NEA-Alaska Legislative Candidate Questionnaire
|
Candidate: Jason P. Mayrand |
Office:
House Seat 6 |
Adequate Funding
1. Do you support a needs
based process for determining the level of school funding?
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Yes Explain: The needs based funding process allows smaller school districts the
flexibility to properly fund issues that are particular to that district. |
If you support needs based
funding, how would you accomplish this?
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This funding process needs to be addressed at the state as well as the
local district level. I support statuary changes aligned with district needs
to accomplish this. |
2. Do you support a return to the instructional unit approach to funding schools?
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Yes Explain: I support an option for districts to participate in an instructional unit approach to funding as this provides an advantageous avenue of funding for smaller districts. |
3. The recent changes in funding for pupil
transportation have had negative impacts in a number of school districts. How would you address this issue?
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I support reinstating transportation funding at
manageable levels. This system enables students a safe and reliable means for
attendance at schools and commonly is the only transportation available to
them. |
4. Will you commit to working with NEA-Alaska
and other groups in developing a long-range plan to supplement current funding
levels and achieve adequate funding for schools within a decade?
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Yes |
Attracting & Retaining Quality
Educators
1. Fiscal uncertainty has caused many “new to
the profession” educators to leave Alaskan school districts and even leave the
state. What would you do to eliminate this annual event that has cost our state
so many valuable educators?
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Retention of educators can be improved by addressing competitive salary
and benefits, providing teacher housing options and encouraging local support
for educators. |
2. Would you work to amend state statute to make
sure that district claims of financial shortfalls are verified by independent
third parties when dealing with the layoff of tenured teachers?
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No Explain: I support an independent review to verify district claims however I do not support statutory intervention. This can be properly managed through bargaining with districts on local levels. |
Elementary
and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB)
1. Would you support categorical funding so educators (teachers and instructional aides) can receive professional development to meet the standards set by ESEA/NCLB?
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Yes |
2. What amendments to the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind) do you believe need to be made
to make the law workable in Alaska?
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Primaraly an amendment to allow smaller schools
to operate with certified teachers that are not in the 'highly qualified'
catagory standard needs to be addressed. |
3. What are you willing to
do in concert with NEA-Alaska and other organizations to amend No Child Left
Behind to be “Alaska friendly” and to gain full funding of the Act?
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I fully support legislative actions recommending
NCLB to be ' |
High Stake Testing.
1. This past year, some students did not receive
diplomas for the sole reason they did not pass the High School Graduation
Qualifying Examination (HSGQE.) Would
you support amending the law to allow schools to assess student knowledge and
abilities through a variety of means and not just through a single
|
No |
2. Would you support funding for additional
programs/staff to specifically assist students having difficulty passing the
HSGQE?
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Yes |
3. Would you support categorical funding for
district-developed remedial programs for students who do not meet standards on
Alaska’s benchmark exams?
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Yes |
PERS/TRS
1. Would you support a single tier for each public
retirement system as a means of attracting and retaining quality educators?
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Yes |
2. How would you see the state’s public
retirement systems meeting their increasing financial burden?
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The increasing financial burden can be met by proper
management of the existing fund and additional funding from the general fund
to address inflation. |
Vouchers
1. Do you support the use of public money for
private and religious schools?
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No |
2. Would you support vouchers?
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No |
3. Would you support tuition tax credits
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Yes |
Safe Schools
1. Students and staff must feel safe and secure
in our schools for learning to take place.
Would you support funding for programs/staff that have been demonstrated
to increase student and staff safety?
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Yes Explain: The feeling of safety for students and staff enhances the learning and teaching environment. In many cases the students are safer in school than out. |