Association of
Alaska School Boards
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 15,
2007
--SCHOOL DISTRICT FACES MILLIONS IN CUTS
--HEALTH FOOD PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS GETS
MIXED REVIEWS
--WHAT MAKES A TEACHER ÔEFFECTIVEÕ?
--TEACHER-TO-TEACHER INITIATIVE NOW
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
--AASB POLICY UPDATE AVAILABLE NOW
--STATE SEEKS SPONSORS FOR SUMMER FOOD
PROGRAMS
SCHOOL DISTRICT FACES
MILLIONS IN CUTS
The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is facing
some belt-tightening next year with a proposed budget that calls for $5.4
million in cuts to personnel and programs. Under the districtÕs proposed budget
for 2007-08, at least 41 full-time positions will be eliminated and several
initiatives and programs canceled unless additional funding can be found. See
full story here:
http://newsminer.com/2007/02/14/5214/
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HEALTH FOOD PROGRAM IN
SCHOOLS GETS MIXED REVIEWS
Imagine life without soda, candy or chips. ThatÕs a life many
students have become accustomed to after the Anchorage School District pulled
the plug on unhealthy snacks found in on-campus vending machines. See full
story here:
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=6076231
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WHAT MAKES A TEACHER
ÔEFFECTIVEÕ?
When Congress reauthorizes President
Bush's No Child Left Behind education law in the next year or two, lawmakers
almost certainly will add provisions that allow administrators to tie many
teachers' jobs to student achievement. Among recommendations issued Tuesday by
the Commission on No Child Left Behind, a blue-ribbon panel assembled by the
Aspen Institute, a non-partisan think tank, is a call to assess teachers
"by their effectiveness in raising student achievement" rather than
just their qualifications. It also proposes using evaluations by principals and
fellow teachers. Under the proposal, student achievement would count for no
less than half of a teacher's score. See full story here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-02-13-effective-teachers_x.htm
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Teacher-to-Teacher
Initiative is Now Accepting Nominations for the 2007 American Stars of Teaching
The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative of
the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the start of the 2007
American Stars of Teaching nomination process. The American Stars of
Teaching program is designed to honor exemplary classroom teachers who are
using innovative teaching strategies to improve student achievement and
positively shape their school environment.
Every day AmericaÕs teachers extend themselves beyond their classroom doors to
meet the needs of all children in their school community. DonÕt miss this
opportunity to honor a teacher that has made an impact on their students, as
well as their school community, by investing in the lives of those they teach
and sharing success with whom they work.
Nominations for the 2007 American Stars of Teaching are currently being accepted
at <http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html>. The nomination process will conclude on April 1st at which time
a committee of teachers at the Department will review the details of each
candidate and select the recipients of the 2007 American Stars of Teaching
honor.
One teacher from each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as
representatives of the many teachers who are making a difference in the lives
of students. Officials from the U.S. Department of Education will
announce the American Stars by visiting the recipients in the fall of 2007.
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AASB POLICY UPDATE AVAILABLE
NOW ON LINE
The most recent edition of AASBÕs
Policy Reference Manual Update is now available on-line on a subscription basis! The update has been posted on the AASB Website
(www.aasb.org) in a Word format that makes it quick and easy for you to
download the instructions and policies
and prepare them for your board to review, revise and adopt, according to the
needs of your school district.
Currently 45 of AlaskaÕs
53 school districts utilize the AASB Policy System format.
Knowing that all school boards want to keep their manuals current with
changes in laws and regulations, each of those 45 districts will be
automatically invoiced for the update and a password will be issued upon
payment. Districts may access the
update sooner by simply contacting Laurie Miller (lmiller@aasb.org) or Diana Miller (dmiller@aasb.org) with a purchase order number to receive the password
right away.
Districts not currently
using the AASB Policy System can also benefit by purchasing the Update package to either update the AASB Policy
Reference Manual that you may already own, or simply to access current legal
language to use in your own policy manual. Please contact Laurie or Diana at the e-mail addresses
listed above.
Regular policy updating
is essential to keeping the district in compliance with changes in state and
federal law and avoiding the risk of
legal exposure. This edition of the Update contains important changes that
include:
¥ School
District Report Card
¥ Sexual
Harassment
¥ School
Discipline and Safety
¥
Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (to include Cyberbullying)
¥
Performance Enhancing Drugs (Anabolic Steroids)
¥ Health
Care Emergencies (SB 48 changes)
¥ Student
Mental Health – Medication and Services (SB 48 compliance)
¥
Qualifications of Board Members
AASBÕs Policy Update is an
affordable way to attain comprehensive and legally sound revisions to your
manual. The cost of this
current edition of the Policy Update is $995.
A listing of districts currently using the AASB Policy System
is shown below:
|
Alaska Gateway |
Lower Kuskokwim |
|
Aleutian Region |
Lower Yukon |
|
Aleutians East |
Mat-Su Borough |
|
Annette Island |
Nenana |
|
Bering Strait |
Nome |
|
Chatham |
North Slope |
|
Chugach |
Northwest Arctic |
|
Copper River |
Pelican |
|
Cordova |
Petersburg |
|
Craig |
Pribilof |
|
Denali Borough |
Sitka |
|
Dillingham |
Skagway |
|
Galena |
Southeast Island |
|
Haines |
Southwest Region |
|
Hoonah |
St. MaryÕs |
|
Hydaburg |
Tanana |
|
Iditarod |
Unalaska |
|
Kake |
Valdez |
|
Kashunamiut |
Yakutat |
|
Kenai |
Yukon Flats |
|
Ketchikan |
Yukon Koyukuk |
|
Klawock |
Yupiit |
|
Kuspuk |
|
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STATE SEEKS SPONSORS FOR
SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMS
The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
Child Nutrition Services is looking for community sponsors to run summer food
programs to prevent children in low-income areas from going hungry when school
lunchrooms close for the summer.
For many of these children,
the U.S. Department of AgricultureÕs Summer Food Service Program could fill the
summer hunger gap if enough sponsors are signed up to run the food program.
Last year sponsors served an average of 1,408 low-income Alaska children each
day and served a total of 105,890 free meals or snacks through the Alaska
Summer Food Service Program. These numbers can be increased significantly with
more meal sites in unserved areas of the state.
Child Nutrition Services is asking school districts, parks and
recreation departments, non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and
churches to consider operating a Summer Food Service Program for children and
youth.
The Summer Food Service Program is targeted to children up to age 18
living in low-income areas. The program operates in schools, public housing
centers, playgrounds, camps, parks, churches, and even rural town cafes.
Sponsors can be public or nonprofit private schools or school districts, public
or private nonprofit organizations, day or residential summer camps, local
government agencies or tribal organizations.
Federal payments are based on the number of meals served by a sponsor
and are paid to the sponsor after paperwork is submitted to the state agency.
All sponsors receive training and technical assistance from Alaska Child
Nutrition Services prior to starting their Summer Food Service Program and throughout
the duration of their program.
To sponsor the program this summer, organizations must contact the Child
Nutrition Services SFSP specialist at (907) 465-4788. Applications and sponsor
information will be sent to potential sponsors upon inquiry.
The Summer Food Service Program is available to children regardless of
race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
More information: Project Assistant Ann-Marie Martin, 465-4788; or
Information Officer Eric Fry, 465-2851.
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Association of
Alaska School Boards
...promoting BOARD STANDARDS through...
Vision Structure
Accountability Advocacy Conduct-Ethics
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