- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange Vol. 47 No. 01 Jan 4th, 2019
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
January 4, 2019
NEW! Alaska General Contractors of Alaska Offering Postsecondary Scholarships
The objective of the AGC Scholarship Program is to provide Alaskans, who intend to stay or return to Alaska, with monetary assistance to pursue a degree leading to a career in the construction industry. Scholarship applications must be submitted no later than 11:59pm March 31st, 2019.
NEW! Register now for the 2019 ASCA Legislative Fly-In
Please join the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA) at their 2019 ACSA Legislative Fly In, which will be held in Juneau, March 24-27, 2019. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues from around the state to receive policy updates on relevant topics, engage in professional development in leadership, and to have unified efforts to reach legislators on important education matters during the legislative session.
NEW! Alaska State Library Accepting Applications for Summer Internships
The Alaska State Library is accepting applications for two summer internships in public libraries. Interns will receive travel reimbursement, per diem ($60/day for 50 days), an honorarium, and free housing during the eight-week internship. The internship is sponsored by the Alaska Library Network.
NEW! Tamara Van Wyhe Named Director of Educator and School Excellence
Tamara Van Wyhe has been named Director of Educator and School Excellence in the Department of Education & Early Development. She began her new position January 2, 2019. The director oversees the Division of Educator and School Excellence, which includes the work of several teams of education professionals engaged in school health and safety, teacher certification and preparation, and school improvement efforts.
NEW! Register now for the Alaska School Nutrition Association Annual Conference
The 51st AKSNA Conference will be held January 29-31, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska with preconference sessions January 28. The special key note presenter is former USDA Deputy Undersecretary and SNA President, Katie Wilson.
NEW! DEED Seeks Comment on Amendment to Alaska’s ESSA Plan
Specifically, DEED must provide data to U.S. ED to ensure that low-income and minority children enrolled in schools assisted with Title I, Part A funds are not served at a disproportionate rate by out-of-field and ineffective teachers. In the state’s approved plan, DEED describes a plan to collect this data and provide an amendment to Alaska’s plan. DEED is interested in receiving input from the public through January 14, 2019.
Reminder: Public Comment Sought on School Construction Geographic Cost Factors Update
DEED is seeking public comment on the updated school construction geographic cost factors used with the DEED Program Demand Cost Model for Alaskan Schools. Comments are due by noon (12:00 p.m.), January 22, 2019.
Reminder: Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee Member Recruitment
Applicants with an interest in school facilities and their impact on the education of Alaska’s school children are currently being sought to fill positions on the committee, with appointment terms beginning March 1, 2019, through February 28, 2023. The committee approves DEED’s capital improvement project application and develops criteria for cost-effective school construction. Letters of interest and resumes are requested by January 18.
Reminder: DEED Announces Alaska Agencies Providing Free Meals to Children
DEED recently announced the participation of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) agencies in Alaska providing meals free of charge to enrolled children without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. These non-profit, for-profit, or governmental agencies include child care centers, adult day care centers, Head Start programs, emergency shelters, at-risk afterschool and outside school hour care centers, and family day care home providers.
On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice announced they are withdrawing and rescinding guidance related to disproportionate disciplinary policies. Read the Dear Colleague Letter and Q&A on racial discrimination and school discipline for more information.
Reminder: AAEC Seeking Nominations for 2019 Champions of Arts in Education
AAEC is looking for nominations for the 2019 Champions of Arts in Education in the following categories: arts advocate, arts educator, arts leader, and art student. Nominations are due February 1, 2019. Contact Barbara Short with questions.
Special Feature: Governor’s Arts & Humanities Awards Celebrate Alaskan Educators
Four Alaskan educators will be honored at this year's Governor's Arts & Humanities Awards in Juneau on Thursday, February 7, 2019. To join the celebration visit akgovawards.org for details; the ceremony will also be broadcast statewide by KTOO.
Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities: Maida Buckley (Fairbanks)
To say that Maida Buckley has been a champion for civic education would be an understatement. During her 25 year career as a high school teacher, Buckley also worked with prospective social studies teachers in the teaching program at UAF, and served as coordinator of the Youth Vote, National History Day, and We the People programs.
Alaska Native Arts: Annette Island School District, Jack and John Hudson (Metlakatla)
The Native Art program at the Annette Island School District has been committed to the advancement of traditional Northern/Northwest Coast Art for over 40 years, and would not be possible without the passion and commitment of Jack Hudson (John Hudson Jr.) and his son, John Hudson III.
Arts Education: Nita Rearden (Homer)
Nita Rearden taught in Bethel for the Lower Kuskokwim School District and in Kotzebue for the Northwest Arctic Borough School District for 30 years. Rearden's passion for Yup’ik art led her to develop Alaska Native Cultural Art Kits that helped teachers to use and integrate cultural knowledge into their lessons.
Career Connections Seeking 9-12th Grade Student Participants
Career Connections - Career Awareness is a week-long, hands-on career exploration program held in Juneau, Alaska, open to all 9-12th graders. As part of the program, students visit a variety of exciting job sites in diverse fields, as well as tour the University of Alaska Southeast campus and the UAS Technical Center. This year, Career Connections has two sessions: April 7-12, 2019 and April 21-26, 2019. District registration is due on Friday, February 1, 2019.
Educator Cross-Cultural Immersion Program Accepting Applications
The Alaska Humanities Forum's ECCI program is currently accepting applications from educators (teachers and staff) in urban Alaska interested in building stronger relationships with their students and families from different cultural backgrounds. The program takes place from May-September 2019, earns three graduate-level credits, and includes one week of travel to a culture camp in rural Alaska over the summer. All costs are covered. Apply by Feb. 28, 2019.
Teach to Lead Accepting Idea Submissions for its 17th Teacher Leadership Summit
Calling teacher leaders! Do you have an idea to address a perceived need in your school, district, or state? The Teach to Lead team is accepting idea submissions through January 28 for its 17th Teacher Leadership Summit, March 29-31 in Philadelphia, where teams will receive critical support to turn their ideas in action.
After months of research, visiting successful programs around the nation, and receiving testimony from experts and concerned citizens, the Federal Commission on School Safety released a 177-page report detailing 93 best practices and policy recommendations for improving safety at schools across the country. Utilizing the information gathered, the Commission report offers a holistic approach to improving school safety, ranging from supporting the social and emotional well-being of students to enhancing physical building security.
Registration Open for the AASB 2019 Leadership Fly-In & Youth Advocacy Institute
Join the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) for their first 2019 Fly-In to show that the unity of Alaska’s school boards can lead positive change, February 9-12 in Juneau. School Board Members: build boardsmanship skills, discuss key legislative issues, meet with legislators, and learn how new legislation will affect your district. Register students to attend the 2019 Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI) so they can come together and learn from their peers, build relationships with policymakers, and gain advocacy skills.
AASB’s 28th Annual June Nelson Scholarship Competition Now Open
Attention High School Seniors: Don't Wait! Apply Now! The Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) is proud to announce its 28th Annual June Nelson Scholarship Award Competition. This 2018-2019 school year, AASB will award fifteen $1,500 scholarships to apply toward post-secondary education. Thirteen of these scholarships are available for graduating seniors, and two may be awarded to returning college sophomores. The scholarship may be applied toward the student's choice of a business, trade, or a college institution. Application Deadline: Midnight, March 25, 2019. Winners Announced: Saturday, April 6, 2019.
Introducing ACPE’s Apply Now Alaska Initiative
Attention school counselors and college and career advisors! The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is inviting you to join Apply Now Alaska. Apply Now Alaska is a part of the American College Application Campaign, a nationwide effort to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students applying to postsecondary institutions – community colleges, universities, vocational/career training schools. The focus of this initiative is to encourage and assist high school seniors as they navigate the complex admissions process, and to ensure each participating student submits at least one application. See attached flyer for details and/or contact Dominika Szpotanska for more info.
2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) Competition Now Open
The 2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) competition is now open to Alaskan high school students who will graduate by June 30, 2019. It is a residential science education program that honors and challenges two graduating high school science students from each state and others from selected countries around the world. NYSC is offered at NO COST to its participants so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. The application window is open as of December 7th, and closes at 11:59pm on February 28th.
K-12 Exercise Starter Kits for Active Shooter Training Now Available
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Intergovernmental Affairs has recently released Exercise Starter Kits (ESKs) designed specifically for the K-12 community that focus on an active shooter incident. ESKs are a set of tools and resources to self-conduct a tabletop exercise. The kits reinforce specific emergency plans, protocols, and procedures, while also testing and strengthening preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. The new K-12 ESKs are available in three (3) K-12 school levels: elementary school, middle/junior high school, and high school.
2019 KidWind Challenge and Teacher Training
The 2019 Alaska KidWind Challenge will be held on Saturday, March 2nd in the Mat-Su area, hosted by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project. Students work in teams to design and build a model wind turbine at home or school and bring it to the competition to measure the energy output in a wind tunnel as well as present their design to a panel of judges. It is open to 4th-12th graders and there will be Middle School (4th-8th grade) and High School (9th-12th grade) divisions. A training for teachers will be held on Saturday, January 12th from 8:30am - 3pm, and continuing education credit will be available, with a stipend to cover the cost. If you are interested in the training and/or competition and would like more info, email Colleen Fisk.
Free CE Credit for High School Science Teachers
Are you a high school science teacher who wants to teach a unit on energy in your Environmental Science, Physics, or other advanced class next semester? UAF Bristol Bay Campus is offering an opportunity to teach their Home Energy Basics class to high school students. The students can earn 1 college credit (as long as they are 16 or older) and the teacher can also earn one continuing education credit through UAF. Better yet, UAF has a grant to cover the cost of the credits so it’s completely free for you and your students! If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Colleen Fisk at Renewable Energy Alaska Project or Mark Masteller at UAF.
Anyone may nominate exceptional STEM teachers teaching grades 7-12. (Awards alternate between elementary and secondary teachers.) Teachers may also self-nominate. The President bestows up to 108 awards each year. Since the program’s inception, over 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Nomination period closes March 1, 2019. Contact Ms. Joey Jigliotti with questions.
RFP 190000028 for Alaska Safe Children’s Act Curricula Development
DEED is seeking interested contractors to work with our staff to develop curricula for grades 7-12 on sexual abuse, sexual assault, teen dating violence and abuse awareness and prevention. At the present time, there is a lack of grade level specific curriculum that is tailored to Alaska that meets the requirements of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. DEED believes that the development of Alaska specific curricula will be useful for local school districts in Alaska to provide the required education to students under the Alaska Safe Children’s Act.
Registration is open for the 2019 Alaska RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference
January 25-27 in Anchorage. Dr. Jo Boaler, Stanford University, is the keynote speaker. Featured conference topics include mathematical mindset, student engagement and self-efficacy, computational thinking and computer science, collaborative leadership, close reading, social emotional learning, formative feedback, productive group work, restorative practices, visible learning for literacy, Tier II behavioral interventions, and using data to increase impact of classroom management and reading interventions. Contact Kathy Blanc with questions.
2019 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) Registration Now Open
Join the largest gathering of special educators in Alaska at ASSEC for high quality professional development relevant to the cultural, rural, and remote characteristics of our great state. February 25-27, 2019 in Anchorage.
Applications Now Open for Summer Computer Science Workshops for Grade 6-12 Teachers
Applications are now open for the 2019 Code.org Summer Workshops in Alaska. Middle and high school teachers can apply for scholarships to participate in the 5-day CS Discoveries (Grades 6-10) or CS Principles (Grades 9-12 and AP) summer workshops in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.
2019 National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest Seeks Alaska Submissions
The 2019 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest of open to any Alaskan fifth grader, with entries due January 15, 2019 at 5pm. The Alaska State Troopers are coordinating this year’s Alaska state contest. Send submissions and any questions to Lt. Paul Fussey.
Register for the AASB 2019 School Climate and Connectedness Survey (SCCS)
Join over 30 Alaska school districts who collect and use school climate data each year to improve and strengthen school environments, relationships, and connections between students, staff, and families. SCCS’s interactive survey platform makes survey administration, reporting, and analysis interactive and user-friendly. Participating districts also receive free webinars and training on overseeing survey administration and using the interactive platform. Additional support on how to use survey results includes on-site workshops or video conferences led by AASB staff. Districts choose a two-week window between January 18 - March 22 to take the survey.
The 2019 ASTE iDidAContest is Now Accepting Submissions
ASTE recognizes the best photos, movies, documentaries, podcasts, music, books, apps and things through its 19th annual digital media contest. Deadline is January 31, 2019.
- CS Fundamentals K-3 Sat. Jan 26 2019 - @RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference, Anchorage
- CS Fundamentals 3-5 Sun. Jan 27 2019 - @RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference, Anchorage
- CS Fundamentals K-3 Sat. Feb 16 2019 - @ASTE Conference, Anchorage
- CS Fundamentals 3-5 Sun. Feb 17 2019 -@ ASTE Conference, Anchorage
Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.
Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form at The DEED Information Exchange Webpage. To submit news items, call 907-465-6535 or email Erin Hardin.