- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 46 No. 17
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
May 18, 2018
Language, Culture, and Community Engagement
The March/April edition of The Language Educator, offered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), featured Anchorage’s New Yup’ik Immersion Program! Read the full article attached.
Last call! Public Comment Sought on Proposed Regulations Implementing Alaska’s ESSA Plan
The State Board of Education and Early Development, meeting April 25 by audio conference, sent out for public comment proposed regulations implementing Alaska’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Public comment may be submitted on DEED’s website through May 26. The proposed regulations are required to implement accountability and school support and improvement systems for schools and districts in Alaska, as specified in ESSA and Alaska’s state plan.
Last call! REAP Offering Summer Energy Literacy Classes for Alaska Educators
Are you a teacher in the Southcentral area looking for more continuing education credit? The Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) is teaching energy literacy classes at two summer academies this year: May 22nd and 23rd in Mat-Su and May 30th and June 1st in Anchorage. Both classes are appropriate for all grade levels and subjects, which will focus on increasing your energy literacy and getting hands-on with activities that can be used for the grade level(s) that you teach.
Last call! Alaska Arts Education Consortium 2018 Summer Arts Institutes Open for Registration
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium is holding three arts institutes this summer and all educators are invited to attend:
Sustaining Best Practices: Steppin’ Into the Arts, Wasilla, Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, May 22 – 25, 2018, 2 credits
Arts are Exceptional: Special Education and the Arts, Anchorage, Diamond High School, May 28 – June 1, 2018, 2 credits
Bethel Multicultural Arts Institute, Bethel Regional High School, July 30 – August 3, 2018, 3 credits available
NEW! Save the Date: Alaska School Safety & Well-Being Summit Happening September 18-19, 2018
DEED will be hosting a comprehensive statewide School Safety & Well-Being Summit, September 18-19, 2018 at the Egan Center in Anchorage. Each district will be provided funding up to $4300 to bring in a team that may include administrators, teachers, school counselors, parents, students, community members, and school board members. DEED has planned the Summit to accommodate teams of up to six from each district. More information to come. DEED Contact: Sharon Fishel, sharon.fishel@alaska.gov.
NEW! Alaska’s Every Student Succeeds Act Plan Approved by the U.S. Department of Education
Alaska’s plan to implement the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was approved May 16 by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Approval of the state plan is required for Alaska to continue to receive approximately $80 million annually in funding from the federal government to support the state’s public schools.
NEW! 2018 Innovative Educator Prize Application Now Open
Are you a teacher or school leader with an idea to close learning gaps, drive engagement, and personalize learning for your students? Apply for FoundationBOL's 2018 Innovative Educator Prize through May 31.
NEW! Alaskan Families Can Continue Learning All Summer With BrainPOP and Sesame Street eBooks
DEED and the Alaska State Library have provided all Alaskan families with unlimited access to BrainPOP and Sesame Street eBooks through the SLED database. Please share the attached flyer with specific directions on BrainPOP with students and families.
NEW! ACPE is Hiring!
The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is seeking an Audit and Review Analyst to perform agency internal audit activities, agency-wide efficiency analyses or related special projects, management consulting to the senior leadership team and agency Internal Audit committee, and advising and supporting the agency-wide Lean initiative. Apply by June 4.
Reminder: Governor Walker Announces Alaska K-12 Broadband Initiative
On May 10, Governor Bill Walker announced the Alaska K-12 Broadband Initiative – a partnership between the State of Alaska and EducationSuperHighway to expand high-speed internet in Alaska schools. As a part of meeting Alaska’s Education Challenge, DEED will partner with the national non-profit to increase broadband access for schools across the state who often face the most challenges providing equitable educational opportunities.
Reminder: DEED Announces Updated eLearning Course: Equity Training for Educators
DEED partnered with the Western Educational Equity Assistance Center, the Association of Alaska School Boards, and the Juneau School District to update the existing eLearning course, Gender and Race Equity. In the revised course, now titled Equity Training for Educators, participants will learn about the extent of inequities in Alaska and the United States, become familiar with federal and state equity and civil rights laws, and learn how to identify inequities in schools. Resources and recommended strategies are available to help schools evaluate their school equity and remedy inequities that may be present. This course satisfies the required training elements under AS 14.18.060(b).
Reminder: Melody Mann Selected as the next Director of the Professional Teaching Practices Commission
Melody Mann will be the next Executive Director of the Professional Teaching Practices Commission beginning June 1, 2018. The current Executive Director, Jim Seitz, is retiring. Ms. Mann has 30 years of education experience in Alaska having taught in Kivalina and then in the Mat-Su Borough School District as an art teacher at Colony High School. She has served on the Commission for five years and has been the chair for the last three years.
Reminder: National Geographic Offering Grant Opportunity for Educators
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek is retracing the first humans’ migration on foot out of Africa and across the globe. Part of his journey will take him through Alaska in the coming years. The goal of this RFP is to expand the impact of Out of Eden Walk for children and youth by supporting a global network of educators who can use the initiative as a catalyst for teaching about the topics addressed by Paul Salopek’s journey.
Reminder: 2018 Professional Teaching Practices Commission Annual Newsletter Now Available
The PTPC Annual Newsletter for 2018 is now available. Included is the Code of Ethics Quiz as well as a listing of all educators who were sanctioned by the Commission in 2017. The PTPC is required to publicize sanctions on a regular basis [20 AAC 10.300(d)].
Reminder: Public Comment Sought on new Professional Services for School Capital Projects Guideline
DEED has drafted a new publication, Professional Services for School Capital Projects, Guidelines for School Districts. The publication will provide guidance for procuring and managing the professional services of planning and design professionals (construction manager, architect, engineer) according to Alaska statute and regulations for school construction and major maintenance projects.
Reminder: The Anchorage Festival of Music announces the 2018 Young Alaskan Artist Award Competition
The Young Alaska Artist Award competition is open to any Alaskan who is pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree or program in music at an accredited institution. Winners receive a monetary award and are presented in a full-length solo recital. The application deadline is May 30, 2018.
Special Feature: Congratulations to Principals Robyn Harris & Michael Angaiak
The Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) has named Robyn Harris, Ed.S, Whaley School, ACE/ACT, and Outreach Principal as the Alaska Secondary School Principal of the Year! Principal Harris will be honored during the 2018 Alaska Principals’ Conference this October. Principal Harris will go on to represent the State of Alaska at the national level.
The Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals (AAESP) has named Michael Angaiak, Principal of Anne Wien Elementary School in Fairbanks, Alaska, as the National Distinguished Principal for 2018. Principal Angaiak was nominated and selected by his fellow principals through a statewide search process. He will travel to Washington, D.C. in October for two days of activities planned to honor and bring well-deserved recognition to the elementary administrators selected by their respective states.
Alaska Communications Seeking Nominations for Youth Summer of Heroes Scholarship
The 2018 Summer of Heroes scholarship program honors Alaska’s youngest heroes, individuals ages 6-18, who are making a difference in their communities through acts of generosity, courage, or achievement. Five winners will be selected and awarded a $1,500 scholarship. Nominations due July 20 by 5pm.
AVTEC Offering Summer Training for CTE Educators
Full tuition, room, and board available (pending receipt of grant funds). 1-3 professional development credits available.
USCG APPROVED BASIC TRAINING (BT) June 4-8, 2018
SERV SAFE & BASIC SHIPBOARD CULINARY TRAINING (BSCT) June 11-15, 2018
Practical Applications of Construction Trades Mathematics, 2 or 3 days, June 11-12 or June 11-13
3-Day Introduction to Renewable Energy 3 days, June 13-15
For more information contact Deb Burdick-Hinton at debra.burdick@avtec.edu or at (907) 224-6140.
Ordering Window for Fall 2018 SAT and PSAT/NMSQT Materials Now Open
Order your PSAT and SAT® School Day materials by June 29 and be ready for testing in the fall. After this date, requests for additional low-income benefits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For assistance contact Nancy Potter at npotter@collegeboard.org.
ASHRAB Seeks Institutional Grant Applications for Digitization Services
The Alaska State Historical Records Advisory Board (ASHRAB) is sponsoring a Digitization Archivist Program Grant during summer/fall 2018: a grant venture that will fund a Digitization Archivist’s travel to an Alaskan repository and offer six weeks of hands-on digitization services and training, and assist the institution in becoming a new contributor to Alaska’s Digital Archives. Small to medium-sized Alaskan institutions, such as museums, libraries, tribal organizations, and other non-profit organizations holding archival materials are encourage to apply. Institutions interested in applying should contact Zachary Jones at zachary.jones@alaska.gov for an application. Applications are due May 30, 2018.
Registration Open for Physical Education training at Anchorage School District Summer Academy
Re-invigorate your Physical Education classes with Quick Games for Fun and Fitness: Strategies for Improving Student Achievement, led by national Physical Education presenter and trainer John Jones. This high-energy session explores the essential components of a quality physical education program and supports the implementation of research-based strategies for improving students' achievement in healthful behaviors, motor skills acquisition, and critical thinking in K-12 settings. One UAA credit is available for this 2 day workshop held May 29-30th at Dimond High School in Anchorage. ASD Summer Academy courses are open for all of Alaska’s educators to join.
Sister School Exchange Program Accepting Applications for Cross-Cultural Exchange in Alaska
The Sister School Exchange Program (formerly Rose Urban Rural Exchange) is currently accepting applications for secondary educators who want to lead students on a cross cultural exchange in Alaska next school year. The program operates throughout the school year, matching a teacher and five students from a rural system community with a teacher and five students from urban Alaska. These teams work through a 6-8 week curriculum on cross-cultural understanding, and then take turns visiting and hosting each other. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Alaska Native Education Program, the Sister School Exchange has engaged in cross-cultural exchanges in Alaska for the last seventeen years.
Special Milk Program Looking for Sponsors
DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs unit is looking for school districts, private schools, residential child care institutions, youth shelters, and non-profit camps to participate in the Special Milk Program. Sponsors are reimbursed with federal funds for each ½ pint of milk served to eligible students (age 0-18) that do not have access to any other federally funded meal program (National School Lunch/Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Food Program or the Summer Food Program). For more information please contact Debbie Soto at debbie.soto@alaska.gov or (907) 465-8712.
GEEO Offering Teacher Travel Abroad Programs
Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that has sent over 2,000 teachers abroad on adventurous travel programs. With GEEO, educators can earn professional development credit while seeing the world. GEEO's trips are 7 to 23 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO is offering the following travel programs for 2018: Argentina and Brazil, Bangkok to Hanoi, Tibet, Camino de Santiago, Eastern Europe, The Galapagos Islands, Greece, Iceland, India and Nepal, Madagascar, Ireland, Armenia and Georgia, Paris to Rome, Multi-Stan, Sri Lanka and The Maldives, Morocco, Peru, Vietnam/Cambodia, and, The Balkans.
Registration Now Open for the 2018 School Library Leadership Academy
The School Library Leadership Academy is a week-long, for-credit intensive workshop for school librarians who are established education leaders in their school or district. It is open to currently employed (SY17-18) Alaska Certified School Librarians, with at least .25 FTE in a school librarian/media role. The Academy will take place July 23rd – 27th in Juneau. The 2018 theme is “Picking up STEAM” and will focus on STEAM collaboration and integration within the context of American Association of School Librarians’ new National School Library Standards.
Subscribe to DEED Early Learning Updates
The latest issue features local children’s water safety classes, an upcoming virtual workshop on school readiness, a federal literacy grant fund opportunity, and a thread online survey.
Last Chance to register for the Final Round of HS Maritime Classes at AVTEC this school year
Eligible HS students and HS CTE instructors qualify for full tuition, room, and board waivers.
USCG APPROVED HIGH SCHOOL BASIC TRAINING (BT) June 4-8, 2018
BASIC SHIPBOARD CULINARY TRAINING (BSCT) June 11-15, 2018
For more information contact Deb Burdick-Hinton at debra.burdick@avtec.edu or at (907) 224-6140.
Professional Learning Opportunity - Resilient Educators: Growing Your Best Self
Brightways Learning is offering workshops in June at Alyeska Resort focused on nurturing skills to see beneath the surface and move to the core of what students need to thrive, while helping raise professional satisfaction for teachers and other school staff. One Continuing Education Credit (via UAA) per workshop is available.
DEED Accepting Non-Profit Profiles for Inclusion in Alaska 21st CCLC External Organization Partner Pool
In order to increase the capacity of Alaska’s communities to offer high-quality 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) afterschool programs, DEED is assembling a list of Alaska non-profit organizations with relevant afterschool expertise that 21st CCLC grantees may be interested in partnering with when building their out-of-school-time applications and programs. Please note: DEED plans to release a 21st CCLC Request for Applications very soon, but an organization is not required to be included in the Alaska 21st CCLC External Organization Partner Pool in order to be eligible to apply for an Alaska 21st grant as a main applicant or to serve as a formal or informal partner on a grant application.
Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form on the DEED website. To submit news items, call Erin Hardin at 907-465-6535 or email erin.hardin@alaska.gov.