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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Sponsored by
Alaska Public Entity Insurance Co. <http://www.akpei.com>
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AASB E-News
February 14, 2008
--ASSEMBLY PUTS SCHOOL BONDS ON APRIL BALLOT
--GREAT HEIGHTS: THESE UNDERGRADS SET ON SOLVING PROBLEMS
--VALENTINES TO MENTASTA FROM OKLAHOMA KIDS
--SO IS THAT LIKE AN A? (COMMENTARY)
--MINI-GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR AK 50: OUR STORIES
--NEW AASB CRITICAL ISSUES PAPER HEADED TO DISTRICTS
ASSEMBLY PUTS
SCHOOL BONDS ON APRIL BALLOT
The Anchorage Assembly is putting two
school bonds totaling about $43.7 million before voters on the April 1 ballot.
The largest projects would renovate two elementary schools. See full story
here:
http://www.adn.com/education/story/313472.html
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GREAT HEIGHTS:
THESE UNDERGRADS SET ON SOLVING PROBLEMS
Dartmouth junior Taylor Thompson once
aspired to be a doctor. Then, while volunteering in a hospital in Rawanda, he
seized on an idea that he thinks can make a bigger impact – a drug
authentication program to eradicate a problem: counterfeit pharmaceuticals,
which he says causes 200,000 deaths a year from malaria alone in developing
countries. ThompsonÕs profile is
one of 20 in the 2008 All-USA College Academic First Team, a collection of
inspiring stories about idealism and the entrepreneurial spirit. See full story
here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-02-13-college-allstars_N.htm
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VALENTINES TO
MENTASTA FROM OKLAHOMA KIDS
An unlikely relationship has been forged
between some Oklahoma school children and a group of elementary students in an
Alaska village about 2,800 miles away. The connection comes via a new teacher
who was raised in Oklahoma but now lives in Mentasta Lake. See full story here:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080211_1_A2_hFort37307
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SO IS THAT LIKE
AN A? (COMMENTARY)
Time was that a fifth graderÕs greatest
concern about gym was whether he or she would be picked last for the kickball
team. Now, in schools in Hartford, that 10-year-old would-be athlete is being
graded on how he or she Òestablishes and maintains a healthy lifestyle by
avoiding risk-taking behavior.Ó This commentary questions whether report cards are
being weighed down with educational jargon. See full commentary here (may
require registration):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/opinion/14thu4.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
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MINI-GRANTS
AVAILABLE FOR AK 50: OUR STORIES
The Alaska Humanities Forum is now
accepting applications for AK 50: Our Stories. Aimed at students, classes, schools and clubs for K-12, this
mini-grant program encourages young Alaskans to reflect upon statehood, civics
and American identity from their perspectives. The deadline for applications is
May 15, 2008. AK 50: Our Stories will operate with a rolling deadline, through
the 2008-09 academic year. Grant criteria and on-line applications are
available at the Alaska Humanities Forum website:
http://www.akhf.org/grants/grants_wethepeople.html
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NEW
AASB CRITICAL ISSUES PAPER HEADED TO DISTRICTS
ÒThe New Literacy: 21st
Century Learning in AlaskaÓ is being distributed to all Alaska school districts
this week. A mailing including several copies of the six-page special
publication of AASBÕs Critical Issues series includes a letter from Executive
Director Carl Rose. He writes to
all school board presidents: ÒNow, more than ever before, students need to
acquire complex skills beyond just core subjects if they are to compete
successfully in the rapidly changing and complex world following high school.
To appreciate the critical need for change, each of us must first understand
how 21st century skills are defined, how digital learning builds
them, and why AlaskaÕs students require these skills to be relevant in the job
market.Ó
Additional
copies of the publication are available through the AASB office. ÒThe New
Literacy: 21st Century Learning in AlaskaÓ is also available by
clicking here:
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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