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Fairbanks school board passes rule affirming parents’ rights in curriculum

Suzanne Downing
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Fairbanks school board passes rule affirming parents’ rights in curriculum

In a unanimous decision, the Fairbanks Board of Education approved a policy this week affirming parents’ right to opt their students out of lessons they deem inappropriate, which may include such topics as birth control, gender ideology, or critical race theory.

The policy, titled “Parental Involvement in Education,” solidifies the stance that parents have the authority to guide their child’s education in alignment with their beliefs.

The policy ensures parents can withdraw their children from activities, classes, tests, or programs without penalization, as long as the students fulfill necessary graduation requirements.

A key aspect addresses content related to human reproduction or sexual matters. The school district will be required to provide two weeks’ notice to parents before any activity, class, or program involving such content. This provision offers families ample time to decide whether to opt their children out of these specific components.

The policy’s implementation aligns the school district with Alaska House Bill 156, enacted in 2016, which mandated that school districts permit parents to opt their children out of particular programs, classes, and activities.

While parents have the right to opt their students out, it’s made clear in the new policy that school employees remain available to answer questions from students on any topic.

The policy reinforces the long-standing practice of Fairbanks schools, which have allowed parents to opt their children out of specific lessons for years.

In exercising their rights under Policy 126, parents and guardians are required to express their objection each time they wish to withdraw their student from an activity, class, program, or assessment. Categorical objections or complete withdrawals from all activities are not permitted. However, students who are withdrawn by their parents will not face penalties, and any absences stemming from parental objections will be excused.

The policy’s intent is not to hinder a child’s learning experience, but to provide parents with the means to be actively involved in their child’s education.

Policy 126:

The School Board recognizes that parents/guardians are their children’s first and most influential teachers and that continued parental involvement in the education of children contributes greatly to student achievement and conduct. 

In exercising their roles in the education of their students, parents/guardians have the following specific rights: 

  1. The right to object to and withdraw their student from a standards-based assessment or test required by the State of Alaska. 
  2. The right to object to and withdraw their student from an activity, class, or program. 
  3. The right to be notified at least two weeks before any activity, class, or program is provided to their student that includes content involving human reproduction or sexual matters, except this right does not extend to training provided to students on awareness and prevention of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and dating violence and abuse. 
  4. The right to withdraw their student from an activity, class, program, or standards based assessment or test required by the State of Alaska for a religious holiday, as defined by the parent/guardian. 
  5. The right to review the content of an activity, class, performance standard, or program. 

All means of notification required under this policy and state law shall be pursuant to administrative regulation. 

In exercising the rights above, parents/guardians must object each time the parent/guardian wishes to withdraw their student from an activity, class, program, or standards-based assessment or test required by the State of Alaska. Categorical objections and withdrawals from all activities, classes, programs, or assessments are not permitted. 

Students will not be penalized when withdrawn by parents/guardians from an activity, class, program, or standards-based assessment or test. Absences based on parent objection and withdrawal will be excused and, as appropriate, alternative work assigned. 

Nothing in this section prohibits a school employee or volunteer from answering a question from a child about any topic. 

Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly transparency deficit disorder, Part II

Suzanne Downing
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Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly transparency deficit disorder, Part II

By WIN GRUENING

In a previous column, I described several City and Borough of Juneau Assembly meetings where actions taken were less than transparent. In that column, I discussed (1) an ordinance appropriating $50,000 to be used to advocate for the new City Hall; (2) the non-disclosure of emails that constitute public testimony; and (3) the surprise selection of former CBJ Assembly member Loren Jones to fill the position of resigning member Carole Triem.

Win Gruening: Juneau Assembly’s Transparency Deficit Disorder

With one exception, there’s been no reaction from the Assembly to public concerns. This seems odd since these items are relatively easy to resolve. Publishing communications from the public regarding a pending Assembly matter is simple enough, as would be drafting an Assembly policy requiring it. As for the late-night Assembly vacancy announcement, it seems the mayor could have publicly revealed her reasons for filling the position for such a brief period before the election.

Instead, the Assembly has doubled down on its lack of transparency as evidenced by the recent city manager “search and selection”. We are told that the process was a “rigorous” nation-wide search that selected the most qualified candidate. But how can the public be assured of that since the entire process was confidential and conducted in executive session? 

But first, back to the $50,000 appropriation ordinance referenced earlier. Assembly member Michelle Hale publicly responded in a Juneau Empire My Turn defending the Assembly’s decision to authorize spending public money advocating for a $27 million bond issue to partially pay for the new city hall. 

However, the main justification she cited was a 9-year-old Alaska Public Offices Commission case that has limited similarity and wouldn’t have prevented municipal officials from providing neutral election information to voters. The case involved a Fairbanks City Council member who was fined $37.50 for using his official email account to request information benefiting his mayoral election campaign. 

Regardless, none of the city manager’s statements or Assembly discussions mentioned this APOC case until now. It’s either another example of lack of transparency or simply looking for an excuse after the fact. Neither further promotes trust in local government.

The recruitment and selection process for the new city manager is another case in point.

The Assembly City Manager Recruitment Committee met six times between May 15 and July 24. Five of the six meetings that were held lasted barely an hour and the public portion of the meetings rarely exceeded 10 minutes. The sixth meeting involved interviews, was quite lengthy, and extended in executive session over two days.

According to what little information was provided, no independent search firm was used during the process. The initial screening of applications was handled internally by the city human resources department. The committee then reviewed candidate applications, interviewed candidates remotely, and then landed on a few finalists who made a site visit and interviewed with the full Assembly. 

A proper search is essential in fulfilling the Assembly’s fiduciary duties to its employees and the public. An insider hire after a rigorous search allows the new manager to say, “I earned this.” However, this process was so cloaked in mystery, no one outside of the Assembly and a few city officials knew who was being interviewed.

The first time the public learned the identity of the internal candidate was when the Assembly appointed her city manager. The public was never invited to meet any of the other finalists and still doesn’t  know who they were.

In contrast, recent top management searches by the Juneau School District and Bartlett Regional Hospital employed national search firms and introduced finalists in news releases and public forums.

There can be reasons to keep applicant identities confidential, up to a point. But, for a high-profile leadership position, the public deserves to know more. If there are reasons why this hasn’t been done, why haven’t they been stated?

This should not reflect on Katie Koester, Juneau’s new city manager. She may well have been the most qualified candidate, but the public will never be able to judge that for themselves. The Assembly did her a disservice by denying her the opportunity to showcase her qualifications vis-à-vis the other candidates.

Transparency in government is crucial to gaining public trust.

Why doesn’t the Assembly get that?

After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.

Win Gruening: Juneau spending up, taxes up, population flat

Win Gruening: Juneau spending up, taxes up, population flat

Win Gruening: Change in capital city leadership brings opportunity

Win Gruening: Change in capital city leadership brings opportunity

Win Gruening: Education funding is complicated, political

Ninth Circuit upholds injunction in favor of Idaho transgender athletes

Suzanne Downing
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Ninth Circuit upholds injunction in favor of Idaho transgender athletes

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld an injunction against an Idaho law that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in student athletics.

The court’s decision, announced Thursday, says the law likely infringes upon the rights of transgender students under the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. While the legal case works its way through the courts, the law is being held in abeyance.

Judge Kim Wardlaw wrote that the district court judge ruled correctly because the act targets only female athletes, and because it subjects them to “an intrusive sex verification process” if their gender was challenged. Idaho also failed to show that the law improved gender equality, Wardlaw wrote, calling the Idaho law Aa “’desire to harm a politically unpopular group cannot constitute a legitimate governmental interest.”

The Idaho law, which bans transgender athletes from engaging in competitive sports that do not align with their actual biological gender, reflects a national legal battle over the rights of female athletes and the males that seek to destroy fair competition by competing in their category, which is happening with great frequency across the country.

The case was brought by the ACLU of Idaho on behalf of Lindsay Hecox, a transgender student at Boise State University who aspired to participate in cross-country and club soccer, and Kayden Hulquist, a female student from Boise High School who wants transgenders to be able to compete against girls and women. The ACLU calls Kayden a cisgender, a term that some say is intended to diminish the authenticity of women in an effort to not hurt the feelings of transgenders.

“The Act bars all transgender women and girls from participating in, or trying out for, public school female sports teams at every age, from primary school through college, and at every level of competition, from intramural to elite teams. It also provides a sex dispute verification process whereby any individual can “dispute” the sex of any female student athlete in the state of Idaho and require her to undergo intrusive medical procedures to verify her sex, including gynecological exams. Male student athletes in Idaho are not subject to a similar dispute process,” the Ninth Circuit panel ruled.

“The panel held that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it found, on the record before it, that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Act violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Because the Act subjects only women and girls who wish to participate in public school athletic competitions to an intrusive sex verification process and categorically bans transgender women and girls at all levels, regardless of whether they have gone through puberty or hormone therapy, from competing on female, women, or girls teams, and because the State of Idaho failed to adduce any evidence demonstrating that the Act is substantially related to its asserted interests in sex equality and opportunity for women athletes, the panel held that plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their equal protection claim, the decision claimed.

Alaska’s judge on the Ninth Circuit, Morgan Christen, dissented in part and concurred in part with the majority:

Judge Christen, who is female, wrote that given the categorical sweep of the ban on transgender students, the medical consensus that circulating testosterone rather than transgender status is an accurate proxy for athletic performance, and that because of the unusual and extreme nature of the Idaho law’s sex verification requirements, the district court did not abuse its discretion by granting the injunction.

“Disagreeing with the majority in part, Judge Christen wrote that she read the sex dispute verification provision to apply to any student, male or female, who participates on women’s or girls’ athletic teams. Accordingly, it is the team an athlete chooses to join that dictates whether they are subject to the statute’s verification process, not the athlete’s sex. Judge Christen also wrote that the district court’s injunction lacked specificity as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(d)(1) because it failed, among other things, to specify whether it was enjoining all provisions of the Act, or only some of them, or whether it was enjoining any specific provision of the Act in its entirety or only as applied to certain classes of individuals. Finally, Judge Christen stated that the injunction was overbroad to the extent that it applies to transgender women who are not receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy,” the decision said.

The Alaska Board of Education is considering a regulation that does not bar athletes from competing but says they must compete in their biological gender.

Over his head? Maui emergency chief resigns, effective immediately

Suzanne Downing
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Over his head? Maui emergency chief resigns, effective immediately

The chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya, tendered his resignation in the wake of intensifying criticism over his qualifications and handling of the recent devastating fire that swept through Lahaina, killing at least 111 people. The resignation was confirmed by Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, who stated that Andaya cited health reasons for his departure.

The move follows a public outcry over the lack of emergency alerts and sirens during the Lahaina fire, which claimed several lives and caused extensive property damage. Survivors voiced their frustrations about not receiving any warning as the fast-spreading blaze caught them off guard. The fire’s rapid escalation was exacerbated by strong winds that propelled the flames through the area and fire hydrants that were without water.

A day prior to his resignation, Andaya had publicly defended his decision not to activate emergency alert sirens. Many believed that these sirens could have played a crucial role in alerting residents about the imminent danger posed by the fire. Andaya maintained that using the sirens would have driven people inland toward the fire, since they have been accustomed to hearing the sirens as warnings of an impending tsunami. The decision has sparked controversy and intensified the scrutiny on Andaya’s leadership.

Herman Andaya Jr. was named the administrator for the Maui Emergency Management Agency in 2017 after serving as interim administrator for six months. He was selected by a committee that reviewed the qualifications of 40 app.icants.

Andaya’s served as the deputy director of the Department of Housing and Human Concerns, assistant administrator of the housing division and the mayor’s chief of staff.

The number of confirmed fatalities is 111, the Maui Police Department reported on Wednesday. Police reported that 40 percent of the area has been searched.

The road to Lahaina reopened to all motorists from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., on Wednesday. Late-night access from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. is limited to West Maui residents, first responders and West Maui employees. FEMA has opened an office and is registering people for disaster assistance in Kahului.

Firefighter missing at staging camp north of Fairbanks found alive

Suzanne Downing
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Firefighter missing at staging camp north of Fairbanks found alive

Update: Saudith Rendon has been found alive, authorities said. He was taken to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

A member of an Oregon-based wildland firefighting crew has been reported missing by the Alaska Department of Natural Resource’s Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. The disappearance of 51-year-old Saudith Rendon occurred in the area of the ongoing Lost Horse Creek fire located north of Fairbanks.

Rendon, who is with the Oregon Wildland Fire Hand Crew, failed to join his crew at their scheduled departure time at the Olnes Pond Campground, where firefighting teams have been stationed to battle the fire. Sources state that Rendon was last seen at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thursday inside the campground, which is not open to the public due to the ongoing firefighting operations.

The crew members were scheduled to meet up as usual following breakfast, board a bus, and head to the fire line. Rendon’s personal belongings remained at the campsite. He was last seen wearing a red jacket, green sweatshirt and green nomex pants. He is approximately 5’7″ and 185 lbs with curly hair and is believed to be on foot.

The DNR’s Division of Forestry and Fire Protection has initiated a search operation to locate Rendon and put out notifications on social media and through mass text messages.

Meanwhile, the Fairbanks North Star Borough changed the evacuation status from Level 2 (SET) to Level 1 (READY) for all areas impacted by the Lost Horse Creek Fire (#296). This includes all areas within the Haystack subdivision, Upper Haystack Drive, Sharmon Court, Middle Fork Road, and the Poker Flat Watershed.

Crews are closing in on meeting suppression objectives, according to the state’s latest report. Based on the most recent mapping of the fire perimeter and fire behavior, a target of 23% of the perimeter has been identified for containment.

Currently, 16% of the fire perimeter is contained. Crews are improving containment line by working deeper into the duff and into the burned area to extinguish heat. This work will continue until crews feel confident there is little-to-no chance of fire spread beyond the current perimeter. Work continues on the southwest corner to secure and close any remaining gaps in the southern containment line.

A two-mile-long contingency line was completed west of the fire and a second contingency line is in progress southeast of the fire from Haystack toward the Chatanika River. Crews are utilizing heavy equipment to start working on suppression repair to minimize soil erosion and other impacts.

Rain fell on most of the fire area on Wednesday. Gusty winds and scattered rain continue Thursday and Friday.

Poll: DeSantis, Trump tied in theoretical matchup with Biden

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Poll: DeSantis, Trump tied in theoretical matchup with Biden

By CASEY HARPER | THE CENTER SQUARE

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis are virtually tied with President Joe Biden in theoretical head-to-head matchups heading into the 2024 presidential campaign, according to new polling data.

The Center Square Voters’ Voices Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, found that in a faceoff, Trump has 41% support compared to Biden’s 44% support, while 15% remain unsure.

DeSantis does slightly better, with 41% support to Biden’s 43% and 16% unsure.

The poll’s margin of error is 2.4%, making either matchup a relative toss-up 15 months out from the general election.

“What’s interesting about the hypothetical matchups between Trump and Biden or Biden versus DeSantis is that there is actually no real meaningful demographic or psychographic difference between the two Republicans,” Mike Noble, founder of Noble Predictive Insights, the group that conducted the poll, told The Center Square.

“The takeaway really is that [general election] voters see Trump and DeSantis interchangeably, and I don’t think that was really the case six months ago,” he added. “Voters are less seeing a difference between Trump and DeSantis.”

Noble said Desantis lost a “slight edge” of a 2 to 4 percentage-point lead over Biden in the past six months as Trump’s attacks on the Florida governor took effect. At the same time, the several recent indictments against Trump actually helped propel him with Republican voters.

This poll comes the same week that a Georgia grand jury indicted Trump for his alleged role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election. That indictment, Trump’s fourth, is the latest in a string of legal challenges that could weaken his support, turn his campaign season into a string of court dates, and possibly even put him in prison before the 2024 election.

“In the primary, shockingly enough, [the indictments] have caused a rally around the flag for Trump in the GOP because, with this many folks in the race, it is so hard to get traction,” Noble said. “Nikki Haley has been at 4% since she announced four months ago, and she is typically considered a credible candidate.”

Noble said the indictments have benefited Trump early in the primary campaign but are “likely to be a liability” in the general.

If Trump’s legal woes somehow end up sinking his chances, the polling shows DeSantis could perform just as well – or potentially better – against Biden.

As of now, according to the poll, Trump is dominating the Republican field with less than a week before the first GOP presidential primary debate, scheduled for Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The survey found that 53% of surveyed Republicans picked Trump, followed by 18% naming DeSantis. Former Vice President Mike Pence and entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy came in at third and fourth place with 7% and 6% support, respectively.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tied for fifth place at 4% support each.

In a theoretical Republican primary head-to-head matchup where respondents are forced to pick between either Trump or DeSantis, 63% chose Trump and 37% chose DeSantis.

Male and female support for the respective Republican primary candidates largely follows the general population’s overall support. Trump has 53% support among men and women, and DeSantis has 18% support among each group as well. 

Scott does better with men than women, earning 6% and 3% support, respectively. Haley does better with women than men, with 5% and 4% support in each category.

Pence does better with women as well, with 8% support compared to 5% support from men.

Ramaswamy performs better with men, earning 7% support compared to 4% support from women.

Trump’s support among Hispanic Republicans outpaces his support overall in the field of GOP primary candidates. The survey found that Trump has 62% support among Hispanics. DeSantis has 17% support among the same group.

Trump’s legal troubles have not hurt him as much as some may expect. Noble said that is likely because Biden’s own legal troubles have “muddied the waters.” An ongoing investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden has turned up more evidence to back up allegations that the Biden family and associates took about $20 million from overseas entities, even in adversarial countries like Russia and China. 

“Trump’s number just hasn’t really moved very much in the general election because he is just so incredibly defined, and most folks have made up their opinion on him,” Noble said. “But what is interesting is that with the head-to-head matchup, why you are not seeing as much movement [is] because … Biden himself is running into some legal issues as well, and I think that’s muddying the waters in a general election matchup.”

The poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from July 31 to Aug. 3. Unlike traditional national polls, with their limited respondent count of about 1,000, Noble Predictive surveyed 1,000 Republican registered voters, 1,000 Democratic voters, and 500 Independents, culminating in a comprehensive sample size of 2,500. The margin of error for the aggregate sample was ±2.4%, with each political group independently weighted. For more detailed insights and information about the methodology, visit www.noblepredictiveinsights.com.

Casey Harper is a Senior Reporter for the Washington, D.C. Bureau of The Center Square. He previously worked for The Daily Caller, The Hill, and Sinclair Broadcast Group. A graduate of Hillsdale College, Casey’s work has also appeared in Fox News, Fox Business, and USA Today.

Downing: Dr. Carson doesn’t fit the woke agenda of Anchorage schools

Suzanne Downing
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By SUZANNE DOWNING

In Alaska, the annual migration of students back to the classroom starts in the middle of August before the first frost covers the windshields. For Anchorage, it’s this week. As in other places in the nation, the return to campus life is filled with trepidation and hope for families. 

One might ask: Which school district in America would pass up the opportunity to have a globally acclaimed Black American neurosurgeon kick off the school year right with an inspirational assembly? 

Who would forgo the chance to have this historic figure inspire young minority students with tales of his transformative journey from poverty to becoming a revered figure in pediatric neurosurgery?

Step forward, Anchorage, Alaska School District, and take a bow.

Dr. Ben Carson, admired by Americans everywhere, was poised to address the students of Mountain View Elementary School, where 91% of the students are minorities. Within these school walls, fewer than 9% of the students demonstrate math proficiency and fewer than 14% are proficient in reading. Check the scores here.

Surely, this would have been a prime setting for Dr. Carson to instill hope and encouragement, because these students mirror his own beginnings seven decades prior. It would cost the district nothing to allow Dr. Carson to speak.

However, Superintendent, Dr. Jharrett Bryantt, newly arrived from Houston, Texas, slammed the door shut on the world-renown surgeon, saying he is not welcome in Anchorage schools. 

Citing vague reasons about students’ focus on starting the academic year and ensuring “safety,” Bryantt turned down the opportunity to be inclusive of someone who can motivate and encourage. 

The precise reasoning leading to this decision remains unclear. Some speculate it may be due to Dr. Carson’s association with the Trump administration, in which he served for four years as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Some speculate it’s Dr. Carson’s increasingly vocal criticism of American education, as found in his most recent book, “Crisis in the Classroom.” Perhaps it’s his pushback on Critical Race Theory with his “Little Patriots Program.” Regardless, the loss of such a golden opportunity for students is undeniable.

Dr. Carson embodies the American Dream, as living proof that America, in all its vastness and diversity, is a land of endless possibilities, a place where, regardless of one’s beginnings, an individual can rise and shine.

But the narrative of the Left, which has taken control of the education systems of America, seems inclined toward divisiveness and polarization, with more emphasis on tribalism and less focus on unity and success. The Left doesn’t want minorities to succeed.

A brief review of Dr. Carson’s achievements might offer some perspective on the values to which the Anchorage superintendent won’t let the children be exposed: Born into poverty and raised by a mother with a third-grade education, young Ben Carson faced numerous challenges: a self-admitted bad attitude, lousy grades, and low self-esteem.

Over time, thanks to the tenacious push from his mother, he transformed his outlook, embraced education, and eventually became the youngest major division director at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. At that point in his life, he was just 33 years old.  He had already performed the first and only successful separation of craniopagus (Siamese) twins joined at the back of the head.

He retired from medicine in 2013, but that was not the end of his story. Dr. Carson ran for president in 2016.

Now in his early 70s, his accolades are extensive, including the highest honor given by the NAACP, the Spingarn Medal; the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President George W. Bush; recognition by the Gallup Organization as one of the 10 most admired men in the world; and recognition as one of the 89 “Living Legends” of the Library of Congress.

He co-founded the Carson Scholars Fund, which has awarded more than 11,000 scholarships totaling over $8.9 million. The Carson Scholars Fund has also installed more than 270 Ben Carson Reading Rooms around the country.

Dr. Carson is sought as a gifted motivational speaker. He’s been awarded 70 honorary doctorate degrees. He’s authored over 20 books, some of them children’s books, such as “Think Big,” and “Freedom to Bark.”

Alaska had hoped to avoid the woke-ism that has taken over school districts across the country. But alas, the infection has spread.

As they return to classes this week, students won’t get to meet Dr. Carson. Instead, students will be handed a form that asks them to determine their own “gender identity,” information that will be kept secret from their parents, who will not know if their boys are being allowed to use the girls’ dressing rooms or restrooms.

We can see where this is heading: The Left is not interested in actually helping minorities succeed. They are interested in tearing the nation apart and driving it toward tribalism and identity politics.

The American Dream, embodied by Dr. Ben Carson, does not fit the woke agenda of the Anchorage School District.

Suzanne Downing is publisher of Must Read Alaska.

Anchorage school superintendent says his canceling of Dr. Ben Carson’s visit is within his ‘case-by-case’ authority
School superintendent won’t allow Dr. Ben Carson to speak at local school

A blow to education: Family Partnership principal resigns after school district breaks faith

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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A blow to education: Family Partnership principal resigns after school district breaks faith

By DAVID BOYLE

After being misled by Anchorage School Superintendent Jarrett Bryantt about the future of the most successful school in the district, Dr. Jessica Parker has resigned as principal of the Family Partnership Correspondence School.

Her resignation resulted from several months of being beaten down by the Anchorage School District administration.

It’s a complicated story that began when the school district decided to pull the charter from the school and take it over, converting it to a correspondence school. The administration then decided to change the rules of the game to benefit the district financially, while disrupting students’ education.

Dr. Parker said she had had enough and tendered her resignation. Her last day will be Aug. 25.

Parker said, “It feels free!”

She told MRAK she was “disappointed in the changes made in the private school decision by the district.” 

Due to the district’s unique and new interpretations of the law and the Alaska Constitution, the Anchorage School District only allows a student to be part-time at a private school to receive state funding. If the student is full-time at a private school, the parent loses all the allotment funding.  This makes it costly for parents to choose full-time private school education and has the effect of forcing less wealthy students back into the failing public schools in Anchorage, where proficiency scores are shocking.

Shocking: Reading scores in Anchorage dropped between fall and winter of 2021

The district still counts full-time private school students in its daily attendance count which it sends to the state. And the state still funds the district for that student, who is not attending public school.

Parker will work as the superintendent of the Mountain City Christian Academy, formerly the Anchorage Christian School. She feels that she has the freedom to work with an organization that aligns with her values and can help all students excel in their studies.

As a result of the actions of Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt, the FPCS has lost nearly 600 students of the 1,750 students who were enrolled last year. Another 200 students’ parents are waiting for a decision from the ASD administration to hear about the yearly rollover of their allotment dollars.

Jodi Taylor: Private school, state reimbursement, and family choice is available to parents in Alaska

Parents have banked thousands of dollars into these rollover allotment accounts so they can help their children get more costly courses when they get to high school.

But the Anchorage School District apparently doesn’t want to communicate with any of the parents. Parents have asked the ASD questions but have received no responses, Must Read Alaska has learned.

The Family Partnership Correspondence School has gone from the charter school with the best private school policy to what some argue is the worst correspondence school.

There is some good news:  FPCS parents can enroll their children in the MatSu Central Charter School and the Raven Correspondence School and still receive non-sectarian classes in private schools.

More than 600 additional enrollments appear to be occurring in that program that is run under the neighboring community’s school policy, which honors the allotment that students are awarded by state law, unlike the Anchorage School District. Full enrollment numbers won’t be known until late September and the final attendance numbers are reported out in October.

The Anchorage School District broke its promise to parents, students, and the Anchorage community. In a letter in April, Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt wrote, “Above all, I want you and FPCS to be successful. Your school offers something special and unique to Anchorage. Dissolving the Academic Policy Committee was an unfortunate but necessary step to double down on student outcomes and learning as our focus.”

It appears Bryantt is instead doubling down on taking the parents’ allotment money.

David Boyle is the education writer for Must Read Alaska.

Did Anchorage’s superintendent break promise to Family Partnership Charter School community?
Parents overwhelm Anchorage School Board to oppose takeover of Family Partnership Charter School
Family Partnership Charter School taken over by Anchorage School District on a vote of 6-1
Family Partnership Charter School wins 10-year renewal from Anchorage School Board

High drama: Rescue of two sheep hunters from cliff near Tonsina

Suzanne Downing
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High drama: Rescue of two sheep hunters from cliff near Tonsina

After a sheep hunting trip went sideways on Aug. 11, members of the 176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard were called on to execute a daring rescue near Tonsina, approximately 165 miles east of Anchorage.

The two hunters found themselves in an untenable situation as they clung to a cliff, shown in the photo above, unable to move to safety.

The hunters’ quick thinking led them to send out an SOS signal using a two-way satellite communication device. The call for help was picked up by the Alaska State Troopers, who alerted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

The AKRCC called upon the expertise of the 176th Wing.

The rescue team, comprising members from various units, was dispatched using a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and a 211th Rescue Squadron Lockheed HC-130J Combat King II, both manned with elite 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angel pararescue men. The crew also had with them U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathan Weltman of the 57th Rescue Squadron, joining from Aviano Air Base, Italy.

Upon approaching the site, the team had to tread carefully. Major Benjamin Leonard, piloting the 210th RQS HH-60, noted the danger of rotor-wash affecting the stranded hunters, which ruled out a direct overhead hoist.

After assessing the situation, the rescuers were inserted onto the site to prepare the hunters for the hoist. One hunter had managed to find shelter on a rock, while the other was precariously clinging to a ledge.

Pararescueman approaches the cliff where the two hunters were stranded. Photo credit: Alaska Air National Guard Maj. David Bedard.

Tech. Sgt. Michael Rogers of the 212th RQS PJ and Sgt. Weltman had the task of setting up a belay line for the trapped hunters.

After successfully securing the hunters, the special mission aviators aboard the HH-60 managed to hoist both the pararescuers and the stranded hunters.

The hunters were then ferried to the Alaska State Troopers at Mile 65 of the Richardson Highway. The mission was extended as the Lockheed HC-130 refueled the HH-60 in the air, amplifying the helicopter’s range.

The 212th Rescue Squadron is the Department of Defense’s busiest rescue force, and is part of the 176th Wing and consists of elite pararescuemen (PJs), combat rescue officers (CROs), and SERE specialists. These PJs and CROs undergo intense training, similar to the Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs, and don the unique flash patch on their berets.

Photo credit: Alaska Air National Guard Maj. David Bedard.

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