Voices of Alaska Education
Our Mission: To advocate for children and youth by assisting school boards in providing
quality public education, focused on student achievement, through effective local governance.
Perspective
Norm Wooten
AASB Executive Director

AASB 2020
Legislative Priorities

Each year the AASB Board of Directors determines what the legislative priorities will be for the session. During the annual conference, the Directors facilitate the like-sized district forums and pay particular attention to the debate in the resolutions session of the Delegate Assembly. Out of this information is distilled a number of priorities that guide the legislative focus for the session. These priorities are distributed to the legislative offices and to our educational partners.

There are six priorities for this year.


Lisa X’unyéil Worl, STEPS
Partnership Coordinator

Cultural Integration: Native Language Gathering in Ketchikan

Recently we brought together AASB STEPS partners Tlingit Haida Central Council, University of Alaska Southeast, Sealaska Heritage Institute and Hoonah, Hydaburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Yakutat School Districts along with Lower Kuskokwim School District, Goldbelt Inc. and Ketchikan Indian Community to share and to work together on Native language scope and sequence curriculum development. Alaska schools have been working to close the achievement gap in a variety of ways.


Timi Tullis ,
Associate Executive Director

Budgetary Season is Upon Us - Tips for Boards

School budgets are not easy to understand. Every school board member has to grapple with topics including declining budgets, negotiated agreements, wants, and needs of students, community members, and staff. 
Be sure to listen carefully to the reports from your Budget Director and your Superintendent and then ask good questions:
* How is the proposed budget aligned with our district’s vision and goals?
* What assumptions were made in revenue and spending estimates?
(more)

AASB In Action
Articulating Education Issues
AASB Executive Director Norm Wooten was recently interviewed by Mike Bradner, former Alaska House Speaker, publisher of Alaska Legislative Digest, and host of the KTOO talk show, Capitol Views . Their conversation covered a range of topics that included AASB legislative priorities for 2020, teacher recruitment and retention, and school funding. The segment will be aired statewide periodically during Gavel Alaska's coverage of this year's legislative session.
Norm Wooten speaks with Mike Bradner
Cultivating Family Partnerships
Research shows that students do best when families are partners in a student's education. On Monday, Northwest Arctic Borough School District principals and district leaders spent the day with AASB staff Lisa Worl and Lori Grassgreen to explore how to move from involving families to authentic partnerships. The team developed strategies that strengthen relationships and link families to students' learning.
Photo: Roger Franklin,
Principal, Shungnak School
Counselor turnover and second helpings at lunch, Northwest Arctic students grill superintendent candidates
Wesley Early, KOTZ Kotzebue

The Northwest Arctic Borough School District has two candidates for the vacant superintendent position. This week, principals, staff and teachers from across the district got an opportunity to meet with the candidates, providing their input in the hiring process. But it wasn’t just the adults that were involved in the selection.

As students from Kotzebue and the surrounding ten villages gathered in front of webcams in their schools, Lon Garrison with the Association of Alaska School Boards explained the format.
Northwest Arctic Borough School District Superintendent candidates Terri Walker (center square, middle) and Pauline Harvey (center square, right) field questions from students across the district via teleconference.
Photo: Wesley Early
“So I am just going to pick a popsicle stick that has your school name written on it,” Garrison said. “And you will get to ask the question when I call on your school.”

STEPS Spotlight
Articles in this section are excerpted from the AASB STEPS Alaska Promise Neighborhood Newsletter that focuses on the work in progress among the Supporting Transitions and Educational Promise Southeast Alaska (STEPS Alaska) grant regional partners, who are striving to improve outcomes for Southeast Alaska’s youth.
PARTNER HIGHLIGHT

Sitka: Boys Run I toowú klatseen

Boys Run is a 10-week curriculum with 20 lessons that teaches boys healthy relationship and lifestyle skills. The curriculum is divided into three sections:
1) sense of self and knowing one's worth
2) healthy communication and relationships,
3) positive decision making, teamwork, and community.
Throughout the season, boys learn important lessons, including how to work together as a team, how to process and express emotions, and how to choose to be an ally. Not only do the boys end the season by finishing a whole 5k, they also plan and implement their own community service project! The 2017 M/W boys made this video to teach their community about environmental stewardship.


2020 Innovation Summit

Feb. 26 - Feb. 27 at Centennial Hall in Juneau

The Juneau Economic Development Council will be hosting its annual Innovation Summit on Feb. 26-27 in Juneau. In addition to hosting workshops about entrepreneurship, there will be valuable presentations on education. The keynote speaker will be Edward Clapp, researcher with Project Zero at Harvard University. This public forum will be presented at Thunder Mountain HS from 5:30-7 PM. Please check out the links below for more information and the link for registration!

Molly of Denali Screening

March 13
Centennial Hall, Juneau

Tlingit & Haida and KTOO are sponsoring a 2-episode screening of the show, "Molly of Denali" on Mar. 13th from 6-7 PM at Centennial Hall. "Molly of Denali" is a PBS show created with support from Alaskan writers and incorporates elements of Alaska Native culture and science. It is also the first nationally-distributed children's show to feature an Alaska Native as its main protagonist. This event will be free for educators and families, and there will be a discussion panel in between episodes.

, Hydaburg:
Baby Raven Reads

This award-winning program hosted through Sealaska Heritage Institute provides culturally-relevant early literacy/school readiness curricula for Alaska Native students from ages 0-5. The program started in Juneau, but is expanding to many other communities in Southeast Alaska, with more than 350 children enrolled throughout the region. From 2018-2019 we mailed nearly 6,000 books to families. Time spent reading has increased, with 70% of families saying they read more. If you are Alaska Native and have a child between the ages of 0-5, register below.

To learn more about STEPS Alaska projects,

Features
Robert's Rules
Fill in the blank: an easy way to make hard choices
Ann Macfarlane, Professional Parliamentarian

Sometimes a board of directors has to make hard choices about selling property, giving the executive director a raise, making an appointment or choosing a date to schedule an event. Robert’s Rules of Order offers an easy way to choose among multiple options. The fill in the blank approach is very efficient.



School Law
ALEXA, how is Billy doing in Math?
John Sedor of Sedor, Wendlandt, Evans & Filippi, LLC

Part five of a series: Technology and the Law

I don’t really think this is happening…yet...

I went to law school in the 80’s – before the age of fax machines! With little ability to share information electronically, there was a strong sense of privacy.
John Sedor
Enter the Age of Technology! “Big Brother” (the Government) still exists, but there is a new “Big Brother” – tech giants such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Apple. These and many similar companies are ubiquitous in our lives now. “Old” notions of privacy are outdated as we voluntarily (intentionally or unintentionally) upload tremendous amounts of information on the web.


More of the series, Technology and the Law:

More from Sedor, Wendlandt, Evans & Filippi, LLC:

Ask AASB
Where should the superintendent’s evaluation go on the board agenda?
The Board is not required to “adopt” the superintendent’s evaluation once it has been completed. We recommend that the Board chair make a simple statement that the evaluation has been completed. If the Board is going to modify or extend the superintendent’s contract, this statement could go just before a motion to take action on the contract. It might read something like this:

Constitutional Quiz
Test your knowledge of Alaska's Constitution

Q: At what age can a qualified voter who has been a resident of Alaska for at least three years, and of the district from which elected for at least one year, run for an Alaska Senate seat?

  • 25
  • 28
  • 30



Upcoming Events
Register Now!
Legislative Fly-In &
Youth Advocacy Institute

February 8-11, 2020
Juneau
Please join us in Juneau February 8-11 for the Annual Legislative Fly-In and Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI). Saturday 2/8 will focus on Board/Superintendent Relationships. Sunday 2/9 will be dedicated to learning about key issues for this legislative session, along with guidance on how to advocate for public education.

New this year!
Pre-conference session for Superintendents & School Board Presidents
Friday, February 7, 1-5 pm Egan Room, Centennial Hall.


Attend AASB’s first Legislative & Leadership Fly-In of 2020 to: 
  • Learn about:
  • Your Role in the Budget Process
  • Communication with the Board 
  • Superintendent-Board Team 
  • Advocacy on the Hill
  • Discussing key legislative issues influencing education in 2020
  • Identifying legislative priorities
  • Meeting with legislators and other decision-makers
  • Learning how new legislation will affect your district

Register students to attend this year’s Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI), an opportunity for high school students to:
  • Develop advocacy & leadership skills.
  • Learn about current legislative education issues
  • Spend time with school board members discussing issues faced by students in Alaska schools.

Each year, AASB staff host the Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI) where students from across the state come together to build relationships with their peers and policymakers, while also developing advocacy and leadership skills. All districts participating in the Legislative Fly-In are invited to bring students along. YAI participants discuss current bills, practice testifying, and meet face-to-face with legislators and state officials.




Register Now!
2020 School Climate & Connectedness Survey
Choose a two-week window
for students and staff between
January 20 - March 20
Join over 30 school districts who measure school climate as a first step to improving and strengthening school environments, relationships, and connections between students, staff, and families.



February is School Board Appreciation Month!

Recognize your school board for the hard work they do for children in your district!
Click on the link below to download recognition resources materials in both Word and PDF formats. Also included are several variations of the logo in jpeg, png, and pdf graphic formats that allow customization of the forms for your district.

A proclamation by the Governor for this month of recognition will be available as soon as we receive it.

Please contact AASB if you have any questions:
aasb@aasb.org
907-463-1660

Thanks for all you do!


February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Stand Up Speak Up Alaska invites you to further focus on student safety and well-being this February during Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention month.
The promotion of healthy relationships and prevention of abusive ones can keep students from experiencing negative academic and health outcomes now and in the future! Here are ways schools can participate:

National School Announcements – Monday 2/3
Download the packet below that contains a sample announcement that could be shared during morning announcements.

National Wear Orange 4 Love Day – Tuesday 2/11
Download the packet below that contains a flyer to hang around your school and encourage students to wear orange to raise awareness and promote ending dating violence. Students and staff can wear orange shirts, nail polish, hats, scarves, face paint, ribbons, hair ties, jewelry, shoes, or anything else!

National Chalk About Love Week – Monday 2/24 - Friday 2/28
Download the packet below that contains a flyer on hosting and promoting an awareness event with a pop of color or art in your school.

Live Lunchtime Chat with Alaskans – Friday 2/28
Join other Alaska teens and adult mentors to play games, win prizes, and see what you can do to end dating violence in our state. Dial in: 1-669-900-6833. Meeting ID: 866 252 951 or join on the web .



Alaska School News
The Inside Scoop

Each month Commentary highlights Alaska school and district news to honor student achievements, help promote local events and activities, and recognize the contributions and accomplishments of youth in your district. Add us to your school or district newsletter mailing list.
School Newsletters

Anchorage School District

Annette Island School District

Denali Borough School District

Galena City School District

Iditarod Area School District

Juneau School District

Lower Kuskokwim School District

Pelican School District

Southeast Island School District

Wrangell Public School District
Include your school or district news items or newsletter


State Budget News
Please note - some news outlets may require registration or a paid subscription for link access. Others may grant free access to a limited number of articles before requiring a paid subscription.
Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Public Media

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Public Media

Taylor Clark, KTUU

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Zachary Snowdon Smith, Cordova Times

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Becky Bohrer, Associated Press

Anchorage Daily News / Arctic Sounder

Cliff Groh, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - a continuing series about the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and the state’s fiscal system

Carey Restino, Arctic Sounder

Michael Carey, Anchorage Daily News

Bob Shavelson, Anchorage Daily News

KTUU staff

Zachariah Hughes, Alaska Public Media

Liz Raines, KTVA

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Erin McGroarty, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO

Representative Louise Stutes, Cordova Times

Eric Stone, KRBD Ketchikan

Joe Viechnicki, KFSK Petersburg

Jacob Resneck, Alaska Public Media

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Nils Andreassen Alaska Municipal League, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Editorial Board, Anchorage Daily News

The Cordova Times

Zachary Snowdon Smith, Cordova Times

Editorial Board, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Cliff Groh, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - a continuing series about the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend and the state’s fiscal system

Representative Sara Hannan, Anchorage Daily News

Ben Hohenstatt, Juneau Empire

Jill Weitz, Alaska Native News

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO, Juneau

Ben Hohenstatt, Juneau Empire

Joe Vigil, KTVA

Becky Bohrer, Associated Press

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO, Juneau

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Steve Quinn, KTVA

Andrew Kitchenman, KTOO, Juneau

Associated Press

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Peter Segall, Jueau Empire

Sean Maguire, KTUU

Tim Rockey, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News

Krysti Shallenberger, Alaska Public Media

Isabelle Ross, KDLG

Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media

Peter Segall, Jueau Empire

Andrew Kitchenman, Alaska Public Media

Dave Leval, KTVA

Ben Hohenstatt, Juneau Empire

Alaska Education News
Please note - some news outlets may require registration or a paid subscription for link access. Others may grant free access to a limited number of articles before requiring a paid subscription.
Ketchikan’s school board agrees to give tribal leaders input on hiring
Eric Stone, KRBD
Tribal leaders will have more input on school hiring in Ketchikan after the school board approved a plan in a split vote Wednesday night. In an unrelated matter, the Ketchikan school board will be looking for a new president in January.

The Ketchikan Gateway Borough School Board approved a memorandum of understanding with Ketchikan Indian Community at its Wednesday evening meeting.
Ketchikan School District seal.
Photo: Leila Kheiry
“This is not legally binding. This is an aspirational document,” said board president Matt Eisenhower during Wednesday’s meeting.


UCSD Asks Teachers, Principals To
Re-Sign Contracts Earlier Than Usual
Hope McKenney, KUCB
This year, the Unalaska City School District has offered teacher and principal contracts weeks earlier than usual. Superintendent John Conwell made the announcement at last week's school board meeting.

He said the district moved its offer date from Feb. 1 to Jan. 15, because Alaska's teacher job fair is scheduled earlier this year. He also cited a shortage of candidates around the state.

Teachers must decide whether to
re-sign their contracts by Feb. 14.
Photo: Laura Kraegel
Comment sought on emergency education certificates
Cordova Times
State education officials are encouraging public comment on an expansion of the issuance of emergency certificates to include administrative and teacher certificates, as well as proposed regulation changes to the state’s assessment and accountability system.
The State Board of Education and Early Development expressed its concern over difficulty school districts are having in filling all of their vacant positions with fully qualified educators. Districts have reported over 200 unfilled certified vacancies on their 2019 First Day Certified Vacancy Report.

Schools consider online rules of conduct for teachers
Zachary Snowdon Smith, Cordova Times
A new policy under consideration by the Cordova School Board outlines how staff may interact with students online. The policy was approved on first read by the board at a Jan. 8 meeting. The policy will be raised for final approval at the board’s Feb. 12 meeting.

The policy devotes attention to electronic communication, prohibiting teachers, coaches or volunteers from communicating privately with students online, unless that student is the staff member’s own child.

Cordova School District Superintendent Alex Russin with school board members Tammy Altermott, Sheryl Glasen
and Peter Hoepfner.
Photo: Zachary Snowdon Smith
Gruening Middle School teachers and staff take first look at earthquake damage
Mayowa Aina, Alaska Public Media
Should Gruening Middle School be rebuilt? It’s a question some people have after the Eagle River school suffered severe damage during the 2018 earthquake. 

The Anchorage School District believes that it should, and has added repairs and upgrades to the building on a hefty bond proposal that could end up on the April municipal ballot. 

But, some people remain unconvinced. Last week, the district opened the school up to teachers, staff, and community members who wanted to see the damage for themselves.

David Stierwalt, one of the engineers working on repairs at Gruening Middle School, takes questions from the crowd. Photo: Mayowa Aina
LKSD Sues Insurance Companies To Settle Claim For Kilbuck School Fire
Greg Kim, KYUK
In the middle of the night on Nov. 3, 2015, a fire started on the Kilbuck school campus that eventually engulfed the building in flames and destroyed it. Four years later, a replacement school is still nowhere near completion.

The Lower Kuskokwim School District and its insurance companies disagree over how much money the school district should receive to build a new school, a decision that will now be up to a jury. LKSD is suing its insurance companies, with the trial scheduled for March 2021.

Frozen pipes delay school in Shishmaref and St. Michael
Jojo Phillips, Alaska Public Media
The holiday break has been extended for students in two Bering Strait School District (BSSD) schools at the start of the new year, because of frozen pipes. St. Michael cancelled school Monday and Shishmaref has told students to stay home until at least Wednesday of this week.

According to a teacher in Shishmaref the classroom sprinklers originally caused the shutdown. “So the fire suppression system froze, but when you freeze sprinklers, they leak… there are icicles coming from the ceiling,” they said. “So yeah those are all damaged.”

The new Shishmaref school, under construction in June, 2019.
Photo: Emily Hofstaedter
Susan B. English School suspends lunch service
Kathleen Gustafson, KBBI, Homer
Susan B. English School in Seldovia, is unexpectedly without its food service provider.
The school sent a letter to parents yesterday.
The letter reads: "Due to lack of food service substitutes, after today, school lunch at Susan B. English School will not be available until further notice."
Pegge Erkeneff, is Director of Commutations for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District says the district is seeking someone qualified as a substitute for an undetermined period of time. If you are interested in a substitute position with KPBSD food service, go to kpbsd.org.

ASD pilot program promotes longer recess and lunch times
Scott Gross, KTVA
ASD60, a parent-led group promoting wellness and fitness, approached the Anchorage School Board asking them to take a look at implementing longer recess and lunch times. The school board agreed to take a deeper dive into the topic.
"Parents would report students sometimes come home with half their lunch box still not eaten," said Anchorage School District Deputy Superintendent Mark Stock. "Parents would report 'my kid's hangry,' you know, 'he's hungry and mad when he comes home.'"

Rural schools receive grants to support literacy, school improvement
Iris Samuels, Kodiak Daily Mirror
The Kodiak Island Borough School District recently received a $1.3 million five-year grant to support student literacy improvement in rural schools. According to district administrators, the grant will support instruction in both English and Alutiiq. 
The Kodiak school district is one of numerous districts in Alaska to receive a share of a $5 million grant awarded to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development from the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant. Alaska was one of 13 states to receive funding through the program in 2019.

Outdoor Fitness Course and Promethium Smart Boards Coming to Nome Schools
Joe Coleman, KNOM
The board was presented with an $80,000 grant from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation for a proposal from Aaron Brown and Misty Tweet. The funds for their proposed outdoor fitness course, will go towards buying equipment and installing special flooring. The plan is to have the equipment barged in during the spring and then installed during the summer.

Fairbanks school district holds public comment on LGBTQ curriculum
Karen Simmons, KTVF
Community members filled the school board chambers on Tuesday night for public testimony on the education board’s proposed LGBTQ elective courses.

Many in attendance gave testimony in support of the new curriculum, while others expressed their concerns and objections regarding its content.
Zakia Mitchell, a Fairbanks community member in favor of the purposed curriculum, argued that LGBTQ students are often denied a place to call their own.
Community member with rainbow face paint on cheeks attends FNSBSD board meeting.
Photo: Karen Simmons

“People who identify as LGBTQ do not desire to govern schools, we are merely requesting a space within it -- and frankly begging for space is degrading enough,” Mitchell said,

School board debates active shooter training curriculum
Eric Stone, KRBD
Debate over active shooter training for students dominated a marathon meeting of Ketchikan’s school board. The board voted to postpone a decision on so-called ALICE training for students. That’s after three community members and some board members spoke out against the potentially traumatic impact of training.
ALICE stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate. The C — counter, as in counterattack — drew the most criticism.

Tongass School of Arts and Sciences teacher Carol Stanton told the board she thought the training could traumatize younger kids. “When we first were made aware of the student lessons, we thought, ‘This does not look developmentally appropriate for our children,’” she said.

Bethel principal, accused of sending sexual texts to girl, possessing child pornography, goes before a judge
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media
The federal investigation of a Bethel elementary school principal continues after his initial court appearance Tuesday in Anchorage on charges that he tried to lure a minor into having sex and that he sent obscene material to a minor. Agents with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force arrested Christopher Carmichael, principal of Bethel’s Gladys Jung Elementary School, in Bethel on December 11. The agents seized Carmichael’s school computers and told school officials that no children were in danger.
Christopher Carmichael.
Photo: Gladys Jung Elementary School website
The charges against Carmichael say Bethel police began investigating him in June when a former student reported Carmichael had touched her inappropriately in the past. The charges say Carmichael was later caught having explicit online conversations with a minor, and, in November, with an undercover FBI agent pretending to be the first girl’s minor cousin.

More information on sex ed to be forwarded to parents in the future
Angela Denning, KFSK
Petersburg’s School Board has approved a new policy that restricts sex offenders on campus. The school board also approved a sex education curriculum for the school year. The school district plans to send parents more information about what kids are learning in sex ed.
Board members had been discussing a policy for sex offenders on campus during the last several meetings. The Association of Alaska School Boards encouraged all school districts to adopt their own policy as there is none at the state level.

Anchorage School District administrators go on the offensive against vaping
Mayowa Aina, Alaska Public Media
According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior survey, about 16 percent of students in traditional high schools in Alaska reported currently using e-cigarettes. 

At the state level, more recent figures are still being collected, but a national study in 2019 found nearly 28 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes. And the issue is getting a lot of attention.
Box at Service High School used to collect vape pens and accessories confiscated from students.
Photo: Mayowa Aina
There have been a series of changes to federal and state laws and bans on certain flavors of e-cigarette cartridges. There are also lawsuits cropping up across the country against e-cigarette companies. All of it is targeted at getting students to stop vaping. 

Proposed legislation would require mental health curriculum in Alaska schools
Kristen Durand, KTUU
Tobacco, drugs, alcohol and safe sex are often talked about in schools, but what about depression, anxiety, or thoughts of suicide? Proposed legislation aims to expand the conversation on mental health.

Representative Matt Claman (D-Anchorage) introduced House Bill 181, which would expand existing health education requirements to include mental health education in grades K through 12. The goal of the legislation is to make sure students are adequately educated on information about mental health symptoms, resources, and treatment.

Representative Matt Claman
Eskimo Ninja Warrior Nick Hanson visits Interior schools
Kris Capps, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
When Eskimo Ninja Warrior Nick Hanson visits, students have a lot of fun learning about Native games and then trying them firsthand. But along with all that physical activity, he delivers a serious message.

Nick Hanson greets students at
Tri-Valley School in Healy.
Photo: Chris Kapps
Effort to add to Alaska Flag Song is being led by Juneau fifth-graders
Lex Treinen, KTUU
Most school kids in Alaska know the state song that starts with the lines “Eight stars of gold on a field of blue.” What about the verse that starts, “A Native lad chose the Dipper’s stars”? Those lines, along with the rest of a relatively unknown second verse of the Alaska Flag Song could officially become part of Alaska’s state song if a bill filed today is passed by the legislature.
Students work on a bill with Representative Andi Story. Photo: Lorrie Heagy
The second verse celebrates the spirit of cooperation between cultures, the beauty of the land, and the “Native lad” who designed Alaska’s flag, a reference to the 13-year-old Alutiiq boy, Benny Benson whose design for the flag was chosen by the territorial legislature.

If the bill passes, it too will be inspired by the effort of some of Alaska’s youth. According to the bill’s sponsor, Andi Story, D-Juneau, the idea became rekindled by a group of school children at Glacier Valley Elementary School also know by its Tlingit name, Sít' Eetí Shaanáx. The school’s music teacher there had been teaching the second verse for years, but this year’s students were inspired to take action to add official status to the song after she broached the topic.

LKSD Superintendent's Search Down To Two Candidates
Johanna Eurich, KYUK
There are two finalists for the superintendent’s job at the Lower Kuskokwim School District, and both know the district. One is working in the district’s office now, and the other is working as a principal in another Alaska school district.
The LKSD board narrowed the field to two people at a special meeting on the night of Thursday, Jan. 23. One candidate is Kimberly Hankins, currently the district’s assistant superintendent. She has worked in the Lower Kuskokwim School District for 17 years, doing everything from teaching to various administrative tasks. She was the LKSD Director of Secondary Education until she was recently promoted to assistant superintendent by the current superintendent, Dan Walker.

The other finalist is Brett Stirling, who is working as a principal at the Delta Junction High School. He also spent 15 years working as a principal and teacher at several LKSD schools. Stirling has worked in Eek, Tununak, Toksook Bay, and Kongiganak.
The Lower Kuskokwim School Board plans to appoint the new superintendent by the end of February. Dan Walker is retiring at the end of the school year.

The Association of Alaska School Boards is conducting LKSD's superintendent search.
Superintendent Search Service
Looking for a New Superintendent?

The Association of Alaska School Boards has been conducting successful and economical superintendent searches for over twenty years.
Our Superintendent Search Service provides expert facilitation of the entire search process, including identifying the needs of the district, recruiting candidates, conducting background searches, facilitating interviews, and all the steps to help with the hiring process. Learn about our Search Service

If you would like AASB to conduct a superintendent search for your district, or have questions,  Contact Us


 Answer to Constitutional Quiz Question
Q: At what age can a qualified voter who has been a resident of Alaska for at least three years, and of the district from which elected for at least one year, run for an Alaska Senate seat?

  • 25
  • 28
  • 30

A: 25
Article 2, Section 2, Alaska Constitution

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Your school district is a vital member of the Association of Alaska School Boards, our state’s leading advocate for public education. Together, we work to ensure equity by strengthening the connections between schools, families, tribes, communities, and government so that every Alaskan child has the opportunity to receive a quality public education.

The many services AASB offers are designed to provide maximum benefit to our members in meeting their district's goals. Check out our Membership Benefits brochure and let us know how we can assist you!


Association of Alaska School Boards | aasb.org