E-NEWS

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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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Sponsored by Alaska Public Entity Insurance Co. <http://www.akpei.com>

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AASB E-News                                                                                                                     

February 7, 2008

 

 

--CRITICAL ISSUES:  NEW AASB PAPER ON 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

--STATES PUSH FOR CYBERBULLY CONTROLS

--FALSE ALARM CHILLS STUDENTS

--ANCHORAGE SCHOOL BOARD WILL LOSE ONLY NATIVE MEMBER

--JUNEAU STUDENT ENROLLMENT DROPS FOR 5TH YEAR

 

CRITICAL ISSUES: NEW ASSB PAPER ON 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

 The opening paragraph of a new AASB publication begins this way:

 

 ÒEducating young people to be successful in the 21st Century is no small task, but the consequences of failing to do so are enormous. Current data show that high school graduates in jobs requiring the highest degree of innovative thinking earn more than 50 percent more than those in jobs requiring the least innovation. For college graduates, the difference is 135 percent.Ó

 

 ÒThe New Literacy: 21st Century Learning in AlaskaÓ is the focus of a new edition of Critical Issues, a publication by the staff of AASB.  The six-page special highlights the need for Alaska schools to consider ways to optimize learning based around skills essential for success in college or the workplace. Feature stories include profiles of the Alaska Career Ready program being piloted by the State of Alaska;  a look at how young Alaskans view the world; a review of how other states are teaching new skills; and facts, figures and memorable quotes about 21st Century learning.

 

The publication will be distributed to all AASB members, state legislators and other policy-makers.  It is available now via the AASB website. Click here:

http://web.mac.com/aasb.cdl/Consortium_for_Digital_Learning/Home_Page_files/CriticalIssues-21stCenturySkillsWeb.pdf

 

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STATES PUSH FOR CYBER-BULLY CONTROLS

 The problem of cyber-bullying gained national attention last November when the story surfaced of a 13-year-old Missouri girl who killed herself following and Internet hoax. The death of Meagan Meier and an earlier case in which a Vermont teenager killed himself after being bullied on-line are spurring an increasing number of states to consider laws giving schools more power to do something about bullying over the Internet. See full story here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-02-06-Cyberbullying_N.htm

 

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FALSE ALARM CHILLS STUDENTS

 Eagle River High School students stood out in a frigid minus-11 degrees Monday morning for a quarter of an hour after a chemistry lab experiment set off the buildingÕs fire alarm and they evacuated without coats, hats or gloves. Some wore only gym clothes. One girl suffered mild frostbite, and some parents say the school should have a plan for keeping kids out of the cold. School officials say students should not wear summer clothes in the Alaska winter. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/education/story/306448.html

 

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ANCHORAGE BOARD WILL LOSE ITS ONLY NATIVE MEMBER

 Alaska Native Mary Marks is leaving the Anchorage School Board but wants a Native or other minority to take her place on the mostly white panel. So far, she hasnÕt been able to convince any minorities to run for election. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/307561.html

 

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JUNEAU STUDENT ENROLLMENT DROPS FOR 5TH YEAR

 Public school enrollment in Juneau dropped for the fifth straight year to the lowest student population since 1990, according to a recently released tally by the state. School officials said the effects will be minimal and are still expecting a large boost in state education funding next year. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/education/story/305226.html

 

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Association of Alaska School Boards

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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