- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 46 No. 22
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
June 22, 2018
Housekeeping Notice: To submit items for future newsletters, please email Sam Jordan at samuel.jordan@alaska.gov.
Last call! Order Fall 2018 SAT and PSAT/NMSQT Materials by June 29
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.
NEW! Commissioner Johnson to serve on CCSSO School Safety Steering Committee
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced on June 19 that 12 state education chiefs, including Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Michael Johnson, will lead a newly-formed School Safety Steering Committee to work toward creating safe and supportive school environments for all students. The initiative, formed in the wake of the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida, is an effort among state chiefs to take the lead in identifying promising practices to stem the far too frequent incidences of school violence. “I am honored to represent Alaska’s students on the CCSSO School Safety Steering Committee. Drawing upon our recent efforts to strengthen school safety and student well-being, I will work with other state leaders to learn best practices and apply them in partnership with Alaska’s families and communities. Parents’ expectation that we provide their children with an excellent education every day is superseded only by their expectation that we will keep their children safe while they are at school.” – Commissioner Johnson’s statement in the announcement
NEW! DEED is Hiring for the Migrant Education Program
DEED is seeking an Education Associate II to complete our Migrant Education Program team. This staff member works with state and school district staff to provide training and technical support in the identification and recruitment of children eligible to be served with federal Migrant Education Program funds. The deadline to apply is July 3, 2018 at 5:00pm AKDT. Please contact Sarah Emmal if you have any questions.
NEW! Save the Date: Free Author Talk with Daniel Lee Henry on Thursday June 28
On Thursday, June 28 at 5:30 pm at the Father Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives, and Museum in Juneau, join Daniel Lee Henry for a discussion of his new book, Across the Shaman’s River: John Muir, the Tlingit Stronghold, and the Opening of the North. Across the Shaman’s River builds from Muir’s unpublished journals and the author’s interviews with 16 Tlingit elders to reveal a profound intercultural dynamic rarely seen in American history writing. His presentation will be recorded for later broadcast on 360 North and online at 360 North's At The APK page.
Reminder: DEED Awarded CDC Grant for Alaska School Health and Wellness Project
DEED has been awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control for efforts to improve student health and academic achievement through nutrition, physical activity, and the management of chronic conditions in schools. DEED will partner with the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) in the implementation of this five-year grant beginning July 1, 2018.
Reminder: ASDN Seeking Code.org Alaska Program Manager
The Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) is looking for a Code.org Alaska Program Manager to facilitate quality professional learning to educators throughout Alaska. The Program Manager will develop district partnerships and help build a positive statewide computer science educator community. They will recruit, contract with and manage Alaska’s Computer Science facilitators for professional learning, help schedule and organize events around the state and work to build, grow and sustain a statewide community of computer science educators. Application priority date is June 22.
Reminder: Save the Date: 13th Annual School Health & Wellness Institute set for October 29-31, 2018
This year’s Alaska School Health & Wellness Institute will be held at the BP Energy Center in Anchorage from October 29-31, 2018. Registration is FREE and opens August 15. Travel scholarships will be available. Contact Wendy Hamilton with questions at wendy.hamilton@alaska.gov.
Reminder: Project Learning Tree is offering grants of $1,000 for STEM education projects that focus on the environment and community engagement
Project Learning Tree offers GreenWorks! grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world. Students implement an action project they help design to green their school or to improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment. The annual grant program is open to schools and youth organizations. The deadline for the GreenWorks grant program is Sept. 30.
Special Feature: 2018 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) Winners Announced
An Anchorage playwright, an Utqiavik librarian, a Fairbanks poet, and a Homer bookmobile program are winners of the 2018 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) awards. The statewide CLIA awards have been presented annually since 1993 by the Alaska Center for the Book, Alaska’s liaison with the U.S. Library of Congress Center for the Book. The program honors people and programs that have made a significant contribution in literacy, the literary arts, or the preservation of the written or spoken word.
Curious about Russian and modern icons? Wondering about the Lituya Bay disaster? Love listening to author Ernestine Hayes?
All these topics and more are discussed on the At the APK television show, the result of a partnership between the Alaska Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums and Juneau’s KTOO public television station. Authors, artists, and historians do lectures in conjunction with their exhibits held at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff (APK) building, which houses the State Library, Archives and Museum. KTOO has produced thirteen shows in this series since late 2017 with more to come. To watch these programs, go to https://www.360north.org/at-the-apk (https://www.360north.org/at-the-apk) and, under the Programs tab, choose At the APK. Each program is captioned through the CC symbol that appears in the lower right. We hope you enjoy these programs, which extend the programs of the State Library, Archives and Museum to all Alaskans!
State Board Approves Regulations Implementing Alaska’s ESSA Plan
The State Board of Education and Early Development, meeting May 31 by audio conference, adopted regulations implementing Alaska’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan and sent out for public comment two proposed regulation projects. The adopted 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. Alaska’s ESSA plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Education on May 16, 2018.
UA President Jim Johnsen announces Cathy Sandeen as next UAA chancellor
Sandeen currently is chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. She succeeds UAA Interim Chancellor Sam Gingerich and will begin her new position on September 15.
Registration Open for SERRC LEAP Academy
SERRC will provide a professional learning opportunity for educators focused on understanding and addressing the effects of poverty on learning. LEAP Academy will be held Aug. 6-10 at UAA and is part of the Leading Educational Access Project created by a Massachusetts educational service agency. The training will also touch on ACES and culturally responsive teaching.
Alaska Arts Education Consortium Hosting the 2018 Multicultural Arts Institute in July
AAEC has one more great opportunity to immerse yourself in the arts and learn strategies that will benefit your classroom and honor your students. The 2018 Multicultural Arts Institute will be held from Sunday, July 29 in the evening through Friday, August 3. There will be three teacher-leaders from diverse backgrounds including multicultural education, movement and poetry, and visual and media arts. 3 credits are available. Those from out of Bethel will be housed at the Lower Kuskokwim dorms.
Save the Date: SERRC Alaska Close Up Sessions set for February/March 2019
Students from across the state have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with Alaska State Government with a residential camp in Juneau. Students experience each branch of government with intensive lessons, mock hearings, and interactions with elected officials and public servants. 2019 dates are set for:
1. February 10-15, 2019: Alaska Close Up and Government Internship (Grades 9-12)
2. February 24-March 1, 2019: Alaska Close Up, Jr. Alaska Close Up and Government Internship (Grades 7-12)
Kake resident Louise Kadake selected to receive the University of Alaska's 2018 Teach for Alaska Scholarship award
Kadake will be awarded a $12,000 scholarship to study teacher education. She is a lifelong resident of Kake and will begin her studies this fall at the University of Alaska Southeast. The scholarship is part of the University's initiative to increase the number of Alaska educated teachers.
Save the Date: SERRC Career Connections sessions set for April 2019
Students from all over Alaska have the opportunity to participate in meaningful career exploration in one of Alaska's urban centers. Students are introduced to a variety of career paths and learn valuable workplace skills and behaviors in these Juneau-based residential camps. Students will learn about post-secondary training opportunities that can contribute to well-paying careers in a variety of fields. 2019 dates are set for:
1. April 7-12, 2019: Career exploration and job shadowing
2. April 21-26, 2019: Career exploration and job shadowing
Alaska Staff Development Network is the New Regional Partner for Code.org
The Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) is now part of Code.org’s nationwide network of Regional Partners to advance computer science education in K-12 schools across Alaska. ASDN will provide quality professional learning to educators throughout Alaska through district partnerships and by building a positive statewide computer science educator community. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers interested in upcoming professional development opportunities or in becoming a facilitator for Code.org curricula during the 2019-20 school year are encouraged to join the ASDN Code.org interest list. Applications will be available in the fall of 2018.
U.S. Department of Education Announces Student-Centered Pilot Program
The purpose of this pilot is to provide local education agencies (LEAs) with the flexibility to combine state, local, and eligible federal funds that it will allocate to schools using a formula that provides additional funding for students from low-income families, English learners, and other disadvantaged students. In exchange for meeting the requirements of the pilot and using a student-centered funding formula, the LEA receives freedom from many of the federal requirements for the funds included in the system. Applications are due July 15 for the 2019-2020 school year.
College Board Hosting Counselor Workshop at UAS Sept. 6, 9 am to Noon
Open to all counselors and educators, this free workshop provides updates on College Board programs, as well as tools, tips, and resources designed to make it easier for you to clear a path to college and career success for your students. Take advantage of this FREE opportunity to network with colleagues and share best practices. Complimentary continental breakfast.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form on the DEED Information Exchange page. To submit news items, call Sam Jordan at 907-465-6469 or email samuel.jordan@alaska.gov.