as inclusion. Ms. Eininger asked for clarification, if he meant the inclusion of special education students. Co-Chair Bunde explained he meant inclusion for all special needs children in "regular" classrooms. MS. EININGER said she has some experience and opinions in this area, and there is still much to learn. When she was a teacher representative, she was aware one of the concerns the teachers have is including special needs children in the regular classroom. In this situation, teachers need to have additional training and smaller class sizes in order to deal with the extra demands of those students with special needs. Number 147 MS. EININGER continued that you cannot simply put a special student into a classroom with 25 kids without giving the teacher training and relief from the demands of that student in some way. Those issues, that of training and reduced class size, involve money. The issue of inclusion in that sense is one that districts need to weigh and look at over a longer term to see if the benefits to all the students are the desired benefits, and if the benefits balance with the expenditures involved. MS. EININGER thinks that most special needs students benefit a great deal from being included in a regular process. She also thinks that there are some severely limited students who cannot be included much of the time. However, "regular" students benefit greatly as well from these inclusions. CO-CHAIR BUNDE announced for the record that Representative Gary Davis arrived at 3:45 p.m. and Senator Judith Salo arrived at 3:47 p.m. He recapped the meeting for the arriving members. Number 173 SENATOR LYDA GREEN said that one of the things that happens in a district is that the more inclusive the districts become, the more skewed the foundation formula becomes. This is because the intensive child is not separated out. She asked what can be done with the formula to encourage or support districts that want to supplement and implement inclusion. MS. EININGER said she is not prepared to answer this question. She said the foundation formula has not been discussed yet. Her group is just beginning to look at all the complexities involved. She would not presume at this point to speculate on the answer. She is sure, however, that after the State Board of Education (SBE) has looked at this issue, and inclusion is voiced as a constituent concern, the board will have some recommendations. Number 194 SENATOR JUDITH SALO thought that whether the special needs students are mainstreamed or separated, they are counted the same way in the formula. SENATOR GREEN said that the funding does not necessarily follow the student. If the diagnosis of the child is more restrictive, and the child mainstreamed, sometimes the funding does not follow the student. That is the concern. SENATOR SALO said the district, however, receives the funding. Number 207 CO-CHAIR BUNDE said he understands Governor Knowles would like the formula rewritten, and there is work going on in the Senate to rewrite the foundation formula. The House has interest in that as well. He asked for Ms. Eininger's suggestions regarding the formula. MS. EININGER responded that as an individual, she does not want to tell her personal suggestions. As a member of the State Board of Education, the Governor has charged the SBE with forming a blue- ribbon committee and looking at this issue. MS. EININGER spoke of her interests as a member of that board. She thinks that a good job has been done in trying to provide equity throughout the state. That is an effort that must be continued to the best of the SBE's ability. She does not believe that education is any more or less important to any student in the state. It is extremely important for every single student in the state, no matter where they live. MS. EININGER stressed the state needs to be able to provide equitable services to each student to the greatest extent possible. That would be her position as a member of the SBE, as the board looks at the foundation formula. At this point, however, she is not prepared to talk about specific portions of the formula itself. Number 244 REPRESENTATIVE CAREN ROBINSON asked if Ms. Eininger had any particular priorities while on the SBE, priorities she hopes the board will address. MS. EININGER started her career in education as a student advocate. That is how a school psychologist sees her or himself. Then Ms. Eininger became a teacher advocate because of her next job. She currently has a 15-year-old daughter who is in high school in Fairbanks. Through her and her friends, and because Ms. Eininger is no longer serving as a teacher advocate on a daily basis, she has again become a very active student advocate. She volunteers in the school and she believes that the best possible educational opportunities in this state must be available no matter where students live or what their abilities. This is what the SBE must always keep in mind. That is her priority. Number 269 REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY asked Ms. Eininger to share her thoughts on dealing with the shrinking budget. MS. EININGER said luckily, she thinks it is the legislature and the Governor who make those decisions, make proposals and listen to people. It is extremely important that the legislature and the Governor establish priorities. In a shrinking budget situation, the state is not going to be able to keep everything a top priority. To cut the budget 5 or 10 percent across the board is not going to take into account the overriding importance of education to the people who live in Alaska, the children and Alaska's future. MS. EININGER believes that education is the number one priority. When she has the opportunity to speak with the legislature, the Governor or people at home, she will take that position. It is not easy to live in a time of declining revenue, which is being seen both at the federal and state levels. However, this is a time to reaffirm beliefs that Alaskans have held dear for a long time. Those beliefs have a lot to do with educational opportunity and equity. The state has done a good job with those factors, and she hopes that will continue. Number 301 CO-CHAIR BUNDE said the previous commissioner of the Department of Education (DOE), as an attempt to solve fiscal problems, was looking at the minimum enrollment to keep schools open. The current regulations allow the state to build a school for eight students. The commissioner was thinking of pushing that number up to 10 and eventually 12 students as the minimum school enrollment. The last time Co-Chair Bunde counted, there were 21 Alaskan schools with 12 or fewer students. These schools are very expensive to run. He asked if Ms. Eininger had an opinion about consolidating some smaller schools. MS. EININGER believes there are perhaps school districts within the state that could be consolidated. For example, some smaller districts are geographically intertwined. These, theoretically, could consolidate if they chose to do so. She would have to look again at the Molly Hootch Decision. CO-CHAIR BUNDE said the Molly Hootch Decision is no longer in effect. Number 326 MS. EININGER said she therefore believes that to the extent possible, children need to live where their families are; and to the extent possible, the state needs to provide education where the children's families are. Ms. Eininger would need to look carefully at the cost of that. She does not believe it is a luxury to provide education to kids where they live. It is an entitlement. She thinks the state needs to look at innovative ways of delivering that education. CO-CHAIR BUNDE asked if she meant building schools or home schooling. MS. EININGER answered that providing education might mean building a school. Currently, she believes that if there are eight children, there is a school. CO-CHAIR BUNDE said that sometimes the number could be as few as four. MS. EININGER said in those communities where there exists a school building or facility, she would be reluctant to say that although the building exists there is no school. Perhaps the legislature, the SBE and the Governor could consider the sites where there is currently no school. If a student community develops in those areas, maybe there are alternatives to building a facility. MS. EININGER'S bias is in favor of providing education where the children live, with, to the extent possible, teachers, a library, telecommunications and a facility where the students can be together and learn. Number 354 CO-CHAIR BUNDE understood her sympathies, but also asked her to understand that the $160,000 per school must come out of urban area funding. MS. EININGER said her interest is in all Alaska's students, those in Fairbanks as well as those in rural areas. She understands it is a balancing act, but it is one that must be considered with the interests of all students in mind. CO-CHAIR BUNDE thanked Ms. Eininger for her testimony. Number 368 MIKE WILLIAMS of Akiak introduced himself. He was born in Akiak and has been involved with education issues ever since the birth of his first son, 18 years ago. He has five children. He has been a school board member for the last 15 years. During that time, he has seen the state go from the prosperity of the oil boom to today's declining revenues. MR. WILLIAMS has also been involved with the Chapter I (one), Migrant Education Committee of Practitioners, through the DOE. In addition, he has looked into Postsecondary Education programs with the McDowell Group, a Juneau-based research firm. He was also involved with the Federal/State Joint Commission for Alaska Natives on the education task force. MR. WILLIAMS said when he worked as a mental health counselor in Bethel, he worked with children with behavioral problems. He enjoyed working with the children that had lost their parents or were being raised in single-parent families. He tried to be a role model for those kids during his three years with the program and with the schools. Number 411 CO-CHAIR BUNDE informed the committee that Mr. Williams has been a leader in the sobriety movement, and has run the Iditarod. He sets a very good example for Alaskan Youth. REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY asked if Mr. Williams had traveled all the way from Akiak for this confirmation hearing. MR. WILLIAMS said he was also in Juneau attending the SBE meeting. He is not new to traveling to Juneau or Anchorage to attend seminars. It is a challenge to be appointed to the job ahead. MR. WILLIAMS has seen many problems in the villages and cities involving alcohol. He believes that if problems are taken care of within the homes, there will be an immediate effect on the children. It is important to get children to school on time and to make sure they are not hungry. Number 437 MR. WILLIAMS shared that he has lost five brothers to tragedies involving alcohol. He battles the abuse of alcohol within the state and within the Native communities in particular. He has brought much attention to this problem, and if these problems are taken care of, everyone will benefit. CO-CHAIR BUNDE announced that Representative Brice arrived at 3:52 p.m., and Senator Leman arrived at 4:01 p.m. REPRESENTATIVE NORMAN ROKEBERG noticed that both he and Mr. Williams attended school in Salem, Oregon. He asked Mr. Williams to compare the education he received in Oregon to the education students are currently receiving in Akiak. He also asked if Mr. Williams would advocate boarding schools after attending one. Number 458 MR. WILLIAMS said the education he received at Chemawa High School in Salem was excellent academically. Coming from a small village, it was a different experience, living in a larger community. He had trouble adjusting, he was homesick and missed his Native culture, traditional foods and his parents. He was apart from his family for four years while attending boarding school. It was a big adjustment, and he still deals with missing his family and parents while he was becoming a young adult. MR. WILLIAMS currently speaks with elders about raising his own children. His children are now at the age that he is having a slightly difficult time. He receives advice from the elders, and his children are doing well in school. MR. WILLIAMS reiterated that academically, Chemawa was an excellent school. There were many more opportunities in Salem at that time. There is still no high school in Akiak. There is a school that was built for elementary purposes. The community has been going through a transition after the Molly Hootch decree was given. The decree has caused the villages to rethink decisions, because for years parents have been sending their children to boarding schools like Mt. Edgecumbe. Number 502 MR. WILLIAMS said he would not mind seeing consolidated high schools, but it should be up to the local areas to provide those facilities. It would be up to communities and local districts to decide to combine. When he was sworn in, and he swore to uphold the Constitution of Alaska, he was charged to educate children no matter where the child lived. Top quality education must be provided everywhere. There are opportunities available that utilize today's technology. This option is important and possible. Boarding school was good, but it affected his life. MR. WILLIAMS allowed there are benefits to boarding school. He has many friends all over Alaska that he met in boarding school. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked if Mr. Williams had a priority he would pursue as a member of the board. Number 541 MR. WILLIAMS said his priority would be to provide top quality education to all of Alaska's children, regardless of where they live. That is one of the reasons he has chosen his profession. Having been with the Association of Alaska School Boards, and in speaking with members of that association from various parts of the state, he has learned that top quality education can be provided to all children. SENATOR LOREN LEMAN asked if Mr. Williams had any thoughts on how that top quality education could be provided or even improved for less cost. Number 563 MR. WILLIAMS said he has been looking at the foundation formula for many years. He thinks the formula uses figures from the days of Alaska's oil boom, however, now revenues are declining. The foundation formula needs to be redone by a panel of the best minds throughout the state. The formula needs to be inflation-proof so costs will not keep going up and up. Costs need to be put under control, and the state also needs to plan ahead so equity funding will be available for all of Alaska from year to year. Each year, the formula should be reviewed. It is crucial that the funding not be cut drastically and quickly so there are adverse effects on the children. MR. WILLIAMS continued that when providing quality education, the university system must also be looked at. It is important to provide adequate teacher preparation and training, and to hire Alaskan teachers. Mr. Williams has been observing non-Alaskan teachers, and they must be retrained in the communities about the Alaska Native culture. Many of these teachers experience culture shock. MR. WILLIAMS went on to say that parents also need to be involved in education. The Yup'ik people traditionally have been involved in providing education for their children. But when the missionaries and the government arrived, they implemented their own system of education. Therefore, the Yup'ik people became uninvolved in the curriculum and education. Mike Williams' generation is beginning to become more involved in their children's education. Number 552 SENATOR LEMAN recalled that Mr. Williams said he wanted to inflation-proof the foundation formula so costs do not keep rising. What inflation-proofing actually does, is it helps insure that costs do keep going up. He wondered if Mr. Williams meant that spending should be capped to contain costs, or if he meant something entirely different. SENATOR LEMAN also commented on Mr. Williams desire to redo the formula to "level the playing field." There is an effort to accomplish this. A number of rural school board members have visited Senator Leman's office this week, suggesting they did not support Senate Bill (SB) 70. SB 70 is an effort to level the playing field somewhat. There still would be inequities, and yet many of Mr. Williams' colleagues are opposing a measure that would alleviate at least part of the dilemma. Senator Leman wanted to know if there was an inconsistency in their views and the views of Mr. Williams, or the concept of equity is different from that proposed in SB 70. Number 635 MR. WILLIAMS hates to be opposed to SB 70. Right now, it looks like people are being taken from rural areas and placed into urban areas. It is very hard to make everyone happy. Mr. Williams is not totally opposed to SB 70 because, in his understanding, it helps some of the single sites. It has some positive measures. It is important to make sure that rural and urban schools are taken care of. The education community needs to come together and agree. MR. WILLIAMS continued that in Alaska, there is a perception that the schools are not doing a good job. Mr. Williams disagrees. The schools are doing many positive things in all areas of education. As a school board member, when he encounters negative views of the school systems, he thinks people need to realize that many positive things are occurring. CO-CHAIR BUNDE announced that Senator Ellis arrived at 4:20 p.m., and thanked Mr. Williams. Number 665 ROBERT GOTTSTEIN made his introductory statements. He was born in the territory of Alaska, and has been interested in education for many years. For the past six years, he has been leading an organization called "Winning with Stronger Education (WISE)." This organization is designed to bring the Anchorage community into the forefront of education reform to try and identify what directions might be possible in education reform, and to help create the collective will to effect those kinds of changes. SENATOR LEMAN said that the Governor, in his State of the State speech, said he would be appointing a "revitalized Board of Education." Senator Leman wanted to know Mr. Gottstein's thoughts on the type of revitalization he is bringing to the board, and what he is proposing that is new and exciting. SENATOR LEMAN also wanted to know how Mr. Gottstein proposes to deliver better education at less cost. Number 686 MR. GOTTSTEIN said it is very important to figure out how to dramatically encourage more parental involvement in the education of their children across the state. Parental involvement is the single most important element in a child's upbringing. To the extent that the state is collectively not able to encourage involvement, children are disadvantaged and the future is disadvantaged. MR. GOTTSTEIN continued that to encourage parental involvement, parents need to be empowered, more so than in the past. The SBE needs to be consumer driven--a product needs to be developed in education that the consumers say they are satisfied with. Mr. Gottstein used to be in the grocery business. His task was to make every shopping experience a positive experience. The same challenge can be made in education. Every individual's education experience should be a positive experience, based on their own interpretation, not someone else's interpretation. MR. GOTTSTEIN said the state has a long way to go in this regard. There is historically an excellent system in place. However, a lot can be done in terms of improvement. Mr. Gottstein is among a group of new people on the school board who are really committed to seeing positive changes taking place in education. TAPE 95-12, SIDE B Number 000 MR. GOTTSTEIN said that meaningful changes can be made in education so all of Alaska can be satisfied with the results. Whether the costs are the same, more or less than before, the goal is complete satisfaction with the education system and the contributions required to make education successful. Number 011 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG thanked Mr. Gottstein for the excellent leadership he provided in the WISE project in the Anchorage area. He asked what some conclusions from that project were. MR. GOTTSTEIN said that, in a broad context, one of the things that came out of the WISE project is that learning really is a lifelong ambition. The responsibility of the board of education is a very important component, but it is not a complete component. The SBE members will be discussing the university and early childhood in terms of the board's appropriate actions. Those phases of education are very important. MR. GOTTSTEIN continued that Anchorage is a diverse community. Returning to the "consumer" philosophy, the board needs to think hard about diversity, the jobs that will be available, and creating the educational opportunities in the areas where employment will take place. MR. GOTTSTEIN said there are no resources to waste, and it is important to be methodical. Although employment is not the only reason a person becomes educated, it is an absolute necessity. We must not ignore or not do what is necessary to insure that every person in Alaska has an opportunity to provide economic independence for themselves, either immediately or when they enter the job market. Anything less than that provision is a disservice to the individual and a disservice to the state. MR. GOTTSTEIN is working to make education responsive to the demand that is out there, and less so to people's interpretation to what the demand is. He wants the state to learn upon the experiences of a broad base of industries across the country and how they respond to consumer demand. Education, as an industry, has a lot to learn from the rest of the world. Number 110 CO-CHAIR BUNDE announced that Co-Chair Cynthia Toohey was ill. She requested that all candidates be asked about their position on HIV/AIDS prevention and education in the schools. MR. GOTTSTEIN said he is not an expert on the topic, but he believes that the lack of HIV education, in a sense, would be criminal. AIDS is such a devastating disease that is so easily spread, to deny a young person's opportunity to know the risks they may encounter is an irresponsible act. He cannot say he knows how this topic should be taught. MR. GOTTSTEIN said that one of the conclusions of WISE is that people need to be taught how to be responsible for themselves. Part of that is knowing the risks that exist in life. We are not born in this world with all knowledge, we must learn things. One of the risks in this society is AIDS, and we have to insure that the public knows how to protect themselves against it. Number 092 MS. EININGER fully subscribed to and associated herself with Mr. Gottstein's remarks. MR. WILLIAMS, having been on the health board and being a chairman of the hospital services in the Akiak area, thinks that HIV/AIDS education is very important. He is totally for it. CO-CHAIR BUNDE passed the gavel to Vice-chair Representative Rokeberg at 4:30 p.m. Co-Chair Bunde was needed to make a quorum at a meeting of the Rules Committee. SENATOR SALO asked Mr. Gottstein who the consumer is in education. MR. GOTTSTEIN answered, the parent and the child. SENATOR SALO said that sometimes people think the consumer is society in general. MR. GOTTSTEIN said in a broader sense, yes, but the individual is in the best position to make the decisions that positively affect their lives. CO-CHAIR BUNDE arrived back at the meeting, as the Rules Committee meeting had not yet begun. Number 137 REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked about Mr. Gottstein's number one priority for the SBE. MR. GOTTSTEIN answered he wants to empower consumers, particularly the parents. President Bill Clinton, in his inaugural address, remarked that "Governments don't raise children, families do." Mr. Gottstein said there can be no substitute for the value that families bring to children. No amount of money in the world can replace what a family can provide for a young person. The family is one of the greatest strengths and one of the greatest pieces of the solution to the fiscal woes around us. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG thanked Mr. Gottstein. Number 163 ABBE HENSLEY introduced herself. She was born in Anchorage, and lives there currently. She spent a number of years in other parts of the country but returned to Alaska in 1971. She has four children. Two are attending college, one in the Lower 48, one at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Another child is in elementary school and one is in high school. MS. HENSLEY recounted that after her first daughter was born, she became interested in teaching childbirth classes. She saw herself as an advocate for children before they were born. As her children grew and entered school, she felt she could help parents advocate for their children in school. MS. HENSLEY served in various positions in the local and state PTA, and served as the president of the Alaska PTA from 1989 to 1993. During that time, she came to know many of the players in the education community and gained a greater understanding of what was happening in Alaska. Ms. Hensley's children have attended three different school districts in Alaska, and she thinks that gives her another perspective. In addition to the time her family lived in Kotzebue, her family visited there almost every year since the early 1970s. MS. HENSLEY has served on the national PTA board in two different positions. Currently, she is the vice-president for leadership. In that capacity, she performs training and development activities with state PTA leaders across the country. CO-CHAIR BUNDE left the meeting at 4:35 p.m. Number 207 REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked, on Co-Chair Toohey's behalf, Ms. Hensley's position on HIV/AIDS education. MS. HENSLEY said that a few years ago she asked one of her daughter's friends if she felt she was prepared to go off to college with adequate information about this issue. The girl said while there was a fairly brief class on HIV/AIDS when she was a sophomore, she felt that things had changed and she needed more information. MS. HENSLEY continued that it is very important that a society help their children be safe and make good decisions. HIV/AIDS education is a part of that responsibility. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked about the priority Ms. Hensley brings to the board. Number 225 MS. HENSLEY said that a commitment must be made to the idea that all children can learn. We also need to make sure there are equitable opportunities for all children so they can learn. We know children do better in school when their parents or family is involved in their education. The SBE must begin not only to recognize but actively make sure that families feel welcome in schools, families feel connected to what their children are learning, and that children are learning what their families think they should be learning. This must be done statewide. SENATOR SALO said that different SBEs have taken different approaches on whether they lobby for education or not. The senator asked if the legislature could expect to see Ms. Hensley speaking to the legislature should the legislature "take an axe" to the educational budget, or would Ms. Hensley not consider that her role. MS. HENSLEY said that providing education for all children is a responsibility we all share. Therefore, it would be important for her, as a member of the SBE, to work with the legislature and provide additional information to the legislature so the legislature can make good decisions. The answer to the senator's question was yes, she would speak to the legislature in that case. Number 260 SENATOR LEMAN wanted to know if the budget is 18 percent out of balance between expenses and revenues, and if education was held constant, would Ms. Hensley consider that to be a drastic reduction in the education budget. MS. HENSLEY thought it depends on whether or not reduction is looked at from what we see as what is current, or if reduction is looked at in terms of what real costs are and whether or not the formula has been funded according to real costs. This returns back to the inflation issue. MS. HENSLEY said in addition, before she could provide the committee with a good recommendation, she would need to know more about the implications of a new proposal. She has not had the opportunity to study this issue, as she has been working with the other board members to find a new commissioner of education. She knows something about the current proposals, but she has not had the opportunity to study them. She therefore does not have the information to adequately respond to the senator's question. Number 293 SENATOR LEMAN said he asked the question to Senator Salo, and the only formal proposal that has been put on the table, outside of the Governor's recent proposal, would be the House proposal. He assumed this is the proposal referred to in Senator Salo's comment concerning "taking an axe" to the budget. SENATOR SALO said she was not referring to any particular proposal, and there are currently many different formal proposals for education funding. Number 313 RALPH WEAVER IVANOFF from Unalakleet said he was born in Nome and has four children. The oldest is just out of high school, and the youngest is in eighth grade. He has been with the Bering Strait School District Board of Education for ten years, serving in several capacities: vice-chair; chair; second vice-chair; and secretary on several committees such as fiscal, policy and personnel. REPRESENTATIVE GARY DAVIS said that Mr. Ivanoff attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School. He asked about the relationship between the boarding school concept and the Molly Hootch case and the attempts to keep the rural children closer to home. He asked Mr. Ivanoff's feelings on the positive and negative aspects of the issue. MR. IVANOFF said Mt. Edgecumbe offered college preparatory courses as well as vocational courses that would not be offered in the Bering Strait communities at that time. Being at Mt. Edgecumbe exposed him to many educational opportunities. The school had a very good vocational education program, they also had very good college prep courses. Many people in his class ended up as doctors and engineers. In that aspect, the school was excellent. MR. IVANOFF continued. Consolidation, because each region and district is unique, can happen. Recently, a proposal came before the SBE with Galena. The Bering Strait school district is taking a look at consolidation and creating a boarding school to service small schools. One of the problems that exists right now, especially in rural Alaska, is that there are rules concerning a certain number of students that are going to be cut off from access to schools because there is such a low population of students in their area. MR. IVANOFF said when that occurs, a person is not exposed to the quality education other schools can provide. Specifically, urban schools can offer chemistry, calculus, etc., on a daily basis. This does not happen in the smaller schools. That aspect is exciting and important. Number 359 MR. IVANOFF continued that the boarding schools must be run locally, within the district itself. The state-operated school systems in the past were ineffective, due to the lack of local governance. MR. IVANOFF responded to Co-Chair Toohey's question on HIV/AIDS education. He thinks the topic needs to be included into the health curriculum of the schools, both on a local and district level. He thinks it should be taught from elementary to the 12th grade level. He wondered about HB 1, which regarded such education. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG said that the bill was withdrawn because it was discovered that all school districts were teaching HIV/AIDS, and rather than mandating an already-existing activity, the districts were applauded. Number 382 REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked for Mr. Ivanoff's priority. MR. IVANOFF said in one rural town, there are about 50 students. The quality of education in this town is not as great as it would be in Unalakleet, where there are over 200 students. However, the real disparities occur when teachers do not teach the subject they are most educated in, such as a math teacher who teaches social studies. Mr. Ivanoff wants to see students in smaller schools receive quality education, just like students in larger schools. REPRESENTATIVE ROKEBERG asked how Mr. Ivanoff thinks that could be done. MR. IVANOFF said there are technological advances that could help. North Slope, Matanuska and the Mat-Su Valley have made great strides in those areas. Technologies are constantly evolving. Those areas could be tapped into. Also, the consolidation of schools is a possibility depending on the local governments and issues. Number 407 MARILYN WEBB currently resides in Juneau. She came to Alaska in 1970 to teach in Savoonga with her family. Her oldest son graduated from eighth grade there. Then her family moved to Anchorage, where she became involved in the Head Start Program. Her background involves early childhood, teacher training and elementary teaching. SENATOR GREEN said in recent years, there has not really been a Director of Special Education or Director of Vocational Education in the DOE. She wondered if there has been any discussion concerning the organizational levels and lines of the DOE. MS. WEBB said there also has not been a person set in charge of early childhood education. The organizational chart for the department has just been received, and she realizes there are no positions for those areas. Depending on funding and priorities, that is certainly something the board will look at. Ms. Webb believes that other people are concerned as well. At 4:48 p.m., Senator Ellis left the meeting. Number 430 SENATOR GREEN asked if anyone has considered returning the funding that was taken out of program support to fund Jerry Covey's severance. This is being taken out of the program that supports vocational education, and the senator wanted to know if anyone has looked into this issue. If not, the SBE should look into this. MS. WEBB said that was part of Jerry Covey's contract that was constructed by the Department of Law. SENATOR GREEN said this issue is very troublesome to many people. Number 440 MS. WEBB answered the question concerning HIV/AIDS education. She thinks AIDS education goes on outside of schools, therefore she would really endorse having such an education program in school, and in partnership with parents. SENATOR SALO said she presumes, since Ms. Webb has such a background in education, that she has been active in Juneau's educational community. She asked how long Ms. Webb has lived in Juneau. MS. WEBB said she has lived in Juneau for four years. She was president of the Early Childhood Association in Anchorage. She also worked a little in the Anchorage schools, and for Head Start. She traveled around the state and worked with schools through the Head Start program. SENATOR SALO was going to ask about the Juneau High School health education program, but decided that would not be in Ms. Webb's realm of knowledge. She appreciates Ms. Webb's focus on early childhood education. Number 444 CO-CHAIR BUNDE rejoined the meeting at 4:50 p.m., and resumed the chair. REPRESENTATIVE ROBINSON asked about Ms. Webb's SBE priority. MS. WEBB said her priorities would be early education, parent involvement, "frontloading" the system to create greater emphasis on the early education years, comprehensive education and collaborative ways to provide children's services. CO-CHAIR BUNDE thanked Ms. Webb and apologized for having to be in two meetings at once. He closed the meeting to public testimony. REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS moved that the committee forward, to a joint session, the names of Mary Ann Eininger, Robert Gottstein, Abbe Hensley, R. Weaver Ivanoff, Marilyn Webb and Michael P. Williams for the State Board of Education. This does not reflect an intent by any of the members to vote for or against an individual during any further sessions for the purpose of confirmation. SENATOR SALO thanked everyone for accepting their appointment to the SBE. She is impressed with the wide variety of interests and concerns, and especially the work that each appointee has already done in education. The committee is very fortunate to have the group before it. CO-CHAIR BUNDE asked if there were any objections to the motion. Hearing none, the names were moved. ADJOURNMENT CO-CHAIR BUNDE adjourned the meeting at 4:55 p.m.