2003 Legislative Priorities for ASD
Personnel
Assault of School Employees
The Anchorage School Board urges the Alaska Legislature to revise
Alaska criminal code or sentencing guidelines so that an individual convicted
as an adult of assault on a school employee during or because of the
performance of official duties will receive a mandatory minimum term of
imprisonment similar to that imposed upon an individual who assaults a
uniformed or otherwise clearly identified peace officer, fire fighter,
correctional employee, emergency medical technician, paramedic, ambulance
attendance or other emergency responder engaged in the performance of official
duties at the time of the offense.
Rationale: State statute provides for specific
terms of imprisonment for crimes committed against certain public employees,
such as peace officers, firefighters, etc., in the performance of their
official duties. Our school employees, who each day work with our most precious
resource, our children, deserve the same level of respect and protection under
the law.
Staff Recruitment and Retention
The Anchorage School District urges the Alaska
Legislature to develop strategies to attract and retain education
professionals.
Rationale: Alaska is at a crossroads as
its remote location, higher cost of living and non-competitive salaries create
a greater teacher and administrator shortage than that being experienced by the
rest of the nation. Attracting and retaining quality teachers has become a
critical issue facing school districts as they work to improve education in
Alaska’s public schools. Alaska’s colleges and universities do not meet our
state’s annual demand for new teachers. Most new teachers come from other
states. A national shortage of teachers and administrators forces Alaska to
compete with other states for an ever-shrinking pool of applicants. Compounding
the issue is the new federal law, No Child Left Behind, which places new
qualifications on teachers and para-professionals.
Other states are offering educators signing bonuses, down
payment on homes, mortgage subsidies and student loan repayment plans. As a
result, Alaska needs to consider strategies for attracting and retaining
qualified educators. These might include:
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Align vesting in the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) with vesting
in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Currently, it takes eight
years to vest in TRS, but only five years to vest in PERS.
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Eliminate Tier II in the TRS system. For example, teachers can
retire at any age after 20 years of membership service under either Tier I or
Tier II. However, for teachers hired before July 1, 1990, normal retirement age
is 55, with early retirement at age 50. For teachers hired after July 1, 1990,
normal retirement is age 60, with early retirement at age 55. In addition,
under Tier I retirement, major medical insurance is provided to all benefit
recipients and their eligible dependents at no cost. Under Tier II, retirees
under 60 with less than 25 years of membership service must pay the full
premium cost.
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Broaden the base of majors covered in the Western Undergraduate
Exchange (WUE) tuition subsidy program to include disciplines with high
shortages. WUE is a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher
Education. Through WUE, students in 15 western states may enroll in many
two-year and four-year college programs at a reduced tuition level that is
considerably less than nonresident tuition.
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Reimburse tuition or forgive loans for students preparing for
high-shortage jobs such as special education.
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Reduce the hiring costs associated with coming to work in Alaska.
For example, lower the cost for certification, fingerprinting, etc.
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