In Today's Newsletter
1. Blue Ribbon Schools
2. The Healthy Futures Elementary Fall Challenge
3. Teacher Recruitment and Retention Playbook
4. We are Hiring!
5. thread Economic Summit
6. SAT Bootcamp
7. State Mapping Challenge
8. Coding in Minecraft
9. Alaska Society for Technology in Education Conference
10. NAEP Video Project
11. Alaska Reading Newsletter
12. Professional Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC) Annual Report
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 Image from US Dept of Ed - National Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The U.S. Department of Education recognized 353 schools across the nation as Blue Ribbon Schools. Three Alaska schools were chosen for the award due to their stellar academic performances.
Recipients of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award demonstrate effective and innovative teaching, dedication to high standards, community engagement, and appreciation for valuable teachers and staff.
The Alaskan awardees were:
- Bear Valley Elementary School of Anchorage School District,
- Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School of Sitka School District, and
- Fronteras Charter School of Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District.
Photographs and descriptions of the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at: https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners.
Are you ready to take on the challenge? The Healthy Futures Elementary Fall Challenge runs statewide through November 30th.
How does the Challenge work? It's simple! Students who are active for at least 60 minutes a day, 15 days a month, and record their activity on the Healthy Futures Activity Log are awarded fun incentives when their school representative submits the information to Healthy Futures.
Be a champion for your school and sign up today! Students can sign up through the appointed school coordinator, and schools can register here: HealthyfuturesOrg (healthyfuturesak.org)
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The Teacher Retention and Recruitment (TRR) Playbook identifies and provides solutions for practical, professional, and policy recommendations to address Alaska's persistent issues with retention and recruitment.
"Retention and recruitment of Alaska’s workforce is an important and complex issue. The work of the TRR Playbook is a solution-focused resource for the education sector and its stakeholders. The expertise and perspectives included in the Playbook are reflected in its extensive recommendations," said DEED Commissioner Dr. Deena Bishop.
“The cornerstone of a great public education begins with parents and great classroom teachers. Alaska has long struggled to recruit and retain enough quality educators. I instructed the Education Commissioner to begin the process of identifying the root issues of the problem back in 2020 and then to identify possible solutions,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “This TRR Playbook is built upon countless hours of educator feedback and research and will prove to be incredibly valuable to ensure that any practical, professional, and policy solutions intended to address teacher retention and recruitment in Alaska are effective.”
The TRR Playbook can be found online here.
DEED looks forward to seeing these ideas be implemented across all stakeholder groups, and will continue to provide guidance with the end goal of recruiting and retaining excellent educators.
 Education Administrator 2: Teacher Certification Office
Do you want to help ensure that Alaska's teachers are the best and the brightest?
Do you want to help people who want to be teachers find pathways to certification?
The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is recruiting for an Education Administrator 2 to manage our teacher certification office.
What You Will Be Doing
This position administers the educator preparation, certification, education, and evaluation section at DEED. This position requires a sophisticated knowledge of educator preparation, certification, education, and evaluation statutes, regulations, and recent court decisions, as well as knowledge regarding current issues, trends, and policies related to these topics at the national level. This position is responsible for drafting educator preparation, certification, education, and evaluation regulations, interpreting state and federal laws and regulations, and determining policies and procedures. It provides technical assistance and training to local educational agencies (LEAs)/districts around statutory and regulatory requirements. This position is responsible for the supervision of the team of certification analysts that focus on educator quality across the state.
Apply online: for All Job Seekers | Workplace Alaska (governmentjobs.com)
Administrative Officer: ARI
Are you great with numbers? Do you enjoy helping others? Are you able to see the big picture and fill in the gaps? If this sounds like you, this may be the perfect position for advancing your career!
What You Will Be Doing
The Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is recruiting for an Administrative Officer to manage the administrative functions of the new Alyeska Reading Academy. This position will perform the full range of administrative functions for the division, including assisting with the development and management of the annual operating budget as well as providing expertise, research, and analysis of procurement, fiscal, and personnel support functions of the division. The selected candidate will work closely with the division director in the organization of the division.
 Education Specialist 2: ARI
Do you want to help struggling readers to have that “Aha!” moment? Do you have a passion for literacy for all students?
What You Will Be Doing
The Department of Education & Early Development is seeking experienced, committed education professionals to provide direct reading instruction, response to intervention, and tutoring services to at-risk students. In addition to working with students, teachers may be called upon to provide adult learning opportunities including lesson demonstrations, coaching, and professional development, depending on their skill sets in those areas.
These positions are on call non-permanent. Pay will be an hourly rate of $39.93. Work will be available at least four days per week for one to two hours per day, with options to work any or all of the available days/hours. The work hours will occur in the later afternoon and evening. The positions will be remote to begin with and will report directly to the Division Director. Positions will be open until filled.
DEED Facilities: Building Management Specialist
Do you want to see more of Alaska? Do you want to help Alaskan school districts keep their facilities operating at best efficiency for the comfort of staff and students?
This position assists school districts with maintaining compliance with the department’s Preventive Maintenance and Facility Management (PM/FM) Program, bolstering best management practices for building systems care, and updating related department handbooks and manuals. The selected applicant will travel to all school districts over a 5-year cycle and prepare written reviews of the visit to assist districts with program compliance and best practice understanding. This position works as part of the team managing the DEED school construction and major maintenance grant project administration, including providing support during the annual capital improvement project (CIP) grant application process.
Persons interested in the Building Management Specialist position can review the position information and apply through the Building Management Specialist Workplace Alaska job posting.
DEED Facilities: Facilities Review Assistant (Architectual Assistant)
Do you want to help ensure school facilities are safe? Do you enjoy reviewing facility plans and construction project information? If so, this may be the perfect position for you!
This position initiates and manages school capital project funding programs in the Facilities Section. You'll be forming relationships with design and facility management professionals throughout the state as you review elements of school plans to ensure we are producing high-performing educational facilities. The selected candidate will use their experience and research skills to analyze industry standards, synthesize research, and make recommendations for cost-effective school construction and school facility operations, including development of criteria for the design, construction, and operation of public school facilities through guidelines, handbooks, briefing papers and other written documents.
This position is at the leading edge, evaluating capital improvement project (CIP) applications by participating in an annual ranking process of school capital needs and providing support, training, and outreach to school district personnel and industry organizations regarding the department’s school capital funding programs and project execution requirements.
Persons interested in the Facilities Review Assistant (Architectural Assistant) position can review the position information and apply through Facilities Review Assistant (Architectural Assistant) Workplace Alaska job posting.
QUALITY CHILD CARE CREATES FUTURES: A Summit on the Economic Impact of Early Care & Learning
Thursday, October 26, 2023
8:30 am - 1 pm
Hotel Captain Cook 939 W. 5th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501
thread's Summit brings together business and community leaders, policy makers and economists for a conversation around the essential role child care plays in Alaska's economy. The event will highlight the latest data on the impact child care has on Alaska's economy and showcase inspiring solutions for what's needed next.
Are you or students you know taking the November 4th SAT Test? Schoolhouse offers free, high-quality tutoring for Alaska students. Students and their parents can sign up at this link ahead of the October 4th registration deadline.
Starting September 18, 2023, and running through October 18, 2023, the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Alaska Broadband Office (ABO), will be seeking comments on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, Initial Proposal Volume 1, State Challenge methodology.
This proposed methodology is to share how to run the State’s mapping challenge process. The ABO has adopted the guidance from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) guidance with only one small exception (see the attached PDF).
The ABO encourages interested parties to review the attached PDF, and if there is a recommended change to the process, parties are invited to send an email to ced.abo.general@alaska.gov.
Department of Education and Early Development is excited to announce that the availability of 'Coding in Minecraft' at NO COST to all public schools in Alaska has been extended through the 2023 - 2024 school year!
Coding in Minecraft uses Minecraft: Education Edition to teach block-based coding at levels suitable for students in upper elementary, middle, and high school. The program is designed so that teachers with little or no experience coding can incorporate it in their classrooms.
Many professional learning workshops for Coding in Minecraft are available at no cost to Alaska teachers year-round. The workshops take place over three two-hour sessions, going over the basics of Minecraft, exploring Coding in Minecraft from the perspective of the students, diving into the Coding in Minecraft portal in detail, and presenting best practices on using the immersive program with the students. Teachers can also earn CEU credit by participating in the workshops and post-workshop activities.
Teachers who want to use the program in their classroom can sign up for workshops at https://codingcredentials.com/ak/.
For more information, please contact Faye Tanner (faye.tanner@alaska.gov)
ASTE 2024 will be at the Hotel Captain Cook on February 17-20, 2024.
The ASTE Board for 2023-2024, under the direction of President Nikki Stein, has selected Creative Outlet as our theme. This is where technology in the classroom, creativity, and curiosity come together. Like a lightbulb that shines brightly with new ideas, educational technology can light up our students’ minds, spark their creativity, and awaken their curiosity. In this conference, we will explore how technology can turn classrooms into creative workshops, encouraging students to ask questions, seek answers, and illuminate their path to learning. So, let’s switch on our imaginations and brighten the future of education together.
The Call for Proposal to Present is open through October 1, 2023. Registration will open after the schedule is finalized so participants can register and sign up for sessions at the same time. Interested vendors/exhibitors should contact director@aste.org.
Please visit www.aste.org/conference for more information.
Are you interested in filming? How about acting? Are you interested in sharing the unique aspects of your school and community?
DEED is looking for students, teachers, and parents to get involved in the 2024 NAEP Video Project. The video will be an informational piece about the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It will highlight Alaskan perspectives by involving Alaskan students and filming in one-of-a-kind Alaskan locations.
The video will help students, teachers, and parents understand the importance of NAEP as it pertains to student selection, effort, and how results are used to benefit our students.
Check out the directions in the flyer above, or email Raina.Moulian@Alaska.Gov for more information. Important links can be found below:
Appearance Release Form (child)
Appearance Release Form (adult)
Example Video from Alabama
The Script
Mobile Device Filming Guidelines
Submit to Dropbox
(password: naep2024)
And don't forget to submit your Appearance Release Forms, too!
Have you read the September issue of the Alaska Reading Newsletter? Check out this month's School Spotlight, register for professional development courses, and meet the Academic Support Team. You can read and subscribe to the monthly newsletter here: September 2023 Alaska Reading Newsletter (govdelivery.com)
The Alaska State Professional Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC) recently published its report for Fiscal Year 2023. This report contains a synopsis of activities of the Commission from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. It is prepared on behalf of the Commission by the Executive Director, Melody Mann.
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