Association of
Alaska School Boards
Legislative
Bulletin
A weekly digest
of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for
AlaskaÕs School
Board Members. AASB Tel. 907-586-1083, Fax 907-586-2995.
Executive Director,
Carl Rose, crose@aasb.org; Editor, John Greely, Review
past issues of
the Bulletin on the AASB website at http://www.aasb.org. To
unsubscribe
send an email requesting the same to jgreely@aasb.org
**This bulletin
is distributed by email only. School districts should copy
for board
members not online.**
January 18,
2008
25th ALASKA
LEGISLATURE CONVENES SECOND REGULAR SESSION
The Legislature returned to Juneau on
Tuesday for a 90-day regular session.
Between now and
April 13, the House and Senate are expected to debate the
merits of
spending and saving an estimated $4 billion in surplus state
revenue,
remodel the foundation formula for funding K-12 education and
consider
approving a license for a proposed gas pipeline from the North
Slope.
Governor Palin spoke to a joint session
on Tuesday in her annual State of
the State
Address. Her comments on education included these:
ÒEvery child,
of every ability, is to be cherished and loved and taught.
Every child
provides this world hope. They are the most beautiful ingredient
in a sometimes
muddied up world. I am committed to our children and their
educationÉ
ÒOur three year
education plan invests more than a billion dollars each
year. We must
forward-fund education, letting schools plan ahead. We must
stop
pink-slipping teachers and then struggle to recruit and retain them the
next year. We
will enable schools to finally focus on innovation and
accountability
to see superior results.
ÒWeÕre asking
lawmakers to pass a new K-12 funding plan early this year.
This is a
significant investment that is needed to increase the base student
allocation,
district cost factors and intensive needs students. It includes
$100 million in
school construction and deferred maintenance.
ÒThere is
awesome potential to improve education, respect good teachers and
embrace choice
for parents. The potential will prime Alaska to compete in a
global economy
that is so competitive it will blow us away if we are not
prepared.
ÒBeyond high
school, we will boost job training and University options. We
are proposing
more than $10 million in new funding for apprenticeship
programs,
expansion of construction, engineering and health care degrees to
meet demands.
ÒBut it must be
about more than funds, it must be a change in philosophy. It
is time to
shift focus, from just dollars and cents to Òcaliyulriit,Ó which
is Yupik for
Òpeople who want to work.Ó Work for pride in supporting our
families, in
and out of the homeÉ.It is about results and getting kids
excited about
their future – whether it is college, trade school or
military.Ó
DEADLINES
ANNOUNCED FOR EDUCATION PACKAGE, BUDGET
The Senate Bipartisan Majority Working
Group, the 15-member caucus that
controls the
Senate, announced its 10 top goals for the session this week.
Among them is
passage by March 1 of the recommendations of the Joint
Legislative
Education Funding Task Force. See news release here:
http://www.aksenate.org/
Meanwhile, the House Majority outlined a
similar set of goals and announced
plans to pass
the state operating budget for FY 2009 by March 4.
Bills needed to implement the
recommendations of the Education Funding Task
Force were
introduced in both chambers. HB 273 and SB 240 are the key bills,
enacting the
task force proposals for increasing the Base Student
Allocation, the
District Cost Factors and funding for Intensive-needs
Students. Those
and other education bills can be viewed here:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_multibill.asp?session=25&subject=EDUC
ATION
<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_multibill.asp?session=25&subject
=EDUCATION>
EDUCATION BILLS
UP FOR HEARINGS NEXT WEEK
Tuesday, Jan.
22, House Health, Education and Social Services Committee
3:00 p.m. HB 273 Education Funding
Thursday, Jan.
24, House Finance Subcommittee
5:00 p.m. EED Budget overview