E-NEWS
...your dues at
work.
A weekly digest
of education news for Alaska's School Board Members.
Association of
Alaska School Boards, 1111 West 9th St., Juneau, AK 99801. Tel.
907-586-1083,
Fax 907-586-2995. Carl Rose, Executive Director,
crose@aasb.org: John Greely, Editor, jgreely@aasb.org. Review past issues of
the E-News on
the AASB Website at <http://www.aasb.org>. To unsubscribe send an email
stating the same to jgreely@aasb.org.
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AASB E-News
January 17, 2008
--2007 INFLATION UP BY LARGEST AMOUNT IN 17 YEARS
--INTENSIVE NEEDS FUNDING EXAMINED
--TEACHERS STEP INTO 21ST CENTURY WITH NEW LAPTOPS
--STUDENT GROUPS GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS TO FACILITIES
--NORTHWOOD ELEMENTARY MOVES FORWARD BY GOING BASIC
--MICHIGAN TEACHERS MAKE MARK ON ST. PAUL ISLAND
--JUNE NELSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
2007 INFLATION UP BY LARGEST
AMOUNT IN 17 YEARS
Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation
up by the largest amount in 17 years, even though prices generally remained
tame outside of those two areas. Consumer prices rose by 4.1 percent for all of
2007, the Labor Department reports. See full story here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22681319/
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INTENSIVE NEEDS
FUNDING EXAMINED
Children in wheelchairs, forever breathing
with the help of ventilators, or so mentally handicapped they need full-time
nurses to help process the world around them. These are the intensive-needs
students who cost the Anchorage School District the most money to educate. Now,
the Alaska Legislature and the governor are proposing a formula of financing
the stateÕs public schools that may drastically change the resources available
for intensive-needs students. See full story here:
http://www.adn.com/education/story/262469.html
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TEACHERS STEP
INTO 21ST CENTURY WITH NEW LAPTOPS
As the teachers at University Park
Elementary in Fairbanks filtered into the school library for a meeting, the excitement
picked up as they turned on their new MacBook laptops. Similar scenes took
place at other elementary schools this week as the district moves to equip all
teachers with laptops by next year. See full story here:
http://newsminer.com/2008/01/15/10896/
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STUDENT GROUPS
GIVEN EQUAL ACCESS TO FACILITIES
The Fairbanks School Board approved a
policy guaranteeing all student-initiated groups equal access to school
facilities and the opportunity to raise funds. The federal Equal Access Act
requires any school district that receives federal funds to allow students to
start groups or clubs and hold meetings in the school. The groups can be based
on anything – religion, hobbies, politics, sports – as long as the
school district allows one group, it canÕt deny any others. See full story
here:
http://newsminer.com/2008/01/15/10896
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NORTHWOOD
ELEMENTARY MOVES FORWARD BY GOING TO BASICS
A well-regarded Anchorage public school
that has seen a decline in enrollment for years will joining a growing trend of
schools shedding the mainstream curriculum, the School Board decided by
unanimous vote. The school will adopt the ÒABCÓ curriculum, or Anchorage Basic
Curriculum, returning to traditional teaching techniques with students sitting
in neat rows, teachers delivering core curriculum to whole classes and an early
emphasis on reading, penmanship and even manners. See full story here:
http://www.adn.com/education/story/265176.html
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MICHIGAN
TEACHERS MAKE MARK ON ST. PAUL ISLAND
A group of teachers from Houghton,
Michigan, is making a mark on one of the most remote school district sin the
country. The five teachers comprise half the teaching staff at St. Paul School
in the Pribilof Islands. See full story here:
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-50/120033445024160.xml&storylist=newsmichigan
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JUNE
NELSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE NOW
AASB is proud to announce its 17th
Annual Scholarship Award Competition. The June Nelson Memorial Scholarship is
named in honor of the late June Nelson, long-time school board member from
Kotzebue. This year, AASB will award ten graduating seniors each with a $1,000
scholarship to apply toward their post-secondary education, whether itÕs at a
college, business or a trade school. Applications are available here:
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Association of
Alaska School Boards
...promoting BOARD STANDARDS through...
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Association of
Alaska School Boards
1111 West 9th
Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801-1510 Tel. 907-586-1083
Fax 907-586-2995 Email: aasb@aasb.org
Website: http://www.aasb.org