August Update

Welcome new and returning principals to the 2023-2024 school year!

As the new school year approaches, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for your dedication and leadership. I am eagerly looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that the upcoming year will bring.

Over the past 4 years on the AAESP Board, I have witnessed the positive impact AAESP Members have had on both the students and the staff. Your unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive and nurturing environment has made this institution a beacon of academic excellence and personal growth.

I am confident that under your visionary leadership this new academic year will be filled with inspiring moments and significant achievements. Your innovative approach to education, coupled with a passion for student success, continues to be a source of inspiration for all of us. As an educational leader, I am committed to contributing my best efforts to uphold the values and principles that define AAESP. I believe in the power of collaboration, open communication, and embracing diversity to create an inclusive learning environment where every member can thrive.

There are some changes coming to our organization. The biggest change is Jennifer Schmitz is stepping down as the Executive Director of AAESP and taking a full-time position with ACSA. We are blessed to have Jennifer Rinaldi stepping up to take the Executive Director position. I want to take this opportunity to thank Jennifer Schmitz for all she has done for AAESP and we look for to working with her in her new compacity.

As we embark on this school year together, I assure you of my complete dedication and cooperation in the work in making education a top priority in our state. I am open to working closely with AASSP and ACSA to advocate for education funding, educator recruitment, and a defined benefit plan for all educators. Once again, thank you for your unwavering commitment to education and AAESP. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this vibrant community and look forward to a remarkable year ahead.

Wishing you a wonderful start to the new school year!

Josh Gill, AAESP President

Greetings from Juneau!

Welcome back to another school year! We hope you enjoyed a fantastic summer and are looking forward to welcoming your staff and students into your buildings.

As always, ACSA is here to serve you! We are planning some great professional learning opportunities this fall specifically designed to support your work as school leaders and are continually looking for ways to support our members. Please reach out if you have any needs at all.

Be well,

Dr. Lisa S. Parady

All current AAESP Members should have received an email earlier this week with information on membership dues for the coming year. If you did not receive this, please check your junk mail and then add 'AlaskaPrincipal@AlaskaACSA.org' to your address book to ensure that future communication makes it to you.

If you have questions regarding your membership, or you need to modify your membership type or school information, please email: AlaskaPrincipal@AlaskaACSA.org. We'll soon be sharing ways for you to access your GrowthZone Member Hub and all the fantastic resources this software provides for our members!

The Alaska School Leadership Academy is accepting applications for their next cohort of early career school principals. This unique program is designed to provide early career principals in Alaska (in their 1st or 2nd year as lead or assistant principal) with a collegial cohort engaged in networking, skill building and mutual support across the state.

Applications are open until September 4th and located at:

2023-2024 Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA) Application (google.com)

If you, or someone you know, is in their first or second year of the principalship, please plan to apply. We are looking forward to again working with our early career principals this coming year, and have terrific sessions planned.

Contact Jennifer Rinaldi jrinaldi@alaskaacsa.org or Nicole O'Donnell nsodonnell@alaskaacsa.org if you have questions.

Do you have an aspiring leader in your building that has expressed interest in becoming a principal? Or perhaps you see their great leadership potential and they have yet to discover it!

Building Educational Leaders for Alaska, BELA, is a new program aimed at identifying those future leaders and helping them develop their leadership skills and potential. Please share the following interest form with any aspiring leader that you may know who would make great school leaders in Alaska:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgraYhYMscnZgwP8KH1FMHzTwk4UMDV3ZjZILOU22hEPrEZg/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are planning now for our first event, so don't delay!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2023

Alaskan Educators and Students Receive $2 Million for Classroom Supplies

DEED is partnering with nonprofit DonorsChoose to fund up to $1,000 in classroom supplies for each Alaska public school teacher

JUNEAU, AK – Yesterday, Acting Commissioner Heidi Teshner announced that theAlaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is allocating $2 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to help pre-K to 12th grade public school educators obtain classroom resources. The collaboration between DEED and DonorsChoose, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit, will empower educators to support student academic success through access to classroom supplies. Each Alaska public school teacher can receive up to $1,000 in project funding, as long as funding lasts.

"We are excited to announce this partnership with DonorsChoose," said Acting Commissioner Teshner. "By helping teachers directly with their classroom resource needs, DEED is supporting our teachers in our shared mission to provide an excellent education for every student everyday,"

“This initiative is an investment in the frontline wisdom of Alaska teachers, and it’s a boost for educators as we head into the Back-to-School season,” said Alix Guerrier, CEO Of DonorsChoose. “We’re so grateful that Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is partnering with DonorsChoose, and that the department is using this innovative way to help students start the school year strong.”

Since DonorsChoose was founded in 2000, more than 2,000 Alaska teachers representing school districts across the state have raised $5.1 million for projects that help them go above and beyond in the classroom. The Anchorage School District and Northwest Arctic Borough School District are currently part of the DonorsChoose District Partnership Program. The new collaboration between Alaska DEED and DonorsChoose will further the support for educators across the entire state.

Teachers can learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/DonorsChooseAK. Funding for eligible projects will be applied shortly after a project is approved.

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The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development provides information, resources, and leadership to support over 130,000 students in 505 public schools across the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to ensure an “Excellent Education for Every Student Every Day.”

Media Contact: Caroline Hamp, Public Information Officer, (907) 465-6694

Email: jrinaldi@alaskaacsa.org
Website: www.aaesp.net
Location: 234 Gold Street, Juneau, AK, USA
Phone: 907.242.9989
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/akprincipals
Twitter: @alaskaprincipal