I call the House Education Committee meeting to order this morning.
It is Monday, January 26th, 2026, and the time is 9.01.
I know there have been major snow challenges all over Juneau this
morning, so thank you all for being here.
And I note co-chair story is on her way, but held up by the snow.
And, I think she's been working on shoveling and getting here for quite
some time,
so I don't know what state she'll be in when she gets here,
but she is, on, her, way.
Okay, members present this morning are representative Elon representative Diber representative wonky
Representative eyeshide and co-chair stories on her way, but I am here co chair hymn shoot
We have a quorum to conduct business. I'd like to remind members to please silence your cell phones
We are in the Betty Davis committee room
106 in this state Capitol building here in beautiful snowy downtown Juneau
The documents for today's meeting have been distributed
to members are available on the table outside the door
and on basis, and I want to thank our recording secretary,
Jordan Nicholson, thank you for being here, Jordan,
and our moderator from the Juno-LIO is Chloe Miller
under the supervision of Zach Lawhorn,
so it's gonna be a great day for Chloe
getting up to speed with us.
And our committee aids today are Tammy Smith and Ella Lubin,
who have gotten the room ready and gotten us all ready.
And we are joined at 9.02 by Representative Underwood.
Welcome.
OK.
Welcome to the first House Education Committee
meeting for the second session of the 34th legislature.
I'm glad you're all here and safe.
We're going to work hard this year on good policy and oversight, but we all know that
the budget is incredibly restrained. So that's going sort of be a focus of everything we do,
I think, for at least this session and for some time to come probably.
So looking for great policy wins where we can get them also looking
for what we could do to be as conservative as possible with the dollars we have.
look for education information coming at them from a couple different directions this year.
The education funding task force continues.
Their progress.
We drop the ball a little, getting information to people, so I want to make sure we're communicating
with everyone.
That process is happening also during session.
We have a schedule for that.
Where do people find that, Ella?
Is it?
Yeah, there is a, yeah.
Getting to it, we'll have to, will email you guys exactly how to get there.
But it is under special committees, and I'm not sure how much of the calendar is there
if we're just doing it weekly.
I haven't looked at it, because I know the calender, so we'll make sure you have that.
And then the meetings that we've had so far have talked about the funding formula.
We had information or an opportunity for partners like superintendents.
business officials to weigh in on suggestions they have for our funding
formula. We've talked about chronic absenteeism last week and we've had some
look backs at how we funded education changes, major changes that we made in
education over the years here in Alaska. So we have had
some meetings and have done a whole bunch of visits to schools which has
been the best part of that process. And our next meeting will be on Monday,
February 16th. A little bit of a breather and then we'll be back at it and
starting Monday the 16th.
And if you have comments or questions for the task force,
you can send them to edfundtaskforce at akaleg.gov.
So again, it's ed fund taskforce, at AKLEG.GOV.
OK, today's agenda, we have only one item scheduled
for meeting today, and it is the Comprehensive Literacy
State Development Grant, known as the CLSD.
We'll have two presentations this morning. One is from Michael Robbins at Bristol Bayboro, and the other is
from Superintendent Robin Taylor of Petersburg. I forgot to say Superintendent Michael
Robbins out in Bristol bay. Who was in Ketchikan until this year? You have copies of
there aren't any presentations for this.
So it'll just be listening to them.
I just want to acknowledge that we asked Deed
to join us today, they weren't able to be here.
We had a presentation on this topic last year,
and
What we're hearing is that the the grant is wonderful and districts are really grateful for it
But it hasn't been completely smooth and they had lingering questions
So we wanted to give superintendents an opportunity to go on the record today because deed wasn't able to be here
We will write down the questions and try to get answers
so
As we get started I'm gonna ask Michael Robbins superintendent Robbins
Do you want to take questions as you go, or do you wanna give us your entire statement and we should take notes and then get back to you?
Madam Chair, it's entirely down to the committee. I can do it either way.
Since you're online today,
it might be easiest if the Committee is okay with it.
Can you take note as he goes through his statement?
And then we'll just kind of take question at the end and get to him.
does that sound okay? I think it's going to be difficult to interrupt since he's online.
Okay. Superintendent Robbins, can you go ahead and start your comments on the comprehensive
literacy state development grant and what you're seeing there on
the ground in Bristol Bay?
Yes, ma'am. Madam Chair and members of the committee for the record. My name is Michael
Robbins Superintendent of Schools in the Bristol bay for our school district and I'd call you please
the superintendent of the catch can't get a borough school this year for three years.
Thank you for the invitation to testify today about the comprehensive literacy state development
or CLSD grant. While this grant application is complex and sometimes cumbersome, one of
the greatest strengths of CLSB is that it allows us to think strategically about comprehensive
The grant recognizes that early language development, strong foundational reading skills, and continue literacy support through mental and high school are all connected, because literacy doesn't start in kindergarten and doesn' t stop in third grade.
A benefit of CLSD is the focus on professional involvement.
The grant supports training, coaching, and leadership development
grounded in research-based instruction,
including the science of reading and multi-tiered system of support
or MTSS.
MPSS has been especially helpful because we can begin educators
a clear data informed way to identify students who needs early,
provides the right level of supports,
and adjusts instructions based on what the data shows.
When MPSS is implemented well, it creates consistency across classrooms and schools.
It helps prevent problems before they grow and ensure that limited resources are utilized
where that matters most.
This work moves us away from one time training and towards sustained improvements in teaching
and learning, which is where we see real results for the children we serve.
while building a highly skilled workforce.
CLSD also provides district flexibility to design
literacy strategies that fits their local communities,
while still aligns the state-wide goals.
In a state like Alaska, that's flexibility is critical.
When I need it in Ketchikan, it's different than what I
need in Bristol Bay.
This grant includes accountability and evaluation,
which helps ensure that public dollars are being used responsibly,
and that we are learning from the work we're
we are learning from the work as we move forward. I also want to speak from personal experience
about why access to this work is so important. Not all school districts receive LST funding
and my previous district right also served as superintendent. We were not eligible for the grant
and as a result our educators and students did not receive the level of professional development
and will provide. The need was there, but the resources were not. By contrast,
the Bristol Bay Borough School District drives received scale F.D. funding,
and the difference is meaningful and tangible. This funding will have significant impact
on our students' reading levels, and it has already strengthened the quality and consistency
of professional involvement for our educators. We just completed a whole day training
on Thursday that absolutely made us better
as professionals in moving space.
That improved professional development
translates directly into better instruction,
stronger systems, and better outcomes for students.
The effects of this work and well beyond what it's allowed.
Supporting overall student success and educator capacity.
Programs like CLST are making a real difference
where they are available.
And we need to find ways for all districts and all students to have access to the same level of support and opportunity.
At the time it's important to acknowledge that we're still in the first generation of implementing this work.
We're doing good things and districts across the state are making meaningful progress.
With five years of funding in place, we have an important opportunity to strengthen and improve implementation.
The bigger question is how we use the next few years to make sure this works last.
CLSD was never meant to be a short term program, it's meant
to help us build long term literacy systems.
As new teachers and administrators continue to enter our schools,
the success of this work will depend on how well we plan for this
for those future ways of people. And I know that this is one thing that we've
been discussing in educational passports is the constant turnover
in our districts.
And concentration number is a reality in our districts and all districts,
and that means professional learning cannot be a one-time effort.
Training and coaching need to be ongoing and built into the system
so that evidence-based literacy practices and MTSS
take consistent over time. It's also important questions about sustainability,
how we continue to develop staff, how
we maintain consistency across greater levels.
and how we use remaining years of the grant to build structures that can continue once
the Grant Ed.
These questions matter even more if this could continue to operate with fewer administrative
positions, putting an outside response of outside responsibility on a small number of
Programs like Seattle State or state law model are important for ensuring that all districts
regardless of size or location have valuable access to high quality literacy.
I also want to emphasize the importance of trusting district in this work.
Alaska has the long condition of local control and districts know their students and communities
best.
Corn is a provider that many districts use across Alaska and across the country and has been the
forefront of educational change. They presented three times at our MPSS conference over the years.
Several districts in Alaska chosen to work with corn because it aligns with the local
rules and needs and their state meaningful gains as rules. In those districts, this work is already
and educators are trained, invested, and see results.
When professional development providers
like Portland are not approved or supported by the state,
it creates disruption and risks flowing
or undoing the progress that districts have worked
so hard to achieve.
If we want this work to be sustainable,
we need to trust districts to continue using approaches
that are working for their students and their communities,
while still maintaining appropriate accountability.
Supporting districts to build it on successful locally selected partnerships is one way we can
honor local control and keep momentum moving forward.
Better alignment to a scale of D and REEDs X funding can also help ensure that loyalty
support reaches all districts more exclusively.
On a practical level, districts need more clear, timely, and reasonable guides around
allowable use of grant funds.
has been particularly cumbersome as some districts have
had to reach them at their application multiple times,
which takes valuable time from our grant leaders
and administrators, as well as to laying the implementation
of the board and activities.
For example, attending NTSS or TR Conference
is extremely valuable, and we just completed that work
yesterday for strengthening NPSS.
But one approval was initially denied,
and then ultimately granted.
With limited time before the event, it makes district planning difficult and limited limits
participation in high-quality learning we provide for our students. More flexibility predicted
along the around professional development funding, a lot of districts could make better use of high
quality learning opportunities, which once again goes back to the local control that we need to
have within our district structures. Overall, CLSD is a thoughtful and important investment in
instructional quality, equity, and accountability.
We are doing great work,
and important foundations are being laid
with sustained funding ongoing professional learning
like MPSS and the reading symposium,
which is phenomenal training that is performed by the
trucks and districts alignment across literacy initiatives
and flexibility to give in to participating districts
on how professional development and vendor support
a real opportunity to build a strong, lasting, literary system
and improve our children across Alaska.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank You Superintendent Robinson.
I'll just note the line was not 100% clear.
I was able to pick up most of what was said.
So I'm guessing others may have questions.
I certainly have a few.
And again, we'll take questions
to deed and try to get answers for the committee
for any part that belongs to them.
So, Rob Elam, did you have a question?
I do.
Thanks for coming and having a chat with us.
You know, one of the themes that is common here
in a lot of our committees is local control.
And, you know.
I love local controls.
It's definitely something I loved a lotta.
But when we also look at it, what we see is kind of the checker board effect of consistency
that happens from district to district and region to region, which again is nice because
it allows our local communities to learn and develop their systems as they go.
But from a state legislature perspective, that checkers boarding becomes more of a challenging
view consistency across the state as a district how do you like that kind of
conversation coming from us and I'm saying that because most of this committee is
actually relatively new to the legislature and so when when we're
having conversations about say inconsistencies between Anchorage and you
How do you compare yourselves with that kind of consistency
across the checkerboarding that happens?
Super dinner, Robins?
It's for the chair.
It was for a chair?
Yeah.
I would say that I understand the state legislature,
the federal agencies are looking at Alaska as a whole.
When looking as maybe a checkers board or district
is doing this program and district is
doing the program.
But I would say this, there are a few focal points that we have when it comes to reading
instruction.
There's the NGS SRTI conference, the science of reading conference.
And so where those districts who are doing one thing are collaborating with districts
who were doing another thing.
And just because it's this program or that program doesn't mean that there is a quality
instruction that is going to be used.
What the programming that I would use in Ketchikian, for example, would be significantly different than I
would used in Priscilla Bay, just simply because of the place-based learning and the location that we
are at. And so, but I think that the State Education Department is on a very good job of, and NTSS,
And to compare what programming that they're using, and it's, is that being effective in
their communities and then does that translate into what we are doing in our schools and
taking some of the things that we have that are working and maybe using in the district.
But to sit there and have a blanket, we're going to do this program for everybody in
the state.
When looking at how diverse our school districts are and that's the beauty of Alaskan education is that they are diverse
But what that diversity comes a certain amount of trust that you have to have
Local school district who are doing very good work and those people are performing at a very high level
And that has been seen in the data that we have
Since we've implemented the reject
Before the follow-up or something, you know, I just wanted to clarify MTSS is being used here in a couple of different ways
MtsS stands for multi-tiered systems of support
But I think superintendent Ramas is also referring to a conference that is called the M TSS conference
That's held in January. Okay, and I I Think that's that could be confusing. So go ahead with your follow up. Thank you
Yeah, And I appreciate the following up
Part of the reason or my train of thought of where I'm going with this is is that
the when we're trying to calculate and figure out what does it cost to educate students in Alaska,
and there's a wide variance of maybe one district thinks that this is working well,
but you know, and another one wants to do something else that's working
well. And I apologize, I'm kind of formulating my thoughts here a little bit on the fly.
curriculum, I'll use an example, right?
Some schools hold onto their curriculum for a very long
time, and others may change more on a more expedited
basis, you know?
And that costs a lot when we start looking at those things.
And so from a policy perspective, how do we calculate
the costs with all of that checkerboarding?
And I don't know that you have an answer.
I know any of us have answer, but that's something
Superintendent Robbins, thank you through the chair.
That is a great question.
And I don't necessarily think that I have
a very succinct answer to how we develop
a funding formula based upon the curriculum that we have.
But I would say that trusting the school districts
understand the cycle of the curriculum that they need and when they
need to implement some school districts do curriculum cycling every four years.
Some do every six years, some do
every eight years some to every two years it's really based upon
old school board policy and what they believe is both effective for the
students in their school district. So in looking at a curriculum question on
price that that almost comes down to when schools are willing to any have the funding to do that
and I would say this a lot of the curriculums have been delayed in implementation because
the lack of state funding or local funding one of things to get cut pretty quickly is we'll just
Okay, it's we're up for English this year, but we really don't have
250 to 300 $400,000 to implement a new curriculum and so
When you are working on the state funding formula through the educational task force
That needs to be understood that there are certain
costs that get taken away and one of those happens to beat curriculum, which is incredibly important in your school district
But it is as important as your music program or your education classes or
your class sizes going up two or three because or five or ten based upon not
having those monies to do that and I think that people tend to invest. I know
and i'm super dependent in personnel and the work that they're doing because
teachers make a huge difference in the classroom and that's where we put our
And Superintendent Robbins, I'm just going to ask,
if you're on speakerphone, our tech gurus are saying,
it might be easier to understand you
if your are not on the speaker phone.
Did you want to follow up on that Representative Elam?
Thank you.
Can you hear me better there?
Yeah, that sounds pretty good.
That's better, thank you
Okay, Thank You.
Yeah.
And so I guess that is kind of, you did answer
or went down the road there that I was looking at.
But it would be nice for us to be able to get to a point where we actually really understand
what it costs for sort of the core of education so that that core isn't in direct competition
with so many of other items in the budget.
So thank you.
I'll listen to everybody else's now.
Representative story, thank you coach air hymn chute and welcome
Superintendent Robbins. Thank you for your information. I just wanted to clarify and please correct me if you have any corrections, but
We have when we have flexibility in our curriculums across the state to be local control. They must be
Scientific-based, they must be something that
deed has to give an exception to some curriculum and see how it's based on the
science of reading
but there are parameters, it just you can't pick any new reading program that
does not do the science reading.
component in it. And I think that's just important to know because it just reassures
me as an oversight that we are using best practices out there. So I wanted
to clarify that point. I also wanted to
clarify curriculum and my memory is every six years we
are supposed to, by statute, update your curriculum.
And I know from the Juno School District, it's just as Superintendent Robin said, that can get delayed.
And when there's a curriculum cycle, I know in the
Juneau School District, just because I
know it the most, they have all the topics that we have to
have curriculum refresh on.
And there is a Curriculum cycle.
And like two years before, it's the renewal for the math
program.
There's big committee that has to form with all these people
on it.
I see Rep Underwood nodding her head.
And a group starts.
And then they're looking at all of these different Curiculums.
I mean, these are like 16 people curriculum.
I'm sure in other districts,
But there is a whole cycle and review part and going out to the community and community
nights to look at the curriculum.
I think it would be helpful for the committee to just see one of those review cycles.
Just because it helps.
Again, there's a process and ideally we follow that process.
I just think that you're bringing up a good point, Rep.
So, anyway, Superintendent Robins,
did you have anything to add to those comments?
I totally agree with you, Representative Story,
that there's committees that get together.
There's community important.
Curriculum must be approved by school board.
And there is truly a process that goes through
through all of that and some years you choose to keep the same curriculum you've had in the past because it's been working and there's no
reason to change and in other years, depending on if there is something else that has shifted over the last four or five years.
You may move to another curriculum, but there are parents on those committees. There are educators.
It's pretty well vetted throughout and just reading to the school board and it must be passed through them.
And did you have a follow-up or is it a story?
Well, much her story.
Thank you.
Well I had a further question about how districts were picked
to get the CLSD funds, because you said some districts had funds
and some district did not, so I was curious about that.
And I keep thinking we're talking about a school district, C-L-S-D.
It sounds like school districts are not a program, but no, I did not have a follow-up to that sounds.
I'm not sure if I mentioned it, Representative Storey was able to join us at 907 after an epic morning in the snow.
And, um, and I am not if if put that on record, she is here and so glad.
Um, yeah, the question of who all got it and who did get it.
isn't clearly spelled out on the deed site and so I don't know if Superintendent Robbins would have that information either but that is a question that we can pose to deed and we're keeping a list of questions to to get a response to so so Superintendent Robins do you know which districts didn't did not out of the 53 that could be a long answer.
students qualified under frame reduced lunch and title one and so that is the reason why
we were not eligible for it and in principal day our district does have the number of students
that you would need in order to qualify through title 1 and frame reduce lunch.
Okay thank you and I think my question would be which districts got it which
applications evaluate. I think that's a question for Deed. Did you have another follow-up question?
Thank you. Coach here him should. If I remember and I had jotted this down, these grants are
to focus on disadvantaged children, English language learners, and students with disabilities.
So I thank those are the categories and then even though we know all children deserve,
you know, the best focus in literacy and training that our staff has.
Okay, I think we'll move on to a representative eyeshide
Thank You co-chair him him shoot
Superintendent Robbins, thank you for the ear presentation. I guess I have two questions
one thing that you said was you were talking about this robust training that
you felt was really going to move the needle on reading instruction and
I Guess what occurred to me
I'm looking at the grant, here it looks like it's a five-year grant.
So, you know, grants are meant to improve capacities in some area,
and you take that training,
and the training lives on beyond those five years.
So you'd mentioned staff turnover.
So how does that impact your ability to deliver high-quality instruction?
And if you do have staff turnover problems in Bristol Bay,
I'd like to hear if that's the case and what causes high staff
turnover and presumably impact on quality instruction.
That's my first question.
Superintendent Robbins, we're going to run short on time
for our second presenter.
So if he could give a quick answer
to a fairly involved question, that would be great.
I think one thing that I would say is that as far as teacher turnover concern, I
think the educational joint education committee has done an excellent job of
describing why the reasons of administrative and teachers leave the state of Alaska.
So I kind of maybe pivot towards that research that we have, but I
would try to do a large impact when it comes to any teacher who leaves your
district that has received the quality of professional development that
is that you now have to train that person up,
catch that persona, put more resources into a new teacher
or into your district that doesn't have that training.
That's obviously going to have an impact on a continuity,
continuity with the students, continuity
with staff, and so that, once again,
that has a large impact on student achievement and learning.
Anytime you have a change that is going to take some time for those educators
and they catch up pretty quickly but still that's going
to be a part of the process and we build that into our professional development
in the beginning of a year. I know a lot of districts do that.
We do it throughout the year but any time you
have to change there are lots of great teachers.
I think, you know, that doesn't really impact student
achievement in learning
Thank you, and then quick as I could be there. Yeah, that was good a brief second question. It is brief very quick follow-up
Superintendent, I just I think I heard you say this by one make sure I did hear it
Do you as a school district have to deal with a lot of red tape to?
Do your educational mission either from the state and or federal government?
Superintendent Robbins, yes, thank you through the chair. I thought that I would say that
and represent Underwood.
Thank you.
Thank for being here, Mr. Robbins.
Quick question.
Just since the Reads Act has been implemented in the Bristol Bray region,
I'm just curious, have you seen an improvement to prior to it being implemented?
Till now I know that we've seen really good measurements in
the Matt Sioux, but I am just
curious in your region as it stayed flat.
Have you see improvements?
What's been your experience?
Superintendent Robbins?
We have seen.
Excuse me.
We've seen a tremendous improvement in our reading program.
We cut the number of students who need individualized reading plans by 75% in the district over
the last two years.
It's been a tremendously amount of work for my teachers and my principal, but also I would
They've done an excellent job with the science of reading.
And I certainly think that that has impacted
the professional development and the learning
that our teachers have gotten, and that
has made an impact on our students.
So I think the combination of all of it
and everybody working together, I
think, has really helped.
There's some provisions on the bill that I would have maybe tweaked a little bit, but I think overall it's done an excellent job of focusing it on
What is important when that comes to the sign of the reading?
Okay, I I
Think co-chair story has one more quick question and then I have one and we're going to move on. I
Thank you co chair him shoot out through the chair
Superintendent Robins you said that you
Districts had asked for approval to go to this recent conference, and deed had initially
denied approval and then later said that that was approved.
Can you tell me about that process?
Sorry.
Yes.
Through the chair.
Thank you for the question.
that the MTSS conference was not being able to be used.
Salesforce did not be able be use.
We brought that to the attention of my organization,
the Superintendents Association, I think, reached out
and worked with the, to show them that, no,
this is a reading conference.
The predominant amount of materials
And then the State Education Department came back maybe a month before the conference
and then allowed that for us to go.
And I would say that NPSS-RQI is one of the few conferences where almost all the state goes.
All the districts goes, there's been a focus on reading instruction for the eight years
that I've been going to it.
And so once that process came in.
We were allowed to go, I think they saw an uptick of people who were able to
go because the funding was there, and I do think it's a really important one,
along with the science of reading that we do in April.
Thank you.
Thank You.
And I'll keep my questions very brief,
and it also had to do with a conference aspect.
So, uh,
and this is a question that
we can give to deed as well, but my understanding is
Conferences and that kind of professional development are included in the grant and the disagreement or the misunderstanding had to do with whether it could only be the science of reading conference in May or could it also include the MTSS conference that's held in January.
I think so, I'd think that there was a dispute on what necessarily was in the MTSS conference,
but I would think once it was found out that, yes, it's a very reading-intensive program.
I'm think it re-evaluated, and I feel that was the benefit of our educators.
Okay.
And then my second question has to do with Corwin, do you know how a vendor becomes approved?
Are stakeholders engaged in that process and can that be reviewed?
Do you know if that can be revisited or has a final decision been made on vendors?
I do not know the process of which the way vendors do get approved.
I think that might be a better question for the state education department on what those
what that list might look like.
I just know that in the case,
poor in our districts that have used that program,
that visible learning, John had his work
for years and has had significant impact
on student achievement and learning.
And so we were a little surprised
when they did not show up on the vendor list,
but I can't tell you the reasons why
that they weren't on that particular list.
Thank you. The questions I have so far that we would forward to the department I think have to do with which districts received this grant.
How long has the grant been in place?
I know we have this new award of 10 million a year for the next five years, which is fabulous, but I
think the Grant existed before that, so this is the first time Alaska's gotten it.
And then the question about vendors, how the vendors are selected and approved, does that is that consistent with?
Do you want to add something, co-chair story?
Ah, thank you, Co-Chair Hymshoot.
I would like to ad the curriculum review process
if the committee here could see what that process is.
Sounds good.
And with that, Superintendent Robbins,
I'm gonna thank for your time
and we really appreciate you calling in
and giving us part of your morning
and starting off your week with us.
And we're going to move on now to-
Thank you very-
Yeah, Thank You.
Oh, it sounds like we might have cut them off, that's fine, totally fine.
And now we're going to move on to Robin Taylor, who is a superintendent of Petersburg City
School District.
Thank you, Superintendent Taylor for being with us this morning.
I hope you're getting some snow in Petersburg, the morning news broadcast sounded like snow
turning to rain.
So I hoped everybody's safe down there and it sounded
like you were starting school on time, at least this
morning at 6.30.
There was no notice that you weren't.
if you could go ahead and put your name on record and share your thoughts with us.
Okay well good morning all and just want to make sure you can hear me.
Yep you sound great. Okay fantastic well Chair and members of the House Education Committee
thank you for the opportunity to speak today. For the record my name is Robin Taylor and I serve
I want to begin by expressing sincere appreciation for the intent and vision behind the comprehensive
literacy state development or CLSD grant.
We are grateful that the state of Alaska pursued and secured this funding, approximately $10
million per year, over five years, to strengthen literacy work statewide.
Literacy does not begin in kindergarten, and it does
not end in third grade.
A comprehensive, vertically aligned approach is
absolutely the right direction,
and we appreciate the state's commitment to that
long-term vision.
That said, I'd like to respectfully share several
implementation challenges that districts like Peter's
work have encountered.
Challenges that are limiting the grant's ability to fully
support the very work it was intended to strengthen.
In the late summer of 2024, superintendents were informed by Commissioner Bishop that Alaska
had received CLSD funding and that districts would soon be able to apply to support literacy
work aligned with the Alaska Reject and Secondary Literacy efforts.
There was real excitement and optimism around this announcement.
Before this time, the Alaskan Re
with no increase to the base student allocation,
which required districts to adjust their budgets
to meet the requirements of the Alaska feedback.
However, as districts sought clarity
throughout the last school year,
the release timeline continued to shift
from November to December to January
and eventually into the spring.
The CLSD application was ultimately released
to districts on April 30, 2025, with a May 30 deadline.
While we appreciate the webinars and the guidance provided,
this compressed timeline made it difficult to engage
in spot-fall strategic planning,
especially for a grant intended
to support systemic multi-year literacy systems.
When the grant application was released,
We learned of 15 school districts who were not eligible to apply, based on fall 2024 OASIS data
tied to free and reduced lunch percentages.
To my understanding, this grant was not necessarily intended to be a selection-based federal grant,
rather it was to support districts.
Having served as a principal in districts such as Chatham and Denali, who are on the list of ineligible districts,
I do want to raise a concern about reliance on this single metric.
Some districts do not operate traditional food service programs, meaning free and reduced
lunch data may not accurately reflect student poverty or need.
Some district simply don't have the capacity to get this data recorded as intended.
Districts with genuine literacy needs may have been excluded due to data limitations rather
than actual circumstances.
Peters were qualified because we do have a universal meals program and a strong reporting system.
But this does raise broader questions about equity and consistency in eligibility determination
across the state.
District were encouraged during webinars to be creative and visionary.
to consider what we could do to strengthen first to grade 12 literacy if resources were available.
That message was encouraging and appreciated.
At the same time, districts were reminded that CLSD funds must supplement not supplant existing programs.
This is where many districts such as Petersburg are experiencing a real and persistent tension.
The Alaska Reads Act placed significant requirements on districts, yet implementation has largely
occurred without sufficient new funding.
In Petersburg alone, between FY 25 and FY 26, we eliminated one of our three elementary
reading interventionist positions, positions that were directly supporting ReadS Act implementation
and student outcomes.
The recent unfortunate failure to override Senate Bill 113 provided yet another missed opportunity to help support funding of this act.
Naturally, districts hoped CLST funding could help sustain this work.
However, this supplement, not supplant restriction, makes it difficult to use this grant to maintain positions or systems that are already working.
but no longer financially sustainable under current funding structures.
The systems that have been set in place in Petersburg are working.
We don't need something new and shiny, rather we need to be able to support existing structures
and the fiscal need-to-pay staffing is a significant resource to accomplish this work.
Another challenge has been professional development flexibility.
On page 14 of the CLSD application, under limited use of funds, the guidance stated that
in-state conference costs were allowable only at the Alaska Science of Reading Symposium.
We do appreciate that after requesting clarification from the state and demonstrating direct alignment
Approved four districts to use CLSD grant funds to attend the MTSS RTI conference was granted
approximately two weeks before the conference itself.
We are thankful for that flexibility.
However, earlier clarity would have significantly improved planning and access.
This situation also highlights a broader concern around local control and vendor flexibility
Districts were operating under a very short application timeline and that same compressed
timeline applied to vendors seeking approval.
As a result, key professional learning partners were not approved in time.
One example is Corwin, an organization that focuses on John Haddie's research on literacy
and instruction across all content areas through effective teaching practices, commonly known
Many districts, including Petersburg, have experienced meaningful improvements in instructional practice and student outcomes through this work.
When districts are required to pivot away from proven partners due to prescriptive vendor lists and timing constraints,
it disrupts momentum and limits to the impact of the grant.
would allow districts to build on what is already working for their students and educators.
An additional and significant challenge involved grant fiscal mechanics and the state's GMS system.
This grant required districts
to set aside 1% of the award for going education and 1%, for Marzano research,
for statewide communities of practice and external evaluation.
before the keyword before applying district indirect costs.
This is a departure from standard grant practice,
where indirect cost are pulled first in the DMS system
and remaining funds are then allocated.
Thus, when the grant opened in a DMs system,
the system was not structured to calculate costs this way.
As a result, the math simply did not math.
From July through late September and into October, districts in the state worked through ongoing conversations to correct a system.
During this time, district were already receiving invoices from Gleean and Marzano, but could not properly process payments because the GMS system was not functioning correctly.
This could cash flow challenges, administrative burden,
and unnecessary stress for district finance teams.
Finally, while we strongly support the birth to grade 12 vision,
it's important to acknowledge the practical realities
districts are facing.
The Alaska Reject is heavily focused on kindergarten
through third grade, and districts
are devoting substantial time, staffing,
and resources to meeting those requirements.
Well, CLSD is framed as a way to support
reset implementation.
Excuse me again, the required funding distribution 40% for K-5, 40 percent for grades 60%
for sales, and 15 percent
for preschool has been challenging to balance again three X demands.
but the rigid allocation structure makes it difficult to concentrate resources
where statutory accountability is currently the greatest.
In closing, I want to emphasize that good work is happening.
The intent behind CLSD is strong.
Districts are committed to improving literacy outcomes, aligning with the Alaska Resect,
and building systems that will last beyond the life of this grant.
What we are asking for is greater flexibility, clearer and earlier guidance, and increased
trust in districts to make decisions that reflect local context and student needs.
With adjustments to eligibility, criteria, vendor approval processes, professional
development, flexibility and fiscal mechanics, zero receipt can more fully achieve its promise
I thank you for your time, your service, and for listening to the realities districts are
navigating as we all work to do what is best for Alaska's children.
Thank you.
Thank You Superintendent Taylor.
Looking for questions.
I have a few myself, but I'm sure others do too.
Representative Underwood.
Thank-you, Chair Hymn.
I'll just ask you the same thing that I asked the previous presenter.
I am just curious, what are you guys seeing for the reading scores prior to The Reads Act?
being enacted till now, is it a giant swing and improvement?
Is it just a steady climb?
I'm just curious in your region how you're seeing results play out.
Through the chair, thank you for that question.
We've been fortunate in Petersburg
that we have, as in making many communities,
to kindergarten community that students are entering very well prepared when we look
at the TS Gold and the Alaska Developmental Profile scores, but we are seeing continuous
increases through the programs that we have put in place.
We are continuing to see improvement in our student scores.
also known as Dibble this year, and our beginning of the year data showed that at the beginning
of year 44% of our students showed overall reading proficiency and are mid-year data
shows that we are now at 57% so we're seeing just those consistent gains.
I'm going to go ahead and follow up with a question about that question if that's okay, Superintendent Taylor,
the Alaska Developmental Profile never had a year end test,
so we could identify how many kids were not ready to start kindergarten,
but we never checked to see how much made progress.
So we're seeing these great gains.
I am just hesitant because it feels like until we see fourth and fifth graders
Maybe next year in the year after, after three years of implementation, when those scores go up,
I'm going to feel more confident. But I understand the growth between start of year and end of
year is greater than it's ever been.
But did we always measure end-of-year? Are we comparing to a previous measure or are we just
like just now quantifying the gross from beginning of the end
of your year? And I just I don't know what we used to do to be able to compare that.
Through the chair again, thank you for that question.
Not being an elementary specialist,
I would probably defer to my elementary principal
who's not in the room to better answer that.
But having been a K-12 principal focusing more in secondary,
what I'd say is in all of the buildings I've had
the privilege of working in, we've consistently used
the Alaska State Assessment as our year-to-year
metric looking at students and their growth.
Okay. Are there questions on Superintendent Taylor's presentation? We have about five minutes.
Representative Dibert.
Good morning through the co-chair. Thank you Superintendent
Taylor for being here for your presentation.
We asked this in the previous
presentation on teacher turnover, are you how does that look in Petersburg and how do you dress
out with training if there is an issue? Thank you, Coach. Superintendent Taylor.
All right. Thank the chair.
Thank You for the question, Representative Divert.
estimate is lower than what I've seen through districts. I have the opportunity to work in
across the state. Individuals tend to come to Petersburg and stay. This year, we just have two
resonations, retirement, and moving into family life. And so people tend
to have a stay, however, when we do get new individuals coming in,
Last year, we found that we had to bring in an international hire, which meant training
from the ground up.
And so the CLC grant has been helpful to support those training costs for that teacher to get
their letters' certification training.
But then, as Superintendent Robins has talked about, just with teacher turnover and sustainability
And a few years from now, those funds will be gone, and so the turnover does not go away.
So there will still be training requirements.
Thank you, Co-Chair Story.
Thank You, co-chair Hymshoot.
Through the chair, I would like to ask Superintendent.
Taylor, if John Hattie, Visible Learning, was not a science-based, evidence- based reading
program.
And then I would like to know from Deed why, how vendors were picked, which I believe
you already asked about, and then also why with the grant's fiscal mechanism, why are
There were anyway, there were a few comments there.
I can't remember if it was what they were deducting the other
to one percents from before the indirect costs.
Yeah. So, sorry that was a little bit.
So which question is for Superintendent Taylor?
The first one is first Superintendent and Taylor.
Please. IES, the John Haddick curriculum,
the Visible Learning, is that a science
evidence-based reading program?
Superintendent, Taylor, yep.
Through the chair, thank you for the question.
John Hattie and the visible learning,
John Hattie has researched across the world
effective teaching practices.
And there's a lot of nuts and bolts
that the effect sizes of the different strategies
that we use have an impact on students learning.
Yes, there is a literacy focus on this.
Corwin has been the invited guest.
I want to say the last three years,
but somebody else may better support that.
But they've been invited guests for the past three
years to the MTSRTI conference.
It's an overall comprehensive support system,
not just on reading literacy, but on literacy instruction
across all content areas, which
has really impacted the work that occurs,
not just in reading, but in all content areas.
Follow-up?
Very quick follow-ups.
Yes, oh, thank you.
I was wondering when you made the comment
that this grant is not to supplant.
But supplement, did I get that order in right, and is my understanding clear about that?
Because I thought this grant was in addition, it was coming in as additional resources to districts to work in these areas.
Superintendent Taylor.
Yeah, through the chair, thank you for the question.
Yes, you are correct.
We were allowed to supplement.
but not the plant ork that was happening and so the example that I used in Petersburg is that
through our general funds we were unable to support three reading interventionist positions
so we had to reduce that. We were hopeful that with this grant we may be able to bring
one of those positions back but we're not able do that, that would have not been an appropriate
Thank you final comment from coach her story
Oh, yes
I would just like to add that to the questions to
The department because it seems very important if you're doing something effective that we should be able to fund it
Thank You sure hundred percent, okay before we wrap up. I just also have one quick question, Superintendent Taylor who?
Who writes your grant applications?
So for the 53 school districts who might want to avail themselves of the CLSD grant
Does each district have to write their own application and who in the district does that? Is there a grant writer?
Through the chair, thank you for that question. I can speak to Petersburg. That was myself as well as my
principles and then now who we have put in position as our CLSD grants coordinator after the grant was
received but
Through listening to the to webinars and sitting down together and doing the work and really trying to
submit a thorough and comprehensive grant in that
one month window I would anticipate just in my time alone that that was about 30 hours of time and
then
once the
application was submitted districts received notification of either acceptance or revision needed and
We were one of the districts that had to do some significant revision
on our initial application, which that in itself proved to be helpful
with the individual tired from the state that worked with us going through the grant line
by line and getting it to a spot where the State felt it was acceptable
to meet their grant requirements.
Okay, but yeah, we do not have a grant writer it is it's an all hands on deck approach for just somebody who's passionate and willing to take that on.
Okay thank you for that and thank for your time Superintendent Taylor and I'm really happy to hear that there was technical assistance available and a revision opportunity.
But you know you guys are responding to a law.
that we wrote and then your response to the law is to put in however many hours to get the funding to pay to implement the
law. So thank you for your work that you're doing on that. We are going to wrap up our meeting today. I think we
could go a lot deeper on this.
We will get questions over to deed for how this process could be made smoother in the future and so that the committee
can better understand what the hiccups have been in
We're going to conclude our meeting for today.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, and we'll be focused on state tribal education
compacts.
We'll have invited testimony from a whole bunch of people, Misha Jackson, with Plinkit
or Tribal Education Liaison with the Central Council of Plankit and Haida Indian Tribes
of Alaska, Mark Roseberry, Education Director, School Administrator, ICAS, Kargi Academy,
Sonia Skan, education and Training Director Ketchikan Indian Community, Carl Shambly.
Education Director Knick Tribe, Kaminek, Maddie, Akbiak, Alvanna,
Stymphole, Curator of Educational Programs, Katervik, Cultural Center,
and Dr. Joel Isaac, Compacting Contractor, Department of Education,
Early Development, as you hopefully picked up. These are the
schools that are currently doing the demonstration project for
the State Tribal Education Compact. Okay, with no business, no further
business before the committee, we are adjourned at 10.02.