K-12 Public Schools and Students (2002-2003)
K-12 Public School Teachers (2002-2003)
K-12 Private Schools (2001-2002)
K-12 Public and Private School Student Academic Performance
Summary Background In 1995, then-Governor Tony Knowles, a Democrat, signed the state's Charter School Act to establish a pilot charter school program. Under this legislation, charter schools are subject to the jurisdiction of, and must be approved by, the local school board. Teachers in charter schools must be certified and are covered by collective bargaining rules unless the charter school can negotiate an exemption. Charter schools receive the full state and district per-pupil funding for each student, less a portion that is retained by the public school system to cover administrative costs.[2]
State Representatives Vic Kohring (R-14) and John Coghill, Jr. (R-11), introduced voucher legislation in 1999. House Bill 5 would have established a statewide, publicly funded choice scholarship system, but the bill died in the House Judiciary Committee.[3]
In 2001, the governor signed H.B. 101, which strengthened the charter school law. H.B. 101 eliminated the sunset clause, doubled the cap on charter schools to 60, and extended the contract length from five to 10 years. It also clarified that charter schools were not exempt from competency testing, provided a one-time start-up grant of $500 per student, and altered the funding formula to increase charter school funding.[4]
In 2002, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development proposed regulations governing district-run correspondence schools that enroll home-school students. These innovative correspondence programs are offered by approximately 20 percent of Alaska's school districts and serve nearly 10,000 home-school students, often with the use of telecommunications technology.[5] These correspondence schools receive state funding, and their students must take statewide assessment tests that are monitored and graded by a certified teacher. State funds may not be used to purchase religious curricula for home schools that participate in these distance-learning programs.[6]
In August 2002, Senate Bill 345 was signed into law, allowing home-school correspondence students to use curricula material and textbooks not provided by the school district if these materials were purchased with private funds.[7] On November 22, 2002, the Alaska State Board of Education approved the regulations proposed earlier in the year.[8]
State Senator Fred Dyson (R-1) introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 as charter school legislation in April 2003. S.C.R. 10 would have created a Joint Legislative Charter School Task Force charged with studying charter schools and proposing improvements in the state law. The Education Committee approved the bill, but no further action was taken.[9]
To comply with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Alaska adopted a regulation to allow students in underperforming schools to transfer to another school within the district. Students are provided transportation to schools within 50 miles of their home.[10]
Developments in 2005
State Choice Laws Position of the Governor/Composition of the State Legislature State Contacts Alaska Department of Education and Early DevelopmentRoger Sampson, Commissioner 801 West 10th Street Juneau, AK 99801 Phone: (907) 465-2800 Fax: (907) 465-4156 Website: www.eed.state.ak.us/ Alaska Private and Home Educators Association Brian Swanson, President P.O. Box 141764 Anchorage, AK 99514 Phone: (907) 373-4154 Website: www.aphea.org E-mail: board@aphea.org Committee on Health, Education, and Social Services Gayle Keller, Staff Aide 10928 Eagle River Road Suite 238 Eagle River AK Alaska State capitol Juneau 99801 AK (2 Different Cities), AK 99577 Phone: (907) 465-2199 (January-May) (907) 694-6683 (June - December) Website: www.akrepublicans.org/dyson/index.php E-mail: Wes_Keller@Legis.state.ak.us State School Report Card [1]See Alyeska Central School Web site at acs.yksd.com/index.html. [2]Center for Education Reform, "Charter School Legislation: Profile of Alaska's Charter School Law," 2001, at edreform.com/charter_schools/laws/Alaska.htm. [3]Alaska Legislature, 1999-2000 Session, H.B. 5. [4]E-mail correspondence from Wes Keller, Staff Aide, Committee on Health, Education, and Social Services, Alaska State Legislature, August 5, 2002. [5] Ibid. [6]Home School Legal Defense Association, "Alaska Charter School 'Benefits' May Have Strings Attached," January 24, 2002, at www.hslda.org/docs/news/hslda/200201240.asp. [7]See www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0345C&session=22 and www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill.asp?session=22&bill=SB+345&submit=Display+Bill+Root. [8]State of Alaska Online, Online Public Notice, "Notice of Filing--4 AAC 33 Statewide Correspondence," November 27, 2002. [9]Personal communication with Wes Keller, Staff Aide, Committee on Health, Education, and Social Services, Alaska State Legislature, May 2, 2003. See also Alaska Legislature, 2003-2004 Session, S.CR. 10. [10] Education Commission of the States, “Projects and Centers: No Child Left Behind,” at nclb2.ecs.org/NCLBSURVEY/NCLB.aspx?Target=SS#ln78 (August 18, 2004). [11] Joanna Markell, “Murkowski: Resources Can Pay for Education,” The Juneau Empire, September 1, 2002, available at www.aklegislature.com/stories/090102/murkowski.shtml and DC Appropriations Act; Bill S. 1156 ; vote number 1997-260 on Sep 30, 1997. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
