State of Alaska
RECRUITMENT NOTICE
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
Director of Finance and Support Services
The Department of Education & Early Development is seeking an experienced, committed leader who is able to lead the work of a diverse group of professionals in providing support to school districts. The Director of Finance and Support Services oversees the School Finance, School Facilities, and Child Nutrition Programs teams. The incumbent directly supervises three managers and an Administrative Officer, who collectively oversee an additional 18 positions.
These three teams support schools and districts in the areas of formula funding, budget review, pupil transportation, capital improvement projects, and school nutrition programs.
The position is a range 27 partially exempt appointment. This position is open to all applicants statewide, salary will depend on location of applicant and will report directly to the Deputy Commissioner. The minimum salary is currently $4,366.50 biweekly ($113,529.00 annually), with the possibility of an increase in July, subject to approval of the Governor. Final salary will be dependent upon qualifications of the selected applicant.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Three years of experience which required interpreting and applying statutes and
regulations in programmatic decisions.
- Three years of experience overseeing programs with federal funding requirements.
- Five years of experience managing personnel and budgets, which included experience with grant funds.
DESIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to interpret, explain, and apply the provisions of State and Federal statutes and
regulations, policies, and procedures.
- Experience and strength in business management, including budget, procurement, and large service contracts.
- Skill in collaborating effectively with administrative team, reporting staff, school
districts, and partner agencies.
- Experience solving problems creatively and with vision.
- Experience communicating with leaders and stakeholders from a variety of cultural
backgrounds.
- Demonstrated leadership experience.
- Ability to effectively present information publicly to a variety of audiences including legislators, school district leadership, and the public.
HOW TO APPLY
Submit a letter of interest outlining the reasons the applicant is interested in serving at the
Department of Education; a current resume; and three letters of recommendation.
Materials must be delivered to the address below not later than 5:00 p.m. AKT on August
30, 2024.
Department of Education & Early Development
Deputy Commissioner/FSS Director Recruitment
P.O. Box 110500 Juneau, AK 99811-0500
Alternatively, materials may be e-mailed to karen.morrison@alaska.gov by 5:00 p.m AKT on
August 30, 2024.
For more information, contact Kathijo Jolin at 907-269-1092 or kathijo.jolin@alaska.gov.
The State of Alaska is an EEO/ADA employer. Individuals requiring accommodations should
call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-2815 (TTY).
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Help the US Forest Service Decorate the 2024 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
If you know of a child who loves art, or an artist who loves Christmas, or anyone at all who would like to help decorate the Capitol Christmas Tree from the Tongass National Rainforest, the Forest Service needs 10,000 handmade ornaments that are lightweight, durable, colorful, reflective, and in assorted sizes that represent various Alaska themes.
Ornaments must be made of natural, recyclable, or repurposed materials and received no later than September 15. Ornaments cannot include any commercial logos, political affiliations or be divisive or offensive.
Ornaments can be dropped off to any Alaska National Forest office or mailed to: 2024 Capitol Christmas Tree Ornaments 161 East 1st Avenue, Door 8 Anchorage, AK 99501. Please note that ornaments cannot be returned.
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 ACPE’s 7th Annual ACAC Training
Registration for ACPE’s 7th Annual ACAC Training is now open!
REGISTER ONCE and join us on Zoom every Tuesday and Thursday between
September 17 and October 15, 2024 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm for a variety of unique live sessions from almost 50 Guest Presenters!
WHAT IS THE ACAC TRAINING?
The annual Alaska College & Career Advising Consortium or ACAC Training is a free professional development opportunity that equips individuals with knowledge, resources, and tools to better support and guide students and adult learners in their planning and preparation for postsecondary education and career training programs in Alaska. The ACAC Training fosters partnership development and encourages engaging in statewide efforts to improve the lives of Alaskans through access to postsecondary education and career training.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE ACAC TRAINING?
Representatives from Alaska’s educational institutions, state agencies, Alaska Native Corporations, Alaska Native Tribal Organizations, and local non-profit organizations whose shared mission is to serve, inspire, and empower every Alaskan to dream, plan for, and achieve career training and/or college credentials.
For more information, please reach out to Dominika Szpotanska, ACAC Coordinator.
2024 LCCA HANDBOOK FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
Please take a moment to review and comment on our updated “Guidelines for Utilizing Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis” (2024 LCCA Handbook) through the link provided below.
http://notice.alaska.gov/216427
This handbook was created to assist school districts and design professionals in the ability to make informed choices in proposed educational facility construction projects.”
The deadline to review/comment on this document is September 18th, 2024.
New Grant Available
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA)
Stronger Connections Grant II
On June 25, 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was signed into law and a FAQ document can be found here. In Fiscal year 2024, $4,325,778 was awarded to nine districts in Alaska to be used over a three-year period. In this second round there is $265,596 total funding available for LEAs for this grant. Grant amounts will be no more than $44,200 nor less than $10,000 and are available until September of 2026. LEAs will determine how to split the award over that time. At least six grants may be awarded.
The goal of the grants is to respond to the following needs:
- Students experience a sense of belonging in school.
- Learning environments provide culturally and linguistically responsive practices.
- Students are surrounded by adults they can trust and who are committed to building strong relationships.
- Learning environments are nurturing and help students overcome challenging and traumatic experiences and provide a sense of emotional and physical safety.
Eligible Recipients: any LEA in Alaska.
For access to the Request for Application go to 05-25-003.
For additional information contact pat.sidmore@alaska.gov
Information for District Human Resource Departments
NEW!!! - District Communication Hub
The District Communication Hub is now live! This portal contains detailed information on certificates and application statuses for educators, accessible only through registration and approval. Click here for registration instructions.
“Yellow Postcard” Update
Teacher Certification has updated the “yellow postcard” process, and it is now being sent to applicants via email. Applicants can forward the email they receive to the district’s Human Resources department as documentation that they have completed the first review and are just waiting on their background clearance to be completed by DPS. Click here to view the template email sent to educators.
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The PTPC Handbook for Educators and the Code of Ethics
All certificated educators are obligated to abide by the Code of Ethics. School administrators should distribute the Code of Ethics to certified staff regularly. School administrators are advised to distribute the PTPC Handbook to each school site annually, per 20 AAC 10.310.
Politics and the PTPC addresses political activity for this election season through the lens of the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession. School administrators are encouraged to share this newsletter with all certificated educators.
More information can be found at https://education.alaska.gov/ptpc or contact:
Executive Director Melody Mann
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Early Learning News
Teaching Strategies GOLD
All Alaska School District programs can get free access to utilize the Statewide Pre-Elementary Assessment tool, Teaching Strategies GOLD for PreK students. Utilizing the statewide assessment tool is one of the Early Education Program standards for districts who wish to apply for 0.5ADM funding for their students.
Please contact Supanika Ordoñez (supanika.ordonez@alaska.gov) to get your district added under the DEED license and to join our monthly statewide support calls.
Upcoming Teaching Strategies GOLD trainings
Fall training dates have been scheduled for:
Getting Started with GOLD® (Online)
Monday, August 19th 1-4pm
Attendees will learn how to use the Objectives for Development and Learning and progressions of development and learning to focus observations. Additionally, attendees will learn how to use some of the most important assessment features in SMART TEACH®, including documentation entry and checkpoint completion.
Enhancing Interrater Reliability for GOLD® (Online)
Wednesday, August 21st 1-4pm
During this 3-hour session, participants will be introduced to helpful strategies for navigating the interrater reliability process successfully. Additionally, participants will be led by a Teaching Strategies® expert through a series of practice exercises, evaluating example evidence of social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and mathematics development and learning and hearing details on why a piece of documentation and the knowledge skills and abilities it reflects is assigned a particular rating.
Please contact Supanika Ordoñez (supanika.ordonez@alaska.gov) to sign up for one of these existing training dates or to request a new date.
It's now time to register for the 2024 Alaska School Safety & Well-Being Summit, happening September 25-26 at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center!
Educational leaders, key staff, and strategic stakeholders, including representation from every district across the state, will convene to improve school safety and well-being in Alaska by both learning and sharing methods to: promote healthy development through trauma-engaged and restorative practices, improve school climate, and be better prepared for any possible school crisis.
Applicants Sought
for SSPC Youth Member Seat
The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council (SSPC) currently has a vacancy for its Youth Member seat, which is a 4-year term appointed by the Governor of Alaska. The requirement for this seat is that when the person is appointed, they must be at least 16 years of age but not more than 24 years of age. There is no Legislative Confirmation or Financial Disclosure required.
The SSPC serves as an advisory council to the Legislature and the Governor for suicide related issues, focusing on prevention, intervention, and postvention. The SSPC consists of 13 members from a variety of fields related to suicide prevention appointed by the Governor, as well as two State Senators appointed by the Senate President and two Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House. The SSPC meets on a quarterly basis, including at least one annual in-person meeting, and focuses on advocacy, policy, and education related to suicide prevention.
If interested in applying for the Youth Member seat, visit https://aws.state.ak.us/CrmForms/Home/Apply to fill out an application with Boards & Commissions in the Governor’s Office, or contact boards@alaska.gov for an application. If you have questions about the application process, email boards@alaska.gov. If you have any questions about the roles, duties, and/or responsibilities of the SSPC, please contact Eric Morrison at eric.morrison@alaska.gov.
Calling All Alaska Educators!
DEED is recruiting for two virtual events where Alaska educators can be involved in the assessment item development process for the Alaska Science Assessment! If you have a strong understanding of the K-12 Science Standards for Alaska and currently live in Alaska, we’d love to have you participate! Both reviews will be held during off contract hours. Complete the assessment interest form if you’d like to participate in one of these virtual events. Only completed applications will be considered.
Assessment Data Reviews
Alaska educators will review and provide feedback on test item data from the spring 2024 administrations. This review will assist DEED and our vendors in building operational assessments for future administrations. Participants will receive $100-$150 stipend for full participation.
- Science Data Review: Tuesday, September 24 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Assessment Item Reviews
Alaska educators will evaluate and provide feedback on new science test items, verify alignment to Alaska’s standards and review for bias and sensitivity. Participants receive a $250 stipend for full participation.
- Science Item Review: Friday, September 27 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm and Saturday, September 28 7 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Keys to Literacy Professional Development
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Keys to Literacy: Keys to Beginning Reading course
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is excited to announce a new K-3 Alaska Reads Act course. A Keys to Literacy asynchronous course is now live and available on Alaska DEED’s e-learning platform.
This course is approved by the DEED to meet the regulatory statute requirements outlined in the Alaska Reads Act. Upon successful completion of this course, educators must submit their course certificate to AK Teacher Certification to add the K-3 AK Reads Act Reading Endorsement to their Teacher Certificate.
Keys to Beginning Reading is a 45-hour course designed by Keys to Literacy founder Joan Sedita, and tailored specifically for Alaska educators. It is a practical course that provides the background knowledge needed to teach all the components of beginning reading instruction. The instructional practices are designed to easily transfer to classroom lessons and can be integrated with any reading curriculum or published reading program.
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