With uncertainty about how school will look in the fall, Anchorage parents turn to home school
Some parents are concerned about health, others are looking for educational certainty.
University regents decide to put the brakes on campus merger plan for UAS
University of Alaska regents have put the brakes on a plan to merge University of Alaska Southeast programs in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka into either the Anchorage or Fairbanks operations.
Here’s how the Anchorage School District will create a plan to restart school this fall
The district will provide updates throughout the summer and hopes to have a plan in place by mid-July.
This 80-vehicle car parade drives around Anchorage celebrating high school graduates
It's yet another way the community is celebrating the class of 2020 in lieu of a traditional ceremony.
Anchorage high school seniors begin pandemic-style pomp and circumstance ceremonies
Students and teachers mourn the loss of the traditional ceremony and search for ways to mark the occasion.
‘There’s no consideration of cultural needs’: Rural teachers discuss alternative to Florida Virtual School
Teachers in Alaska are concerned that the Florida Virtual School isn't a useful solution in off-the-road-system communities and are discussing what Alaska-made curriculum might look like.
Online engagement rates rebound, some meal sites to close as Anchorage school year inches toward summer
Clarifying the grading policy could have incentivized students to log back on.
Recruitment opportunities dry up, teachers back out as districts look to hire for fall
In Alaska, where more than half the teachers come from outside the state, recruitment and retention becomes even more of a challenge during a pandemic.
After hours of public comment, Mat-Su school board’s vote to rescind book removal is pushed to later this month
The school board will now decide later in May whether to rescind its vote to remove the books, including “The Great Gatsby,” “Catch-22” and “Invisible Man.”
Citing CARES Act funding, ASD School Board votes to restore funding for health educators
The funding will save 28 health instructor positions and retain dedicated health instruction for all Anchorage School District elementary schools.
Families of children with special needs worry their children will be left behind as education moves online
Children with special needs have a range of learning differences that often require individualized and specialized learning strategies which can be difficult to transfer to an online learning environment.
LISTEN: Shocked and confused, high school seniors navigate a school year cut short by the coronavirus
For the 9,606 high school seniors across the state who make up the class of 2020 the final sport seasons have been cut short and proms and graduations have been postponed at best or canceled.
‘None of us wants to do this’: UAA leaders recommend eliminating degree programs to shrink budget gap
UAA is proposing to cut degree programs to save money and shrink budget gaps.
LISTEN: To combat teen vaping in Alaska schools, educators and state officials work together
Teen vaping is a growing problem nationwide, with the CDC reporting that one in four students use vaping products. But what’s inside the liquid being vaporized? And how will it affect teenager’s health?
Anchorage School District proposes scaling back gifted program to address budget shortfall
The District plans to make up the shortfall through reductions and program redesigns.
LISTEN: How serious is the novel coronavirus?
There are confirmed cases in the U.S. and a chartered flight evacuated Americans from China through the Anchorage airport before arriving in California. But how big should this concern be compared to annual influenza infections? Should countries shut down international travel?
Students compete in Alaska’s first sanctioned eSports state championship
Sanctioning competitive video gaming means that schools can compete against each other under the same rules and regulations - just like other sports.
UAA enrollment drops 10% this fall after summer of tense budget battles
It follows tense state budget battles and accreditation issues for the Anchorage university, and adds additional financial loss to a system that’s already cash-strapped and stressed.
LISTEN: How can we get more Alaskans teaching in their home communities?
The highest rates of teacher turnover in Alaska are with teachers who are trained outside the state. So how are educators and lawmakers working to get more Alaskans trained to teach in their home communities?
Anchorage School District administrators go on the offensive against vaping
Administrators in Alaska's largest school district are trying to get a handle on youth vaping.