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                                                                                                                     

March 13, 2008

 

 

--PREMERA INSURANCE PREMIUMS TO INCREASE 32 PERCENT

--TIMBER FUND DELAY JOLTS SCHOOL BUDGET

--SCHOOL ADVOCATES TARGET ANCHORAGE TEACHERS UNION

--HOW SCHOOLS USE THE IDITAROD AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL

--JUNE NELSON SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING

--AASB POLICY UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

 

PREMERA INSURANCE PREMIUMS TO INCREASE 32 PERCENT

 Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield will increase its premiums for individual health insurance policies sold in Alaska by 32 percent, effective May 1. The company said there will also be significant increases to the cost of small group health insurance. Premera dominates the Alaska private health insurance market, covering about 60 percent of Alaskans not covered by government health insurance. See full story here:

http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/030908/hom_20080309089.shtml

 

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TIMBER FUND DELAY JOLTS SCHOOL BUDGET

 Delays in securing federal timber compensation funds will cut a $450,000 hole in next yearŐs $3.9 million Haines Borough school budget.  Haines is not alone, as state officials note more than 30 communities near national forests in Alaska get the funding. See full story here:

http://www.chilkatvalleynews.com/story-1.html

 

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SCHOOL ADVOCATES TARGET ANCHORAGE TEACHERS UNION

 The teachers union in Anchorage is one target of a nationwide campaign launched by an advocacy group that claims the unions harm the public education system. The Center for Union Facts said the unions block education reform and prevent bad teachers from being fired. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/341332.html

 

TEACHERS UNION DEFENDS RETENTION RATE

 The Anchorage Education Association says the Center for Union Facts is spreading misinformation about teacher retention rates, and their relevance. See full story here:

http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=8002168&nav=menu510_2

 

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HOW SCHOOLS USE THE IDITAROD AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL

 As the Iditarod Sled Dog Race unfolds across Alaska, school classrooms across the country are using the event as an educational tool. The lessons go on everywhere from preschools, where youngsters recite Iditarod tales in reading circles and pet dogs pull sleds around playgrounds, to universities, where the race is used as a statistical case study, to nursing homes, where therapists incorporate Iditarod themes into exercise sessions. See full story here:

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0313/p20s01-ussc.html

 

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JUNE NELSON SCHOLARSHIPS DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING

  AASB is proud to sponsor the 17th annual award competition under the June Nelson Memorial Scholarship Program. The award 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 itŐs at a college, business or a trade school. The application deadline is March 31. Applications are available here:

http://www.aasb.org/JNMS.html

 

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AASB POLICY UPDATE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

 

The most recent edition of AASBŐs Policy Reference Manual Update is now available online on a subscription basis.   The update has been posted on the AASB Website http://www.aasb.org/Policy/PolUpdts.html  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 47 of AlaskaŐs 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 47 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) with a purchase order number to receive the password right away.

 

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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