News from The Alaska Department of Education

NEW! USDA Extends waivers to allow flexibility in summer nutrition programs

This week the USDA announced it will extend several waivers that allow greater flexibility for school districts and other sponsors that administer summer meals to students. These flexibilities are now available through Sept 30, 2021.

LAST CALL! Nominations for Alaska Teacher of the Year Close March 15

Nominations are now open for the 2021-2022 Alaska Teacher of the Year. Candidates must have at least five years of education experience and are an expert in their field who guides students of all backgrounds and abilities to achieve excellence. Click here to nominate a teacher before March 15. Contact DEED.SRS@Alaska.gov with any questions. 

LAST CALL! Bond Reimbursement & Grant Review Committee Meeting March 17

The BR&GR Committee will meet via teleconference on Wednesday, March 17, at 3pm.  The primary topics of the meeting include new member orientation, updates from construction standards subcommittees, and review of draft publications Alaska School Construction Standards and Preventive Maintenance Handbook.

Artists in School grants open for 2021-22 school year

The first Round of Artists in Schools grants for Individual Schools, Multi-site District Residency Programs, and Arts organizations partnering with schools and school districts is open for the 2021-22 School Year. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2021. The Artists in Schools grant program is supported by the State of Alaska and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional funding from the Rasmuson Foundation, and is intended to support residencies of two weeks or more in Alaska schools. Artists in Schools (AIS) residencies should provide arts experiences and training for students, teachers, and the greater community. Successful applicants will demonstrate how a residency will augment the arts curriculum and the Alaska State Arts Standards, connect to other core curricula, include a professional development opportunity for teachers in integrating the residency discipline into future teaching, and create engagement between the school and community. For complete information, including the Statewide Teaching Artist Roster,  guidelines, and applications, visit the Alaska State Council on the Arts – Arts Education Grants page at https://arts.alaska.gov/arts-education-grants.

Alaska State Council on the Arts Adaptation and Innovation Grants

The Alaska State Council on the Arts has Adaptation and Innovation Grants available on a rolling deadline, 30 days prior to the planned activity. Eligible applicants include schools, school partners (such as PTA/PTO organizations), organizations and individuals. The Alaska State Council on the Arts in partnership with Rasmuson Foundation developed the Adaptation and Innovation Grant Program to support efforts to rebuild and advance our work together, to connect with community, and to positively impact Alaskan lives across the state in and through the arts and cultures of our state. For complete information, guidelines, and applications, visit the Alaska State Council on the Arts – Adaptation and Innovation Grants page at https://arts.alaska.gov/adaptation-and-innovation-grant-program.

Virtual Tiny Books with Evon Zerbetz for ages 7-12

Learn basic bookmaking skills and the language of bookmaking with this no-sew book made with one sheet of paper and hard covers on Saturday, March 20. Make a blank book for your personal story and notes, or make yours with Evon's designs inside. Evon Zerbetz is one of the featured illustrators in the exhibit, Illustrating Alaska, on display through April 3 at the Alaska State Museum. This workshop is open to Juneau residents only. Participants will need to be able to access a Zoom meeting and a webcam. Materials will be provided to confirmed participants prior to the workshop. Space is limited - request a spot by filling out the participation request form. The morning and afternoon sessions will be the same - please sign up for one or the other.

Sheldon Jackson Museum Tradition Innovation Exhibition Now Online

An exhibition of garments, artwork, objects, and film that highlights the lifestyle and creation of Alaska Native and environmental-based art by Peter Williams may now be viewed on the Sheldon Jackson Museum’s website.

Summer Food Service Program Looking for Local Sites

Too many children who rely on school meals do not have access to meals in the summer. Are there children in your community who will go hungry this summer? DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs (DEED/CNP) is looking for school districts, parks and recreation departments, non-profit organizations, and churches to operate Summer Food Service Program feeding sites for children and youth in low-income areas in Alaska. For more information, please read the full blog post on this opportunity on DEED’s Info Exchange blog!  Completed applications are due by April 15.

Alaska Statewide Virtual System Discussion Board

AKSVS teachers, are you looking for a place of discussion and support? Interested in meeting and sharing with other Alaskan teachers using AKSVS? Check out the Teacher Channel Discussion Board through the Alaska Professional Learning Network.

Trauma Engaged Toolkit Professional Development Opportunities

This fall AASB & DEED will be hosting a series of webinars featuring the Transforming Schools Framework and Toolkit. The first session will take place on September 15^th and will focus on Self Care. Please continue to check back as more sessions are added.

New DEED Science Education Listserv

DEED launched a new Science Education Listserv! The listserv will be a space for science teachers in Alaska to share information on teaching practices, instructional resources, community partnerships, lesson plan and unit ideas, professional development opportunities, and to discuss topical concerns in science instruction. DEED will also use it to push out notifications regarding opportunities in science education.  All science teachers in Alaska (pre-K, K-12, and collegiate) are encouraged to join.

BrainPOP Subscription

Many of you know that Alaska has a statewide license to BrainPOP, but did you know that your teachers can unlock additional features through individual accounts that can only be set up at the school level? At no additional charge to you?

• For students to access BrainPop: click the LOG IN tab (not ENTER CODE)
• For teachers to whose schools are set up to use BrainPop Educator: use the ENTER CODE

If you have the username and password for DEED’s statewide subscription, please only share it in a way that no one on the internet besides your patrons or students can access the username/password. (i.e. direct e-mail ok, posting to your social media/website/blog is NOT.) If you don’t have the current SLED database credentials, visit the SLED Password Request form and fill it out completely. Expect a response within one business day. The SLED usernames and passwords are good for nearly all the SLED Databases and resources. One request will empower you to help with just about anything SLED related. Contact Martha Ketsdever, BrainPOP Account Manager for Alaska State Libraries, for more information.

Seeking Public Review and Comment on State Content Standards

DEED is seeking review and comment on state content standards. We encourage parents, educators, and communities to take a few minutes to provide input on Alaska's current English Language Arts and Mathematics standards adopted in 2012.