Association of Alaska School Boards

Legislative Bulletin

A weekly digest of activity by the Alaska Legislature and U.S. Congress for Alaska’s 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.

February 23, 2007

--MURKOWSKI: NCLB UP FOR DEBATE IN MID-APRIL

--DEBATE BEGINS FOR LAWMAKERS ON SCHOOL FUNDS

--BOARD SAYS LEGISLATURE SHOULD DEAL WITH TEACHER’S PAY

--PROPOSED LEGISLATION TRIES TO TACKLE STUDENT TRUANCY

--EDUCATION BILLS INTRODUCED THIS WEEK

--GOVERNOR PALIN ANNOUNCES NEW STATE ED BOARD MEMBER

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MURKOWSKI: NCLB UP FOR DEBATE IN MID-APRIL

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski says the issue of reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act will be taken up in a key Senate committee during April. Speaking to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, the Alaska Republican said she hoped Congress would strengthen NCLB “and make it more practical.” Among her suggestions for improvements are a “growth model” allowing school districts to receive credit for improving test scores and track individual student progress; a new definition of “highly qualified” teachers aimed at the reality of many rural schools; changes to the Adequate Yearly Progress requirements for special education and limited-English proficient students; and accommodations for heritage language programs.

Murkowski is a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. No firm date for a NCLB hearing has been announced by the committee, which she said is also focused on making college more affordable and improving early-childhood programs, including Head Start.

For more detailed information on NCLB reauthorization, click here:

http://www.nsba.org/site/page.asp?TRACKID=&CID=895&DID=11192

For a text of Sen. Murkowski’s remarks to the Legislature, click here:

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=269620

DEBATE BEGINS FOR LAWMAKERS ON SCHOOL FUNDS

As the Alaska Legislature approached the 40^th day of its 2007 session, they are not asking whether funding should be raised for Alaska schools, “they are asking how high,” the Associated Press reports. School districts are also asking, “when?” The answer to the latter question seems to be “later.”

First, legislators are waiting for Gov. Sarah Palin to introduce her amendments to the proposed FY 2008 budget. She has promised those on Thursday, March 1, followed the next day by a bill setting out terms for the state would like to see for construction of a gas pipeline from the North Slope. On Tuesday of this week, the House Finance Committee heard from a dozen education advocates on their hopes for increasing state support for K-12 schools. Click here for a synopsis of that meeting:

http://www.adn.com/news/government/legislature/story/8658802p-8550644c.html

BOARD SAYS LEGISLATURE SHOULD DEAL WITH TEACHER’S PAY

The Anchorage School District teachers’ union and Anchorage School Board say they hope to avoid a showdown that could close city schools. Contract negotiations could resume next week, but everyone agrees time is ticking on whether schools could close if talks over a new three-year contract fail. Now, some school board members say that parents and teachers should instead turn their attention to the state Legislature for help. See full story here:

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6117285

PROPOSED LEGISLATION ATTEMPTS TO TACKLE STUDENT TRUANCY

Alaska’s rarely enforced truancy law, which requires children age 7 to 16 years old attend schools, faces revisions under two bills before the state Legislature. One bill requires school districts to hire a truancy officer to enforce the law. The second would establish a progressive schedule for intervention, ranging from meetings with parents to petitioning the court system for a determination of delinquency or for a declaration the child is in need of aid under state law. See full story here:

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4411

See the text of SB 10 here:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0010A&session=25

See the text of SB 31 here:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0031A&session=25

EDUCATION BILLS INTRODUCED THIS WEEK

HB 142, by Rep. Les Gara, relating to the base student allocation used in funding for public education; student transportation; establishing a date by which the bill must be transmitted to the governor each year; and withholding per diem payments to legislators for failure to pass the bill by a certain date. See full text of the bill here:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0142A&session=25

Governor Palin announces new State Board member

Governor Sarah Palin has appointed Patrick Shier of Auke Bay to the State Board of Education & Early Development. Shier's appointment takes effect

March 1, 2007.

Shier will hold the position designated for a member of the public from the

First Judicial District. He replaces Patsy DeWitt of Juneau, whose term expires March 1, 2007. DeWitt had served since February 13, 2003.

Born and raised in Alaska, Shier is the Chief of Tax and Program Integrity at the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. He was recently the department's Deputy Director for the Employment Security Division. In that position, he negotiated agreements between industry and school districts to provide training and work experience for rural students.

The seven voting board members are appointed by the governor and are confirmed by the legislature. Members serve five-year terms. Non-voting advisory members include a student representative and a military representative.