001try and get under the chair in front of you if there's a fire. Um, and you guys have all done fire drills a lot, so I'm sure you know how that works. Um, we'll all meet out here in the parking lot and make sure everybody's safe. So, after that, you guys have a good night. Thank you. Before we begin, I'm just doing a quick audio test for our Atrium TVs. Testing one, two, three. Testing one, two, three. Testing audio. One, two, three. One more test on atrium audio. Testing one, two, three. Testing. One, two, three. Good evening everyone. We'll call this ASD school board meeting to order. Today is Tuesday, October 7th at 6:04 p.m. Present in the boardroom are members Lessons, Donley, Jacobs, Wilson, Hollowman, and Bellamy. online is member Higgins. Also joining us
002is our student representative Madison. Welcome. We've called ourselves to order and conducted a roll call. Madison, would you please lead us in the flag salute and then land acknowledgement? We acknowledge that we gather here today on the traditional lands of the Deniman people of the upper Cook Inlet. For thousands of years, the Denine people have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. ASD is committed to diversity and inclusion and it is with honor and respect that we recognize all indigenous people who live and learn in our community. >> Thank you. We want to welcome you to our meeting and thank you for attending and supporting the work of the Anchor School District and this board. The board thanks students, parents, teachers, staff, school business partners, and the entire community for your investment
003in our district with your time, your talent, and your tax dollars. All right, we have an agenda in front of us. Um, is there a motion to approve the agenda as drafted? >> Move to approve the agenda as drafted. >> Is there a second? So, we have a a motion to approve made by member Hollowman, seconded by member Bellamy. I am going to ask uh consensus from the board to uh postpone uh non-action item ASD memorandum number 66, the 2526 audit plan um for potential further refinement and then placement on a future agenda. Is there any objection to my removing this item and amending our agenda? Seeing none, we'll um postpone item B or G3. Is there any other um amendments to the agenda before we adopt it? Hearing and seeing none, is there any
004objection to adopting the agenda as amended? And we have an agenda. Thank you everyone. Our first report is our student representative Madison. The floor is yours. >> All right. Thank you. Hello. Good evening everyone. It's great to see so many new faces passionate to speak up about our district in this room. Now, October is one of the busiest months for students, but we're all working through it. For our upcoming fall Alaska Associations of Student Governments Conference, we have 12 ASD schools coming with an estimate of 156 students from all over the state. We have a total of 327 students attending. We are likely going to hit our cap and thankfully this means that we have a guaranteed successful conference coming up on the 23rd with many diverse perspectives and experiences to come. At this conference,
005we are also asking ASD high schools to host workshops which each skills from different schools of with that different students specialize in and including in one of our workshops, we will also have our legislator uh Luki Tobin also helping out with us. Additionally, I was able to help uh lead the pledge of allegiance and land acknowledgement at our latest legislative lunchon at King High School. Now, as well as being the student board representative, I am also the student advisory board representative. And at that last meeting we had on October 1st, we were able to ask students about what their cell phone policy was. Our average answers consisted with some schools such as South Bartlett and Service with being away during class time. Chooak explained that there is a specifically phone usage allowed during lunch. Middle
006schools were no phones all day and Northern Lights ABC also claimed that they cannot have phones allowed on their campus. Now, last thing we discussed at that student advisory board meeting was that we also heard from the controversial concerns committee from Lisa Sam where we asked a student delegate to apply to be on this committee to review books on a ban list and discuss with school librarians the cause of these books. That wraps up and concludes my report. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Is there any qu are there any questions for our student representative? Seeing none, thank you Madison for your report. We'll move on to item B2 or military reports. It's my understanding Colonel Hansen's with us tonight. Perhaps not. We'll come back if Colonel Hansen joins us. Um item B3 is
007board conference and committee reports. Is there any board committee chair wishes to make a report? Member Lesus. Um yeah, just as a very brief um matter, I wanted to make sure members of the community are aware of a pretty robust uh slide deck that the administration put together in advance of our finance committee meeting on September 25th. It was subsequently shared as uh the core uh content for our joint assembly school board meeting. And at a really high level, it details um our current fiscal picture and gives some insight into what we can expect for next year. So the 2627 school year, which we'll call FY27. It shows at um a school level where uh additional holdback teachers have been allocated. So when we received additional dollars from the legislature, you can see which schools
008received one or two or you know point4 of a teacher. Um so if members of the community want to know where the additional revenue we received have gone, this is a good place to look for uh the bulk of those dollars. Um it also uh we also spoke about the emergency um well no longer an emergency the local contribution language that had been proposed by the department of education and that the state board of education is meeting on the 8th and 9th to discuss uh possible changes or not as the case may be. And um we also got a recap of the BSA and inflation history with our first glimpse of uh what we would need from a BSA figure for FY27. And it's really a delta of $1,442 uh beyond where we're at right
009now um to catch up to inflation since uh FY11. So there's a lot in it. Um the final thing I would add is that uh the slide deck closed with um our our initial glimpse at FY27's fiscal um structural deficit of over $75 million and the administration's assessment that we need another $26 million to bring class sizes down uh to what the legislature would like to see with target average class sizes. So uh and there's a great slide on the state budget growth since FY17. So anyways, it's a nice robust slide deck. Wanted to make sure all board members and members of the public were aware of it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Are there any other committee chairs who wish to make a report? >> Seeing none, we'll move on to our next item,
010goal monitoring. We have a technical report on our uh math proficiency goal. Dr. Bryant, the floor is yours. >> Thank you, Mr. President. So, we'll formally discuss this topic in two weeks, but we'll pull up the slide deck. Um, so the topic of today's goal monitoring technical report is math proficiency and we'll specifically be looking at eighth grade math is measured by the AK star assessment. Next slide. On this slide, uh, the board and the general public can see the board goal, which is to increase uh, math proficiency for eighth grade students to 41.5% in May of 2028. Next slide. And uh this is actually a slide I'm very pleased to preview with the public. Um we are making measurable growth when it comes to eighth grade math proficiency. And I'm really proud of our
011teachers and our team. This is a result of a lot of hard work and dedication. As a former math teacher myself, I know it's not easy to work with those kiddos every day. Math can be scary to eighth graders. Uh but we truly are moving the needle and it's a result of great educators and uh great systems in place. So, you can see that we're on track to meet our goal with a 39.1% proficiency. You can see the details on the number of students below. Um, but this puts us on track to get to 41% by 2028, which is very exciting. Uh, we'll also leave the board with this data uh broken up, disagregated by uh race, ethnicity, our special subops, as well as gender. So we can continue to look to see where these
012gaps are and we can continue to implement systemwide interventions and more supports for our students and educators so we can close these gaps and raise proficiency for all. And then we'll go ahead and transition to our next steps. Next slide, please. So uh again, we've recently transitioned to a new way to structure our action steps for goal monitoring. So rather than listing out 30 different things that may be happening in one school but not another, when you look at the top priority action steps, these are the three things that the district will be prioritizing to focus on across um every building that serves 8th grade students in math. So we can discuss more about what this looks like, but you'll notice at the very top is what should matter the most, which is uh quality
013tier one instruction, and then we have other supports that we can discuss in two weeks. Thank you. And that concludes my technical presentation. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Brian. Are there any questions on the tonight's technical report? >> Hearing and seeing none, we'll move on to item D1, public comments. Like to welcome everyone to the board's first opportunity of this evening for public comment. Uh we typically set aside one hour a slot at the beginning of each meeting for public comment. Uh public comments in excess of one hour may be heard at the end. Uh during public comment, board members will not answer questions or engage in discussion with members of the public. This is the public's time to speak and the board's time to listen. The board welcomes the public to observe and
014contribute to our meetings through their comments. However, to be productive, our meetings must be structured and civil. ASD conducts public meetings under Robert's rules of order, a set of rules for orderly meetings that have been used since the late 1800s. Examples of requirements under Robert's rules include do not attack a speaker or member's motives, no profanity or foul language, refrain from refrain from disturbing the meeting. If you have handouts that you wish to share with the board, please give them to Miss Sullivan who is seated to my left. Uh we reserve the right to re rule speakers out of order. If decorum can't be established, and additional details can be found on the handout located at the door uh near the boardroom entrance. I'm going to call two speakers at the same time and ask
015you to join each other uh to make sure that we can hear from everyone as quickly as possible. Uh our first speaker tonight is Charlie Wardwell and then we'll also ask Miss Alysa Wardwell to join. Charlie, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Um, hi. My name is Charlie. I'm a sixth grader and I just started middle school. I have not been really been wanting to go to school because some of my teachers do not have that much control of the class. There are a lot of kids in each of my classes. The numbers are 36 31 and there are two periods of band and each period has two classes. When two classes are together, there are around 75 kids. I think that my teachers do not have that much control because
016of the class sizes. I can It can be kind of scary because some kids are working hard and some kids are messing around, but then all of the sudden you just hear your teacher yell out at everybody. It makes me feel like we are doing something really wrong. And I tried to tell myself they are just yelling at the kids who are messing around. But it is really hard because it feels like they are yelling at all of us. I think another reason that we are often getting yelled at is because of the computers. I like having the computers so we can do the assignments at home, but with the computers, kids just play games during class. One of my teachers had to block the whole internet because of kids playing games on their computers
017during class. I think it would be a better experience if the computers went away and we had more assignments on paper. But one of the things I like in school is math. I like math class because the teacher is nice. She has lots of experience with sixth graders and it feels like she has more control. Another class I like is PE because the PE teacher is also in control of the class. We don't use computers that much in these classes and maybe that is why I like them better. Please remember this when you're making decisions. Crowded classes and too much use of computers makes it hard to learn. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. Good evening and thank you for your service
018to this community and as a member of the school board and thank you being for being an advocate for public education. I've been a teacher in the Anchorage School District for 18 years and for years I've thought of teachers and students in this district as the metaphorical frogs in the slowly heating pot of water. The worsening conditions have happened gradually and we've learned to tolerate each incremental change until it becomes the norm. But I think the time has come when these frogs have figured out the water is boiling. You know there's a recruitment and retention problem in this district. You have access to the data. You've seen the charts and graphs. And I think you will hear plenty of testimony tonight to that effect. You also know the water is boiling. I'm going to take
019a quick tangent. I'm a history teacher. And I recently learned about a smaller, lesser well-known moment during the Selma campaign of the larger civil rights movement. From 64 to 65, people in Selma, Alabama were consistently organizing marches through town to the Dallas County Courthouse to attempt to register to vote. What most people don't know about was a protest that took place on March 22nd, 1965. On this day, black teachers throughout Sama stopped teaching and walked out of school. They marched down to the courthouse and attempted to take the literacy test that might allow them to register to vote. But police stopped them from entering the building. As had been happening for months, they were turned away. But that didn't mean their march was in vain. Because their students saw what those teachers did, and it
020solidified the youth's own sense of power and efficacy. They knew their teachers believed in the cause and backed the students efforts to make a positive change in Selma and everywhere that Jim Crow laws were disenfranchising people. Those students held the course. They were part of Bloody Sunday and the eventual successful march to Montgomery. The reason I keep thinking about this moment in history is because it shows that teachers have power. Right now in Anchorage, our students need to see that we are here working within the system to improve their educational opportunities. We are showing the students that they are not alone in the boiling water. I am so proud of my daughter for sharing her experience and her testimony tonight. I'm up here in solidarity. As fellow advocates for public education, I'm asking you to
021join the educators and students who are speaking up. Find a way to fix this problem. Instruct leadership to reallocate resources to offer competitive wages. Find creative solutions to alleviate the pressures that come from large class sizes. Let's work together to find ways to turn the burners down and stop the water from boiling. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. >> While I um I join you in appreciating the testimony, I want to make sure that we hear from as many testifiers as we can and let folks return home as I understand many of us have to be in a school building early tomorrow. So, please if we could limit our applause and but we can uh applaud every testifier at the end. Thank you. Our next two testifiers are Josephine Madison and Erica Arnold. Josephine,
022welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> My name is Josephine Madison. I'm Degaton at the Baskin and I'm Alaska born, raised, and educated. I'm a second grade teacher at Ravenwood Elementary School. I became a teacher because I have a passion to connect with students and inspire the next generation. I also know how important and needed it is to be an Alaskan Native role model in the classroom for all students. I'm here speaking tonight because our teachers need your advocacy and influence as the governing body of our district. ASD teachers are overwhelmed and constantly being asked to do more with less. More scripted curriculums, more forums, more curriculum walkthroughs, more trainings, which equates to less engagement, less needed work time, and ultimately less learning and connection with our students. We're now being
023asked to do less with our paychecks. I'm currently taking home less money than I did a year ago because of the failed contract negotiations and the district not increasing their healthcare contribution when healthcare costs have skyrocketed. If you pair that with inflation, I'm sitting here thinking, why am I even doing this? I'm a second career teacher. So, I already took a pay cut when I left my previous profession to enter the classroom. And now that pay cut is increasing even further. and I'm working harder than I ever have in my entire life. Our district and our state cannot keep teachers in the classroom because we are not treated and compensated as if we are respected, valued, and the trained, passionate professionals that we are. Do you want to attract highquality teachers, respect them, trust them,
024and pay them more? Do you want to retain highquality teachers, respect us, trust us, and pay us more? I recently signed up to become a nationally board certified teacher, but I put that endeavor on hold when I heard we were headed to arbitration. I need to see what the district is going to invest in teachers before I put more of my own time and money into this profession. We can only last so long just by running off of our passion and by remembering our why. But this is where we are at right now as a district and a state. We are expected to stay in a terrible situation with terrible pay and terrible benefits just because we care. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's not enough and we're running on fumes. I guarantee
025that if the district does not step up and do what is right, we will lose even more, including myself. I'm an eighthyear teacher and I know we deserve more. Thank you for your testimony. Uh, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Erica Arnold. Um, I attended um ASD kindergarten through 12th grade. I graduated from Chugiak High School. Go Mustangs. Um, I'm a mother of two ASD scholars. Um, and I'm a proud public school teacher. Go Ravens. Talk about team ASD. I'm a lifer. Um, I've been teaching in this district since 2008. I've been yanked around by No Child Left Behind, Common Core, ESSA, a pandemic, online school, and watched our kids become addicted to screens. I've been a part of way too many initiatives. Most recently,
026PBIS, Sabers, AK Reeds Act, sixth grade to middle school, start time changes, PLC's,MIES, so many it makes my head spin. But I execute all of them with grace and fidelity. My daily job as a fourth grade teacher includes teaching nine subjects: handwriting, math, SEAL, spelling, reading, writing, social studies, science, and win groups. I plan and grade each subject for my 29 students. I arrive early and I stay late every single day. I spend one to two hours at night grading at home. Sorry, Jeff. And between one and four hours a week a weekend planning and grading as well. I easily work a 55hour school week. I wish more of our city knew that public education system is built on the backs of our unpaid labor. I love my job. And I'm not just saying those
027words. From the bottom of my heart, I live for my job and my students. And I'm really good at it. Like really, really good at it. Just ask the hundreds of students I've taught. Talk with the parents who entrust me with their most precious beings. And I'm not special. There are 3,000 other educators in this school district doing exactly and probably more of what I'm doing. And right now we are working without a contract. And honestly, the contract we were working with wasn't worthy of what we do for these children and for our district. And 70% of us don't have a pension and none of us have a social security. We deserve more. We deserve better. Finally, Dr. Bryant, I am so proud of you and for your voice. Your straight talk and your assertive
028asks are getting our students what they need. Thank you for putting our kids first. Thank you for shutting out the noise and the nonsense. And I agree with you. We are in good hands. Now, I'm asking you all work for your educators. We are people who have become the enemy and the problem to the haters and the trolls. But truly, we are the one that is making this team successful. It's not an initiative. It's not a curriculum. And it's not a start time. It's the humans in the room in front of these kids keeping them safe and cared for and educating them. These 30,000 kids could not be taught without the brilliant hearts and minds of our 30,000 30 our 30. >> Thank you both for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Kayla Mcdana
029and Topaz Stats. Kayla Mcdana and Topaz Stats. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Kayla. >> Hi, my name is Kayla Mcdana. I am a special education teacher. I've worked in the district for 10 years now. I've worked in preschool, elementary, now in high school. I also have um four children. Two of them are in the district um and one of them has an IEP. Um, when services for public education are thin, the most marginalized are who experience it first and the worst. ASD equity data dashboard and climate connectedness survey shows that our black and brown students and our disabled students have disparities in poorer education experiences and educational outcomes. Students are getting harmed and our services are not supporting students or the educa educators who serve them. I've won a $35,000
030grant from NEA disability rights and inclusion to study co-eing and inclusion in Anchorage schools. And what we found is that most educators want to teach inclusively, but we don't have the systemic supports to do so. It's time that we value the people in our community to identify barriers and solutions and act on it. One of the solutions that we found is special education task force teams. They are a collaborative process implemented to address abbleism and bring disability justice to our schools by creating partnerships with the teacher union administrators and parents to identify barriers and solutions for quality instruction and program outcomes through policy recommendations. This is what we need. inclusion strategies or intervention rollouts like co-eing need to be done with implementation science which the educators on the task force team can ensure and advocate
031for the necessary supports when evidence-based implementation for sustainable and innovative changes to mindset skill set and policies are needed to reform for inclusive education. Also our students disability rights should be in the educator's contract. We can dismantle abbleism. We can support disability support and program. Ensure all students have educators who are trained and supported with the knowledge of how to create specially designed instruction to meet their unique needs. It's time to stop saying just buzzwords of accessibility and inclusion. Instead, do the hard work to make it happen. >> Thank you very much for your testimony. Um, Topaz, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin with your reading. Good evening members of the school board and thank you for the work you do on behalf of our students and families. My name is Topaz Stodd and
032I'm here as both an educator and a parent. Families in Anchorage want what every family wants. Strong schools, stable classrooms, and teachers who can give their best every day. But without a competitive contract, that stability is slipping away. Since 2015, the cost of living has jumped 36%. While teachers pay in Anchorage has not kept up. Teachers everywhere are losing ground. But Anchorage teachers are falling behind three times faster than the national average. And it's not just salaries. Our expired contract hasn't kept up with the rising health care costs. This year, my co-workers paying $600 more every month. That's not a raise, that's a pay cut. And it doesn't just affect her family, it affects her students because she's deciding whether she can afford to keep teaching here. And this isn't just about paychecks, it's about
033classrooms. Every time a teacher leaves, ASD spends about $30,000 just to recruit and train a replacement. That's money that could have gone directly to students. And while ASD starts over, classrooms lose stability and parents lose confidence. Did you know that last year alone, the district spent $9 million just on recruiting and training new teachers, and still 61 of those new teachers resigned? That's another $2 million lost. Money that could have gone straight into our classrooms. We don't need to keep spending millions on turnover. We need to use that money to retain the teachers we already have or even more will leave. I've heard the same story again and again from teachers across our district. Classrooms are overcrowded and positions go unfilled. This year, more than 60 classrooms began without a certified teacher. In my own
034class of 24 first graders, 13 are below grade level and 14 have IEP needs or ELLL support. Now, even with 24 students, it's a challenge to give each child the attention they deserve. Now, imagine 30 or 35 students packed into one room with one teacher. That is the reality at other schools. Every student deserves a seat in a class small enough to be seen. Yet, even when new positions are approved, no one takes them. It's like posting a hope sign that never comes down. Some argue that Alaska's low test scores means teachers don't deserve more pay, but that logic is backwards. Flow results come from failing to invest in your teachers. Budgets are moral documents. If we underfund teachers, we underfund students. But together, we can choose differently. We can make Anchorage competitive again. We
035can keep our great educators. Give every child the stable, supportive education they deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you both for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Susan Bernard and Susan Ritter. Susan Bernard and Susan Ritter. >> Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> I'm old school. I got a paper. >> My name is Susan Bernard. I teach at Diamond High School. I teach in world languages. Um, I've been teaching for 16 years and this is my fourth year with ASD, but I'm no stranger. I went to Willow back when it used to be out in Mountain View and I went to Wler and I graduated from East High. Um, I would like to start out by thanking the board. I realize you guys are here for free and that you
036do this and you volunteer because you care and I appreciate that. You've all heard how hard it is being a teacher. the workload, the grading, the planning, the games and clubs, and the small village of people it takes to make this work every day. But today, I want to talk about the little things. It's the little things that make a difference in our everyday life. It's the little things that make a difference in our mental health. It's the little things that add up to the big things. I have a few examples. A colleague of mine came and talked to me about her daughter just two days ago. she's having trouble with her and just her sharing with me gave me stress. I had a student his freshman year who wrote me a heartbreaking note about
037how ugly he was and how he didn't want to be around anymore. I let him know that I heard him and I reached out to get him the help he needs. He's now a senior and he seems to be happy and confident. He drops by my room every day at lunch. He knows that I care and I always will. I had a student last year who came from the village. She was quiet and shy. She would hardly ever look up at me or anyone. When she would visit me at lunch, she wouldn't even eat anything I offered her. She would just sit quietly by herself. By the end of the year, she was coming in and talking to me and other students. And she would eat and partake and interact. She's in Spanish, too, this
038year. And she still visits me. Last week, a student of mine from last year needed someone to talk to about things going on in her life. I stayed with her till 6:45 and listened to everything she had to say. And like today, it was my no prep day, so it was a long day. She needed that though, and I was honored to be there for her. Lost my spot. Um, there we go. uh another colleague's house burnt down and we rally to help her financially and emotionally and she talks to me at least once a week. These are all little things, but they add up to much more for each person involved. The most important thing I teach is English one or Spanish one. Okay? I try to lead by example and be there for
039my colleagues. Our parents and guardians are struggling. I can't tell you how many times I hear parents say, "I don't know what to do with so- and so because they just don't come to school or whatever." It's all trickling down to the staff, the counselors, the teachers, and the schools. We know what it was like during COVID when we saw what happened to students mental health. If things continue the way they are with little to no support for staff, you will see an exodus and it will be replaced by subs that sit behind the desk on their cell phones. I chose this profession because I wanted to help, but I can't do it alone. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Mr. Ritter. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, members
040of the school board, Dr. Bryan, and I want to thank all of the members from the Anchorage Education Association who who are here on a school night. Some are testifying this evening while the majority are here to show support and solidarity to our union. My name is Susan Ritter. I am been working as a special education high school teacher at West High School. I've been working for 19 years as a teacher and three years prior to that I was a paraprofessional in elementary school in special ed. Every day I face the challenge of wondering if I will have a paraprofessional support in my classroom. Some days I have support, sometimes I don't have support. Regardless, I make sure my students receive the education mandated by their IEPs. This includes teaching, modifying, and providing the accommodations
041required for each of my 13 life skills students. The subjects I teach are science, math, social studies, English, writing, work skills, and occasionally art and cooking. This is my job, and I know and am grateful that my administrators and co-workers value the work that I do. Do you value the work that I do? Do you value the effort that it takes to keep students with special needs engaged? I want to be valued and not undervalued. I am asking you to support all of the educators who come to school every day, who do the job that they chose as their vocation, first career, second career, who work to ensure their students get the education they deserve. I want and I do deserve a better contract. and you can do this. Thank you very much. >> Thank
042you both for your testimony. Our next two testifiers are Chelsea Ambrose and Lee Butterfield. Chelsea Ambrose and Lee Butterfield. Hello, my name is Chelsea Ambrose and I teach art at Concaid and Glattiswood elementary schools. Teachers love teaching. No one would stay if they didn't. No educator is in it for the fame or fortune. We're here because we know that equitable access to education changes lives. We know that education is the foundation of a well functioning, engaged, and compassionate society. But the reality of what educators are being asked to do in today's classrooms is rough. Do you know that I have 35 fifth graders? That I teach 31 first graders. That was 30 kinders last year. That every year I've taught in ASD, we've had long-term subs filling in for classroom teachers. That over a third
043of teachers at my school are new roles this year. But never mind the numbers. Do you know how much emotional and physical energy it takes to effectively manage a class of 31 six-year-olds? I average 3 to four miles of walking just in school every day. Do you know the emotional toll of excuse me? Do you know how much emotional turmoil it causes when year after year we're told that schools are closing and programs are being cut? Being an elementary art teacher is the best job in the world. But there's the nagging anxiety in the back of my mind. Will the art program be cut this year, next year? We love our jobs. We love our students. But the not knowing and being pulled every which way wears us down. And the turnover rate shows it.
044In the past 5 years, twothirds of ASD educators have resigned. There are still glimmers. Class of 35, utterly captivated as they pull their very first block prints. My hands are stained from liquid watercolors today. My classroom full of second graders exclaiming, "I could do this all day." Or, "Whoa!" But this job is tough and continually getting tougher. If we hope to retain the educators we already have, we need a fair contract. Our students deserve quality education. from qualified and caring educators. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Mr. Butterfield. I have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> My name is Lee Butterfield. Based on the definitions in front of you, your capital can no longer meet the commodity value of labor exchange rate needed to continue producing a product that can
045be considered profitable. This is seen by the amount of attrition, unfilled positions, and positions filled by those without the proper training, experience, or certification needed to achieve profitable product or meet product specification requirements. Simply put, you are not paying at a rate exchangeable for the basic level of competence needed in comparison to other exchangeable commodities and are not competitive with other districts of similar size, location, or demographics. If you take a look at the paperwork I've given you on slide three, engaging with cost of living, you can see that the difference between the CPI CPI rate changes since 2020 and 2025 compared with the changes in base salary B00 between 2020 and 2025. To make up this difference without considering any other variables and to maintain competitiveness and recruitment, you would need to offer 5.46
046more gross to stay exactly where we were in May. If we consider that average rise in workload as seen across the board on page 24 of the 202526 ASD adopted budget book is 9.9% ASD would need to offer 27.9% more gross to stay exactly where we were in May. This does not include the changes in member health premiums which would also need to be addressed. When we look at comparing ASD to Belleview Washington on page five titled competing districts we see an even more interesting picture. I chose Belleview for two reasons. One, the majority of your certified educators lack a defined benefit retirement of any kind, which means the compensation package needs to accommodate to be competitive. Two, we are constantly reminded that Alaska pays more for students, which would indicate teachers should be paid
047more for their labor. There are four comparisons here. If we complete a flat comparison between the two base wages, you would need to offer 25.96% more to be competitive for recruitment. If we complete a flat comparison of averages, you would need to offer 30.1% to be competitive for retainment. If we add in the workload growth to that base analysis, those rates jump to 38.43% and 43% respectively. I understand the constraints faced by this board and administration. I understand the ramifications of teachers being paid a competitive wage to the sizes of our classrooms. I also understand that you have so many positions unfilled, going away, or filled by temporary non-qualified bodies that you will likely not need to lay any current teachers off by offering a competitive raise. The baseline is simple. If you pay to
048retain the teachers you have, we have larger classes. But we long ago passed the number where that makes any difference. Any experiential labor value has been degraded to a point where systemic changes at the state level are the only way to mitigate the damage done, and it is out of your control. All you can do is to decide to retain the teachers you have with competitive commodity value of labor before you lose even more of your experienced certified and qualified workforce. Please inform your administration that 15% is a >> Thank you for your testimony. >> Our again in an effort to in an effort to ensure that we hear from all testifiers I'm going to ask that we limit applause and we'll join you in applauding at the end. Um, our next two testifiers are
049Thomas Irma Fairchild >> and Jacobs. >> May I make a motion or should I >> if you'd like to make a motion? >> I I would like to make a motion. I see at least um probably a couple of our testifiers that have young children in the crowd. I I would like to make a motion to allow them to um testify maybe in advance of where they're scheduled to testify so they're they can get their kids home. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Is there any opposition? Okay, seeing none. Uh I see Jasmine Smith who's on our testifier list with students here. If she would like to join us and then if there's any other testifiers who have children who we want to return home as quickly as possible, you're welcome to
050join us as well. Uh welcome Miss Smith. The you have three minutes. The floor is yours. >> Thank you. Did you want to go first? Want me to go first? >> Okay, I'll go first and Elohim will go. Um thank you. I am here on behalf of my son, Elohim, as a parent of a student at William Tyson Elementary. Last week, my son was called the n-word by a fellow student. I said that word, well, I could say the word, but I wanted to make you feel uncomfortable like it made him and me feel uncomfortable. As an African-American woman whose family has ties to the South, my first thought was despair and thinking this is a rights of passage I was not ready for that many people of color have experienced. My immediate concern was
051my son and daughter and showing them that I have their back and would be fearless in a resolution. I want to thank the staff at Tyson for their swift response and action in this matter, but it brought to my mind the work of MAC in the passage of ASD's 2021 anti-racism policy. I am here to remind the board that all schools don't have the same policies or practices with handling racism. All staff are not comfortable addressing it, and it happens more than you think. Staff and schools need to be supported with training, resources, and best practices to handle these situations. Otherwise, they are on their own and it's not fair to them or the kids. I ask the board to remember your anti-racism commitment and give your schools staff the tools and training to address
052and correct it when it happens and encourage all kids that their culture, origin, and ethnicity is beautiful and will be celebrated and kept safe. Being anti-racist and committed to that is a verb and it's something I hope that the board continues to do and supports MAC and your staff with swift revolution swift resolutions and policies and procedures. You want to say something? Okay, go ahead. In the mic. >> My name is Ellie and when I when I was called the nword, it made me feel sad. >> You want to say anything else? That's it. That's strong enough. He wanted to at least come and be able to share his experience. So that is our testimony. Thank you >> and thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Cara Angland and Alyssa Logan. Cara
053Angland and Alyssa Logan where Ellis. Okay. Um well, Miss England is going to occupy our DAS, so we'll start there. Hey, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi, thank you. I'm Aara England and I am currently at Polaris K12. Uh, thank you for all of the communication I have been receiving this year through email. As both as staff and a parent, I feel more informed about what's happening in our district. The ASD board meeting recaps are phenomenal. Um, and the encouraging letters from doc Dr. Bryant highlighting staff are deeply appreciated. Uh, now this might sound a little odd. As a parent, I once shared a story about my son's lost tooth and has his how his school family went above and beyond to help find it. I'm great grateful for
054everyone at Ralshula. Hairstral and his staff as well as the tribe boards are doing amazing things for our students. And I hope the board members remember its commitment to Real Goshula as right sizing continues. But tonight, I want to share what's been grinding my slightly coffee stained teeth. Did you know my night guard cost me about $500 last year? I've cracked two of my teeth already. And uh the one night guard I use is barely holding together. The truth is, I'm grinding harder these days, and it's not just at night, but under the weight of the additional workload placed on me as an educator. Here's the kicker. I had to cancel my health insurance this year. So, my paycheck would actually show a raise in my 15th year with the district. Now, the next night
055guard I desperately need is closer to $1,000 out of pocket. And my colleagues who kept health insurance, they're seeing a $300 cut in their paychecks because premium skyrocketed while ASD's contributions did not. That's about $3,600 a year. And that's close to four night guards for myself. So, I ask you to chew on that, doesn't it? not you that longtime educators are effectively taking pay cuts just to provide health care. It's time for ASD to make hard decisions. Take care of your staff the way you would care for your teeth because without us this district simply can't eat. Thank you >> and thank you for your testimony. Uh Claire Ellis, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you for my time. Your time, sorry. My name is Claire and I work
056in one of your elementary schools. I'm speaking on behalf of your A.E.A. staff and their l lack of contract yet willingness to work. First and foremost, fair compensation is a recognition of the expertise and dedication that teachers bring to our profession. Educators often spend years acquiring degrees and certifications, undergoing continuous professional development, and investing our own resources into classroom supplies. By compensating us appropriately, you acknowledge our hard work, ensuring that we feel valued and respected in our roles. Competitive salaries are vital for attracting and retaining talented individuals into the teaching profession. Many capable candidates are opting for careers in other fields that offer higher financial rewards. The talent drain now undermines the quality of education that students are receiving. When teachers are paid what we deserve, it reinforces the importance of our profession, encouraging the
057best and brightest to commit to educating our future generations. Fair pay for teachers is also an essential aspect of promoting educational equity. Title schools in low-income areas often struggle to hire and retain qualified educators, creating a disparity in the quality of education accessible to students. Investing in teacher salaries helps level the playing field, giving all children, regardless of their background, access to quality education and qualified instructors. Those of us in title one schools face challenging work conditions due to overcrowded classrooms with our school just reaching 34th graders in a room at one point this year, high student needs, and limited resources. We are supporting students experiencing poverty, trauma, and learning challenges, which demands both academic and emotional effort. Long hours, multiple responsibilities, and insufficient administrative and professional support contribute to stress and burnout, and these
058factors make it difficult for us to deliver effective instruction, and they negatively affect both the teacher retention and student outcomes. Research consistently demonstrates a direct correlation between teacher quality and student achievement. When teachers feel financially secure and appreciated, they are more likely to invest their energy and passion into their work, leading to improved student outcomes. If not us, then who? If we are not shown through a fair contract that we are valued, educators will continue to leave the field in droves. There is no one waiting to take over any of our positions, and you currently are unable to even fill the 316 current vacancies, of which over 130 of them are A.E.A. positions. With poorly competitive salaries and even more pathetic retirement systems in place, retention will drop and you will not be able to
059keep this sinking ship afloat. By ensuring that teachers can earn a living wage commensurate with our vital role, we cultivate a society that actually values education, promotes lifelong learning, and prioritizes a well-being of its members. Paying teachers what we deserve is a multiaceted issue that touches upon respect, equity, and the overall health of our society. Ensuring that we receive fair compensation is not merely a financial issue. It is a cornerstone upon which we build a brighter and more knowledgeable world rather than watch education continue to crumble before our eyes. Thank you for your time >> and thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Thomas Irma Fairchild and Jessica Pierce, Thomas Irma Fairchild, and Jessica Pierce. Welcome. You have three minutes. You can begin when you're ready. Hi, thanks for giving me a
060chance to speak tonight. I really appreciate it. Um, and taking the time to really hear the things that we need to say and we are all saying again and again and again. Um, this room is so beautiful and it's packed with just incredible people. Um, librarians, teachers, nurses, counselors, OTP, so many people. And we're all here for the same reason. We need our schools, our programs, our classrooms to receive the funding they deserve. And we need to a contract that guarantees us a decent living wage that we deserve. Um, it's just unacceptable. Every teacher that I've spoken to, every educator I've spoken to this year is making less on their paycheck. I'm making $500 less this year than last year. That's not sustainable. Um, and we all know why. It doesn't make sense. Why don't
061we have a contract? Um, why are we having to explain why it's important for us to make a living wage, why it's necessary, why it's why it should be doable. Um, we're givers, educators are givers. That's what we do. We give our time, our support, our passion, and um, our love to our kids every day. That's natural. That's just what we do. Um, we also give our own money. Um, we're the ones that buy the clay when our two classes of 30 high schoolers are um making anic story or excuse me story knives to give them that chance to to to connect to something that's beyond themselves. Um, we do that for them because we want them to connect with the world and we want it we we'll invest in them. That's what we want
062to do. Sorry. Um, I've been an educator. I I teach now at Stellar Secondary. Um, and I'm a parent. I've been in the district for 22 years. Um, I've seen a lot of phenomenal teachers. Um, one of my principles that I had years ago who's always been a mentor used to always say, Jessica, model, model, model, teach, teach, teach. Model for the kids what you want them to know, what you want them to learn. Um what are we modeling to our kids when local, state, and federal government is consistently cutting the funding for their education was failing to demonstrate the respect for the T people that are in the classrooms that are in the schools every day educating these kids? What are we teaching our kids about value, about knowledge and service, community service? Um
063what message are we leaving behind? Um I'm a history teacher, so I'm going to talk about Confucious. Um 2,000 years ago, Confucious taught about and talked about that true moral leadership creates social harmony and a society that values and respects one another. Um that was 2,000 years ago, but that still applies today and it applies to us. Um, we have to respect and value the people that are doing everything they can to support the common goal, the educating our kids, ed, um, giving them a free for them in meaningful public education. That's what they deserve. Um, give us a competitive contract, please. That's what that pay us what we deserve. >> Thank you. Thank you very much for your testimony. Our next two testifiers are Mike Still and Rihanna Gay. Okay, mic. Still, >> welcome.
064You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Members of the board, Dr. Bryant, thank you for your time. Uh, my name is Mike Still. I've been an educator for the last 17 years, for the past eight years here at ASD. I currently teach at Bowman Elementary School. Uh, this past weekend I spent four hours grading some really interesting essays. 39 personal narratives. Not all 52 of my fourth and fifth graders turned them in, but I can tell you personal narratives from kids are great. Tracking those missing ones down is a whole another animal. They were inspired by our CLA curriculum enriched with my teacher expertise. These students designed posters for a portfolio using essays and they turned them into digital Adobe Express posters to showcase academic, creative, and digital skills at upcoming parent
065teacher conferences. Conferences that I'll be putting extra hours in regardless of what my principal or ASD says. A teacher's work takes time, effort, and more mental load than anyone who's never been in a classroom can realize. But good teachers, as we've heard today, are happy to do it. That's what we want to be doing. focusing on students, not negotiations, not sitting in this boardroom. I should be at home working on the next research project or playing with my toddler, not giving her to a babysitter. Did you know that 1,600 teachers have left ASD in the last four years alone? 1,600 teachers. Those teachers were my co-workers telling me about better jobs in Washington, Oregon, Seoul, or the Valley. That's right. They're not all even leaving Alaska or even Anchorage. One of my co-workers went to
066Snees. Every year, a colleague or two tells me they're leaving ASD, but they're still teaching. We want to be in this career. So, ASD, as we've heard tonight, spends millions on recruitment, 9 million roughly last year to recruit 301 new teachers. Why don't we spend that money to give teachers competitive contracts and keep them in Anchorage? That's where we come to you, school board. We're already doing everything we can as educators to stay here, to be here, to teach in ASD. We want good teachers who want to be here. And that means we need a competitive contract. Do you know about the new educator support team from AEA? Every single A.E.A. teacher is paying to help try and keep teachers here with ASD because so many of them leave. The school board isn't offering a
067contract that will keep us here. But please help us stay. offer a competitive contract so I don't have to start planning a commute to Palmer. Retaining teachers is a better investment than replacing them. I could spend the last 32 seconds grading, but no one wants to waste time. So, please work together, find the solutions so that we can all stay. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker is Rihanna Gay via telephone. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Good evening, Anchorage community. My name is Rihanna Gay, an engaged educator and community member. When you have time, please take time to closely look at teacher retention recruitment action plan from Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, the DED. An audit was conducted in 2001 grounded in data driven
068by educator voices and built around six key areas. The audit urges the Alaska State Department education department and districts to one strengthen working conditions. Two develop leadership, three reconstruct retirement options. Four, enhance recruitment efforts and opportunities. Five create paraprofessional pathways. Six streamline certification and reertification. Let me uplift three of these areas. First one, retirement. If you want us to stay, provide a way. Support legislation that reinstates pensions and makes Alaska's competitive again. Action step. Send ASD reps to Juno to advocate for reinstatement of a strong, reliable retention plan. Two, recruitment. To grow our team, we need a dream. We're not just short staffed. Unfortunately, we're short vision. We need a clear funded plan to attract educators. Speaking of educators, our J1 visa educators need ASD to sponsor them. Please look into that sponsorship and how
069we can continue to grow that. Three, retention. Keep the heart or we all fall apart. Educators stay when they feel heard, supported, and respected. Increasing math proficiency and reading proficiency means decreasing educator workload, aka class sizes. We're ready to stand alongside you when it's time to advocate in Juno. Let's work together to settle the contract in a way that honors our shared commitment to students and staff. Did you know when educators are supported, student outcomes improve, climate and connectedness increases, and schools thrive. Decisions made in the boardroom must reflect the realities of the classroom. As I close, we're at a tipping point today. Will we move forward or drift away? Progress or lost, the choice is near. It all depends on what we steer. Thank you >> and thank you for your testimony. Our next
070two speakers are Kendra Miller Jones and Sarah Nicholson. >> Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. Hello, my name is Kendra Miller Jones and I teach eighth grade science at Golden View Middle School. in addition to many other roles. Um I am actually here representing my mother who graduated from East Anchorage High School and was a career teacher with the Anchorage School District in addition to my children um all of whom have gone through the Anchorage School District. Um as the Anchorage School District moves into arbitration with its educators, one fact cannot be ignored. Anchorage receives the same level of state funding as other large Alaska districts, yet pays its teachers significantly less. After teaching in the Anchorage School District for 22 years, I have witnessed firsthand firsthand how stagnant wages, rising
071workloads, and uncompetitive contracts have made it increasingly difficult to retain experienced teachers and attract new qualified teaching professionals. The Matsu Burough School District operates under the exact same state funding formula as the other big five districts in the state. The MSBSD 2023 negotiations update states that at 14 years of experience, MSBSD employees would make $100,000 I'm sorry, $100,265 compared with $88,533 in Anchorage. It is clear the MSBSD has made a conscious decision to prioritize educator pay as compared to the Anchorage School Board in 2023, approving a 3% raise for teachers, describing it as the largest single-year wage increase in over a decade. Anchorage leadership, however, continues to point the finger at the state. Year after year, the same narrative repeats. That's there's not enough funding. The state has underfunded education. Our hands are tied. But
072the evidence tells a different story. Other districts have navigated these same funding realities and still chosen to invest in their teachers. That's not a result of more money. It's the result of better priorities. It's time for ASD to stop hiding behind the state and take start taking responsibility for how it allocates its resources. Anchorage educators are doing the same vital demanding work as their peers across Alaska. They should not be expected to accept lower pay simply because the district has failed to make them a priority. Our students success is directly tied to the quality and stability of the educators standing in front of them every day. If Matt Sue can make a competitive pay a reality under the same circumstances, there is no reason Anchorage cannot do the same. The school board has a choice
073to make and that choice will send a clear message to the Anchorage School District about how much it truly values its teachers, its schools, and its students future. Thank you. >> And thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Sarah Nicholson and this will be my 24th year teaching at Rogers Park Elementary. I'm here to share what is happening at the elementary level and why so many teachers are leaving the profession or not choosing to become a teacher in the first place. First, despite recommendations from the legislature, our studenttoteer ratio is increasing rather than decreasing. At my school, there are 29 students in our kindergarten classroom, 31 in our third grade classroom, and 28 in my fourth grade classroom. Large class sizes
074decrease individual instruction and attention and make classroom management more difficult. Transitions take longer and the workload increases. Next, the workload is extreme. For example, mandatory beginning of the year trainings which were previously done face toface during our inservice days are now done on our own time on Canvas and can take anywhere from 4 to 10 hours depending on how many trainings you have to do. It has been suggested that the teachers use their prep time to complete these trainings. If we use our prep time, when are we supposed to plan and grade? In addition, there's a shortage of substitute teachers. Therefore, when a teacher is sick, students are often split up and put in classrooms throughout our building. Teachers are expected to teach their own class while also helping the students they receive from another
075class. If students are not split up, a specialist fills in as a substitute and their classes get cancelled for the day, leaving many teachers with no prep at all. Both of these scenarios force teachers to complete their work after their contractual hours are over. Also, there are not enough elementary teachers to fill all the open positions. So, we have long-term subs filling in who have little to no teaching experience. In addition, there are many paraprofessional open positions, leaving teachers to complete many of the requirements that they would normally do. Then there's the Alaska Reads Act. Due to this act, kindergarten through third grade teachers are responsible for completing TIFFs and contacting parents 10 times throughout the year. This takes a lot of time. For a teacher who has seven students requiring TIFFs, that adds approximately
07622 hours of additional work throughout the year. In elementary school, one of the ways teachers meet the needs of their students is through win time. During this time, ASD recommends that our most high need students should be receiving instruction in small groups of eight or fewer. Unfortunately, we don't have enough staff to meet these requirements. Our smallest group is 12. Last year, I worked very hard to keep a first year teacher who wanted to quit in the fall because the workload was extreme, and he had made more money working two part-time jobs the previous year. That teacher left at the end of the year. If you want to attract new teachers to this job and keep the ones you have, you will need to address pay, benefits, and working conditions in your contract. All the
077openings in our district show that what you're doing is not working. We need your help. Our students need >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are Don Bachelman and Sher Stysac. Don Bachelman and Sher Stysac. welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good afternoon. My name is Don Buckleman and I'm here today as a concerned parent and community member once again calling for the accountability regarding ethical violations within the Anchorage School District. As most of you probably know by now, the community petition regarding this issue has reached nearly 400 signatures and growing. Upon investigating of the formal routes to file a complaint through the district, it has been decided that the petition will be given to both the Alaska State Department of Education and the US Department of
078Education directly instead of here locally. In this petition, we simply ask that the following be done. A full extensive formal and independent investigation into reported misconduct. complete transparency to the public about the findings of said investigation to include disciplinary measures and assurance that we can expect strengthened training and enforcement to prevent ethical breaches in the future. This is uncomfortable. I know there are people in question that have very openly and publicly supported most of you on this board. It's no easy task to face this, but trust has been lost on a very large scale. and I am asking you to consider the points made here and do the right thing for our children, for their families, and for their community. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next speaker, Sher
079Stzac, welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hello. My name is Sher Stzac. I'm a mother of two boys. My youngest son is a high school senior. My husband and I are very disappointed that two educators in the Anchorage School District have gone without being reprimanded for unprofessional and appalling comments made on social media. One educator seemed to praise the passing of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA. Mothers and fathers must defend our children from hateful com comments made by those educators who have been entrusted with shaping the minds of our most precious gifts, our children. I remember a time as a child when I was told, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." These basic principles are now a lost art of civility. My husband
080and I feel blessed that we chose to pay for a better education for both of our sons in private schools. We do not need teachers or staff in educational facilities to promote violence against anyone. We mothers and fathers demand accountability for the insensitive and despicable comments made about the brutal assassination of Charlie Kirk and calling ASD a breeding ground for white supremacy. This divisive rhetoric must end. We demand accountability for these educators. They must be investigated and held accountable for their actions in accordance with ASD policy. To hold educators accountable, please seek advice from other parents who share your concerns. Visit change.org and give public testimony in forums such as this. Moms and dads, your voice matters and your children's minds and lives should not be put in jeopardy for the sake of trendy ideology
081that serves to undermine our values. Thank you for hearing my testimony. May God hear our prayers. Our next speakers are Theo Ransom and Alyssa Logan. Theo Ransom and Alyssa Logan. welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Yes. Thank you. Good evening, members of the Anchor School Board. My name is Theo Ransom and I'm a concerned BIPOC educator, taxpayer, and a community member calling for accountability and ethical oversight within our district. Public education relies on trust. And when that trust is broken through violations of the Alaska code of ethics and district policy, it endangers students and erodess confidence in our schools. Our community a community petition calling for accountability at ASD has surpassed 400 signatures and continues to grow and will be submitted to the Alaska State Board of Education and the
082US Department of Education. This petition asks three actions to be taken which includes initiate a formal independent investigation into the discovered misconduct of two educators within the school district. Provide transparency about the findings and any disciplinary measures. And three strengthens training and enforcement to prevent future ethical breaches. We cannot expect integrity from students if adults are not held to the same standard. Please take action to restore trust and uphold the ethical foundation of this district. Thank you and pay these teachers what they deserve. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two speakers are David Bole and Claire Ellis. I'll just uh we spoke so Jasmine Smith that would be will William Baxter. David Bole and William Baxter. >> Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. All right. Hello. My name is
083Alyssa Logan and I this is my 11th year teaching at Chukiak High School. Like so many of my fellow teachers, I love my job, but I'm overwhelmed and frustrated. In the last 10 years since I've started teaching, my job has only gotten harder with extra Canvas expectations, higher class loads, and more data to be recorded. All of this with very little pay increase since I was hired. In addition to the experience and the extra workload, I've also earned a second master's degree in my content area. I'm making 15% less now than I would have been with my same education and experience level when I started 10 years ago. In fact, all that I have to show for my extra my new experience and extra degree is $3,000 a year adjusted for inflation, which is completely
084taken up by the $400 per month increase to our insurance premiums this year alone. In the last three years, teachers have gotten a grand total of 5% increases to their pay. Compare that to other groups around the city and the state. Matsu is at 9%, APD is at 11%. Bus drivers just recently 20%. Totem 25% and even administration is somewhere between 10 and 20% in the last 3 years. The BSA increased by 11% this year. And we're still being told that the largest raise that we can get, at least according to what we have seen, is 2%. When I started, Matsu teachers made less than ASD teachers. Overall, in the last two year, 10 years, sorry, Matsu has seen an increase of 22% in teacher pay versus 16% for ASD. Today, I could go to
085ATS Matsu and earn $10,000 more per year with my education and experience level. That's not something I want to do. I was born and raised uh ASC grad and I'm happy teaching here, but there's a lot of talk about recruitment over the years. And if you're expecting to get out of state teachers to come to Anchorage when they can go down the road and earn $10,000 more at in an area that has a lower cost of living, you're not going to attract them to Anchorage. The last proposal that we've all seen from the bargaining team from AEA was 15%. And that 15% just barely puts us at the amount that we would be adjusted for inflation in the last 10 years. While it sounds like a lot, it's not unreasonable for us to ask for
086a raise that keeps up with inflation. And the only way that you're going to be able to recruit and retain teachers is if you start doing that. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Uh Mr. Bole, you have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you, uh, board president Jacobs. Board members, Dr. Bryant. Firstly, I want to thank you for implementing the Alaska Reads Act. It has already shown significant improvement in our K3 children. I have one concern, however. What is what are we going to do to improve the reading skills of those who are already in the later grades? I hope you will look at that and consider maybe extra tutoring, etc. Because many of them are failing to read at grade level, as you well know. And I want to
087thank all the effective classroom teachers that are here tonight. And I would also like to invite them to come to the schoolboard meetings when you discuss the budget and to look at the budget on your web page and look at the position you're in. It's very difficult position. As you know, there's lots of division in our nation and even in our community. Some have resorted to name calling. Some employees have even denigrated the district with and other teachers with their outrageous social media comments about Turning Point's Charlie Kirk's death. I believe you'll agree that we should never demean anyone, especially one's family, in time of sorrow. This leads to even more community division. That's why I would like you to read some of the naked That's why I'm going to read you some of the
088post in the naked communist written in 1958. And I would be glad to give every one of you on the board a free copy. So, you all have my email, please ask me. The author shows us how the communists use division just as happening now in our society between races, ethnicities, and religious groups to divide us one against each other. And we unknowingly are being used as useful tools, also known as useful idiots. That's not a direct a bad term. It's just what we're being used for. Here are some of the communist goals at ruining our American culture. Discredit and dismantle the FBI happening today. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. Things may h it may be happening, but we don't know. Transfer some powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. We
089see that happening today in defunding the police. Get control of the schools. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teacher associations. Use student riots to fment public protest. We see a lot of this today and it's happening. So you all out there in the audience, get one of these books and read it. It it's alarming. 1958, eliminating eliminate all laws governing obscinity. Discredit the American Constitution. You know, it doesn't fit today's world. It's old. It's obsolete. Discourage the teaching of American history. that is rewrite American history as happening in many of our schools today across the nation. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate as we see in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Minneapolis, and other major cities. These are just a few of the 45 communist. >> Thank you for your testimony. Our next two
090speakers are William Baxter and Kevin Brownsburgger. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. I'm William Baxter from Anchorage and uh I I volunteer for FFA and 4 and that and one of the things I like uh is about FF FFA is it you know I I could be doing something else and put stickers on myself because I think FFA is one of the best things I could for this school district. I could do a lot of other things. And another thing is I was a heavy equip mechanic and they're having hard times filling mechanics position because it's a tough job. It's dirty. It's tough. And another thing is that they're having problems with uh with uh uh uh the ship building. They they don't have the ship building and that they don't
091have enough skills skilled people to do it. And I think FFA is one of the probably one of the best things this school can do. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Thank you. I'm Kevin Brownsburgger. I've been teaching since 1993 in the Anchorage School District. Um little bit at service mostly at East High School where I graduated from way back in the 70s. I'm a passionate history teacher at the top of my game. Still want to go strong. I still got things to do. And I'm I'm proud of what I've done. I'm proud of what my peers have done. I'm 66 years old. I'm a single parent. My daughters goes to East High School with me all the time. Um, couple years
092ago, I had what was called a ME90, a master's equivalency, and uh I was proud of what I achieved because I have lots and lots of graduate credits out there. But I recently got reduced the last contract down to bachelor's 72. It feels like theft with that last contract. But this is we keep going on. I have grit. Thing though that's troubling me most and I've spread this around to a lot of my peers. Look at your paycheck. Look at the bottom line. Not just what you're getting paid monthly, but look at what you take home. And this was shocking when I I've been feeling this lately this year. And I don't mind sharing what my numbers is because a lot of my peers have been around for a long time take home about the
093same amount of money. U this last paycheck was $5,360 without hardly anything changing except for taxes being taken out and then healthc care insurance. I really haven't had many other changes. I can't invest any more in um putting more into my 4013b or whatever. But okay, once again that number this year 5,300. In 2015 it was 5,400. In 2016 my take-home was 5600. 10 years ago I was taking home more than I am right now. And cost of living is going up up up. I bought a house four years ago. I could not afford that house right now. Come on. We're on the same team. I've taken many hits over the years. We all been working super hard over these years. Dr. Bryant, you said recently in one of your recent notifications that the value
094of the student allocation of $1,100 is not what it once used to be. I think you said something to that effect. And that's true. that $1,100 or $1,500 that we get in Lua being at the top of the pay scale. I've been at the top since uh for 19 years. 19 years at the top. And now people that even taught less than I am that also now just reached B72 are making the same amount as me. All the power to them. Proud of that. But come on, I can't afford to retire. appreciate your testimony. Um, our last two speakers tonight are Gabby IDE and Logan Pittney. Gabby eyed and Logan Pittney. >> Welcome. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Hi, my name is Gabby ID, chair of Moms for Liberty Anchorage.
095I'm grateful to be here. Our organization is dedicated to fostering excellence in education, protecting the well-being of our children, and upholding the highest standards of professionalism for those entrusted with their growth. Tonight, I address a matter deeply that deeply concerns our community and challenges the trust we place in our schools. Recently, the public actions of two district staff members have raised serious alarms. Their conduct, widely shared and documented, appears to violate both the Alaska code of ethics for the education profession and Anchorage school district policies. Specifically, these incidents involve public outbursts that include inflammatory political rhetoric, veiled threats of violence against public figures, and statements mocking individuals in the wake of tragic events. Such expressions not only fail to embody the required honesty, integrity, and professionalism outlined in the Alaska Code of Ethics, but they
096also contravene Anchorage School District Board policy 0410 on discrimination and the promotion of equitable, respectful environments free from division or harmful conduct. Additionally, the municipal code of ethics, which governs all district employees, emphasizes maintaining public trust through actions that reflect positively on the education system. Standards clearly undermined by behavior that sews discord, endorses supremacist ideologies in our schools, or normalizes violence. As a mother, I entrust my children to educators who are expected to be role models. When that trust is broken through public displays that can intimidate students, alienate families or expose young minds to partisan extremism, it impacts every classroom and home in Anchorage. Our students deserve educators who inspire unity and uphold ethical boundaries. You have a room full of them here. Not those whose actions so discord or invite scrutiny. These incidents are
097more not not mere missteps. They signal a need for systemic reflection and action. I urge the board to thoroughly investigate these violations, ensuring accountability in line with district protocols and reporting certain breaches to the professional teaching practices commission as required. Beyond this, we must strengthen our commitment to ethical leadership. I propose enhanced training on professional conduct, including social media guidelines and the implications of public expression to reinforce the gravity of educators roles. Most critically, we must improve hiring and staff development. Let us prioritize candidates who embody integrity, cultural sensitivity, and a dedication to all students through rigorous vetting processes that assess alignment with our codes. Together, we can rebuild trust and create schools where every child feels valued and inspired. Thank you for your time and commitment to Anchorage families. I stand ready to collaborate
098on these vital steps forward. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Welcome, Logan. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Good evening. My name is Logan Pittney. I'm speaking on behalf of a colleague who could not be here tonight. Speaking to you tonight as a concerned parent of two uh ASD students and a dedicated high school English teacher in this district. As a parent, I'm incredibly frustrated with what's happening or rather what isn't happening at the district level when it comes to supporting our teachers, our students, and our communities. My middle school age son is in classes of 35 to 38 uh and three classes over 40 students. That is not a learning environment. That is crowd control and a safety hazard. How are teachers supposed to ensure safety, much less
099effectively teach when there are more bodies than desks? How are students supposed to get the individual feedback and support they need when teachers are spread so thin? It's not just unfair, it's unsafe, it's unsustainable, and it shows how irresponsible the district has become. Now, I'd like to speak as a secondyear high school English teacher. I teach five sections of sophomore English, all with over 30 students. That's 150 essays to grade each time that I assign one. If I spend 10 to 15 minutes per essay, the bare minimum provided uh sorry, to provide meaningful uh feedback, that's 25 to 35 hours of grading for a single assignment per our contract, I have just over nine work hours each week that I'm not in front of students. It would take me three to four weeks to grade
100and return a single assignment, provided I don't attend any meetings, cover any other classes, provide uh sorry, plan any other lessons, or communicate with parents and families, or support my students in any way outside of class time. Again, this shows how irresponsible and disconnected the district has become. When feedback takes two weeks to return, students lose connection between their effort and their learning. Their quality of education suffers not because our teachers don't care or are incapable. It is because our district is stretching us beyond our human limits. The most disheartening aspect is knowing that the rid of the issue isn't a mystery. It's pay and it's ASD's unwillingness to support our teachers and our students. Teachers aren't asking for luxurious salaries. We're asking for wages that are competitive with other school districts that keep up
101with inflation and that allow us to afford rising health care costs and housing in the community that we serve. Yet time and again, the school district sends a clear message that our work and our students education isn't worth the investment. It's no surprise that teachers are leaving. It's no surprise that positions go unfilled. Who wants to work where they are overworked and undervalued? As both a teacher and a parent, I can't express how discouraging it is to send my children into a system where educators are treated as disposable. It's past time the district show that show that it actually values education, values students, and values the teachers who make learning possible. We're not asking for the moon, asking for fairness, for safety, and the ability to do our jobs well and with dignity. Please start
102acting. Our community deserves better from you. Thank you for your time >> and thank you for your testimony. That completes our testimony. So, please join us in celebrating our educators. [Music] Uh board members, we're going to take a 10-minute at ease and we'll return to continue our agenda. Thank you. Good. Uh, thank you everyone. We're going to resume our agenda. We'll begin with uh item E, our consent agenda. Board members, is there any board member who wishes to pull an item from the consent agenda for discussion? Okay. Uh is with that said then we'll if there's no discussion or no members who wish to pull an item, we will proceed with a roll call vote. Miss Sullivan. >> Right. Uh member Bellamy, can we have a motion to approve the consent agenda as drafted? >>
103Yes, sir. Mr. Chair, I move to compro comprove approve the consent agenda. >> Second. Made by member Bellamy, seconded by member Wilson. Uh, seeing as there's no discussion, Miss Sullivan, roll call vote, please. >> Student Representative Madison, >> yes. Member Wilson, >> yes. >> Member Bellamy, >> yes. >> Member Donley, >> yes. >> Member Higgins, >> yes. >> Member Lessons, >> yes. President Jacobs. >> Yes. >> The consent agenda is adopted by a vote of six to zero. Uh next up we have an action item 068 adoption of tenant agreement food service employees team local 959. Uh, we have one testifier, Derek Mto. >> Welcome, sir. You have three minutes. Please begin when you're ready. >> Is this on? It's on. Uh, good evening, Mr. President, Dr. Bryant, uh, board members, and those in attendance.
104My name is Derek Mustoto, the Teamster organizer and business agent for food service workers at the school district. I am here tonight to speak to the adoption of the tenative agreement that was recently ratified and brought before you tonight. Food service turnover and the challenges of the local job market our members enter and exit from continues to be an ongoing problem. Unlike other district positions, food food service shortages directly impact federal funding that is critical to both providing and maintaining the district's school meal programs. Without this funding, thousands of children couldn't afford to eat as they do today and would attend school hungry, negatively impacting their education and their ability to learn. Bargain unit members average part-time hours and typically are not eligible for health insurance. These professionals have been largely overlooked throughout the years
105in my opinion and often have been the least compensated across the district. I can't count the number of bargaining unit members that work two and three jobs just to get by. It's getting late and there are many that are going to want to speak later this evening, so I'm going to be brief. This agreement was negotiated in good faith with the district's bargaining team. In my opinion, it's reasonable and was overwhelmingly supported by the union's membership. On behalf of the almost 200 food service workers that support our students and work across the municipality, I respectfully ask that you accept and approve this agreement. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. We'll now move. Uh, Vice President BMI, do you have a motion on ASD memorandum number 068? >> I do. I move to approve
106and adopt the tentative agreement between the district and Teamsters Local 959 representing food service employees which will establish terms and conditions of employment for individuals in this unit during the periods between July 1st 2025 and June 30th 2028. >> Is there a second? >> Second made by member Bellamy, seconded by member Wilson. Is there discussion on this item hearing? And seeing none, uh, Miss Sullivan, the roll call vote, please. >> Student Representative Madison, >> yes. Member Hollerman, >> yes. >> Member Bellamy, >> yes. >> Member Donley, >> yes. >> Member Higgins, >> yes. >> Member Lessons, >> yes. >> Member Wilson, >> yes. >> President Jacobs, >> yes. ESD memorandum number 068 adoption of tenative agreement food service employees team local 959 is adopted by a vote of 7 to zero. That's our sole action
107item tonight. We'll move on to section G non-action items. Is there a board member who wishes to discuss a non-action item? Member lessons. >> Yeah, I'd like to please poll memorandum 061 for discussion. >> Thank you. Is there another board member who wishes to pull a non- action item for discussion tonight? Arans singing on member lessons on ASD memorandum number 061. >> Uh thank you. Um I pulled this item to have an opportunity uh to just share some concerns that I have with um I guess what's left unsaid uh in the document. It is it's really only um a memo proposing um just about $129,000 worth of an investment. Uh, but I think it raises complicated questions and um that's because uh and I'm just going to read some thoughts that I put together. Um
108the introduction to the memo reads as follows that in April of 2024 voters approved 62.37 million for educational capital improvement projects including 2.293 293 million for planning and design of which 400,000 was allocated for Chooak High School CTE planning and design. Um I did ask the administration for documentation of uh the design work that that voters would have seen and approved in April of 2024. Um and I was told that the bond language was actually for the roof and structural project, not CTE itself. Um, I'm also sort of troubled that I haven't seen documentation and I looked in our most recent CIP about ASD's estimate for the actual cost of building and constructing a future future CTE classrooms at Chooak or really a time frame. Um, there is a 2030 item for about $1.5 million
109for a Chooak High School master plan and conceptual design in the most recent CIP, but that's not until like 2030. And I again, we talked about this earlier. Um, CIPs are very dynamic documents. So, I I understand that. Um, I would encourage board members to look at the attachment to the memo, which is labeled abstract for proposals. And, um, it was written and, um, followed up on in July of 2025, which was a dynamic month for Anchorage. Um, but the abstract clearly asserts that the design work was being sought for the Chuyak High Schoolmies of Anchorage Design. The thing is that since July, a lot has changed. Um, since those design bids were were um elicited, ASD has lost all funding for themies of Anchorage from the Department of Education. And the letter recently written
110by Alaska's congressional delegation in support of the department's reconsideration of that grant termination asserted that the loss of grant funding will mean that 10 of 25 CTE pathways will be scaled back or eliminated including emerging programs in natural resources and environmental management, healthcare, business, education and engineering. And then I looked at the master plan for themies of Anchorage that the board approved in June of 2024 subsequent to when the April of 2024 bond was passed. And um Chugek was supposed to have pathways in construction, business administration, marketing, culinary, hospitality, management, health science and education. I say all this to to suggest that with the loss of our grant funding, themies at Chooiak and across the district are likely to be impacted. Um, so I guess I wanted to just share and and welcome the administration's
111sort of feedback that I think that the fundamental proposition behind this memo, which I do understand is a well-intended request to update CTE space in a timely manner, like it seems to me that it's being located in the board's approval of a master plan for themies of Anchorage, which has become no longer relevant. and we've had sort of some informal conversations that there might be a new master plan um possibly this fall, although I don't really know what the status of that's going to be. And I think it's also really rooted in grant funding, which no longer exists. And it also doesn't really grapple with or indicate the $75 million shortfall that the administration has indicated exists for FY27, which it's hard for me to consider that that's not going to have a direct impact
112on the kinds of classes that we are going to be able to offer, including CTE classes. So, at the end of the day, this is a proposal for a small amount of money to begin the design work for for new CTE classroom spaces for new CTE classrooms, but it just feels a little untimely right now. Um, and so what I believe that I will do next at the next meeting is is introduce a motion to table the memo until such time as the board has received and approved a revised master plan for themies of Anchorage. I just to me it just doesn't seem like the right time to begin the capital work for classes that I don't think we can pay for. And so I wanted to pull it for discussion tonight for the administration
113or any board members to reflect. Thank you. >> Uh member Belly. >> Uh so uh yeah I and I don't have the answer to your question. Uh but in my it's my understanding that Chuyak has had a CTA pro CTE program way before themies and I'm not so I'm not sure where the funding is coming from but but they have that community has in has really invested in in uh CTE way before them. So I think um I mean you you raised a valid question but uh they were doing CTE way before themies and I suspect this money from the bond was was to invest in that effort. Um so I'm not sure that we are that it is going to so I'm not sure what the answer to your question is. Uh but I
114would I would I would want them to be able to continue that community to be able to continue in a safe way by upgrading space that that they have already been using for years um way before themies came along. So, uh, and I think that pro might be true for a lot of our high schools, um, you know, that that, uh, had already totally invested in that in those programs and found a way to do them without extra staffing, I will say. Uh, uh, but but I would wouldn't want to hinder them doing that. So, uh, more information would be, uh, appreciated. Are there any other board comments regarding this item? Okay, I think we provided district administration some feedback. With that said, we'll move on from our non- action items to our superintendent update.
115Dr. Bryant, the floor is yours. >> Thank you, Mr. President and uh ASD board. I really just want to spend a few moments to recap what I shared earlier during our work session. Um which is to share that this week the district released its right sizing proposal. And uh earlier today uh the ASD staff provided a board work session where the community can learn a lot more about the details, the timeline and the rationale including a list of um all the underutilized schools in the district and some helpful context for what we plan to do with that excess capacity. Um of note, the proposal recommends the consolidation of Fire Lake Elementary and Lake Otis Elementary Schools into nearby neighborhood schools. Um in addition in addition to that uh the proposal will include colllocating uh commercial
116childcare services and underutilized classrooms throughout uh the district and we'll release the names of those sites in about two weeks. This is another way to address excess capacity. And what I envision is that we can begin to transform our community into what we expect the needs will be for the next 10 to 20 years. When I speak to parents, one of the things that comes up is how the cost of child care is prohibitively expensive. so expensive that it keeps many from entering the work the workforce in the first place. And this is one way where we can invest in some of our lowest paid employees to give them an incentive to choose and stay in ASD for the long term. It's going to take years to get there. But that's the vision and that's
117what a part of this proposal entails. But zooming out, why are we doing in this in this in the first place is because ASD has lost over 7,000 students. And this trend is expected to continue for the foreseeable future unless something dramatic or unexpected happens within our community. And the reason why this is an issue for me is that when the schools lose enrollment, they become more likely to have larger class sizes. They become more likely to have multiple grades in one classroom. These are schools that are more likely to share services with other schools. And I envision that we can get to a point where there's a baseline standard of academic levels of services for all neighborhood schools, but we can't get there with an action. I also want the community to understand that
118ASD is facing a 70 plus million dollar structural deficit. So unless there's new revenue that comes in from the state, these issues that I just described that are facing our underenrolled schools will only become worse. And this especially impacts our underutilized schools. And the two schools identified in this proposal are each at about 50% capacity. They are amongst the lowest capacity schools in the entire in the entire district and trying to set up our neighborhood schools to weather the storms that I see coming. And this is will not be a one-year storm. This could be a 5 to 10 year storm. So that is my perspective. But now is the time for me to step back and to listen from the community because I understand that this is a deeply emotional topic. This is a
119process that I've gone through with the ASD community three times now and I've learned a lot and we want this process to continue to evolve. Um, one of the benefits of last year's right sizing was we began to implement what we call community conversations and that's what I want to promote to the community in this next phase of right sizing. We need to hear your voices and if you've not been involved in community conversations, I highly encourage you to to join us. You'll get the opportunity to talk with me directly, schoolboard members directly, but we'll also convene dozens of technical experts because consolidating a school has a lot of implications. Everything from bus routes to free reduced price lunch. Parents have concerns about title schools. Parents have concerns on a wide range of issues. And
120we want to make sure that we have all the technical experts that our families need so that they know what happens if this proposal is approved. and conversely they can share vital context with myself that maybe we did not understand that could impact um this proposal moving forward. So again um that's my why when it comes to this project which is that I see the storm coming and I'm trying to brace our neighborhood schools for success but also think forward and think about the services that our community will need in the future which includes more affordable child care opportunities for residents of our city. So with that said, I encourage the public to visit asdk12.orgsizing where you can receive all the information including links to the documents that we shared today. Uh pertinent details about
121some of the highlevel information that I've just shared and it also says on that page the dates and times for the three upcoming community conversations. The first one is on Wednesday, October 29th at uh Betty Davis East Anchorage High School at 6 o'clock. The next one is on Thursday, October 30th, 6 o'clock at Shugiak High School. And then uh Saturday, November 1 at noon uh right here in the ASD education center. In addition to these community conversations, we welcome emails from community members. We welcome your voices here at schoolboard meetings. Um we truly want to capture all of your questions and concerns so we can move through this process with the compassion and empathy that our community expects. Thank you for your time and thank you for bearing with us through this truly emotionally challenging
122circumstance. I understand how we're feeling in this moment and I feel compelled to share with you how we ended up here and why I feel very passionately that we need to strongly consider this proposal to set up our neighborhood schools for long-term success. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Bryant. Seeing no questions, we'll move on to >> I have a question. Mr. President, >> member Donley, >> thank you. Uh Dr. Bryant, um current administrative guidelines, which have never been voted on the board, uh provide for biological boys to compete in girls sports in our school district, um seem to run counter to current federal guidelines and current state guidelines. And I I've asked previously, and I'm just going to ask again, what is the status of those ASD administrative guidelines? Uh, member Donley, I I
123haven't been approached about this issue by members of the public in quite a while, but the last I understand is that our policies are in alignment with any applicable uh, state laws in board policy. If there are incongencies that I can address, perhaps we can talk offline, but I don't have anything further to add tonight. >> Thank you for the question, member Don Leing. No one else in the queue. We'll move on to school board and administration comments. I will start to my left, member lessons. just wanted to extend my sincere gratitude for everyone who showed up tonight, whether to just um whether to speak or to bear witness. Um we're all in this hot water together. And I think that the one thing that um I want people to understand is that the the
124board that you have up here has been advocating very very hard for the resources to allocate towards our kids at the end of the day, towards our classrooms, and we will not stop advocating for what our students need, but um we're going to need to row in the same direction together somehow. Um so I I appreciate people sharing their very personal stories and um respect the time that they took to be here tonight. Thank you, >> member Don. Thank you. Um, there was a letter to the editor and there was some testimony tonight that asserted that we're getting the same financial support from the state as other districts around the state and that's just factually inac inaccurate. Um, Anchorage gets less funding per student than any district in the state because in the district cost
125differential factor within the state educational funding formula, Anchorage is the baseline is a zero where every other district in the in the state gets something more than zero based on a 16y year old 20 year old study of the differences is between the cost of delivering education among the different districts in the state. That study is obsolete. It's inaccurate. We know it's factually inaccurate because Anchorage is no longer the least expensive place in the state to deliver education. Um so the formula is broken and we are being objectively discriminated against and our students in Anchorage to the tune of over $30 million a year. And um there have been some very influential and accurate studies on this so far. Um and that combined with a currently broken transportation formula and let's just examine that that
126caused the recent brewhaha that's pending before the board of education right now about local contribution levels. That whole issue originates from misuse of state dollars to some districts for transportation. The TR state transportation formula is decades old also and has only been modified by adding in a percentage increase over time and not with an examination of the actual true cost of delivering education, the differences from area to area around the state. And because of that, some districts got more state funding than they needed for student transportation and they transmuted that money uh into general funds to use for other expenses in those districts. And that's what caused the federal government to object and to say that that was uh illegal under existing federal guidelines. Um, that's objective proof that the current transportation funding formula is
127also discriminatory and unfair to Anchorage students and Anchorage taxpayers. So, both the school foundation formula and the school the transportation formulas in state statute are both discriminating against our students. And the combination of those two levels of discrimination is is in excess of $30 million. and in fact probably more than half of our current projected budget deficit. We need the Anchorage legislators to stand up and address this issue because their students their the students they're representing are being objectively discriminated against unfairly in existing state law and they need to do something about it. Mr. President or Mr. Superintendent, Mr. President. >> Thank you. Member Donley, member Wilson. I wanted to recognize that uh this month is National Hispanic Heritage Month, actually September 15th through October 15th, and it is the opportunity to recognize the contributions
128and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation's achievements, culture, and history. And our latest edition of Shine Bright, the Shine Brightite podcast is a conversation with staff and students who are celebrating their culture. I had the the privilege um last year of participating in this podcast which was was fun and amazing um and look forward to seeing and hearing this podcast. Thank you. >> Thank you, Member Wilson, member Hullman. >> I do want to say that I think we all appreciate the testimony that we heard tonight. Um it's pretty rare when the workforce turns out in such numbers to speak to us. It it did remind me um I started with the Anchorage School District in 1996 and didn't leave my classroom much until 2005 when um the NEA Alaska was organizing some teachers to
129go to Juno to talk about the proposed changes in the retirement system. And of course I was about to be vested or I guess I was vested as a tier 2 wasn't anything that would directly affect me. But you could read it and understand as an educator this was going to change who my colleagues were. It was going to change who would be the teachers for my son because it would really diminish our capability to attract talent and keep the people we wanted to keep as opposed to just keeping everyone we had to keep. And at the time, my thought was, if we just go to Juno and explain this to legislators that they've made a huge mistake and they need to correct it, they'll see that and immediately reverse themselves, right? Because that's how
130it works. I think I thought um that wasn't accurate. But ever since then, I've devoted a certain amount of time and sometimes way too much time to trying to influence policies like that, including funding, retirement, um, and other aspects. Um, and and I do think there's kind of a hidden battle going on. I I think historically, um, being an educator, it didn't pay you a lot, but there was security, there was predictability. Uh there were defined benefits at the end. You you could map things out. Go do your job, which is what teachers really want to do. Um and I say this as a former president of AA. They don't want to go on story. They don't want to come here. They don't want to spend their time talking about this stuff because they've all
131got lesson plans. They've all got papers to grade. They've all got something they want to do better in their classroom next week or next year or sometime. and everything else is a distraction. And so when they do start turning up in large numbers, it it takes a lot to make that happen. Um I agree with what member Wesson said. I I think this board has worked hard to try to get the resources we need to do a decent job. Um, we saw a historic veto override of a dramatic increase in the base student allocation, which unfortunately got us back to something close to flat funding for this year, which means we can't really drive down class sizes and we can't do significant raises, but we can kind of maintain it will pay off a lot
132in December as we begin to plan for the next budget because if we were still working on the old BSA number, then the future would be very bleak indeed. Now it's just kind of bleak. Um, but I'm hoping that with the continued push because I see a lot of support in Anchorage. I see a lot of support in certain locations around Alaska, but you also see a lot of opposition. But but the goal would be to at least get us to a place where we fix some of the mistakes that we can recognize like member Donley mentioned about the the cost differential uh by location isn't accurate anymore. Um the transportation formula doesn't make as much sense anymore. And uh something that representative Ruffage out of Satana brought up that there are a handful of
133rural districts that have an extraordinary number of correspondent students enrolled from out of their districts for which those districts get 90% or 95% of the BSA causes their per student revenue to look really low compared to other places. And for the most part, what those districts are doing is processing paperwork, sending a check to a private school, and taking a little haircut off of it, which generates revenue for them without really doing much, but also distorts the picture of what we're spending per student. and and his feeling was that's the real source of failing the the equity test disparity test from the federal government. Um, Department of Education Early Development says no, but they can't explain why it's no, which is kind of an interesting thing as well. So I that's another issue that I
134think we need people to do math on and um try to hold deed accountable to. But I hope we have a goal of at least getting to a benchmark getting regular adjustments for inflation as a starting point. And if we can do that for a few years, then we can have discussions about how we're allocating money because every every budget cycle is some kind of an emergency and it has been for years and years and years with the exception of just two or three times. Um I'm heartened by the progress we've made. I'm heartened by the fact that we have a working coalition of uh moderate people in both houses that do value education and they've proved it with a with a dramatic vote. Um so I I think we're kind of cresting a hill.
135I don't know if it's a real big hill or not, but we're cresting a hill and a little bit more of a push I think gets us to a far far better place than we have been in a long time. Unfortunately, it doesn't really get us there in time for this contract. Um, we're going to do what we can do and and hope that everybody can get by. But I I know at least a dozen people personally that have not been in Anchorage for over a decade because of the change in pensions, because of the uh case loads, because of the conditions. They they saw better places. they weren't tied here as tightly as they didn't have to be here. Um, there are other people that really choose to be here. They're going to stay
136here no matter what. That's not a great working condition, but it it happens. We will always have some outstanding people that choose to be here and work here no matter how difficult it might be. But if we want to get back to being a district that can choose who's in our classrooms, it is going to continue to make to take more resources than we've been allocated in a very long time. So, I'm I'm heartened. I appreciate the the comments from everyone that showed up tonight and I hope they will address the legislature as clearly and as eloquently as they did us. And I'm hoping next year will be a better year. Thank you. Thank you, Member Hullman. Member Beller. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I I also would like to thank everyone that joined us
137tonight. Uh I thank you for your passionate testimony. I thank you for your the work you do with our kids and our families every single day. I thank you for taking care of each other and under these very, very difficult times. Um if if I had a magic wand and could make it all go away, I would make it all go away. you would you would have what you need to not just do the work that we want you to need you to do but to have a quality life. Uh it bothers me immensely that our educators uh are not uh at the level that shows in terms of compensation that shows that you each that we value the work that you do. And I I've been in that situation as an educator. I know
138what that feels like. I know when you push through, you work hard, you you you you trust in us to help make it better. Just know that we are doing the best that we can. We are not going to stop. We are not going to give up. Uh and we will do we are not at the bargaining table. But we absolutely believe in that process. the process where your benefits, the process where uh your what all the things you need for your workday will be decided. So, while we're not physically there, we absolutely are uh committed to having an agreement uh if not this time around eventually that that shows you exactly um where our values are. And you know, I think we all agree that in the end, we want our students our our
139outcomes to be we want the best outcomes possible for all of our kids. And we we know what it's going to take to do that. And we we've got to keep fighting for that because for me, that's the that's my northstar. My kids, your kids, my grandkids, your grandkids. Some of you that testified tonight were actually students at either Hansu and or Windler when I was the principal. My heart smiles, but it also breaks because uh you you are not getting feeling as valued as we want you to feel. So, we're not going to give up and we don't want you to give up. Uh uh the superintendent mentioned the right sizing. We know how difficult that is. um how do we align our facilities, our staffing and our programs so that our students can
140learn in wellresourced safe environment? Uh and like he said, we need to hear from you. How do we do that in in a climate of diminishing resources? Uh that's not going to get any better. We got to keep fighting and we're going to do what we have to do with what we have, but it's not going to get any better. And then so we talked a little bit tonight also about planning ahead looking at the bond. Do you know how I mean that and then we I mean it's it's amazing that we do the timeline that we have and it we have to do it and it's it's almost a monotonous kind of thing but that's what we have to do. So looking ahead, we have to continue to plan the as best we can
141uh to to give our kids the futures that they desire and they well deserve. So um whether we need to I don't know what we need to do to strengthen our goals and our guard rails. Uh but really I think we all agree that we want the best outcomes possible for our kids and with that is going to come. We don't have the complete answer for that but we will not give up. So, uh, I invite you to come back. I invite you to email us. I invite you to engage in whatever way, well, safely engage in whatever way that you would like to with the board. Uh, I appreciate the work that you do and thank you guys for coming out and I want to thank the staff for I mean, I cannot I
142can't even keep up with all the work that you're doing. So, but I really do appreciate having the resources so that I can have, you know, meaningful conversations with our public. So, thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Member Bellamy. We'll go to Member Higgins. >> Audio helps a little bit, doesn't it? Um, yeah. First of all, I do appreciate all of the comments that were made tonight by the um uh various people to testify. Um and I think um other board members have expressed how strongly we feel in support of what the teachers u appreciation and we the difficulty we're in in regards to what we would like to see accomplished. Um and the the big issue that will be coming up next three weeks is the right sizing. And let me say this
143that there is no right or wrong. Um there are pros and cons to both sides of any types of issues like this and I look forward to hearing from the parents and the staff and others that that want to express their opinion. I know that some parents have already expressed to me some disappointment that uh it's not going to be located in the school that so it's easy for all the parents there to show up and to testify. But I think you know we have the the testimonies there. We have three uh different schoolboard meetings in which they will have a chance to speak before decisions made and I encourage them to share their concerns. Um I've listened to some that are very informative. um a lot of history that I was not aware of.
144And uh so I look forward to this being a listening schedule. Uh not just um um a opportunity for us to explain what's going on. It's really an opportunity for us to learn what isn't on there. I I think back to the some of the ones that we've had in the last few years that we came forward and for good reasons I think they were pulled back by administration in some cases other cases the board made the decision but I think it was the right decision. So this is one that no decision has been made and we'll go forward from there. When it comes to funding, um I do think we have to at some point uh uh take on the the state and establish what is adequate funding. Um trying to downsize our schools
145because we've got 30 kids in a classroom, we should be 15 or even more. Um isn't um uh it's kind of like a cons concession or something. Um, we've got to find a way to end up pushing this issue. It will re result in other news revenue. We know that whether it's more revenue with the oil industry and other taxes, but we've been going without any taxes within the state. And to say that we're just going to get if we run out of money, we just don't get any um is ridiculous. So, we need to have a formula out there and we need to have it adopted formally. So, I look forward to listening to uh and getting all the feedback and emails and I'm getting reading those carefully already um and listening sessions and
146board meetings over these issues before we make a decision. And I assure you my job is to be to be a voice of the public and I will be listening carefully. With that, thank you. >> Thank you, Member Higgins. I'll close with just a brief comment that I join other board members in expressing appreciation for um the testimony tonight, specifically um our educators. I do not imagine there's um any daylight between the position of our board and the position of our educators and that teachers in Alaska deserve a living and fair wage commensurate with the challenges that um educators face specifically in Alaska. Uh, and then, uh, Alaska should no longer be identified as the only state in our nation without the option of a defined benefit retirement plan. Um, I look forward to joining
147my colleagues in continuing to advocate uh for the resources that we need to make that vision a reality. With that said, Dr. Brian, are there any closing comments from administration before we go to our student representative? Thank you. Uh, Representative Madison, floors. >> All right. Thank you. I just wanted to add a few extra comments from what I've observed today. So, thank you, of course, to everyone being here. And I can tell just as being here, the student representative, that this meeting was very passionate for many of the people here. But I will say that even as a student representative, I still feel for every single educator, parent, and community member who came in here. Because as a student, teachers have made the largest difference not only in my life, but many other lives in
148this district, for thousands of students that are part of this district. I wouldn't even have ended up on this board without my own student government teacher and many more. And I will say that nothing makes me more truly happy than being able to put myself in other shoes and advocate for the change that will truly change us. And I will say even as a student, I still believe in higher quality education because I deserve it. But I deserve it just as much as the thousands of other students in this district. But if I deserve a higher quality education, then my teachers also deserve a highquality educational experience. I believe these are the values of our district that I've observed seeing that our district promises to include diversity and committing to our students. And I do
149see that if our district is going to keep up committing to this model that our values have to equally include the right moral treatments to all of those that are involved in these educational processes. and seeing much of the testimony today about educators being affected by their contracts, many more issues, I can tell as well that even just as a student watching, it's heartbreaking because it also affects the student body as well because it affects the quality of our education. As I've said, I just hope to continue to see the community come out and even students as well testifying because truly every voice makes a difference because everyone who is even associated with this district is associated to an education whether they're teaching it or they're learning about it. And also I want to say
150that I'm grateful that being here as a representative and seeing the board make pro progress in this, it makes me grateful to see how we can continue to resolve these issues. And I just hope that some point there's a resolution that can be met to really represent ASD's potential here for all of our educators. So, thank you all for listening. These additional comments, I just wanted to say because I'm so grateful to represent the student body and I know how disturbing it can be to see education crumble in your own hands right in front of your own classrooms as a student. Thank you. >> Thank you, Madison. Uh that completes the comments section of our agenda. So, it's appropriate to entertain a motion to adjurnn. Move to adjourn. >> Made by Bellamy, seconded by Hullman.
151We are adjourned at 8:26 p.m. Thank you everyone.