2006 NEA-Alaska Official Position on Major Issues

No Child Left Behind - Passed

NEA-Alaska vigorously opposes the No Child Left Behind Act because it negatively impacts our system of democracy by discrediting and dismantling public education. We strongly urge the Alaskan Legislature reject NCLB and the funding associated with it.

Rationale:

  1. That Alaska teachers/paraprofessionals need not be “Highly-Qualified per Federal definition.
  2. AK Legislature needs to fund adequately all education as constitutionally mandated ($ 1.2 Billion surplus last year).
  3. Through its “Pass/Fail” mechanism, NCLB fails to recognize Alaska’s unique population.

Rural Teacher Housing - Passed

NEA-Alaska shall seek legislation to ensure that school districts are ultimately responsible for adequate housing for rural teachers which is:

  1. at least comparable to site administrative housing.
  2. Maintained to ensure a healthy, safe and secure living environment.
  3. Leased at costs not to exceed site administration housing.
  4. Part of the existing school utility systems when and where possible.
  5. Adequately and realistically portrayed to potential new teachers, and
  6. Provided equitably in a non-discriminatory manner to all teachers and their partners including teachers who own a residence within the community.

In addition the legislation shall provide adequate funding for new construction, upgrading, and maintenance and shall ensure that the money generated from rent shall be put back into a teacher housing improvement fund.

2006 Legislative Priority – Amended to present to Washington as well as State of Alaska.

Pay for Performance/Merit Pay - Passed

NEA-Alaska supports state plans to increase student achievement by:

  1. reducing class size;
  2. encouraging collaboration and innovation by empowering school staff;
  3. re-establishing a defined benefit retirement system to attract and retain excellent school employees;
  4. adequately funding education in order to
    1. significantly increase school employee salaries;
    2. funding programs that have demonstrated success;
    3. provide planning time and professional development.

And further, NEA-Alaska believes that any form of pay for performance or “merit pay” is harmful to the Alaska education system and all of our members.

Rationale:
Clearly state that we support increasing student achievement through demonstratively effective means, and to insure that no resource or staff time are spent trying to amend or supplant a merit pay system because we oppose merit pay in all forms.

Restore Benefits - Passed

NEA-Alaska shall continue to seek legislation to provide retirement and medical benefits of Tiers II, III, and IV employees in the PERS and TRS retirement system equivalent to those of Tier I.

2006 Legislative Priority 1