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.

March 3, 2006

--OIL HEARINGS DOMINATE SESSION WHILE EDUCATION ISSUES SIMMER

--AASB URGES DECISIVE ACTION ON SCHOOL FUNDING

--KEY EDUCATION ISSUES IN JUNEAU AND D.C.

--EARLY CHILDHOOD TASK FORCE REPORTS

--MARCH 22 WEBCAST AND AUDIO CONFERENCE ON LEGISLATURE

OIL HEARINGS DOMINATE SESSION WHILE EDUCATION ISSUES SIMMER

Oil companies big and small testified this week during a series of long

legislative hearings examining Governor Murkowski’s proposed changes to

state oil production taxes. Key committees in the House and Senate were

scheduled to continue their deliberations on HB 488 and SB 305 next week, as

the 24th Alaska Legislature approaches the halfway point of its 120-day

regular session.

In the meantime, a House Finance subcommittee whacked large chunks from the

Department of Education and Early Development budget request for FY 07.

Among the casualties were $5 million requested to continue the state’s

mentoring program for teachers and principals (now funded solely by federal

money). Also left on the subcommittee floor was $750,000 proposed for the

work of the Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force, chaired by First Lady

Nancy Murkowski (see story below). Further debate on these and other

subcommittee recommendations are expected later this month in the full

Finance Committee.

One education bill, HB 233, requiring schools to prevent harassment,

intimidation or bullying, moved out of the House Special Committee on

Education. Here is the text of that bill:

http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0233B&session=24

<http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0233B&amp;sessi

on=24>

AASB URGES DECISIVE ACTION ON EDUCATION FUNDING

Executive Director Carl Rose is urging legislators to go beyond a $90.2

million increase in the base student allocation this session. In a letter

to lawmakers on March 1, Rose reminded them of the unanimous position of

school board members who attended AASB’s Legislative Fly-in on Feb. 13 and

14, when about 140 education leaders carried the message to the Capitol in

favor of a change to the base student allocation and the area cost

differential.

AASB has been surveying member districts on the impact of the $90.2 million

increase on their FY 07 budgets. Rose noted in his letter that in many

districts the money will only help pay for fixed cost increases, but school

boards will still be faced with decisions on cutting staff, reducing

programs and delaying improvements. The full text of his letter to

legislators can be found here:

http://aasb.org/Frontpage/Feature4.html

Public Radio reporter Matt Lichtenstein has been interviewing education

leaders and key lawmakers about the prospects of passing a revised area cost

differential this session. His report on KFSK in Petersburg and statewide

on the Alaska Public Radio Network can be heard here:

http://aasb.org/Frontpage/Feature3.html

KEY EDUCATION ISSUES IN JUNEAU AND D.C.

Sometimes the important issues in our state and national capitals can be

difficult to track. What’s the issue? What’s the bill number? Who is the

sponsor? And what does it do?

If you are wondering what some of the key bills are in Juneau and

Washington, here is a handy grid to track them:

http://aasb.org/Frontpage/Feature4b.html

EARLY CHILDHOOD TASK FORCE REPORT

Alaska's Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force briefed the House Health,

Education and Social Services Committee on Thursday about the importance of

early education. They also were received at the Governor's House that

evening.

The task force, chaired by First Lady Nancy Murkowski, will help identify

the state's role and develop standards in early education. The governor's

fiscal year 2007 operating budget includes $750,000 for the task force.

Alaska is one of 12 states without an early education program, Mrs.

Murkowski said. Only 100 of 300 Alaska villages have a Head Start program,

she added.

Studies suggest that society receives $17 in benefits for every $1 it

invests in early education, Rob Grunewald, an economic analyst with the

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, told committee members. Students who

enter kindergarten ready to read are more likely to do well in school and

have higher wages as adults, and they are less likely to enter the criminal

justice system, said Grunewald, who is not on the task force.

Candace Winkler, director of the referral agency Child Care Connection, said

Alaska has about 46,000 children under age 6 all of whose parents work.

Licensed child care centers, Head Start centers and certified preschools in

the state can serve about 22,000 children. The cost of child care often is a

family's single largest expense, said Winkler, who is a task force member.

For more information on the task force, see:

<http://www.akhf.org/ReadytoRead/ECL-Summit.html>

http://www.akhf.org/ReadytoRead/ECL-Summit.html.

AASB WEB CAST AND AUDIO CONFERENCE SET FOR MARCH 22

A progress report on AASB legislative priorities and plans for advocating on

behalf of K-12 schools will be featured during an hour-long web cast and

audio conference on March 22 from noon to 1 p.m. AASB Executive Director

Carl Rose will give an overview of bills and budgets that impact schools and

be available to answer questions. For more information on the web cast and

audio conference, click on this link:

http://aasb.org/Frontpage/audioconf.html

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The message of education leaders was clear and unanimous: the Legislature

can best advance the education of Alaska's 133,000 school children by

addressing both the adequacy and equity of the foundation funding formula.”

AASB Executive Director Carl Rose, in a letter to all legislators on March 1