The Anchorage School Board has ruled that high school graduations will have attendance limits: No more than two attendees per student are allowed to accompany graduating seniors for the big day.
Graduations will be held outdoors beginning May 5 and continuing through the month at Anchorage high schools. The school board says that due to the current emergency order from the acting mayor of Anchorage, attendance must be limited.
Some parents are unhappy with the decision.
“This is an outdoor event,” wrote one parent. “It will be easy to spread out. We have families making plans to travel to Alaska to celebrate with us and now we can’t have them at the ceremony.”
Over 30 percent of Alaskans have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine; 372,157 vaccine shots have been given in Alaska so far. Another 60,000 Alaskans have had the illness within the last year.
Last year, graduation was canceled due to the mayor’s policies surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, the ceremonies are taking place in the football stadiums of the various high schools, as listed at this Anchorage School District link.
H.S. graduation isn’t even worth the ceremony. The kids didn’t receive anything worth celebrating. They still read and comprehend like a 4th grader, some as low as a 1st grader.
Well, one must assume that the students who can’t read at the 4th grade level are typically the ones who drops out way before their senior year. For those who still can’t read as well but stuck it out until graduation should be celebrated also. It is a major accomplishment in these young adults life to have finished a 13+ years journey! So I say these kids should be able to celebrate their ceremony with friends and families. Just my opinion though.
Jen – In my opinion your comment is untrue, unfair, and does not move the conversation forward. Hurrah to ASD for moving toward “normal” and for celebrating the class of 2021 in person.
I’m sorry but many of the kids have worked very hard and some of them read above college level and are even attending college as they finish high school. The school board and the city have taken many things from last year‘s graduates and this year graduates that they will never be able to experience.
Coming from one of the high school senior soon to be graduates, who both reads and comprehends as a 4th or 1st grader I believe you said, I would like to speak on behalf of my fellow classmates who DID work hard for this. Now, I passed high school, but I do not compare to those who put their heart and souls into those four years to reach their further goals. I’m assuming you are an adult, if not I’m going to assume you did NOT receive a high school diploma, shocking. Anyways, assuming you are an adult, I would hope that you could find it in your small cold little heart to have some sort of compassion towards us seniors, if not, then I’m sorry you have a miserable life, and you should probably not share your thoughts behind a screen, Jen. I bid you ado.
Our school system isn’t educating kids on reading and math because they are focusing their time on turning out kids into useful idiots.
What a great opportunity for a memorable occasion and learning experience.
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Parents could boycott the Anchorage School Board “graduation”, get diplomas by mail, sponsor a full-fledged graduation ceremony with all sorts of invitees at churches of their choosing.
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Give graduates something good to remember, show ADSB who’s boss.
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The fraudulent hyphenated Mayor’s code enforcers show up, escort ’em out the door… politely but firmly. Ceremonies’ll be over by the time reinforcements show up.
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What’s not to like?
Only two attendees allowed, but don’t worry we will have 40 different graduations for every subset that we can carve out to further divide the students into identity groups..
Coming from a senior within the ASD, our class has already been skipped out on so many things. As head of the ASD, I would imagine you would have your students best interests at heart, and I think I speak on behalf of majority of the senior class when I say that it is to have our family and close friends watch us celebrate our long and overdue accomplishments. Not to mention, families with step parents, multiple siblings, grandparents who won’t be around for much longer, etc. If people are afraid of covid they can stay home and skip graduation, that is their personal choice. But I would really appreciate if my 9 year old brother and 70 year old grandfather and grandmother didn’t have to sit at home while I walk across that stupid stage that means nothing without them.
This is absurd! What about the families that have step parents? Us seniors have been gypped of our entire senior year, and the thought of not having my siblings and grandparents there to cheer me on as I hit one of the biggest milestones in my life is extremely saddening. Graduation is outside for this reason. This is extremely disappointing to see people okay with this. If bars, restaurants, and other establishments are open to the public, we should at the LEAST get a graduation without a limitation of who gets to be apart of my accomplishments. I hope people come to their senses and let their voices be heard that this is simply not okay. And regarding those who are worried covid can stay home and watch it through a screen… which we have been staring at for over a year now. Thank you.
Hire a bum to fill in in your place. They can wear a mask so no one will know but you. A bottle of R&R or Monarch will probally do the trick
What about UAA? Why are they only having virtual graduations?
ASD admin and teachers should be ashamed of themselves. Politically correct at the expense of students. Fire them all!
I’m incredibly disappointed with this decision as a parent of a Senior. We have family traveling for this special occasion only to be turned away?!?
I don’t understand why we are moving towards opening entertainment venues/restaurants, and allowing students back in school but prohibit a family gathering to celebrate the accomplishments of our Seniors.
It’s complete nonsense, that’s the whole point of having the ceremony outside to begin with. This is such a double standard, which continues to rob these students of memories and accomplishments.
Why can’t we make an exception for such an occasion?
Congratulations to this year’s seniors. You have worked hard & earned this special day. Go forth and become productive persons
Well, Jen, both of my kids graduated from Anchorage high schools, went on to top-notch Universities, graduated with high honors, and have successful careers. One even went on for a Doctorate degree.
So, I’d say that your opinion is uninformed at best, and untrue at worst. Please try to get your cynicism under better control.
Jen,
That’s an incredibly broad and generally incorrect statement. While I believe we can strive for better results for out money, the statement “They still read and comprehend like a 4th grader, some as low as a 1st grader.” isn’t factual nor supported by any data. Show it if you’ve got it.
I’ve had three kids go through the ASD system (one graduating this year, with a 4.4 GPA and is a national merit scholar) and I’m very pleased with the education they have received. One recently got her masters and is working in her field, the second is in a Computer Science Program at the University, and I can’t wait to see what the younger one is going to do.
If you see a problem, try to be part of the solution. The world has enough whiney “Karen’s” on both sides of the aisle. Don’t be that person.
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