Policy Services
Quality Schools/Quality Student Service
Subject Area:
Personnel

4.1 SUPPORT FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT
AASB supports funded opportunities and sufficient resources for quality and relevant staff preparation
and demonstrably effective continuing development in both urban and rural settings for those educating
Alaska’s public school students. This includes, but is not limited to:
• Pre-service: State training programs through postsecondary and other institutions (e.g. RANA–
Rural Alaska Native Adult education program out of Alaska Pacific University and REPP–Rural
Education Preparation Program out of University of Alaska Fairbanks);
• Expanding Department of Education & Early Development packaged training programs for all
school districts to use in providing consistent mandated training to employees and in meeting the
requirements of the new federal law, No Child Left Behind;
• Quality in-service programs at the local district level;
• Necessary training for paraprofessionals and special needs educators.

Rationale. Perhaps the greatest factor affecting the ability of the state's students to master Alaska’s
student performance standards is the quality of the teacher who delivers classroom instruction to the
student. Compounding this critical concern is the shortage of qualified teachers administrators and
paraprofessionals. Issues such as teacher, administrator and paraprofessional recruitment, distribution,
preparation, and in-service continue to impact the supply and retention of qualified staff. While the state
has recently increased efforts to attract teachers and staff from both conventional and non-traditional
sources and to more effectively prepare teachers, the promise of these efforts has yet to reach most
school districts. Adopted 2002, Amended 2004 (Sunset Nov. 2012)

4.2 NATIONAL CERTIFICATION OF TEACHERS
AASB supports efforts to establish a financial incentive mechanism for state support of teachers and
districts wishing to participate in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
process. State support for this resolution should be outside the foundation formula. Additional incentives
to attract NBPTS teachers to under-performing schools should be considered.

Rationale. NBPTS is an organization of teachers, administrators, board members, and other education
stakeholders working to advance the teaching profession and to improve student learning. The mission of
the NBPTS is to establish high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and
be able to do. Linked to these standards will be a new generation of fair and trustworthy assessment
processes that honor the complexities and demands of teaching. The NBPTS certification process is
offered on a voluntary basis for teachers wishing to demonstrate exemplary performance around the five
core propositions:
• Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
• Teachers know the subjects they teach, and how to teach those subjects to students.
• Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring students learning.
• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
• Teachers are members of learning communities.
These standards are well aligned with the Alaska State Board of Education adopted teaching standards.
Adopted 1998, Amended 2007 (Sunset Nov. 2008)

4.3 TIERED LICENSURE
In June of 2005, the state Board of Education and Early Development passed regulations implementing
tiered licensure for new teachers in Alaska. While teachers bear the primary responsibility for securing
their licenses, AASB is concerned about adequate support and assistance from the State EED. AASB also believes the state should carefully monitor and evaluate the implementation of the program and
consider development of alternative methods for documenting teacher competency.

Rationale. As a performance-based system, tiered licensure holds the potential of raising the success of
teachers and students and elevating quality instruction as a top priority. When combined with the state’s
teaching mentoring program, the tiered licensure system can improve public education. Like any new
program, tiered licensure requires careful analysis and implementation to guarantee success, including
new teacher compliance with terms of NCLB. Adopted 2005

4.4 MENTORING
AASB applauds the willingness of veteran educators to serve as mentors to Alaska’s teachers and
principals. While this state training program has been launched with federal grants, AASB believes that
more secure funding should be identified to continue professional staff mentoring and to expand to the
district level in future years, and that there is an evaluation process in place to monitor the effectiveness
of the mentor.

Rationale. Surveys have shown that far too many teachers and principals leave the profession within
their first five years out of frustration or lack of success. Mentors who serve to provide advice and support
during these critical early years are a proven remedy to this drop-out phenomenon. Alaska should invest
money in mentoring programs to ensure that they exist into the future, when federal funds may not be
available. Adopted 2005

4.5 SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES TRAINING
The Association of Alaska School Boards promotes the establishment and expansion of postsecondary
educational programs to train additional individuals as certified special education teachers and the
initiation of programs to train related services providers (i.e. school psychologists, physical therapists, and
speech therapists) within our state university system.

Academic programs to train special education-related service providers are not currently available within
Alaska. Therefore, AASB supports providing financial relief while attending professional certification
programs elsewhere to Alaska residents who are committed to providing services to children in Alaska
public schools.

Rationale. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA-97) mandates
appropriate educational services be provided to all certified special education students; the Assistance to
States for the Education of Children with Disabilities (34 C.F.R. Part 300), Section 300.381 identifies the
role of “the State (to) undertake (activities) to ensure an adequate supply of qualified personnel including
special education and related services personnel...necessary to carry out the purposes of this part;” and,
the Assistance to States for the Education of Children with Disabilities (34 C.F.R. Part 300), Section
300.382 identifies the role of “Each State plan (to) include a description of the procedures and activities
the State will under take to ensure that all personnel necessary to carry out this part are appropriately and
adequately trained...to include a system for continuing education of regular and special education and
related service personnel to meet the needs of children with disabilities.”

School districts throughout the State of Alaska are having difficulty meeting the educational requirements
of our special needs students due to a significant shortage of certified special education personnel.
Furthermore, the University of Alaska has limited special education and related services professional
preparation program opportunities available to individuals aspiring to become certified special education
or related service professionals. Adopted 1998, Amended 1999, 2000 (Sunset Nov. 2008)

4.6 ADDRESSING THE TEACHER, SPECIALIST, AND ADMINISTRATOR SHORTAGE
The Association of Alaska School Boards does hereby urge the Alaska State Legislature, Alaska State
Board of Education, and Teacher Education Programs in Alaska’s universities to address the severe
shortage of teachers, specialists, and administrators in the State of Alaska.

Suggested strategies may include:
• Incentives (salary bonuses, loan forgiveness, loan assumption, competitive retirement benefits,
interest rate reduction, etc.);
• State supported marketing and licensure assistance to recruit teachers;
• Flexibility in certification requirements and reciprocity;
• Improve availability and/or quality of teacher housing;
• Mentoring programs for new teachers;
• Rehire of retired (RIP’d) teachers and administrators;
• Professional support/development.

Rationale. It has been painfully demonstrated that a severe shortage of teachers, specialists, and
administrators is being experienced in the school districts in every region of Alaska. Attracting and
retaining quality teachers has become a critical issue facing school districts as they work to improve
education in Alaska’s public schools.

A teacher’s job satisfaction is gauged by a number of factors, including a sense of accomplishment,
professional support, decent living conditions, and adequate compensation/benefits. The degree to which
Alaska meets these needs is a statement of the value we place on our educators. Adopted 1999,
Amended 2000, 2001, 2005 (Sunset Nov. 2008)

4.7 REPEAL THE SOCIAL SECURITY GOVERNMENT PENSION OFFSET AND WINDFALL
ELIMINATION PROVISION
AASB supports the elimination of two little known amendments to the Social Security Act that unfairly
penalize certain public employees by reducing earned retirement benefits. They are the Government
Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP).

Rationale. The Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination Provision unfairly reduce the Social
Security rights of at least one-third of America's education workforce, including Alaskans enrolled in either
the Teacher’s Retirement System or the Public Employees Retirement System.

In 1977, Congress began treating government pensions, such as those earned by educators, as Social
Security benefits. The Government Pension Offset (GPO) reduces an individual's Social Security survivor
benefits (available to a person whose deceased spouse had earned Social Security benefits) by an
amount equal to two-thirds of his/her public pension.

In 1983, Congress enacted the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). It changes the formula used to
figure benefit amounts – reducing an individual's own Social Security benefits (earned while working in a
job covered by Social Security). For example, a teacher taught 17 years in one state, then moved to a
different state and taught another 14 years. According to the Social Security Administration, she earned
monthly benefits of $540 per month for her contributions paid into the Social Security system while she
worked in the first state. Because public employees in the second state do not participate in the Social
Security system, her actual monthly benefits will be cut $196 due to the (WEP). She will receive $344 per
month from Social Security instead of the $540 she earned.

Congress further tightened the law in 2004 through passage of PL 108-203) which eliminated the “last
day covered employment exemption” to the government offset provision. The law requires that the last 60
months of a person’s government employment be covered by Social Security and the pension system in
order to avoid reduction under the GPO. Adopted 2002, Amended 2007 (Sunset Nov. 2012)

4.8 RELATING TO SECURE RETIREMENT BENEFITS
AASB supports further study of a way to supply guaranteed retirement, health and pension benefits for
new teachers at a price affordable to Alaska school districts.

Rationale. Secure retirement benefits are important for recruiting the best personnel to Alaska schools.
Adopted 2005

4.9 RELATING TO HEALTH CARE COSTS AND MEDICAL INSURANCE
AASB calls upon the Legislature and the Congress to address health care costs in Alaska and the U.S.

Rationale. In Alaska more than 110,000 residents have no medical insurance, and the price of treatment
is increasing. In the U.S. 45.8 million people have no health insurance. The uninsured drive costs up for
everyone. For school districts in Alaska these health care costs for current and retired employees is a
growing problem. In many districts these costs add up to more than 10 percent of the budget. This
growing budget category mitigates districts’ ability to directly impact student achievement through
classroom focused expenditures. Adopted 2005

4.10 SUPPORTING USE OF LICENSED PROFESSIONALS TO FACILITATE SERVICES BY
ELECTRONIC MEANS
AASB supports the use of electronic means by licensed professionals to facilitate the monthly supervision
of paraprofessionals as they implement the related service goals in a student’s individual education plan.

Rationale. In most of Alaska’s smallest schools, very few students are enrolled in speech therapy,
occupational therapy or physical therapy, and very few professionals are available to provide these
services. The result is often the use of paraprofessional personnel to provide these services. One solution
would be for a waiver of state laws to allow the supervision of these paraprofessionals by licensed
professionals via virtual means. Adopted 2005.

4.11 SCHOOL PEFORMANCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM
AASB endorses the goals behind the state’s School Performance Incentive Program and encourages
schools and districts to engage all staff to strive for student academic growth and continued high
performance. AASB urges the State to critically evaluate the SPIP to determine its fairness and efficacy in
supporting student achievement.

Rationale. Passage of HB 13 in the 2006 legislative session provided $5.8 million to reward school
personnel for their students showing growth to academic proficiency or continued high performance..
Adopted 2006, Amended 2007

4.12 OPPOSING MANDATED ALASKA READING COURSE
AASB opposes as unnecessarily burdensome 4 AAC 12.305 (b), Teacher Certification, and 4 AAC
12.045, Renewal of Certificate, which would require all teachers, regardless of content, grade level,
previously proven expertise, or current assignment, to successfully complete the Alaska Reading Course
or pass its assessments to receive or renew certification.

Rationale. Reading is fundamental to student success and all teachers should have the professional
preparation to assist students in becoming proficient readers. Requiring all teachers to take a particular
reading course hampers the ability of districts and individuals to focus professional development on what
will benefit students most. The logistics of administering the reading course and/or assessments to all
certificated staff is an unfunded mandate requiring time and resources, when staff development and
district improvement plans already address strategies to improve reading. Adopted 2007

4.13 URGING THE STATE TO REVISE THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR NOMINATION
AND SELECTION OF THE ALASKA TEACHER OF THE YEAR
AASB urges the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to revise the nomination and
application process for the Alaska Teacher of the Year to allow second-party nominations.

Rationale. The current application process used to nominate and select Alaska’s Teacher of the Year is
based primarily on applicants themselves submitting their own nomination. Many outstanding teachers
are reluctant to self nominate. A process whereby nominations can be submitted by fellow teachers,
principals, superintendents, school board members, parents and students would be more likely to receive
nominations for which the teacher could then provide additional information as needed. Adopted 2007

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