Steller Secondary, an Anchorage School District choice school, offers students elective short-term intensives twice a year to enhance artistic and experiential learning. This winter, Steller students can sign up for “Witches and Stitches.” The flyer invites student to “choose your own mysticism to explore” and hear from “local guest speakers who will help be our spirit guides on our cosmic journey.”
The intensives run December 8-18. Some of the intensives on the list give students opportunities to explore specific types of art like dance, pottery, creative writing, and filmmaking. Others like “Basketball with Bob” and “Yoga with Ayme” appeal to students who want to stay active. For science-loving students, there is “Madi’s Solar and Circuits.” For travelers, there is an intensive on Peru, a winter survival class, and “Cooking Around the World with Laura”.
“Witches and Stitches” is the only class among the 15 intensives that openly promotes a specific spiritual perspective.
Students in grades 6-12 can elect this course and receive 0.25 credits. Although some of the courses come with fees, “Witches and Stitches” is free. The course promotes occultic practices such as palm reading, tarot cards, astrology, healing crystals, and psychic readings.
Must Read Alaska reached out to both the Anchorage School District and Stellar Principal Maria Hernandez with the following questions:
1. What approval process (if any) did Steller have to go through with the district to offer these winter intensives?
2. How does ASD propose “Witches and Stitches” advance the goals listed here by the district.
3. How does “witches and stitches” reflect the Mission and Values of Steller/ ASD?
4. The intensive is taught by Allison. What other subjects does she teach?
5. How is this course funded?
6. Does Steller/ ASD recognize the spiritual nature of this course and the spiritual impact it can have on children? How is this spiritual impact conducive to student success?
Principal Hernandez has not replied to any questions. ASD’s Assistant Director of Communications, Publications, and External Affairs Corey Allen Young provided some answers.
According to Young, Steller’s intensives are “developed at the school level in alignment with ASD policies. They are reviewed to ensure they support student engagement, creativity, collaboration, and hands-on learning. All of which are consistent with ASD’s mission to prepare students for success.”
Steller explains intensives on their website: “During Intensives, all students engage in project-based, hands-on lived experiences through enrichment opportunities in school and the community. These enrichment opportunities include hiking, camping, theatre, cooking, state and international travel, and more. Students have the option of electing into their own independent intensive study, with school approval.”
Question #2 of Steller’s FAQs on intensives states: “Is this a mandatory class? The answer is yes, this is a part of the Steller Secondary curriculum.” Steller did not provide an explanation for how this curriculum furthers district goals.
Although Young assures, “families may opt their student out of any course and select an alternative option,” Must Read Alaska’s question regarding the inherent spiritual nature of the course remains unanswered.
In regard to funding, Steller’s Parent Group (SPG) and the Valley Quilters Guild provided funding for “Witches and Stitches.”
According to SPG’s Bylaws: “the purpose of Steller Parent Group is to enrich the lives of Steller students through the financial support and leadership from all active parents.” SPG raises money for SPG operational expenses, SPG-hosted events and projects, school-hosted events and projects, and grants for intensives and other student programs.
SPG enables parents to directly shape school curriculum and policy decisions. The Bylaws state: “every one is automatically a member of the Steller Parent Group. Donations are not required for membership. Your participation, your voice, and your vote are all essential to the health and effectiveness of this community group. All members can bring a proposal, a funding request, or communicate ideas or concerns.”
Many public schools offer parent groups similar to Steller’s Parent Group. Parents are encouraged to see what avenues for participation their school offers and help determine what subjects should be available for children to explore as part of their public education.
“The course promotes occultic practices such as palm reading, tarot cards, astrology, healing crystals, and psychic readings.”
This is more akin to teaching religion, imho, and I have more knowledge on these subjects than most.
This school district is so sick and so are the persons chosen to teach and promote their agenda.
So Natalie, why is this a concern to you? Is it a challenge to your christianity? Is your use of the word “promote” accurate, it’s not used in the Witches and Stitches flyer.
Hello, Evan, thank you for the questions.
I chose to write and publish this story because our team identified it as a story our readers would be interested in hearing. I have reported the facts of the story.
The course does not simply challenge Christianity; it promotes a specific spiritual perspective that is certainly opposed not only to Christianity but also to other major religions and even to purely secular worldviews.
“Promote” is an accurate word. The flyer “supports and actively encourages” occult practices such as palm reading, tarot cards, astrology, healing crystals, and psychic readings. If you look up the definition of “promote,” you will find that “supports and actively encourages” is part of the definition. It would be rather strange to create a flyer for a class that you don’t support or encourage, so the flyer indicates a certain level of promotion. It would also be strange to fund, provide materials for, and teach a class you don’t support or encourage, so this also indicates a level of promotion by the Stellar Parent Group and Stellar administration and staff.
I assure you the school would not teach Christianity and the Bible if parents and students requested that. Not too many conservatives send their kids to this school so a very liberal demographic attends. Their teachers are some of the most liberal in the district and that says much! This is actually teaching religion in ASD and last time I looked that was frowned on heavily!
IDEA Homeschool will approve a witchcraft forest curriculum but will not reimburse for any curriculum
That has “God” or “Jesus” included in the text. They will reimburse and approve a World Religion curriculum but not anything that is specifically Christian. They will approve and reimburse Voo Doo studies but not Christian Apologetics. We have yet to find a school district that isn’t distracted by liberal garbage and who panders to all ideologies.
Cool,
Sounds like a great selection of electives.Since one size rarely fits all in humanity.
I always thought it was against the rules to teach any type of religion in public schools. Anchorage has become the trash heap of Alaska
So wait…my tax dollars are paying for this?!!
Isn’t it against the state constitution?
Aren’t we below proficient throughout the district?
Don’t we rate 49/50 compared to other states.
Student contact time is a valuable thing to waste….student hearts and souls are invaluable.
Pure evil. And, as some of these comments illustrate, they will defend it.
Thanks to this course there will be an endless supply of “up-and-coming” tarot readers and astrologers, which will cause the market to be overbooked.haha