HB 23 - Time to Teach Act

• Establishes a grant program providing schools with additional funding equal to $8,000 per student in kindergarten through grade 3, with annual increases tied to the Anchorage Consumer Price Index (base index: January 2003).

• Schools must comply with district policies limiting class sizes to maximum 15 students in grades K-3 and sign a 5-year agreement with the district to be eligible for funding.

• Requires schools to employ certified teachers in reduced-size classrooms and at least one special education aide in classrooms with students with disabilities.

• Students with disabilities count as two students for class size calculation purposes.

• Authorizes the state department and parents to file lawsuits to enforce class size requirements and requires districts to hire additional qualified teachers to meet maximum class sizes.