- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 45 No. 16
Inside This Edition:
- Deadline is May 1 for Teacher of the Year Nominations
- State Libraries, Archives and Museums Offer Events Calendar
- Sixth-grade Classrooms Invited to Submit Names for Two K9s
- Wildfire Science Day Camp Available for Youth in Temporary Care
- E-rate Filing Deadline is May 11
- State Board Seeks Comments on Three Proposed Regulation Packages
- Department Seeks Education Specialist for its Early Learning Team
- Public Library Association to Sponsor Summer Internships
- Postsecondary Commission Adopts Resolution to Support Scholarship and Grants
- Decolonizing Alaska Exhibit Opens at Alaska State Museum in Juneau
- Learn about investing and play the DASH for the STASH at the Alaska State Library
- State Archives Materials at Work: Alaska Chapter American Fisheries Society
- Digital Technology Conference Adds Ready-to-Blend Workshop
- Early Learning Program Highlight: Wooch.een Preschool
- Nominees for 2017 Teens’ Top Ten Books are Announced
- Opportunity for Title IIA Subgrants to Eligible Partnerships
- Sitka, Arts, Summer, and Four Credits
- Arts Training for Teachers Working with Special Education Students
- Attend an AAEC Summer Arts Institute
- Webinar Explains State Law on Physical Activity in Schools
- Alaska State System of Support Seeks Experienced Alaska Teachers as Coaches
- Nominations Open for Superintendent of the Year
- School Leadership Institute Set for May 22-24
Contact Us
- Eric Fry: (907) 465-2851
Subscription
Deadline is May 1 for Teacher of the Year Nominations
The Alaska Teacher of the Year 2018 nomination process is open through May 1. Alaska has many outstanding teachers who are worthy of the award. The Alaska Teacher of the Year Program gives us an opportunity to identify Alaska’s best teachers. Any interested Alaskan may nominate a teacher for the award. Teacher of the Year is an excellent way to acknowledge the expertise, skills, accomplishments, and professionalism of teachers in your school. Contact: Cecilia Miller at AlaskaTOY@alaska.gov or 907-465-8703. The nomination form is available at education.alaska.gov/RecognitionPrograms/TOY/.
State Libraries, Archives and Museums Offer Events Calendar
The Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums now offers an events calendar, At the APK & SJM, featuring public division-sponsored, events in Juneau, Sitka, and online. To subscribe to this monthly announcement, please e-mail daniel.cornwall@alaska.gov.
Sixth-grade Classrooms Invited to Submit Names for Two K9s
Alaska’s sixth-grade classes are invited to submit names for two new law enforcement K9s, whose tasks will include searching for illegal drugs. Use of heroin and other opioids is a growing problem across the United States. Governor Bill Walker, who recently declared a public health crisis in Alaska, signed Administrative Order 283 to outline the state’s next steps to address the drug epidemic. The dog-naming contest is an initiative of Safer Alaska Building Strong Communities, to engage students in illicit-drug prevention.
Each sixth-grade class can submit one name for each dog. Be sure to match each name to a specific dog. K9A is a very friendly Belgian Malinois, one and a half years old, who prances like a horse when he walks. He is long and lanky. K9B, also a Belgian Malinois of the same age, pounces on his toy when he retrieves it. His fur is black from his paws to his knees, so he looks like he’s wearing socks.
Some helpful hints: Avoid cute names like Fluffy; these K9s are professional law enforcement members. Avoid scary names or the names of drugs. The names should be easy to say, preferably of one or two syllables. Names with a connection to Alaska might be strong contenders. Winning classes will receive acknowledgement from the Governor or Lt. Governor, a visit from the dog and his handler, and a plaque with a picture of the dog.
Submit names to Sharon Fishel at the Department of Education and Early Development at Sharon.fishel@alaska.gov. The deadline is May 10. If you have questions, contact Ms. Fishel at 907-465-6523 or Sharon.fishel@alaska.gov.
Wildfire Science Day Camp Available for Youth in Temporary Care
Young people in foster homes or other temporary care have an opportunity to spend June 26-30 exploring wildfire science at an Interior Alaska forest camp. Applications are being taken through May 15 for Hot Times — Fire in the Forest, a day camp located 20 miles southwest of Fairbanks at the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Site. Fourteen youths will be accepted. The camp is organized by Fostering Science, a University of Alaska Fairbanks program that introduces science to young people who are cared for by foster parents, relatives, a group home or other similar facilities.
Participants will explore nature, hike, make art, make friends, experiment and work with scientists from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. No prior science skills are needed. The camp is free; transportation will be provided. To qualify, applicants must be:
- in foster care, a group home, temporary custody of a relative or a shelter at the time of the camp,
- be entering seventh through 10th grades in fall 2017,
- be willing to spend a week (mostly) outside in the woods,
- and be excited about learning and trying new things.
E-rate Filing Deadline is May 11
The filing window for all school year 2017-2018 E-rate applications opened February 27. We are in the last days of the filing window; all districts applying for E-rate discounts on Internet Connectivity or Internal Connections must file their FCC Form 471 applications by May 11. If you have questions or need assistance in the matter, please contact DEED E-rate Consultant Valerie Oliver at Valerie.oliver@alaska.gov or the USAC Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will be hosting a webinar intended to assist last-minute filers with the application process on April 27 at 9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. Alaska time. This webinar will walk you through the application process. Register now. If you cannot attend the live webinar, it will be recorded and posted to the USAC Online Learning Library.
State Board Seeks Comments on Three Proposed Regulation Packages
The State Board of Education and Early Development has sent out for public comment three packages of proposed regulations. One package repeals regulations that mandated college and career readiness assessments; it also clarifies which holders of a certificate of achievement are eligible for a high school diploma. The second package repeals a state requirement that school district employees undergo a physical examination once every three years. Under the third package, only pre-elementary schools operated by school districts or Head Start agencies will be required to obtain department approval; the program will be more closely aligned with the department's statutory duty to supervise pre-elementary schools that receive direct state or federal funding. See education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm for more details and information on how to comment. The deadline for written comment is 4:30 p.m. May 12.
Department Seeks Education Specialist for its Early Learning Team
The Department of Education and Early Development is recruiting an Education Specialist II to join its Early Learning team. The position plans, develops, and maintains early learning programs within the department. This includes managing the preschool approval process, providing technical assistance to school district and Head Start grantees, and creating the department’s preschool reports, among other duties. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. May 1. The position is full time, pays $6,144 a month, and is located in Juneau. At Workplace Alaska search for Education Specialist II (PCN 05-1705) or go directly to the job description.
Public Library Association to Sponsor Summer Internships
The Public Library Association (PLA) will pilot a diversity-focused library internship program this summer. PLA received funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to launch the Inclusive Internship Initiative, which seeks to introduce young people from diverse backgrounds to careers in librarianship. PLA is sponsoring paid, mentored public library internships for 50 high school juniors and seniors from diverse backgrounds during summer 2017. With individual guidance from a mentor, each intern will engage with multiple facets of library life, from administration to programming to user services, at libraries across the U.S. Apply at ALA.org.
Postsecondary Commission Adopts Resolution to Support Scholarship and Grants
The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education has adopted a resolution that supports the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Grant programs. As part of its mission to promote student access to and success in education beyond high school, the commission is concerned that one of the key incentives for Alaska’s students to excel in high school and be prepared for postsecondary and workforce success may be eliminated.
Decolonizing Alaska Exhibit to Open at Alaska State Museum in Juneau
May 5 – October 14, 2017. Opening Reception: May 5, 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the museum, 395 Whittier St. Panel discussion to follow at 6:30 p.m. in the APK Lecture Hall.
Decolonizing Alaska is a multi-media visual art exhibit that explores how 30 diverse contemporary Alaskan artists grapple with climate change and cultural survival resulting from colonization, and present new possibilities for cultural sustainability. Artists create and express resilience and adaptation through a confluence of indigenous, global, traditional and contemporary concepts, technologies and media.
A panel discussion with the exhibit curator, Asia Freeman, and artists Joel Isaak, Rika Mouw, Ricky Tagaban, Michael Walsh, and Crystal Worl will follow the opening reception at 6:30 p.m. in the APK Lecture Hall. Decolonizing Alaska is sponsored by Bunnell Street Arts Center and supported in part by grants from ArtWorks, The CIRI Foundation, and the Rasmuson Foundation with additional support from the exhibit venues and the Rasmuson Foundation through the Harper Arts Touring Fund, administered, under contract, by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.
Winter hours at the museum are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Discounted winter admission is $5, with those age 18 and under admitted free. An annual pass that allows unlimited visits to the Alaska State Museum and the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka is available for $35. Assistance is available for visitors who have special needs. Please contact visitor services at 465-2901 before the visit.
Learn about Investing and Play the DASH for the STASH at the Alaska State Library
In connection with DASH for the STASH, the Alaska State Library will host David Newman and Leif Haugen of the Division of Banking and Securities for an introduction to investing on May 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Alaska State Libraries, Archives, and Museums, located at 395 Whittier St.
DASH for the STASH is an investor education and protection program and contest taking place through June 14 at the Alaska State Library. To participate in the contest, people can visit the Alaska State Library, read four educational posters, and answer online questions about the poster content. One statewide winner will be chosen in a random drawing of eligible participants who logged the correct answer for all four posters. The winner will receive a $1,000 contribution to an existing or new Individual Retirement Account (IRA) for 2017. The DASH for the STASH program is being launched in Alaska by the Alaska Division of Banking and Securities and the nonprofit Investor Protection Institute (IPI).
A person experiencing a disability who needs accommodation for events hosted by the Alaska State Libraries, Archives, and Museums can contact the Division’s ADA coordinator at (907) 465-2988 to make any necessary arrangements. The Alaska State Library provides research services for state employees, assists historical researchers and the public, manages Talking Book services for Alaskans with visual impairments, and collects Alaska-related books, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, government documents, and periodicals. Hours at the Alaska State Library are Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Mondays by arrangement. For more information about the Library and its services, please visit Alaska State Library online.
State Archives Materials at Work: Alaska Chapter American Fisheries Society
The Alaska State Archives was recently thanked by Dr. Meagan Krupa, who used Board of Fisheries data digitized from the Archives for a presentation at the 2017 Joint Meeting of the American Fisheries Society-Alaska Chapter and American Water Resources Association-Alaska Section. The presentation was about a comparative analysis of stakeholder participation in the Bristol Bay, Southeast, and Kenai River fisheries over the past 15 years. A brief abstract can be found on page 35 at state.awra.org/alaska/ameetings/2017am/final-program-abstracts.pdf.
Digital Technology Conference Adds Ready-to-Blend Workshop
The DTi Network Conference on June 5-7 in Soldotna will include a special strand on blended learning hosted by Heather Staker. She is the founder of Ready to Blend, a training and consulting firm, and co-author of Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.
Blended Learning Live, a hands-on workshop, takes place June 6-7. Participants learn about blended learning through a variety of blended learning tools, resources, and instructional models. Participants will experience flipped classroom-style course work via the Buzz online platform. Attendees will learn about facilitated small-group discussion, hands-on project-based learning, whole-group instruction, real-time formative assessment, and a personalized playlist of learning. Attendees will leave with a mastery of the key blended-learning strategies to formulate an action plan to implement in the classroom, program, or school. This strand is $250. Check out Ready to Blend's website. Registration for the DTi Network Conference ends May 8. Visit goo.gl/forms/bBUN2bqCj0JOQmvG2.
Early Learning Program Highlight: Wooch.een Preschool
Wooch.een (meaning "working together") is a partnership between the Sitka School District, Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska's Head Start, and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Early Learners receive instruction in English and Tlingit language along with cultural knowledge, social skills, and interaction as well as pre-reading and reading skills. Read more about the program and watch a short video on its daily program by visiting their website.
Nominees for 2017 Teens’ Top Ten Books are Announced
The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced the 2017 Teens Top Ten Nominees. This year’s list of nominees features 26 titles that were published in 2016. YALSA is calling on libraries to encourage teens to read the nominated books throughout the summer so they are ready for the national Teens’ Top Ten vote, which will take place August 15 through Teen Read Week (October 8-14). The ten nominees that receive the most votes will be named the 2017 Teens’ Top Ten. To learn more and to access a free Teens’ Top Ten Toolkit, visit Teens' Top Ten on ALA's YALSA site.
Opportunity for Title IIA Subgrants to Eligible Partnerships
The Department of Education and Early Development announces a federal partnership grant for teacher/administrator professional development. Grants will support professional development institutes using WIDA CLIMBS curricula. CLIMBS (Content and Language Integration as a Means of Bridging Success) is professional learning curriculum designed to introduce participants to the use of research-based approaches and WIDA resources to support ELL students in their classrooms.
Training may be either:
- The CLIMBS Course Trainer program (to train district staff as CLIMBS instructors).
- The CLIMBS Course (to train teachers directly at a WIDA event).
Proposals are due May 26. You may download a copy of the RFA. Please direct all questions to Bjørn Wolter at bjorn.wolter@alaska.gov.
Sitka, Arts, Summer, and Four Credits
Come see Sitka and take the two-week AAEC Basic Arts Institute called Unraveling the Layers: Arts, Culture and Technology Integration from June 5-16. This opportunity is sponsored by Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC), Sitka School District with cooperation from the Sitka Tribe, and Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The teacher-leaders are: Shelly Toon Lindberg for Visual Arts and Theory, Nathan Shafer for Media Arts, Kathleen Kingsley for Movement and Dance, and George Holly for Cultural Arts and Languages. Registration fee is $495 for member districts. Four credits are available. The deadline is April 27. Visit the AAEC website or email Barbara Short at barbshort@gmail.com.
Arts Training for Teachers Working with Special Education Students
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium is offering Arts are Exceptional one-week institutes in Unalakleet, May 22-26, and Anchorage, July 31-August 4. These special education-focused institutes are open to all K-12 educators who are interested in learning skills and techniques pertinent to special needs students, including modifications and adaptations of classroom practices through the arts. Daily sessions include theory and hands-on activity sessions—including art, music, drama, and movement. Educators will experience the diverse ways that students can access learning and gain skills, increasing the ease and likelihood of student success for all students. Visit the AAEC website or email Barbara Short at barbshort@gmail.com.
Attend an AAEC Summer Arts Institute
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium has announced plans for five 2017 Summer Arts Education Institutes. For institutes that are open for registration, visit the AAEC website for more details.
- May 22-26, Unalakleet Arts are Exceptional Special Education and the Arts Institute one week, 3 credits.
- June 5-16, Sitka Basic Arts Institute, two weeks, 4 credits.
- July 24-August 4, Juneau Basic & Beyond Arts Institute, two weeks with special event during the second week, 4 credits.
- July 31-August 4, Anchorage Arts are Exceptional Special Education and the Arts Institute one week, 3 credits.
- August 9-13, Sitka Cultural Arts Institute, one week, 3 credits.
Webinar Explains State Law on Physical Activity in Schools
The Alaska School Health and Obesity Prevention and Control programs will present everything you want to know about state law regarding physical activity in Alaska schools. A webinar presentation will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on April 26. Topics include the history and details of the law, frequently asked questions, ideas for implementation, and school district examples. There will be time to ask questions; the line will stay open after 4:00 p.m. if needed. Register online. Contact Wendy Hamilton at wendy.hamilton@alaska.gov or 907-465-2768 for more information. Also visit the Department of Health and Social Services website for more info.
Alaska State System of Support Seeks Experienced Alaska Teachers as Coaches
The Department of Education and Early Development is seeking responses from qualified and experienced Alaskan educators for the State System of Support Coaching Program. Coaches will apply their education skills to increase the capacity of low-performing schools and districts to raise student achievement. Offerors must have knowledge of current research and practices in the six effective school domains of curriculum, assessment, instruction, supportive learning environment, professional development and leadership. Coaches work as independent contractors. Visit notice.alaska.gov/184945 for more info.
Nominations Open for Superintendent of the Year
The selection committee is seeking nominations for the 2018 Alaska Superintendent of the Year. Nominations can be made by school board members, parents, colleagues, community members, or anyone who has personal knowledge of an Alaska superintendent’s performance and qualifications.
Candidates should exemplify educational effectiveness, knowledge, leadership, ethics, and commitment. Any superintendent or top leader of a school system who plans to continue in the profession may be nominated. Please email nominations to acsa@alaskaacsa.org or mail them to the ASA Executive Director, 234 Gold Street, Juneau, AK 99801 by May 1. Download the nomination application (pdf) to apply.
School Leadership Institute Set for May 22-24
Alaska School Leadership Institute 2017: Leadership to Support Instructional Excellence, Making a Positive Impact on the Culture of a School and Maximizing Student Learning, on May 22-24, at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage. This conference is tailored to small and rural schools and districts. Topics include: cultivating the leadership dispositions that grow a positive school culture, providing effective feedback, building and supporting a highly effective system with mathematics, and the impacts and opportunities of the new ESSA for rural school systems.
More information and registration.
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