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 9^th 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.

**********************************

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

**********************************

AASB E-News

November 30, 2006

-- WHY ARE SOME SCHOOLS SUCCESSFUL?

-- PENINSULA CRIES FOUL ON SCHOOL CASH

-- SCHOOLS, TEACHERS FIGHT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IN COURT

-- KODIAK PRINCIPAL JOINS PALIN’S TRANSITION TEAM

-- HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ‘ACT’ ON VIOLENCE TO SEND MESSAGE

-- GUNS ARE THE NORM IN JUNEAU SCHOOL

-- ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT PULLS UP ITS STAKES

WHY ARE SOME SCHOOLS SUCCESSFUL?

People who run Alaskan schools want to know why some do so well as others lag far behind. The state Board of Education invited four principals from some of Anchorage’s most improved schools to explain what they are doing right. In brief, the answers were: focus, a shared sense of purpose, and inspired leadership. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/8453119p-8347213c.html

**************************************************

PENINSULA CRIES FOUL ON SCHOOL CASH

When the Kenai Peninsula Borough stayed out of the current lawsuit over Alaska school funding, it wasn’t because officials didn’t have the stomach for a fight. The borough had its own problems with the state, and now it is preparing to take legal action. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/8451267p-8345507c.html

*****************************************

SCHOOLS, TEACHERS FIGHT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND IN COURT

School districts in three states and the nation’s largest teachers union asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to revive a lawsuit challenging the way government-mandated programs are funded. See full story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/28/education.lawsuit.ap/index.html

***************************************

KODIAK PRINCIPAL JOINS PALIN’S TRANSITION TEAM

Governor-elect Sarah Palin on Monday announced her transition team leaders, including Larry LeDoux of Kodiak. The North Star Elementary School principal says his group will advise Palin “on everything that affects education.” The transition team will make a report by the end of December. See full story here:

http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=4071

(Editor’s Note: The Education Transition team is composed of at least 10 members, including Carl Rose, AASB Executive Director. An organizational meeting of the group is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 9 in Anchorage).

*************************************************

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ‘ACT’ ON VIOLENCE TO SEND MESSAGE

Youth violence, harassment and bullying: these are serious topics and a group of young actors and Bartlett High School are tackling issues like these head on. See full story here:

http://www.ktuu.com/cms/anmviewer.asp?a=7364&z=1

**************************************************

GUNS ARE THE NORM IN JUNEAU SCHOOL

Tom Milliron figures Juneau schoolchildren are going to encounter guns one way or another, whether venturing armed into nearby wilderness or visiting the home of a friend. Better they learn how to handle a firearm safely than hurt themselves through ignorance. Milliron, principal of a Juneau middle school, put his sixth-graders through a course in safe handling of firearms. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/8446166p-8340353c.html

**************************************************

ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT PULLS UP STAKES

The Anchorage School District is in the process of moving 428 employees, all their desks, computers and paperwork to a former shopping mall. The process is expected to take a couple months. See full story here:

http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/8451268p-8345515c.html

******************************************************************************************

Association of Alaska School Boards

...promoting BOARD STANDARDS through...

Vision Structure Accountability Advocacy Conduct-Ethics

Association of Alaska School Boards

1111 West 9^th Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801-1510 Tel. 907-586-1083

Fax 907-586-2995 Email: aasb@aasb.org

Website: http://www.aasb.org