(SitNews -Ketchikan, Alaska) - Yesterday, on the ninety-fifth and final day of the 28th Alaska Legislature, Governor Sean Parnell thanked legislators for their historic work on behalf of Alaskans. Among the governor’s priorities this year was House Bill 278, Alaska’s Education Opportunity Act.

After declaring the second session of the 28th Alaska Legislature the “Education Session,” Governor Parnell worked with legislators to pass House Bill 278, Alaska’s Education Opportunity Act. The legislation provides new educational opportunities, such as charter, correspondence and residential schools, and vocational training. The bill also includes a significant increase to school funding.

“This legislative session, we took a big step toward ensuring our students are well prepared, and Alaska’s future remains bright as a result,” Governor Parnell said. “With Alaska’s Education Opportunity Act, we have accomplished our goal of improving Alaska’s schools through more educational opportunity and additional funding. I thank the many Alaskans who took the time to make their voices heard.”

Governor Parnell’s education legislation also includes provisions that provide a substantial boost to the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP), increase residential school stipends to create more opportunity for rural students, and eliminate the High School Graduation Qualifying Exam, replacing it with a student’s choice of the ACT, SAT, or WorkKeys assessments.

The Legislature also passed Governor Parnell’s Digital Teaching Initiative to deliver higher quality instruction and more diverse classes to Alaska’s students.

In the "Education Session", education finishes last say the Alaska Senate Democrates. After the 2013 passage of SB 21, the Oil Wealth Giveaway, the legislature returned in 2014 to an unfortunate, but predicted fiscal catastrophe quoting a news release from Senator Hollis French (D), Minority Leader, Senator Johnny Ellis (D), Senator Berta Gardner (D), Senator Lyman Hoffman (D), and Senator Bill Wielechowski (D). Quoting their news release, despite promises of increased production and revenue to the State of Alaska, even the most optimistic Department of Revenue production forecasts fail to project even one new barrel of oil in the Trans-Alaska pipeline.

“It is remarkable that in just two short years Alaska went from billion dollar surpluses to billion dollar deficits. Now our worst fears are being realized in the latest production and revenue forecasts from the Governor’s team at the Department of Revenue. No increased production and red ink, to the tune of billions and billions of dollars, as far as the eye can see,” stated Minority Leader Hollis French (D-Anchorage).

In spite of massive deficits, the Republican majorities found ample time to pass special interest legislation assisting oil refineries and to pass a gasline bill that continues a failed financial relationship with Canadian pipeline builder TransCanada while bringing Alaska no closer to its long held goal of affordable energy for all Alaskans say the Alaska Senate Democrats.

With the Governor’s support, say the Alaska Senate Democrats, Republican leadership continued to pour money into megaprojects such as the Knik Arm Bridge, the Susitna-Watana Dam, and Juneau Access, projects with unknown economic benefits and environmental hazards that could potentially cost the State of Alaska $5-10 billion to complete.

“Alaskans can’t afford the blind and reckless spending spree the Governor and the majorities promoted this session. Thankfully the Bi-Partisan Working Group saved $17 billion while getting Alaska its fair share for our oil, but at the rate of spending promoted by the Governor and Republican majorities, we will be lucky to see those savings last 3 or 4 more years,” said Senator Johnny Ellis (D-Anchorage).

The Alaska Senate Democrats say that after failing to address parents’, students’, and teachers’ concerns on education during the statutory 90 day session, legislative leadership dragged past the voter mandated 90 day deadline to find a viable political solution for education. Grassroots, parent-led lobbying efforts promoted a $400 increase to the Base Student Allocation (BSA) for 2015, with $125 increases in 2016 and 2017, to correct four years of flat funding from Governor Parnell and Republican House leadership. The initial $400 dollar BSA increase figure was drawn from a legislative research report indicating this to be the minimum amount needed to stem school district cuts today after multiple years of flat funding.

Following a three day impasse, a conference committee was appointed to resolve the matter. Majority caucuses ended the “Education Session” with a funding measure that fails to keep up with inflation, thus continuing to starve classrooms and teachers of resources they need to provide Alaskan students with a first-rate public education say the Alaska Senate Democrats.

“Leadership really didn’t address education until the 11th hour and then produced a legislative failure. They misrepresent the facts about BSA equivalency in funding, and include public money for private and religious schools. There are a few policy improvements but overall we have failed to provide schools with the means to offer Alaskan students the best education possible,” Senator Berta Gardner.

The Alaska Senate Democrats did acknowledge that there were some notable bright spots to the session. Opposition from Senate Democrats and moderate majority members led to the failure of what they say were dangerous measures such as: SJR 9, authorizing school vouchers for payments to private religious institutions; SJR 21, a resolution seeking to politicize judicial selections; and HB 77, legislation dubbed the “Silencing Alaskans Act,” that would have removed critical public input processes from permitting and water rights decisions. In addition, a broad coalition of members, led by Senators John Coghill and Johnny Ellis passed a sweeping corrections reform that will improve public safety, hold offenders more accountable, and reduce corrections spending.

Finally, the Alaska Senate Democrats said they were all heartened by the impassioned display of activism surrounding the passage of House Bill 217 that made Alaska one of two states to officially recognize its Native languages. Advocates for the bill occupied the Capitol building the last day of session, singing and dancing their way into the night. The bill finally passed at 3 am, as cheers erupted from the Senate gallery.

“This session was another good one for big business, but a tough one for working Alaskans families,” said Senator Bill Wielechowski. “More big corporate giveaways combined with plummeting oil production and state revenue led Republican leaders to talk about raiding the Permanent Fund. This is a shame considering the Bipartisan Working Group worked so hard to save $17 billion.”

According to a news release from the Alaska Senate Republicans, one of the Senate Majority’s highest priorities is creating a better future for the children of Alaska saying that’s why the group spent much of the last three months working diligently to refine and improve Alaska’s Education Opportunity Act proposed by Governor Parnell at the beginning of Session.

“The Governor provided us with a good framework, and I think the House and Senate refined those broad ideas into an action plan which gives our teachers the resources they deserve and our students the best education possible to compete in a global marketplace,” said Education Conference Committee member and Senate Finance Committee Co-Chair Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage.)

According to the Alaska Senate Republicans (Senate Majority) after considerable discussion and input from individuals and organizations, the Legislature agreed to provide $300 million in forward funding to schools over the next 3 years. Roughly $150 million will go into the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and $150 million will go towards incentivizing innovation and opportunities in schools. The breakdown for the increase in the BSA is $150 increase in the first year, with a $50 a year increase each year for the two following years.

The Alaska Senate Republicans noted the package also includes incentives to create charter schools, more money for correspondence study programs, increasing residential school stipends to reflect costs, extended a pilot program for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to middle schools, and funding for broadband to provide more opportunities for distance learning in rural communities.

According to the Senate Republicans, the education package also authorizes students to ‘test out’ out of certain core courses and still receive credit for graduation requirements and the Alaska Performance Scholarship. To further help students, the Senate Majority insisted on repealing the requirement for a high school exit exam and instead provided the opportunity for high school students to take the ACT, SAT, or WorkKeys as a measure of progress. Finally, the Legislature agreed to fund comprehensive studies regarding how state money is distributed to school districts.

“The Senate recognizes that education is a constitutional mandate and, as a result, it must be adequately supported. With that said, the Senate also recognizes that education does not have to be delivered in the same manner it has been for the past 100 years,” said Senator Mike Dunleavy (R-Mat-Su Valley). “Technology, along with charter schools and independent learning programs, has opened the doors for a lower cost, more engaging approach to education. I am glad we were able to begin the discussion. Going forward, I believe that we must continue the fight to give parents and teachers more choices and resources. “

“The floor debate on education was one of the senate’s shining moments. There were excellent points made by both sides and we had a good philosophical discussion,” said Senator Click Bishop (R-Fairbanks). “I don’t believe our education system is broken, but I am particularly looking forward to getting these studies on education done so we can get down to business. At the end of the day, I want to do what’s right for parents and teachers so they can have the best resources available to educate our children.”

“This was supposed to be the ‘education session,’ but in the end, it certainly wasn’t. The Republican-led majorities spent much more time chasing right wing ideology and ALEC legislation than addressing education. Alaska’s schools were left with far short of what they need to stop teacher cuts,” said Tuck (D-Anchorage).

“We fought and defeated Republican overreach throughout the session, from stopping attempts to silence Alaskans through House Bill 77, to fighting efforts to allow public money to be funneled to private schools. The public was on our side on education too, and we were able to move the governor from calling per-student funding increases the ‘ultimate giveaway’ to putting it in his bill, said Tuck. “Unfortunately, neither the governor nor the majorities in the legislature were willing to make the lasting commitment to our public schools that would have prevented more teachers from being laid off. We must to better by our children to help them compete for the good jobs of tomorrow."

“With Alaska’s savings accounts and oil production both declining after passage of the oil giveaway, we’re leaving a tremendous challenge for future generations. Our children in school today will be the ones to meet those challenges and lead Alaska through them. The least we can do is ensure they get the education they’ll need to do it,” Tuck said.

The next session of the 29th Alaska Legislature will convene Janaury 20, 2015 at the Capitol in Juneau.



Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

Office of Gov. Sean Parnell
www.gov.state.ak.us

Alaska Senate Minority (Democrats)
alaskasenatedems.com

Alaska Senate Majority (Republicans)
www.akleg.gov

Alaska House Democratic Caucus
www.akdemocrats.com

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