10/21/2025: School Board Meeting

001like to call this meeting to order. of the Anchorage School Board on October 21st at 6:02 p.m. I believe. Um, in attendance in the room, we have Member Higgins, Member Donley, Superintendent Jarrett, myself, Member Hollowman. Um online we have President Jacobs who is not feeling well, member Wilson who is not feeling well and member Lessons who is I think going three different directions at one time. Member Bellamy is traveling and not able to log in and be with us. Like to ask our student representative to please lead us in the flag salute and then the land acknowledgement. To the flag, the United States of America. >> Thank you. >> We acknowledge that we gather here today on the traditional lands of the Deniman people of the Upper Cook Inlet. For thousands of years, the Denim

002people have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. ASD is committed to diversity and inclusion, and it is with honor and respect that we recognize all indigenous people who live and learn in our community. >> Thank you. We do want to welcome you to our meeting and thank everyone that's attending and supporting the work of the Anchorage School District and this board. The board thanks students, parents, teachers, staff, school business partners, and the entire community for your investment in our district with your time, your talent, and your tax dollars. Um, members, before you, you have a proposed agenda, does anyone have any changes? Seeing no hands, without objection, the agenda is adopted. >> Mr. Sure. >> Uh, President Jacobs. >> Would move to approve the agenda as listed. >> Okay. Is there

003a second? >> Uh, moved by President Jacobs, seconded by member Higgins. All in favor of approving the agenda, please. I'm going to say we can't do a voice vote, can we? Yeah. Is there any objection to adopting the agenda as presented? Seeing none, we have adopted the agenda. um reports tonight. We'll start with our student representative. >> All right. Thank you. So, of course, since I am also the president of student advisory board, me and my SAB officers have been finalizing the plans of our fall a conference that's actually happening this Thursday, which we're really excited for since Anchorage is hosting it and we have about 150 ASD students. So, we know that Anchorage is going to be greatly represented, especially with our diversity in different schools. Now my SAB officers and I were all

004registars so we will be running the conference in the background and I can't think anything else but believe that we'll be granted a great productive conference and this will be going through Saturday evening. Specifically, we're also preparing for its opening ceremony by creating digital slides and creating parliamentary procedure resources for students. And I've also specifically encouraged that every anchorage school writes a resolution to bring to ALOG. Now, SAB is also working to finalize a video for OSG with Diamond High School. And it'll highlight the best experiences that we do at OOG, specifically debating and passing resolutions, improving leadership, exploring Anchorage, and making new connections statewide that we will be showing the video to our delegates. And with all been said, officially beginning this off conference on Thursday, it'll be one of the greatest moments so

005far of this month as my SB officers and I finally get the chance to show off our town. And other than that, I conclude my report. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. We do not have a military report this evening. Um, does any committee chair or any member wish to comment on either conference or committee reports? I'll start by saying the governance committee meeting is cancelled for this coming week. Um, and so it's and the communications committee is also cancelled, but I assume finance will meet at its regular time on Thursday. Member Don, >> can we confirm the time of finance because they've been bouncing around a little bit all the committee times? >> M uh Mr. Chairman, this is member lessons. Uh I did want to confirm that the finance committee this week

006is going to be at 1:30 and that is because um schools are on a half day pickup and quite frankly I have two children to pick up. So we will be starting after I pick my kids up. Thank you for understanding. Thank you very much. Um, any other comments as far as conference or committee reports? I keep walking down this way, but that's pretty bacon. Seeing no hands on one. Um, that brings us to our goal monitoring. Uh, we are going to have our goal monitoring conversation on the technical report that was given to us at the last meeting. Tonight, our conversation focuses on math proficiency. The goal is the percentage of grade 8 students proficient in mathematics on the state summitive assessment currently the AK star test will increase from 34.5 in May of

0072023 to 41.5 in May of 2008. I want to confirm that all four components of the monitoring report are present. The report shows the following. What is being monitored and is focused on is a specific goal and an interim goal. data for the previous reporting periods, the current reporting period, and the target reporting periods, and the superintendent's evaluation of performance in obtaining that goal. I'll turn this over to Superintendent Bryant. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. If we could progress a slide, I'd like to show the historical progress to date. And just for the public's awareness, tonight's conversation revolves around the board's math proficiency goal. We have three goals in ASD. a math goal, a third grade reading goal, and then college career and life readiness, which we measure through graduation rates. Today, we're going to

008zero focus in on math proficiency. And I want to park on this slide because I want the public and the board to be aware that this goal that the board set is within reach. And while many say that ASD is is never making progress, they aren't looking at our data. If you look here, you can see that we saw nearly a 5 percentage point increase or a 5 percentage increase for students meeting math proficiency. And I'm very excited to go through some of our student subops because we've seen even larger growth among some of our most vulnerable populations. And that's not easy. And the first heroes that I want to thank would be our teachers because there's no way to to make these types of gains without incredible instruction. And I say this from a

009place of empathy. As a former high school math teacher myself, something you might not know is that I taught in a 612 school. So, I spent many, many days um substitute teaching in eighth grade classrooms and um our teachers are doing phenomenal work. And that's not an easy grade to teach. You know, you're learning literally the fundamentals of algebra and math that's going to tie into statistics and even things that you use when you uh enter the workforce. So, um this is truly um a wonderful opportunity to spotlight our great educators and then of course our conversation will focus on what we're doing at the district level to support um but there's some good instruction happening in ASD and I want the public to know it and see it and now the goal is to

010protect our progress moving forward. Um so team um you're welcome to chime in with anything I missed. >> No, I think that was a great introduction. Um as Dr. Dr. Bryant said, there's there's um work that we should be proud of uh with our educators and our administrators uh what they do each and every day. And so we look forward to the conversation and the questions. >> Great. So with that, we'll open it up to any member questions. >> Any board member have questions for the panel? >> President Jacobs, I'm sorry. Member Wessons. >> Sure. I'm happy to start us off. I sent the administration uh number one kudos on the growth. It's really great to see and absolutely reflects a lot of hard work um at all levels. Um and you know, I sent

011kind of a longer brainstorm, but I tried to distill my thoughts into a few key questions. And as with many of our school monitoring reports, you know, what I see ultimately spurs more curiosity. And so my question is really, you know, we can look at things at the district level and that's what this report demonstrates. And we have disagregated data by some student groups and that's informative, but change in my understanding really happens at the school and classroom level. And so the question was from the administration's perspective, what were some trends that you saw in terms of proficiency at the school level? And of course, we have comprehensive schools, we have alternative schools, we have a lot of different types, but what were, you know, what did our proficiency rates look like when when we

012look at them according to school? And if there are gaps, what needs to be done to address those those gaps? >> I'll get us started on that. Thank you for your question, Member Lessons. Um, what you're asking is a really key uh question. Um, and as we've uh shared in the past at a at the board meeting, we really focus on the collective efforts of the district. Um, and so I'm not going to go into any specific school data in this particular setting. Um but please know that we do uh analyze that data at a school level and and and as well we will provide that data to the board on Friday so that you can see the progress of uh individual schools as well. Um but but we're we're not going to dig into

013individual school data in this setting. Um I think I would um addressing the gaps question that you brought up member lessons. Um the district has been making really intentional strides to um provide the best um access to education as we can in our classrooms. Teachers are doing a fantastic job teaching um with our high quality instructional materials. we've been really leveraging support from curriculum associates um and some other resources um in that respect and I I think we're going to continue down that road and we should start to see um those additional gains um really really digging deep into data trying to understand what concepts um are um sort of those high leverage practices that we need to focus on moving forward. And if I could just speak specifically to the professional learning um and

014support aspect um that we are really this year have shifted focus more from that district level lens to a targeted school specific tailored support um focused on data um specifically at middle school. Um there we've all they've got math focus for professional learning. Thank you. If if I may just ask a followup before relinquishing this this turn. Um the other question I had about sort of what if we disagregated our data in a different way is rooted in my understanding that we have a target for you know what grade level math should look like in 8th grade right now and and based on the reconfiguration that happened last year you know that is this new thing called math 8. So, if a student is taking math 8 and 8th grade, they're on they're on grade

015level. If they're taking algebra or geometry or something more advanced, they're of course advanced. And maybe they're also taking um a lower level, a level that's that's not quite math 8, or they're retaking, I don't know, math 7. Um if we were to look at proficiency by I'm specifically interested in you know students who are taking grade level math. Do we see that same district level proficiency rate or some need to do analysis that wasn't provided in their report? So maybe you don't have an answer, but but what did proficiency rates look like based on whether a student was was really on grade level? And maybe you can also speak to whether they were, you know, proficiency rates at above or below, but I'm most interested in the on-grade level students proficiency level. >> Yeah.

016So I don't have official data on that but we absolutely look at um different disagregate our data in different ways including um the changes that were made you mentioned to our accelerated pathway where we did math 6 advanced math 7 advanced um and then our um pathways that have not changed which include math 6, math 7, math 8 um and looking at kind of how can we support that. That again goes back to the um the ways that the schools are disagregating their data um and looking at how they can best support um populations of students. So I guess maybe the followup is is there I know we have this tool called unified insights which exists in the administration's perview. I mean, is there a district level ability to peer at the proficiency levels of

017students in math 8 or does that hinge on um additional information being provided by schools? >> Thank you for your question, member lessons. Um we it is possible uh not necessarily in analytics and insights um but we can pull data uh based on course codes and those types of things um if the board uh so chose uh and really wanted us to dig into that data at a course level um and so that is an option it would be a data pull for us and we could uh uh organize that data >> okay thank you very much I would be interested but that's uh I am one of seven board members. >> Member Wilson. >> I'm I'm just curious to see if you believe that the cell phone policy change has has helped with the

018um increase in in math scores. Well, I think I think anytime that we can help ensure that students are staying engaged in the curriculum and um are participating in classroom dialogue and instruction that we're going to see um gains as you know with our I Ready curriculum and now our um illustrative mathematics um mathematical dialogue discourse is really a strong part of that program helping students understand the concepts and be able to speak to the why uh behind what's happening in the classroom. Um having having those distractions away from students um is surely to be a benefit. I don't know that we could draw any causal um remark there, but I but I would hope that that having students with with um technology away all day is is helping out with our outcomes. >> I

019would also mention that this data is Alaska star data which would have been from last uh spring at the end of the school year. So, I'm hoping we'll see even greater gains at the end of this school year because of the cell phone ban. But this particular data, um, we can't use the cell phone ban to ensure anything from this particular data because of when the test was taken. >> Other questions from the board? >> Seeing no hands online or at the board. Um, >> m Mr. Chairman, this is member lessons again. >> Member lessons. >> I was just waiting my turn. Um, this is a maybe another follow-up question to to what we just talked about about the challenges of identifying proficiency by course level, but I was interested, we have these data dashboards,

020um, and I was interested in in what relationship may or may not exist between a student passing an eighth grade math course, which I can only understand as not failing, but that might be incorrect, um, and demonstrating proficiency on that math math test. So, you know, we have students who who fail the course and then students who don't fail the course. Um to to what extent are students who are passing the class also demonstrating proficiency on the AK star? Thank you. Member lessons. Um I I don't have that specific data uh regards to AK star and course marks. Um but you may recall I I I don't remember exactly how long ago it was. Uh but there was a board request uh that where we compared um student performance. I believe it was on MAP

021growth um along with uh student grades and what we saw was a strong correlation to the grades whether that was AE, B, C, D or F. And so the percentage of students um performing at a higher level on MAP correlated to higher grades and and and because uh MAP is NWA and AK star is also NWA and we have a a linking study between that, we could um pretty um confidently infer that there would be a strong link to to those grades as well um because the two assessments are linked. >> Yeah, thank you for that. I thought that was a really important report and I appreciated the leg work that went into that. Um, and I appreciate the the opportunity perhaps to link some of those uh observations to to to maybe help answer

022that question here. Um, I guess if there's no other questions, I have one final question and that is, um, you know, because I think the middle school math curriculum is really been designed to focus on math 6, seven, and 8. I know that last year was really the first year it was rolled out, so we may need to wait until um, students progress through all three years of that cycle, which is probably um, the 26 27th school year. I just wonder whether the administration has observations on the first year of the roll out of of the new math 67 and 8 framework and whether it was uh as effective as uh the administration hoped it would be. Um just sort of an open-ended opportunity for the administration to comment on math 6, 7, and 8

023as it's been redesigned. So to clarify, math 6, math 7, and math 8 were in our year five implementation of K8 um I ready mathematics. So that those courses have not been redesigned. The redesign was only specific to the accelerated pathway where we combined our math existing math 6, math 7, and math 8 into an accelerated version of those courses for students. So the data you're looking at with eighth grade for those three data points um includes the the year fifth year implementation uh of that program. Um but you're absolutely correct in um after one year of the redesign of the accelerated pathway. We've looked at some preliminary preliminary data um really just about course placement um and initial diagnostic data to um indicate that students have been accurately placed and that our course design

024um will meet the needs of the students um as we uh intended so far and we are definitely uh continuing to monitor that. >> Thank you for that clarification. >> And just to just to close up shop I I wanted to just mention one last thing. I know it wasn't a specific question um but when we looked at our subgroup data I think it's worth noting that almost every single subgroup um um made gains in the past year and just from a a person that works within data when you see that type of gain across such a broad spectrum it is a very very positive sign um to and it really points to higher reliability and validity when we see it going across so many groups and so I just wanted to recognize that work

025and in particular you'll notice our Alaskan Native students had over an 8% uh growth and it's uh you know deserves some celebration. So I wanted to close with that. >> Thank you. We do have a question from President Jacobs. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh wanted to echo congratulations um to all involved on the outcomes that have presented this report. I know it is a focus of this monitoring session in particular, but I I think it's always interesting and I'm I'm sure that our staff have looked, although they might not have the data at hand. Do we know how the growth that we experience that we're looking at in this report tracks or correlates with statewide data? >> That is something that we can definitely look into for you. Um, member Jacobs, I don't believe

026that would take a great deal of effort. I'd be happy to provide that. >> Thank you much. appreciate. >> Any other board member questions or comments? >> Seeing none, superintendent. >> Thank you everyone. >> Thank you all. That brings us to our public comment. Um this is the time we hear from the public. We welcome your comments. The board has set aside an hour at the beginning of the meeting for those who have signed up to give public comments. Um public all public comments are limited to three minutes. There's a timer at the front desk or at the dis as you're speaking. All speakers have a courtesy alert when 30 seconds remain. There'll be a small bell uh and that's kind of a sign to wrap things up. Speaking time may not be given or

027shared with other people. When your name is called, please come to the podium. I'll be calling two people down and then as one person finishes calling the next person. We do have about 20ome people that want to speak. So we we want to hear from everyone. We'll try to minimize the time spent changing positions and whatnot. Please understand this is not a time for dialogue. The purpose of this agenda item is for the public to inform us about your views. If you do have handouts to share with the board, please give them to Miss Sullivan to my left. And finally, I want to call your attention to the detailed boardroom decorum guidelines and expectations that are at the entrance. Um, we do have an unusual circumstance tonight in that Representative Nelly from Tuk Bay is

028here to speak to us. So I'm going ask you to wait off and and we don't want to put a threeminut time limit on you given the circumstances of your visit whatnot. So if you would take a seat at the dis. Thank you so much for this evening for allowing me to come speak. I wanted to give land acknowledgement to the Dina people and before being a representative first and foremost I'm a mother. I'm a grandmother. So I've come to speak to you from the heart. Thank you for welcoming our children. Some are here just for a short while until their homes are rebuildable. Their boardwalks are repaired, while others have lost everything and don't know yet where and when they'll go home. They carry more than a backpack on them. They carry worry for

029family, their elders, their village, their classmates, for what comes next. They carry their memories of wind and water that move the ground beneath them. What they need most now is to be seen, is to be heard, and not looked at as evacuees, not as guests, but as our own students. Please get to know them. Learn their names. Understand their silence. Our children are are resilient like they've always been, but resilience grows stronger when it's met with care. to this board, to every teacher, staff and classrooms, students for opening your doors. Thank you, Guana for holding space for them, for giving them a sense of normaly. when everything else has been shifted under them. Excuse me. We can't control storms, but we can make sure our children never feel alone in their wake. Thank you very

030much for coming tonight and uh I know the board hasn't had a chance to hear from the administration but clearly they've been working on this issue. What I see so far is is very heartening in terms of students being welcomed and for as long as they need to be here. Um the Anchorage School District will try to do our best by them. And of course while they make plans in this building, uh it ultimately falls to our classroom teachers to put that into reality that the kids see and feel. And uh I I have a having been a classroom teacher here, I have a lot of confidence in our staff that they will do that. Thank you very much for coming tonight and speaking. Moving to our speaker list. Uh we do set aside time

031at the beginning for students and because we want them to testify and get back home and get their homework done and go to bed. Our only student signed up to speak tonight is Gwen Belaloo or Balo. I'm not sure. I'm sure I'm not saying that correctly, but if you and your parent would like to come forward and speak. Welcome to the Anchorage School District board meeting. if you'll state your name for the record and you have three minutes to talk to us. >> Do you want to get close to the microphone so we can hear you? >> So, um, My name is Gwen Wendelyn Bulau and my student at Lake Otis Elementary School. So, I like this school because it means so much to me because I've been here since kindergarten, then can I've been

032here since prek, kindergarten, um, first grade, and now I'm in second grade. So, I've been here for 4 years. And oh, I mean, this school is so much to me because I love this school. I've been in this school for when I started um when I started prek. And I also like this school because I have a bunch of friends that are here and we're looking to meet more friends. because I'm excited for everybody coming into this new school to this school. I don't want them to shut it down because um this school is for everybody who wants to come and why they come is because it's a school and it's a special school because there's so many students that go there. There's special programs. There's even 21st century there. I'm going to sing my

033school song. Let go. One, be ready to learn. Show respect. How are we going to hit that? Look, let go this far. >> Good job. >> Thank you very much for your testimony. Moving to our regular list, I have Cecilia Tafola and Corey AE as our first two speakers. If you'll come down is Cecilia in the audience not seeing her approach. Misty Nelson will be the next speaker. When you're ready, if you'll state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> Corey East. Thank you. Uh, member Hollowman. Uh, in the spirit, um, I'd like to first thank all of our educators who are welcoming those from Western Alaska and all that been displaced. I've talked to many educators who are um with open arms taking all those students in and welcoming them and

034making sure they're part of their community. So, in that spirit, um I have an ask of the Anchorage School Board. Uh many of our educators are being um challenged by the increase in health costs this year and are going home with much less in their paychecks. And after each uh month, we're hear uh the association's hearing uh those challenges and uh the financial distress uh caused by that. Uh the Anchorage School District has not increased their um contribution this year. I understand that we are in negotiations, but I want to point out that uh in other contracts um for example, the ones I just shared with with you up at the up at the dis uh Totem, who is currently in their contract and it does not expire until June of 2027, you all agreed

035to pay $1,900 a month during the life of that contract. But last year you paid 20 uh90 290 and this year you're projected to spend 2,167. So you are contributing far more to their health plan uh than you have agreed to do in their contract. The same goes for the principles uh funny enough their contract says$1850 uh as well as ACE. They're also at 1,900. And uh, ironically, you passed um in your last board meeting a contract for your food service workers where you agreed to pay $2,50 per month this year, but you're projected to spend $2,167 this year. So, you just a agreed to in a contract in your last board meeting that has no relevance. And so our ask is that you do the same for your educators. You are currently paying us

036$1,900 and that is causing quite a bit of distress and we would ask that you honor that. Uh anybody in this room who's being affected by that, please stand with me now. we need to be treated fairly and equally among all your uh uh all your staff. So, please consider this request. I understand that it's a big ask, but we are under financial distress right now. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next, we have Misty Nelson and then Lee Butterfield. Good evening. You know, if you guys missed me, you could have just given me a phone call. Uh, good evening, members of the school board. Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight regarding the potential closure of Lake Oasis Elementary. First, I'd like to recognize the board's direction this year to bring forward only one

037school closure recommendation. I we ask you to please reconsider Legotus for closure. Legotus is not just a neighborhood school. It is a central accessible hub for families across Anchorage. Every single life skills student enrolled at Lotus resides on the east side. Similar to how an ASD leader during the work session noted that all the SBBS students at Cassoon are southside residents, our central location is essential for these families. It allows for manageable transportation times and strong partnerships with the community programs and services. In fact, our building's central centrality is one reason the 21st century program does exist at our school and why they also use our building during the summer. Many of our students depend on that program for academic support, enrichment, and a safe, stable environment after school. For numerous families, this is a

038lifeline. Today alone, we welcome three new students, a reminder that Leotus continues to grow and serve as a school of choice for families seeking support, inclusion, and community. Being home to over 30 life skills students, I am proud to say that Leotus does an exceptional job with inclusion and integration. Our staff, students, and families have created a culture where every child belongs and where diversity is not just welcomed, but celebrated. Additionally, as a Title One school, a significant portion of our students rely on free breakfast and lunch, ensuring they have the nutrition they need to learn and to thrive. I deeply respect the voice of the school board that it is the public's voice Your role is to listen and to listen to and reflect the needs of our community. On behalf of the Lake

039Otis families, staff, and students, I ask you to hear us. Lotus is more than a building. It's a vital part of Anchorage's educational framework, providing access, equity, and inclusion to some of our most vulnerable learners. Please reconsider the closure of Lotus Elementary. I thank you for your time and your commitment to our students and families. And I did give Miss Sullivan um online petition that has uh about 406 plus signatures at this time as well. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. If Allison Reed could come forward, uh Mr. Butterfield, if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> My name is Lee Butterfield. Based on the definitions in front of you, the ASD mission statement indicates that educating is the primary mission of the district. If we acknowledge that

040the core mission of ASD must actively take place in a classroom, we can apply the capital invested directly into the teachers responsible for managing and effectuating the mission. These are not direct these are direct monies measurable to define the unit value of each product completed and sent out to represent the profit of public education. On the handout in front of you, you will see the unit value of each 2026 graduating senior since they entered ASD as kindergarteners. The highlights of the data are as follows. The 2013-14 BSA of $5,680 per student equates to an investment by the state of $421 per student per hour. A new teacher that year was paid $1.36 per student per hour, equating to only 32% of the BSA funds received by ASD. When compared to the average teacher pay of

041the same year, we see an investment of $188 per student per hour, equating to 45% of the BSA invested into the core mission of the Anchorage School District. Currently, the BSA has risen to $6,660, which represents $4.93 student dollars per student per hour, $152 per hour or 31% is being invested directly into our students in classrooms with new teachers. A 1% divevestature from allotted BSA. In a classroom with an experienced teacher, we see $2.3 per hour, a divestment of four percentage points on the BSA with total investment into direct instruction of only 41% of the BSA. In 13 years of education, BSA money directly applied to our core mission stands at a stunning rate of only 33% with new teachers. At average wage, we have invested only 46% of the BSA into the core mission

042of ASD. ASD administration is offering to invest only 4.5 cents per student per hour for new teachers and only 6 cents towards the retention of experienced teachers. Teachers are asking for 23 cents and 30 cents, respectively. Between 2018 and 2025, the price of a liter of Coca-Cola rose by 48%. In that same time, we invested 3% less into the core mission of ASD for each student on average. We would need to choose to increase investment by 46.6% to value our students as much as we value our little soda pop. Between 2015 and 2025, the average price of a Starbucks grande latte rose by 63%. With our investment of only 10% more into our students, we would need to choose to increase investment by 53% to value our students as much as our coffee. I would

043like to close by reassuring you that I know the board faces a constant battle over proper funding. I want to thank you, President Jacobs, for your public statement in this room on April 8th when you said, quote, I remain deeply troubled by the legislators abdication of their responsibility to adequately fund our system of public education. We need them to act and we need them to act now. Mr. President, I remain deeply troubled by this board's abdication of the responsibility to adequately fund the core mission of the Anchorage School District. We need you to act and we need you to act now. Inform your administration the 15% is a deal. >> Thank you. I'm going to ask the audience please not to applaud. We are going to try to move through all of the testimony in

044the in the first part of the meeting. Brian Maltto would be next. Miss Reid, if you will state your name for the record. You have three minutes. My name is Allison Reid. Thank you, school board student representative and Dr. Bryant. I've been with the district for 21 years. Sometimes I'm asked when I will retire. I always respond with when I don't feel valued. Well, that time is now. Did you know that I have three degrees? I have a bachelor's in teaching English, a masterers in secondary education, and I went back to school for my second masters in the science of counseling psychology. I did this when I realized teachers weren't something ASD valued. They wanted us to be mental health professionals, SCAL professionals, also known as group therapists, trauma-informed specialists, mental health counselors, life coaches,

045and mandated reporters. If I was a therapist, it would be a heck of a lot easier working with one kid for an hour than 35 kids who were jammed into my classroom. This district doesn't value educators. What made me stay as a teacher was the guilt and the obligation in the form of a 15-year-old boy who hated school. This kid stayed after school one day, quote, "Cleaning my room." He was embarrassed to say anything in front of friends, but he said to me, "Thank you for making me read The Great Gatsby." I know it's true. It was the first book I've ever read, and I always thought I was dumb until your class. I have value. This job, I used to call it a career, gets harder every year. Did you know that at Stellar

04630% of our kids are in IEPs and 504s? In our school of 315, that's approximately a hundred students. Teachers are required by law to adjust assignments according to students needs, take data, write up data, and then report data on IEP objectives, etc. So now I'm not just a teacher, I'm a scientist, a researcher, a data collector, and I do more than teach. And I have value because I don't use a scripted, canned curriculum that was bought for me by a district that doesn't trust my eight years of college education, that doesn't trust my intelligence, that doesn't trust my efficacy in the classroom. I'm a content generator, an editor, a writer, a speech maker, a logistics analyzer, and I have value. I have value because every day I am the face of this district. People like

047me are in front of students all day. We teachers, the ones making the magic happen, and we're the ones who wipe snotty noses, make learning meaningful and fun, design labs, give hugs to 11-year-old girls who have just lost their moms, guide mathematicians through math groups, explain literary devices, and have philosophical discussions as to what type of government is the best for the people. We are the ones who make ASD look good. We are customer service reps, community volunteers, chaperons, event planners, and graphic designers, and we have value. I want to remind everyone who is watching that without educators, we don't have education. If the ed building isn't making our jobs easier, then what are they good for? We have value, so prove it. >> Thank you for your testimony. Susan River is next. Mr. Malta,

048if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> Good evening. My name is Brian Malta. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of the teachers of Anchorage and to make the case why a competitive salary is not just warranted but essential. Over the past three years, the cost of living in Anchorage has climbed significantly. As you know, housing prices, utilities, groceries, transportation have all gone up. Not to mention the cost of health insurance. Personally, my monthly payment for health insurance went up 62% this year from $788 a month to nearly $1,300 a month. Yet, teacher salaries have not kept pace. In fact, I'm taking home $500 a month less this year than I did last year each paycheck. According to a

049recent study from the University of Alaska Anchorage, when adjusted for cost of living, our teachers earn significantly less than peers in comparable districts, up to 25% less. This isn't just a matter of dollars. About retention and recruitment. It's about making Anchorage School District a place where people actually want to work again. We're losing talented educators not just to retirement but many young teachers come here, get experience, and then transfer to other districts that offer better compensation and have a more sustainable quality of life. When teachers leave, it disrupts learning, increases class sizes, which are already out of control, and forces us to spend more more on hiring and training. In a lot of cases, open positions remain unfilled in this district until those positions are eventually cut. Last year alone, we had over a 100

050unfilled positions in this district. To prevent this, other districts are taking steps to remain competitive. They're adjusting pay scales, factoring in inflation. Anchorage cannot afford to fall further behind. We should be leading the way. But instead, you just keep insulting us with mediocre raises. They have never kept up with inflation. I've been witness to this for the last 22 years I've been part of ASD. Not once have we received a raise of more than 3%, which is pathetic. You all keep saying that you want test stores to go get up go up. Well, you get what you pay for. When you don't pay your teachers a fair salary for the overload of work that they're doing, you cannot expect test scores to rise. When teachers are having to get a second job to support their

051families because you don't pay us enough, what do you expect? We are professionals and it's about time we are treated as such. This isn't about just about fairness. It's about priorities and administrations clearly need to get theirs readjusted. We all want excellent schools, but this starts with excellent teachers. And you can't ask us to give 110% while struggling to afford to live in the city we serve. A competitive salaries and investment in stability in student outcomes and in the long-term health of this district. In short, if you want to attract and retain the best educators, and you don't want to strike on your hands, you must offer compensation that reflects the true cost of living and the true value of our work. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Kristen Bologonio, you'll come forward.

052Miss Ritter, if you will state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> I'm sorry. And uh I'm sorry, Miss Bolognio will be telephonic. >> Ready to go. Hi, good evening. I'm Susan Nutder. I work at West High School. I'm a special education teacher. 19 years, three years as a pair professional in special education. Uh I came to teaching a little bit later in life. Um, I'm here to remind the school board that I am one of 3,000 educators who every day work to improve the educational outcomes of my students and of all students. My current classroom of 13 students includes freshman, sophomore, juniors, and seniors. I'm a self-contained life skills uh teacher. Uh, each of my students has a unique IEP. Each of the IEPs has between uh five to seven goals.

053Each of those goals has between one to two objectives. And those goals include reading, written expression, math, self-help, life skills, social skills, behavior goals, prevocational skills, history, science, and they're tossed in there as well. Uh, for each goal, data needs to be taken. And at this time, I am the one taking the data. I have had issues with uh being fully um supported by a pair of professional. we've had some issues and it's finally working out, but that's a lot of work for one individual. Uh, additionally, I am um holding meetings, IEP meetings. I'm setting up those appointments because we don't have any clericals any longer. And so, I have to make sure that all parties involved with the IEP are uh able to attend on a day that is agreeable to everyone. Uh we're

054talking anywhere from four to 14 people who will need to come to an IEP meeting. Uh again, that's a lot of work. Uh do I feel valued in my job? Sometimes. Uh my administration is great. Um what I feel lacking is the support of our school board that uh as previous speakers have said we are working very hard to do an excellent job for our students and that is not an issue. What we would like I would like is that first of all that all teachers feel um supported that they are have administrators who believe in them and trust them to do their job and don't micromanage them. Um and to that end I want my work to be valued. I want my time to be valued, my experience, and I want a contract that

055will attract new teachers to come to ASD to stay with us. Uh, and that also rewards the excellence of all of your educators. So, you have the power to do this. I urge you to work with the bargaining teams and make sure that your teachers feel valued, not only by telling them that, but by financially rewarding them. And one little cav uh FYI, it has been about 10 years since I've gotten a little tiny pin that says I've worked for ASD for X number. >> Where are my pins? Thank you. >> Thank you. I do want to touch back to see if Cecilia Tola is in the room. Not seeing anyone standing up. Uh next, coming to the podium, we ask for Lisa Sparrow and Aaron Peterson. And Kristen Delonio is here telephonically. Oh, she's

056not. I'm sorry. She's not online right at the moment. Um, if you will state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> Yep. Uh, Lisa Sparrow. Um, I'm here to speak about the Alaska Reads Act letter that was sent out incorrectly to many families. This letter was required by the state of Alaska to be sent to the parents of K3 students whose teachers did not meet the professional qualifications of the Alaska Reads Act. Unfortunately, the letter was also sent to many families whose teachers had met the Alaska Reads Act qualifications. This letter was sent to families at 5 5 PM on Friday, October 17th, well past the end of the workday. Teachers had no warning or even an idea the letter was being sent. Despite the secrecy, the mistake was known by Saturday,

057but left to fester with no correction till Monday afternoon, almost three days later. The deadline for finishing the classes required by the AK Reads Act was July 1st, 2025. ASD admin has had over three months to build a list of teachers that have not completed the qualifying classes. Before sending out this letter, this is what should have happened. Step one, get a list of teachers who a whose ASD information does not show the required classes. Step two, email those teachers and confirm that they have not taken the classes. Step three, email all teachers a copy of the your teacher is not qualified letter prior to sending it to families. Why send it to everybody? Because teachers need to be in the loop. We need to know what's happening. Step four, send the letter only to

058families of those teachers who have not yet met the Alaska Reads requirements. An action speaks louder than words. The apology letter sent to teachers yesterday had the following wording. As educators, you work tirelessly every day to support our students and help them grow academically and personally. Your commitment, especially in the face of increasing demands and changing regulations, is both valued and deeply appreciated. Well, those are just words, and words are cheap. The actions of the district in this situation and during bargaining do not reflect these sentiments. Again, actions speak louder than words. The district's actions reflect the belief that people are knocking down the door to work at ASD. As of yesterday, there were 57 open positions for elementary classroom teachers only, just elementary classroom teachers. ASD is filling its classrooms with long-term subs and

059teachers in training. Why? Because this district is no longer competitive as at a national or even a state level. Our superintendent says he wants to retain teachers at ASD, but the district's actions are not showing us the money or the respect that we deserve. Just to end, just today on the ASD work session today, I heard that the way ASD reduced vacancies in food services and bus drivers was by offering competitive wages and benefits. Exactly what we are asking for. So, our teachers not worth it. That's what we want. You offer, you gave it to the other workers. We want it too because you can't run your schools without us. Thank you for your testimony. Jessica Schwarz will please come forward and Miss Peterson, if you'll state your name for the record. You have three

060minutes. Um, >> hello. My name is Angry and I am Aaron Peterson. Oh, wait, no, switch that. Um, I'd like to point out some contradictions. Isn't it a contradictions that the school district has no money for teachers yet they went and bought their upper management and directors new F150 and Bronos Sports to drive around in? Isn't it a contradiction that there is a sub shortage and yet upper management refuses to substitute once a month? Isn't it a contradiction that the teacher student ratio is calculated with certificated staff who don't even see students? This includes the management who hold certificates but are not in the classroom. Isn't it a contradiction that you have fire marshals patrolling this room for capacity, yet if you had them walk into any building in this district that they would find

061many rooms over capacity and unsafe? Maybe something to do with that last contradiction. Isn't it a contradiction that when positions funded by federal grants are cut, ASD quickly reallocates savings to save those positions? positions that do not alleviate class sizes while classroom teachers are not prioritized and cut. Now, I'd like to talk about things that are amazing. Isn't it amazing that management pats themselves on the back when a new curriculum or program rolls out, giving teachers a square block that they fit think fits in a square hole, and teachers are desperately yelling at them that it's rainbow, pentagonal, oblong, triangular, organic shaped. And now teachers are spending hours reshaping that block so that it does fit. And management thinks they're the ones who deserve credit. Isn't it amazing that there's no time for retakes, makeups,

062or extra help, and teachers haven't have taken it upon themselves to give up their lunch period to fill this need, and that they haven't screamed and yelled and cried from the top of their lungs. Isn't it amazing that this Jenga tower with a base of teachers slowly being pulled out one by one with a top remaining fully intact and driving around Ford Broncos hasn't completely collapsed on itself already, isn't it? >> Thank you for your testimony. Again, I am going to ask people to limit applause so that we can hear from everybody that signed up tonight. And if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. Um, and I'll ask Ashley and I'm sorry, Brandy Pistol to come forward. >> But please go ahead. >> Good evening. My name is Jessica Schwarz.

063I'm the parent of two students at Fire Lake Elementary. My son is in second grade this year, but it is his sixth year in ASD schools. He was enrolled in special ed preK as a three-year-old at Tarmaggan. Then we moved to Eagle River where I advocated for him to attend Ravenwood Elementary Sped PreK for two years over Birwood ABC where we were zoned for. The Birwood program is not special needs friendly. I'm appreciative of the early intervention provided through sped prek. We finally settled into our neighborhood school at Fire Lake when he started kindergarten in fall of 2023. My son's absolutely thriving at Fire Lake in so many ways. He receives all the supports needed identified in his IEP. staff and peers all know, embrace, and enjoy him. And he's exhibited independence that quite frankly

064in his early years we weren't sure he was going to have. These um are all great outcomes thanks to the supportive environment Fire Lake exudes. Socially, he's made many close friends, often having playdates outside of school. Academically, last year, he received awards for highest math and highest reading accomplishment in his first grade class. just last week what he received um an award they called a true Firebird award which celebrates respectfulness, safness, kindness, and being responsible. And just yesterday I received a call directly from Principal Inch telling me that he got caught being good. Fire Lake celebrates so much more than academics. In my opinion, huge factor that plays into all his success is the community engagement, encouragement of family involvement, and school spirit that Fire Lake enriches students with. He's so proud to be a

065Firebird. There's constantly spirit weeks, after school activities, family nights, fundraisers, etc. So far this year alone, we participated in the running club, Jamberee, family movie night, and most recently pumpkin carving. Last year, we watched the school play, which he's already shown interest in participating in. Carnivals are great, too. All the events we've been to have been popular and well attended. The only complaint my son has brought home is that when he's trying to work on an assigned task, his class can be loud or, as he says, cause chaos. that will naturally occur when you have 29 students in your class, but it doesn't have to be that way. Fire Lake provides students with great foundational skills and encourages characteristics they'll be able to carry with them as they develop into well-rounded, productive citizens in our

066community. I also have a daughter um who's grown to love the school even before she formally set foot in her kindergarten class just a couple months ago. She was able to tag along to all the aformentioned events and she had already found a home away from home in the welcoming space that Fire Lake provides. She's grown a fond attachment to Fire Lake. And just last week, she earned an award of highest math achievement in her class. And I expect she'll thrive just as much as my son has. To this day, I've not had one time a problem getting either child out the door, out the door, excuse me, so early in the morning because they don't want to go to school. My maybe because they're tired, but not because they don't like Fire Lake. Speaks

067volumes. Fire Lake is a great environment. Um, and then they also last week both received perfect attendance awards for the first uh quarter of the school year. I know both children do great at and love their home neighborhood school, Fire Lake Elementary, and I do too. Please consider these thoughts when submitting your vote. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. If Ashley Kier Canter Giani can come forward and if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> Uh, my name is Brady Castelloo. Um, good evening everyone. Hopefully you guys are having a good day. Um, I am a proud parent of a Lotus Elementary student. I'm here tonight because Lake Otis is not just a school. It's a lifeline for children, families, and a community that depends on it. Leotus

068is a title one school that serves on incredible diverse group of students. From families from facing economic challenges to those in more affluent households. What makes this school special is how it brings everyone together. Inside these walls, every child is treated with dignity, compassion, respect, no matter what their background is. One of the programs that makes Legotis as so valuable is the 21st century community learning program. Um, this program gives students a safe structure and enrichment space before and after school. for working parents as a lifeline providing academic support, emotional guidance and opportunities for children to grow beyond the classroom. My child participates in this program and I can personally say it has made a tremendous difference helping build confidence, curiosity and a true love for learning. that God also provides is actually pro proudly

069serves students in life skill programs who depend on stability, consistency and strong relationships with trusted teachers and staff. For these children, familiarity isn't just a comfort, it's a critical um crucial to their emotional and developmental growth. Moving them to another school would not only disrupt their progress, it would cause setbacks that takes years to rebuild. I understand that a district is exploring ways to address declining enrollment and better use for space, but Lake Otis is already serving its community in a meaningful way. Our teachers are engaged, our families are involved, and our programs are thriving. This school is functioning exactly as community school should, providing academic excellence, emotional support, and opportunities to go beyond test scores. Over the weekend, my daughter started to cry when she heard her school might close. Through her tears, she

070said, "Mommy, if I can't if you can't help people realize my school is important and they close it, I'll have to go somewhere else." That broke my heart because for her, Leotus isn't just a school. is where she feels safe, seen, and loved. Please don't take that away from her or from any children who depend on this place. Leotus isn't a lowcapacity school. It's full of heart, full of promise, and full of potential. I ask you to keep our school open and allow it to continue shaping the lives of the children who need it the most. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Lindsay Watson will come forward and if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> My name is Ashley Kerjiani and I'm a proud parent of a

071third grader, Michael, at Fire Lake Elementary. When Michael first started kindergarten, he was a challenging kid. He struggled with anxiety and didn't even want to walk through the school doors. But the teachers and staff at Fire Lake met him with patience, consistency, and love. They built his confidence, and today as a third grader, he's flourishing. not only walking proudly into that school every morning, but thriving academically and socially. His grades are above above average, and that growth is directly because of the environment and pe people at Fire Lake. Closing the school now would be deeply disruptive. Not just for Michael, but for many children who have found a place where they feel supported and can succeed. For kids who struggle, for families seeking stability, moving to a new school with unfamiliar routines and staff, it's

072not healthy. Fire Lake is a community, one with proven strength with the only structured learning classroom program in Eagle River area and children who rely on continuity and trust relationships. The new housing development, Carol Creek, is currently underway. The land is being prepped and utilities have been installed. Closing the school before the school neighborhood populates before the new neighborhood populates is shortsighted. Those students would be walking to school and no transportation costs would be needed. When we are looking at saving money, we should also do what's best for students. Having a neighborhood school directly up the hill from them is so beneficial to them. A large subdivision in Eagle River called Powder Ridge is only 1.4 miles from Fire Lake. However, these students are based four miles north to bust four miles north to Birwood

073ABC. Had boundary lines been adjusted and updated on a regular basis over the years. Fire Lake would have the third highest enrollment with the Eagle River area and the second highest if you only neighborhood students. Logic would be that students should have the shortest bus route to get to school. And the biggest irony of this is that these residents come to Fire Lake Elementary as their polling location. So they come to us to vote but not send their students to school. I understand Eagle River Academy, Eagle Academy Charter School needs a better space than they have. The administration explained to the staff at Fire Lake that they tried to make Eagle Academy fit with Birchwood ABC. The reason they said they don't fit isn't a space issue. There's plenty of room within the building. They

074don't fit because the charter school was created by families who wanted to separate from Birwood. grown adults in two very similar programs of schools can't get along with each other to reside within the same building. If this scenario was involving children, we'd be having a conversation about how to get along, how people can have various opinions, and it's their right. But at the end of the day, they need to work together and do so respectfully. These adults need to grow up and learn how to work together because the administration feels they can't. We are tearing apart a very bonded school community of both general education and sped students. Our children's education and our community future matter. Please don't close Fire Lake. keep this goal open for Michael, for all the children, for the families, and

075for our youth's future. Like I said the first time, ASD, do better and be better. >> Thank you for your testimony. If Ariel Van Fleet will come forward, and you have three minutes, you'll state your name for the record. >> Lindsay Watson. Good evening. I'm an English teacher and department chair at South and I'd like to use my time to offer a realistic glance into what's happening in your local schools. This year, like last year, I have over 160 students in my advanced classes. Imagine what it's like to teach 33 freshmen how to write an essay. In a 55minut class, let's say I spend 20 minutes going over the day's objectives, modeling how to write the paragraph they're working on, and answering questions. That leaves me with 35 minutes to help 33 students. But teaching

076writing is individualized. A student might come to me and say, "I don't know what else to add to my paragraph." to help. I have to read what they've written and then ask them questions until they figure out what to do. That takes five minutes. Now I have 30 minutes to help 32 students. The bell rings and I've helped a quarter of my class. What this leads to is weeks of me arriving at 8 a.m. before my contract hours and finding students waiting for me. At lunch, which is supposed to be duty-free, 30 students show up. I had lunches during this process where I never even got to sit down, much less eat. Then I have students come after school and stay for help until 4:30. Again, well beyond my contract hours. By the end of

077the writing process, we are all exhausted. But now I have to grade all of those essays. Last year, when I had the same number of students and taught the same classes, I did the math. I multiplied my total number of students by the number of essays they write by the average time it takes me to grade those essays. It came to 126 hours of grading. That's over three weeks of grading that I do at home. I don't have time to grade essays at school. During my conference period, I'm grading quizzes and tests and written responses. I'm creating slideshows and updating Canvas and Q. I'm answering parent emails, making copies, and writing letters of recommendation. No, the essays go home and get graded on the weekends at the expense, by the way, of my family. I

078wish this was just my problem, but it's not. We have chemistry teachers trying to run labs with over 30 students, math teachers teaching algebra 2 in classes of 36, and a history teacher trying to teach economics with 40 students in the room. In 21 years of teaching, I've never seen anything this dire. Teachers deciding whether to teach writing or see their children. Teachers deciding between safety or labs. Teachers deciding between project-based group work or mere lecture. Our student loads are unreasonable, our workload unsustainable, and our stress levels unimaginable. The only way to reduce our class sizes is to hire more teachers. But who wants to work here when they can make more money in Matsu? How can you attract new teachers if they can work in Oregon or Washington and not only have higher salaries,

079but also pensions? As long as our class sizes continue to rise and ASD fails to offer competitive salaries to attract new teachers, we will continue to be set up for failure. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Erin Peterson, if you'll come forward and Miss Vanble, if you'll state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> Okay. I'm Ariel Vanble Vleet and I am here speaking about Fire Lake Elementary School and why it should not be closed. My son is a fifth grader in Miss Freeborn's SLC class and I cannot imagine that he would be anywhere near where he is today if it was not for the way the community at Fire Lake is crafted. There is a level of community there that we have not I have not seen personally in

080the schools that my other child has attended. There's a true family built around that entire sped program. Those children belong in a way that I can't imagine replicated in another facility. We went through this last year and every reason remains the same for why Fire Lake should remain open. And I cannot for the life of me understand how we're back here when nothing has changed. The only thing that has changed is that the development being built is further along than it was a year ago. And I just these are the most vulnerable children in our community. These are the ones that need stability more than any other group. They need to be able to count on the people around them. And taking that away doesn't benefit anyone. On paper, it might make sense that Fire

081Lake is the school to focus on, but if you're out there, it's unbelievable. They deserve so much better than we are giving them. They say cats have nine lives, and I am now curious to see how many lives Firebirds have because they deserve more than we're giving them. Thank you for your testimony. Chelsea Ambrose and Kenna Willis, if you'll come forward. I do want to check again if Cecilia Tofola is in the room. I'm seeing you. One of you will state your name for the record. You have three notes. >> Hi, my name is Chelsea Ambrose. I'm an art educator at Concaid and Goddesswood elementary schools. Long time no see. Being an art teacher is best. I get to work with every student in my schools. Do you know what it's like to teach an

082art lesson in an elementary life skills or self-contained classroom? I love these students. They're creative. They have a vision for their art. They push the boundaries of what their art is supposed to look like to create completely unique and holistic pieces. They can be challenging to teach. Changes in routine can throw them way off. Often difficult for them to self-regulate. Not always easy teaching. I've had things thrown at me. I've been kicked and kicked and spit on. And even when these students are self-regulated, I usually wish I had an extra set or two of arms to keep someone from eating something, make sure no one is getting into the materials on my cart, all while delivering highly differentiated instruction. Taping down paper for a student in a wheelchair. Choosing which specialized scissors of my eight

083varieties meet a student's needs. Grabbing an adaptive grip so student can paint hold a paintbrush independently. While I'm praising hard work, giving artistic choices, gluing hand overand with the student. It's not easy. I still love it so much. It's just one example of the everyday challenging realities in the classroom. Today, I looked at the Matsu salary schedule. Now, I hesitate to even say these numbers aloud because I love Anchorage schools and I know our students deserve quality educators. I don't want to let the secret out, but if I taught in the Matsu, I would make $6,000 more a year. Then I looked at the salary schedule in Evergreen School District, Washington State. A good friend in my MAT program teaches there. Started the same year, both on the far right side of the salary schedule.

084Do you know how much more she makes every year? $21,000. $21,000 a year. What's keeping me here? I love Alaska. I love teaching. But if I can be paid over $21,000 more a year to deal with the same hardships that come with postcoid teaching with class size caps to avoid that class of 31 first graders while getting adequate healthcare contributions and a defined benefit. I'm tier three. What's keeping me and all of these educators here? If we have any semblance of hope of retaining educators to provide the level of learning our students deserve, we must get a fair and competitive contract. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. And if Chase McCaulay will come forward and Miss Willis, if you'll state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> Thank you. Hello.

085Um Kenna Willis. I teach first grade at a Title One school in Mountain View. Today I want to tell you about my classroom. It feels spacious. It's organized, clean, and has an intentional use of space. I have 30 cubbies in three rows of 10, big enough to hold students notebooks or perhaps a pair of gym shoes. Last year, I used the top row for extra snow gear and supplies that I keep for students in need. We have a large rug with many colored smiley faces for students to sit during whole group instruction. On the back counter sits a shelf for student mailboxes where we put important papers to take home. We have a small classroom library full of books for during uh extra reading time, building confidence, stamina, and a love of literacy. I use

086our small group table for pulling students who need extra support. And in the back of the room, we have a calming corner desk, which students regularly use when they need a quiet space to regulate themselves. This year, all 30 of my cubbies are occupied by each of the 30 students in my class. That means that outside of their backpack, students have a 12 by3 in space for their belongings. School supplies, hats, gloves, pencil boxes, etc. If I were to get even one more student, I'm curious where it would be suggested that they put their belongings. The hooks anchored below the cubbies that hold coats and backpacks are first come, first serve because there's not even 30 of them, and students often have to share hooks and move each other's belongings. Our small group table in

087the back, which has seating for five to six students, often has 10 students huddled around. Because with 72% of my students being categorized as well below in academics, so many are unable to work independently or require higher supervision due to disruptive behaviors. This means that I am usually unable to provide the level of attention and support to my higher need students that they truly need. Three weeks into the school year, one sweet six-year-old girl was crying and upset because I couldn't reach her in time to give positive feedback and a special stamp on her worksheet. Something that was unintentional but completely heartbreaking. With 30 students in one classroom, you can probably imagine how loud the classroom can get at times, which means activities meant to be quiet, like independent reading time or use of the

088classroom library is non-existent this school year. as it takes substantially more time to review expectations, allow 30 students to select books and find somewhere in the room to sit than it does for say 20 students. A few weeks ago, as the number of students continued growing, I replaced my 24 slot organizer with student mailboxes for one with 28 slots. Now that I'm at 30, I had to replace the shelf a second time using Facebook Marketplace where I found one with 36 slots. Our student curriculum books are in what we call book boxes, lined up edgeto edge, all along the back counter. If I were given one more student, I am unsure um where it would be suggested that their curriculum materials be stored. My comment earlier about my classroom being spacious, that was before adding

089two additional tables to account for the growing number of students. I now have seven full tables that seat four students each and two extra desks, which means my common corner desk, as of last week, it's gone. Uh assigned to another new student. Even with visual reminders for each students of their allotted space, there's just not enough room. So, I'm constantly reminding students to pull themselves all the way in and feet forward. They're learning to not fair to families and it's not fair to educators. >> Thank you for your testimony. Um, Sherry Snag, I'm not sure if I'm saying that right. And Chase McCaulay, if you will state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> I'm fine with this. You want to get close to the microphone? >> I'm Chase McCauley. Here are

090my reasons to keep Far Awake open. >> My favorite teachers are there. He gets his flu shot there. >> They taught me how to make friends. >> Um, Chase is on the autism spectrum. He doesn't like bugs. And when he was a student there, they let him keep a fly swatter in each of his classrooms. >> I miss Farwig. >> And please keep it open. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Acra Aera Angland, if you will come down and if you'll state your name for the record. You have three minutes. >> My name is Sher Smay. I am a staff member at Fire Lake Elementary. I also can consider myself a parent to 194 beautiful, talented, and wonderfully special students of Fire Lake Elementary. I am advocating for these because they are what

091matters. On October 7th, during a school board work session, there was data provided to you board members by the administration discussing zone exemptions in Eagle River Schools. There's copies for each of you. The issue I saw immediately was inaccurate data. If you read the first table labeled Fire Lake students, you'll see a total number of students is 246. While I wish we currently had that many students, we don't. Birwood does. And if you look at the table for Birwood, you'll see they are sitting at 188 students. Fire Lake's current elementary is 194. As of next Wednesday, Wednesday, it'll be 198. Board members, you need facts and accurate data to make very tough decisions. How can you make such decisions when giving inaccurate information? I was told Birwood has a very high percentage of students who

092zone exempt into their school. The best I can deduce by looking at the tables is the names Fire Lake and Birwood should be swapped both in the titles and within the table. Meaning the table titled Fire Lake Elementary, it's actually Birwood and the highlighted in green showing 160 students zone for that school. It's Birwood's data leaving 86 students who zone exempt in. Please understand, I'm not saying Birwood should go away as a school. I feel that Birchwood should be a school families can lottery into. 86 families, if the data is accurate, already drive their students there. I've also provided you with a document showing the boundary lines for Birwood. If we can assume that 160 students live within that boundary, I can tell you for certain that 79 of those students live within the community

093called Powder Ridge. They are highlighted in green. The remaining zone of Birchwood is highlighted in yellow. With the massive yellow area, there's only 81 students who attend their neighborhood school. The density of students is within a tiny section of their boundary. We pay transportation cost to bust those students in Powder Ridge 4 miles each way to school when Fire Lake is 1.4 mile drive. Birchwood was proposed several years ago to be shut down. I don't feel that that was the right decision either. I think they should have been made into a lottery school. They don't follow the standard ASD curriculum. They are an ABC school acting as a neighborhood school. The Eagle River community doesn't need right sizing. It needs a logical look at boundary maps and updating things that haven't been touched in decades.

094The administration explained they are doing an analysis of our district from a 30,000 ft level to not burden principles with the stress of providing right sizing data. While I can understand that, I also know that it's the boots on the ground that can provide often the best information. My boots are on the ground along with so many families and co-workers as we advocate. We are on a very swift deadline. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. If Shardai Washington will come forward and if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> Hi, good evening board members and Dr. Bryant. Um, don't worry, I'm not here to talk to you about my dental care today. Um, but thank you for listening to my testimony last time. Um, I did get my

095bill that was about $780. [Music] Um, but today I am uh talking as an A.E.A. member. And I wanted to share something that happened in my class, my pre-alggebra class last uh yesterday actually. Um, I had to adjust some seating charts due to a new accommodation outlined in a 504 plan. And while I was handing out papers, I noticed one of my students was sitting very far end of their table um away from their other tablemate. When I approached the student simply said, "I don't like them." In that moment, I braced myself for what could have easily turned into conflict. But something remarkable happened at that time. Instead of reacting with anger or frustration, the other student calmly engaged in conversation and together with a little guidance from me, both agreed to find a way

096to move forward from past experiences. It was a small but powerful reminder of what respect looks like in action. Students learn this because educators like myself and the ones behind me model it every single day. We teach communication and empathy and problem solving. I for sure do that in a pre-alggebra class. Um, and then my friend Jill back there definitely teaches essays. Uh, we do so with professionalism, patience, and care even when the environment around us doesn't always extend those same values back. Aea educators aren't asking for special treatment. We're asking for the same respect we model in our classrooms. Respect in how we're represented from the district to our families and how staffing decisions are made and how our work is supported and compensated. We strive to create spaces where students feel seen, valued,

097and safe. We simply ask that the district create that same environment for the professionals doing this essential work. So when educators say expect respect, not a slogan, it's a standard. One that I live by every day and one that I hope the district will honor and in sorry will honor in return. Thank you so much for your time. >> Thank you for your testimony. Um I do want to let the board know we're coming up on the end of our an hour of testimony, but we have four more people on the list. Without any objection, we'll finish the list. Um, I keep looking over this way. There's nobody there. But if there's no objection, we will finish public testimony during this part of the meeting. Okay. Uh, we will we do have Amanda Thompson after

098Miss Washington. and she's not connected right at the moment, but if she's listening, if you'll dial in if William and um Berter will come down, uh Miss Washington, if you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> My name is Charie Washington. I'm here as a Firebird to fight to save Fire Lake Elementary. I'm a mother to two Firebird alumni and my daughter is currently attending as a second grader. I have a child who benefited and and excels today in large part because of the phenomenal special needs program and culture of inclusivity that is fostered there. In a world where so many things are changing and feeling unsure, sending my daughter somewhere like Fire Lake is paramount to my ability to work 12 long hours as a nurse with peace of mind

099to provide safe care to our community. Because I know she's in an environment where she's loved, known by name, and safe. I know she's with the village, the proverb describes it takes to raise a child. As biased as I am to Fire Lake staying open, I understand the need for compromise and balanced budgets to ensure public school for the future. My query to the board is that before you make the decision to displace 194 kids, teachers, and support staff, have you considered again the ideas and things that still remain true as we have this conversation regarding Fire Lake for the second time? Fire Lake has so much potential for rapid growth. If the district chose to do so, extra space there could be used to meet community needs like lack of child care, adequate child

100care programs with uh within Engle River um and and place programs like Campfire Back at Fire Lake as the staff has repeatedly advocated for. There's two communities being built within miles of Fire Lake. The current weight list for living on base is one and a half years. Eagle River is a desirable community for military families and the movement of those military families there will highly likely c cause increase in enrollments. Fire Lake actually already had an increase in the number of kindergarters this year. I think it's prudent to still consider the financial and sensitive sens implications of busing 79 children from Powder Ridge four miles away to their zone school of Birwood ABC instead of 1.4 miles to Fire Lake Elementary. I won't pretend to be an expert on the barriers of implementing creative problem

101solving that involve solutions other than just closing schools. But I consider myself an experienced critical thinker which makes me think with all these persistent considerations that apply to fire lake that were pre previously enough for you to decide it should continue to remain the pillar of the community that it is what has changed or declined that you would reach a different conclusion than you did last time which was the correct conclusion. I don't envy your position and I pray that God gives you peace, clarity and strength as you endeavor to do what is right. Also, side note, please pay teachers whatever it is that they're asking for because it's still not going to be enough. Thank you. >> Thank you for your testimony. Uh William Baxter and then Alicia Buzz Bus. And Miss Thompson is

102still not online. Okay, we will come back to Miss Thompson after this testimony. If you'll state your name for the record, you have three minutes. >> I'm William Daxter. I'm from Anchorage and uh uh uh Taylor is a FFA person. She's the only one in the state that's doing it. She's a state advisor and she she told me one time, you know, you got to go to her to if you want FFA. You got to go to her because it is, you know, they it's very I see FFA people out there, they work very really hard. They work harder than the uh uh the coaches for a basketball team, football team all together. And another thing I do is I I I mean I was at the uh uh uh outdoor uh council event convention

103this thing and this guy over here was there too and I and there were thousands of people here there. I'm walking around with FFA shirt on and 4A shirts like I do. And I went to the uh the native uh convention for three days. I walk around there too. I saw and when I was at the uh the uh the the uh the outdoor convention uh uh uh the representative uh Nick Nick Pickage was there and I shake his hand. I've had like seven counters with him. I even gave gave him a a bumper sticker one time and uh and before he had five encounters with him before he ever got elected and I saw and uh Miss Lisa McCowsky there I go I go to uh her uh her uh see uh Katrina her

104uh one of her people that work for her. I go and and and uh Monday I go see uh Rick at uh for uh uh Nick Begage and I I I do a lot of this stuff. I do I go around every place. I go around everybody. I go through through thing and I've my another thing is that happens to me is when somebody uh I go to a place and I'm tall and I got big cowboy hat on and people will will uh uh get nervous. I had a a in a a bank one time. This lady was so nervous when I walked in a thing and a lot of I'm very powerful emotionally. They be and she couldn't even she couldn't even operate their stuff. She had to go get the manager to

105go get it. Thank you. Thank you for your testimony. Alicia Busk. Okay. You'll state your name for the record. You have three minutes. Thank you. Uh my full name is Francesca Alicia Buick. Um parent at uh the Anchorage School District. Also former alumni Anchorage School District, graduated 2000. Currently have one student at Fire Lake Elementary um testifying and speaking on behalf of Right Sizing Fire Lake. Um, first and foremost, thank you board members for hosting us and Jared, thank you so much for your time um and your attention to all these community concerns. Um, I'm very thankful to be here to be able to testify tonight. It was a lot of logistics just to be here and I'm sure for everyone it is as well. So being here being present um is a huge evidence

106of how important our students are, how important our community is, and how important what you do is, and how we can share our information with you. Um, currently, this is now the third time Anchorage School District has proposed to close a school that my children attend. Um, I rolled up my sleeves and I said I would get involved and went down a rabbit hole of information and found that once upon a time ago, Fire Lake Elementary School was imparted to the Anchorage School District through what's called the Heritage Land Bank. And the Heritage Land Bank is a tool that is used in order to hold on to land and help to determine its purpose. Uh my background is commercial real estate brokerage and residential real estate. Um and one of the things we learn about

107are the usage of land and so the usage of land for the housing development next to the school was contingent upon that school being a public school. So it is documented in the Anchorage School District municipal uh documents as well as the land use permit. It is also an Anchorage municipal law that says there's stipulations as to how the land is to be used. I've sent that information over. I'm going to encourage you all to review it again. I'm more than happy to review that with you. Um when I spoke to Heritage Land Bank, they advised us to speak to the municipal lawyers and to go ahead and ensure the Anchorage School District is making the right choice. And I know these choices are not easy. None of these choices tonight and none of these

108conversations and testimony is easy for anyone. Um, but I encourage you to look at the legal aspects of the requirements that are required for the land use for the housing development as well as Fire Lake Elementary. Um, our school will be continuing to testify and provide information, provide facts, details, but I know no matter what, these decisions are not easy. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you for your testimony. Want to check to see if Miss Thompson is connected. Okay. And Cecilia Tofola. >> Okay. Um, Miss Thompson, if you're able to unmute and testify. >> Good evening. My name is Amanda Thompson. I am a ESG teacher and a charter school board member, but I'm speaking on my own behalf tonight. And thank you all for, you know, all your communications on so

109many issues that affect me and my two children. everything from snow snowstorms to so many other things. Shout out to the ASD communications team for their creativity. Um, I saw this while I was at King Tech um, especially and just thank you administration and board for giving us direct info on things such as testing progress in the district. And of course, this compiles right with Alaska State statute 14.3120, which is really about education planning and public reporting. The districts need to file and make available both public annual reports. So, thanks for all the information that you give us on that. um devote a lot of time, right, to make those that information um front and center for parents. And you didn't do that through the individual school principles. We're doing this all together so we're

110all on the same page here in this meeting and having it live streamed so people all around, right, can see that information. So, thanks so much for letting us know these things firsthand. Really, my question tonight is, you know, how can charter school boards communicate with you better before and during this right sizing process? How can charter school boards and parents with students in short-term buildings communicate more clearly with you? Um, and just, you know, if you're familiar with the OCA statute that's regarding to really parents being informed, so 14.03.16 03.16 that parents have a right to direct the education of their children and that districts need to have parent involved policies for this. Um, and you've done a great job of adopting right adopting those policies in consultation with parents and teachers to make

111those policies. But really what I'm sensing is the question is just how can we have better board-to-board communication about the right sizing process instead of relying on board to charter school administration communication. My daughter's high school has done an awesome job with their clear and transparent communication policy. Honesty builds trust that they promote open, consistent, honest communication to strengthen trust and collaboration. I love that statement. And so how much more important it is for charter school parents to really have those first conversations when you head into right sizing. Um isn't it important to really have that input for my children's charter school has 500 students. They have all those parents. And so I just um leave with that question and just look forward to having good communication as we go into future right sizing. Thanks

112so much. Thank you for your testimony. And check one more time for Cecilia Tafala. Uh not seeing her. That concludes everyone that has signed up to testify this evening. Um I'm going to take a 10-minute comfort break for the board and we will reconvene at 7:52. At 7:54, I'd like to call this meeting back to order. We still have our members online. Members are seated once again. We are now at section E, the consent agenda. Can I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> Mr. Chair absent any member who wishes to pull an item from the consent agenda. I move to approve the agenda as drafted. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Um moved by President Jacobs, seconded by member Lessons. Uh the consent agenda is before you. And I will

113ask Miss Sullivan to call the role. >> Member Donley. I'm sorry, Student Representative Madison. >> Yes. Member Donley. >> Yes. >> Member Higgins. >> Oh, yes. >> Member Lessons. >> Yes. >> Member Wilson. >> Yes. >> Member Hollivan. >> Yes. >> Jacobs. >> Yes. >> We have approved the consent agenda. That brings us to section F, action items. Item one is memorandum 061. >> Mr. Chair, I move to approve ASD memorandum number 061, award of professional services agreement gak high school CTE design with the recommended action to execute a professional services agreement with MCG Explore Design in the amount of $129,185 for 15% concept design documents for the Chugak High School CTE design. >> Is there a second? >> Moved by President Jacobs, seconded by member Higgins. Is there any discussion? >> Mr. Chair, my

114hand is raised. May I speak? >> Thank you. I I ra I spoke to this issue uh two weeks ago at our meeting and shared that I believed that it's only about the allocation of $129,000 or so, but it raises complicated questions. um essentially that I haven't seen documentation that design work approved by voters um in April of 2024 on the bond actually included um the funds to uh to do this work. When I asked for help in locating that bond language, I was told that the bond language was in fact for the roof and structural project, not in short for the Chiaak High Schoolmies of Anchorage design as proposed here. I think it's really relevant because things have fundamentally changed over um recent days, weeks, months and uh the past year and a half.

115Um, so since the master plan for themies was approved in June and actually going back to since uh before that the the bond was approved in April of 2024 before themies of Anchorage were approved uh by the board um really but since since July um since those design bids were received ASD has lost all funding for themies of Anchorage and as I shared at the last meeting the letter recently written by Alaska's congressional delegation asserted that the loss of the grant funding will mean that 10 of the 25 CTE pathways will be scaled back or eliminated. Um this could have bearing on CTE opportunities at Chooak certainly will have bearing on on opportunities districtwide. So at the end of the day um the fundamental proposition behind the memo I think is well intentioned to update

116CTE space in a timely manner but I think it's it's untimely for for our purposes right now. Um, so I would at this point like to uh make a motion which is to move to postpone consideration of memo 061 until after the board has received and approved a revised master plan for themies of Anchorage. >> We have a motion. Is there a second? >> I'll second it. >> Motion made by member Wessons, seconded by member Higgins. Uh, member Wessons, would you like to speak to your motion further? >> Um, thank you for the opportunity. I really do want to clarify that this is not an intent to to kill the this proposition. It is an attempt to understand what the future of CTE opportunities is going to look like and needs to look like. But

117I think we need a revised um master plan for themies of Anchorage before that can happen. We also probably should pass a budget, but right now I'm only uh suggesting that we um condition this upon passage of that master plan. Back in May of 2025, there was an email sent out to district stakeholders. Board members were looped into that email and it did share at that time that uh a master plan 2.0 was in the works and could be delivered this fall. Um I I don't know what the status of that is, but perhaps the administration can comment. Um in short, this is simply postponing to a a time certain when I don't really have the time certain. >> Thank you, Member Wilson. ASD has been very supportive and provided lots of CTE options for

118students before themies of Anchorage term even came up. And so for me, they're they're not attached. When I talk about CTE and all of our CTE options, I it's part of themies of Anchorage plan, but it is not exclusive and completely attached to themies of Anchorage plan. the themies of Anchorage as as I've always understood it is taking the CTE options that we have already for our students that we will continue to provide so long as um well we've provided them CTE options for many many years and that's helpful when our workforce um and our our companies and industries help participate in that process so that that our students are being provided options that help get them jobs or future opportunities. But CTE has always been part of ASD and I I I don't see

119that changing, but I also don't see that attached to ourmies of Anchorage grant um or the loss of that grant. So I I will not support this amendment. >> Uh member Higgins. >> Yeah, I've got a couple of questions. One is I don't know the time frame of how long this would be delayed. And two, from the administration standpoint, the impact of delaying it in regards to it, I I do understand you, you know, we've got within all of our capital projects and everything else that we've got to do, we got a billion and a half dollars worth of deferred maintenance. Uh so we're swamp. We we do want to make sure that whatever we do for expansion of crew technology though does support themies and I think depending upon what we do in different

120locations that could make a difference and I think that member lessons has a good point there we wanted to make sure that we're it's compatible with what we're trying to accomplish and like I said with the billion and a half dollars with the deferred maintenance who cares right now but where we are because it's so bad so delaying this at some point. Does the administration have any uh big concerns in regards to that? Because this is only the planning part anyway. Uh so it's not like a crisis timing standpoint. >> Superintendent Bryant. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um well, I think the the amendment proposed is well intended. I do have concerns that it might be sending an inaccurate message to the community. And I say that because similar to what um member Wilson shared,

121ASD has been offering CTE courses for decades and we will be offering CTE courses for decades. Um that is something that I intend to do um regardless of whether or not it's tied to a master plan. I would say in a lot of ways CTE is distinct and should and must continue to be a core part of how we do business in ASD. I want to remind the board that amongst our CTE pathway completters, 94% of those students are on track to graduate or they graduate from ASD within four years. And I think there are a lot of really valuable data points, specifically those shared by those in the business community and others that really see CTE as a mechanism not just to improve our graduation rates, but really to help revitalize the future of

122the Alaskan economy. Uh so I don't see any universe where there would not be CTE offered in Chugiak and that would be an administrative call that I'll be making to ensure that it exists in CTE. So I would just caution the board members to realize that if this were postponed or not voted on, we're sending a message that CTE will not be existing in Chooiak and that is not the message that I would like to send. Um Mr. Anderson, with regards to the logistical concern shared by member lessons, do you have a response? >> Sure. Um thank you Dr. Bryant, I just want to talk through real quick what we're even doing. So, the the bond did say it was for structural um and other changes for the building. If you are already going to

123make structural changes to a building, that's the time to go ahead and create spaces and places within that new construction that actually serve an education purpose. Um I'll give I'll give an example. A few years back, uh, well-intentioned people at Chukiak got 3D printers that needed vents that went outside. They didn't have a custom design space that actually allowed that to happen easily. So, there were tubes hanging out the the windows, which, you know, good on them. They they did something to be able to get a 3D printer to work. There used to be a really nice carpety shop at Chugak High School. It was given to our maintenance uh department decades ago and now it is our north anchorage place to do all of our maintenance. We keep plows there. We keep maintenance. We

124keep everything else. There is no wood shop. So if you go to Jugiaak right now um you'll see a huge stack. Kristen and I saw it this week out in the open air getting rained on and that's the wood for their carpentry shop. So this isn't about the word ummies. U just a month or so ago we had a major grant that supported themies and someone with artificial intelligence said scrub all the education grants and look for the word equity. They found one with the word equity in it. They didn't really read through it and find out that it was workforce development and CTE, but they found a word they didn't like, so they canceled it. Well, when we first wrote this Chugiak High School and we put them, it's because the board had approved

125is still CTE. So, we never stopped trying to design future spaces to meet emerging needs. And this is really just one example of that. This is here's the space at Chugak High School. how do we best use this space in the future to be able to support emerging CTE requirements? And I'll tell you, if you go look at their wood shop right now, you'll think they need a space and and you'll believe it really quick. Um because I just saw it this week or last week. Um I I know it used to saymies, this memo says CTE, evenmies was CTE. So, this is a 15% concept of the space and what could you do with it? And then we come back to the board and and we talk about um while we're doing structural repairs,

126let's move a few things around and make it better better fitted for CTE. And I hope that explains what this really is. It's not about themies of Anchorage. It's about education spaces. And do we do we stop creating future education spaces over one word? >> President Jacobs. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I'll just one give kudos to member lessons for raising a really uh timely question with um bringing forward the lens of of how we implement AOA and any CTE work um given the federal uncertainty and given um unpredictability of state funding and future increases. Uh with that said, I think what member Wilson said is where I align, which is that CTE pathways and CTE coursework and um the benefits of those opportunities existed well before um of Anchorage and it's something that

127I deeply value. I think it's something our community deeply values because it was one on one of their goals. uh the current iteration of effectuating that goal for our district ismies of Anchorage. But what I think I'm hearing is that this space can and will operate um regardless as to the future ofmies of Anchorage. And so I I see value in pursuing this at this point. Um, but I think it's always great to bring that lens of uh what partners can we depend on and what partners can't we depend on when we're investing in capital infrastructure related to CTE coursework. Thank you, >> Member Higgins. Well, >> I guess I'm I'm going to disagree with the superintendent that the the message here is that we're not supporting crew technology. I think that's an unfair assessment

128of what's being said. Uh we're just trying to make sure that it's coordinated in there. I've been involved with career technology when the administration didn't want to expand it and got a bond through. Uh and so I I I I just would disagree with that aspect of it. This is just from a management perspective trying to say are we maximizing the value of what money we have there that's going to benefit as much as possible with the Ummies. And it wasn't any intent here that I see at all other than saying that, you know, it's a fair question. It would like to get more information. So, uh, I just I just don't want a perception out there that that this proposal is in any way trying to undermine career technology that the board members any

129board member is doing that right now because I just don't think that's a fair assessment at all. Any other comments? If not, I'll ask Miss Sullivan to call the role on the amendment. The amendment is to table the motion until after there is uh revised of Anchorage master plan. >> Member Higgins, >> can we put a date on that or something? I mean, that's open-ended like it never ends or something else. if you want to let's postpone it for a month and that way gives a chance to at least look at the assessment or ask for some feedback the administration and therefore because I don't want to delay it indefinitely. I would not want to do that um at all. I think it's just asked for additional information how it connects. >> I would leave

130that to the maker of the motion. >> Uh okay, the floor is open. Um well, thank you for uh the collective feedback. Um I think I designed the motion to be as time certain as I felt possible because there has been no indication from the administration when we will see the master plan for themy's 2.0. So, I would defer my ability to amend that amendment to a response from the administration about when they think a revised master plan might be before us. >> Does the administration want to comment? I >> I would not be able to provide a firm date for the board at this time. Um, but certainly we can commit before the end of the school year. And of course, the sooner the better. Um, to be frank, I'm in storm mode right

131now in terms of our hurricane relief. So, the idea of discussing the master plan within the next couple weeks um feels very um uncertain to me. >> Thank you, member Higgins. >> Well, I'm I'm supported the second and I I want to do it for discussion. I think it has merit. I don't want to delay educational opportunities to any kids that have open-ended type thing. I don't want to see the career technology uh opportunities here be delayed unnecessarily. So um it puts in a difficult spot, but I'm going to recommend against it as a result. >> Any other comments from board members? Seeing none, I'll ask Miss Svin to call the role on the amendment to postpone. >> Student Representative Madison. Yes. Member Higgins. >> Uh, >> no. >> Member Lessons. >> Yes. >> Member

132Donley. >> No. >> Member Wilson. >> No. >> Member Hullerman? >> No. >> President Jacobs? >> No. The motion has failed and the main question is back before us. Uh that is memorandum 061. Is there further discussion before we vote? Seeing no hands on the line, seeing no one at the dis asking to speak, I will ask myself to call the role on ASD memorandum 061. Student Representative Madison, >> yes. Member Donley, >> yes. >> Member Wilson, >> yes. >> Member Lessons, >> no. >> Member Higgins, >> yes. >> Member Hollowin, >> yes. >> President Jacobs, >> yes. >> That motion has carried. That brings us to section G, our non-action items. Uh, member lesson has asked for item number four to be pulled for discussion. Do any other board members wish to pull an

133item for discussion? >> Member Wessons. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I did submit uh I think a total of eight questions in advance. Some of them were fairly specific. So, uh if if I could be indulged in just moving through that list of eight questions. Um that would be fine. Uh if you would like to interrupt me after two to relinquish the floor, that's also fine. So, please just let me know um how you feel about it. But um I wanted to pay close attention to this memorandum which the board saw for the first time Sunday night. Um, it did need to be drafted in a timely manner and I recognize that a lot of hard work has has been put into bringing it before the board uh given the urgency the situation. Um,

134but my first question uh really asks for clarification. Um, in the administration's recommendation and per pertinent facts section of memo 075, eight holdback FTE are described as currently being unfilled. However, under the budget summary on page three, these are specifically described as secondary unallocated. My understanding is that unfilled and unallocated are two different things, but I wanted to ask the administration if there are technical differences between unfilled and unallocated. If you can get a little closer to your microphone. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Did you not hear what I said? >> Uh, no. We couldn't hear Mr. Atliff. >> Oh, Mr. Chair, none of this is coming through online. Please. >> We've never seen the green lights before. We're not sure what's going on. >> Oh. Um, I say you could take a seat at the

135end and use one of those microphones if it's working. Okay, can you hear us now? Kelly lessons. >> Yes, thank you so much. >> Great. Yeah, and you did raise a great point and I think probably technically in the memo should have said unallocated because they are coming out of our unallocated account. At the bottom under the budget summary where it says secondary unallocated, that's the name of the account code that it's coming from. So technically all of our unallocated positions are unfilled, but we could have unfilled positions that are allocated towards specific purposes. In this instance, as they were hold back, they haven't been allocated out to those specific purposes yet. Um, but they are they are unfilled and haven't been given out to schools yet. Um, we could make that correction on the

136next version of the memo if you would like to say unallocated. Um, but um, I think it's kind of semantics at this point. But we do have like as you see like in this you referenced in your question the special ed that is unfilled and we use those in memos and that's you know it's it's a little bit different but all the unallocated would be unfilled. >> Thank you. I guess um sort of as an immediate followup um I think it would be great to connect um with more than sort of 48 hours and maybe uh look at a revised document together. Um my second question, if I might go ahead, is another sort of technical question and it refers to um the last item in the recommendation which seemed to me to assert that

137the board is responsible for the priority action steps, but I think actually the administration has done a great job in explaining priority action steps recently as as they're presented on the technical report and they really do seem to be administrative in nature and that would be another correction or clarification that I think would be merited on a memo, a revised memo if the administration agrees. >> Uh Mr. Gustoson, did you have anything to add? >> We can revise that for the next. >> Great. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Should I just keep working through the quick questions? >> Uh yes, please continue. >> Thank you. Um, so this one is a little bit trickier. So under the pertinent facts section, the memo states that ASD is contractually obligated to retain the eight coaches in their current

138positions for the remainder of the 2526 school year. This is something I'm just not clear about. What is or like where would I find where would anyone find ASD's contractual obligation to retain these employees in their current positions? Is it different than being a normal AEA employee because these are grant these were grant funded? Can can you speak to that please? Superintendent Bryant. >> Yeah. Uh through the president member lessons great question. And I'd like to have uh our chief human resources officer clarify. >> Our academy coaches are A.E.A. members. So they have all the contractual rights in the collective bargaining agreement with AEA. They are under contract for the year. So at this point, we couldn't release them from their position and from employment with the district. We do have some flexibility in reassigning

139them to other positions. Um, so and I can understand from the wording here where that that's a little bit confusing, but really the the contractual obligation is just to keep them under employment for this school year. >> I think that that's what I understood and I think there's a statutory requirement there as well that we we've talked about these deadlines. So, thank you for that clarification. And I think that's something that I' I'd like to maybe circle back with the administration just sort of reason before this becomes an action item. Um the next question was um sort of sort of speaks to our earlier conversation. It seemed to me to really allude to the administration's recommendation as being necessary to sustain the master plan for themies of Anchorage. And as I shared earlier, my my

140concern is rooted in sort of the need for something updated. Um, so my request and maybe the administration can just respond briefly is is whether we could work on that language um in a revised version of this memo >> through the president member lesson. Could you repeat that one more time? My apologies. >> Yeah. So I mean this was the the question is that under pertinent under the pertinent back section the the memo alludes to the administration's recommendation as being necessary to quote sustain the master plan for themies of Anchorage and to paraphrase what I sent o over email ahead of time I'm concerned that it doesn't by saying that we want to sustain the master plan for themies of Anchorage that doesn't um I don't know nod to the urgency of updating themies of

141Anchorage master plan in a timely manner. So I guess I'm concerned about the word sustain and I would be happy to help collaborate on something that's maybe not that word moving forward. So I wanted to flag that for your attention and ask whether that's something that you're willing to work with. >> Absolutely. Member lessons, we're happy to clarify that. And just as a high level, really the intent of this is to really protect the progress that we've made with regards to themies, but more broadly our push towards um offering opportunities for CTE and that sort of thing. Uh and the alternative would have been to reassign those individuals into positions possibly at other schools, possibly in content areas that they hadn't taught before, possibly in areas that they're not certified for. So, the intent here

142was really to give those educators um vital opportunities to consider other positions because I do recognize that it's within the the board's authority to decide whether to um divest some or perhaps entirely from themies of Anchorage that um squarely falls with the board. But I'd like to give them time to brace for that reality that will finalize going into February. That's a high level um what the intent was and we're happy to clarify um anything that um may perhaps give the board pause as you consider approving this memo. >> Great. Thank you so much for that. Um I think you know in that same spirit um I was a little bit unclear under the um section about evidence about what touch points were. I've heard this referenced a few times. you know, uh, one or

143two meetings ago, we had a community member sort of make sure that we we understood the need for acronyms to be understood. And, um, I recognized that that some time ago, we heard, uh, the word touch point as a reference to themies of Anchorage. Um, and it's sort of a conglomeration of hiring events and field trips, speed networking, panels, competitions, industry expos, kind of all of the above, all of the interactions that we've had. And I just um I would like to see more clarity uh in a section that's labeled evidence. Um so again, I guess my request would be um happy to work with the administration on on something that's a little bit more clear than the current reference to touch points. Um I was really concerned and again this is about a quest

144for accuracy. Um there is a specific reference to a 7% increase of uh freshmen being on track for graduation. And if I were to channel my own middle school English teacher who made us diagram sentences for about 6 months, um it seemed as though the reference to that 7% was all happening in that 2425 school year. And when I look at the data dashboard, that's that's really not what I see. The data dashboard shows quite clearly that in the comprehensive high schools that the academy coaches worked at, the growth was absolutely there last year in in the 2425 school year, but it was about it was a hair over 2% of that in increase of students on track for graduation. And so, um, I'd love to sit down with the administration and make sure we

145have the right number and the right phrasing, uh, as part of the memo, um, to have the most accurate evidence before the the full board before it becomes, uh, becomes an action item. Um, so I guess I wanted to flag that. I'm happy to pause if there's any comment from the administration. member lessons at a high level. The intent of that sentence was to communicate the the value of the academy coaches and um this was something that was done in collaboration with principles, staff members. I even collected feedback from the superintendent advisory committees. Um it was actually a senior student that reached out to me and let me know that it's her academy coach that informally provides some guidance that are helping her navigate 12th grade. And that's one of the reasons why I didn't

146feel it was prudent to reassign duties or to reassign individuals to different schools. Um, if your concern is the value proposition of the academy coaches, perhaps it's something we could discuss more tonight. Uh, I'm not sure um whether or not we'll be able to provide a robust brief that that describes what what's very clear, which is that across all of the eight high schools, these staff members are adding value. We do understand that the grant has been terminated and will likely be unable to fully fund that work. Um, but it remains to be seen to what extent and really the point here was to give a runway of about 6 months for these educators to wind down operations if the board chooses to divest further from potentially to help transition. Um because one of the

147proposals I do that I would like to make uh in a time for the budget discussions would be different models for implementing this work. Um something I wrote to the board last Friday when I gave a heads up about this memo coming um was that I'm interested in different models where perhaps uh what was known as an academy coach is a you know halftime instructional position and halftime academy coach position or some other variation. To me I felt that would be more appropriate to discuss during the budget development process. not necessarily through this memorandum, which again is really just to protect our progress, sustain these individuals who are making a difference at their high schools. I'm not sure that it would add value to to make this particular memorandum any further, but if you as

148a specific board member would like information as to what the value proposition is for an academy coach, I'd be happy to do so tonight um or perhaps during the the deliberations. >> Thank you. Um I maybe I should have begun by by saying that um I think highly of every one of our educators in ASD and these comments are no by no means directed um against any one individual. Um it is it is really in light of the substantial investment that ASD is the board is being asked to make at just over a million dollars uh as we confront a $75 million plus shortfall for next year. And I appreciate your early proactive thinking about what what a revised um scenario could look like next year. And I understand there's a lot of ground between

149now and then um to address. And I just at this point I wanted to indicate that um I I am not interested at all in discontinuing these individuals service from the academy coach role they currently have. I would however be interested in ensuring that principles have adequate discretion perhaps over the second semester to really direct the work of these folks um as best suits their school needs. Maybe for some schools it is really focused on credit recovery. Maybe for other schools it's focused on decreasing class sizes or um you know working on discipline or working on professional development. I think that the academy coaches have been very nimble and have been asked to do a great deal. I think that um in in a potential substitute memo I was starting to draft earlier today um

150the number that that came to my mind and I'd be happy to talk about this online and then again I mean offline and then again at the following board meeting is essentially continuing in their role for the remainder of this semester this current semester and allowing a principal to direct roughly 08 of that FTE in the second semester. So maybe if a you know and you suggested halftime I I don't know what the right number is but I did want to see if we could allow our principles to have um discretion to say hey I have a talented English or math or science teacher. I need two more sections of this subject or I need some tutoring in that subject. Um I'm interested in allowing our principles to have a little bit more say in

151how those coaches might be used. So um I appreciate um Mr. chair, you allowing me the privilege of working through a number of these questions. Um maybe it's not the best forum, but uh it seemed like a timely uh opportunity to flag a couple of things that were really um concerning me when I first read the the memo. So, I appreciate the administration's responses and um happy to follow up uh shortly uh after the meeting and in coming days. any other comments or questions from board members and I I would um chime in with my own opinion. Um I do appreciate some of the points that member lessons has raised. I I think a key thing is that right now if uh our workforce feels that we're putting every possible person into a classroom that

152we can I mean we we've got issues around what we can pay, how much we can handle for insurance. Uh but certainly one thing that keeps coming up over and over again is case load and the the very large class sizes in all our our levels. Um, and and I know it's it's a tough thing to try to make a change in, but I I do agree that to the degree we can put more people in classrooms and lower our numbers at least a little bit, um, that would be one way of showing respect to um, AA members that that are overloaded without question. Um, with that, if unless anyone else has comments or questions, um, that would conclude our review of the non-action items. That brings us to section H. We do not have

153any additional public comment. Uh, that brings us to our superintendent update. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I'll give the team a moment. I do have a couple of slides that I'd like to show the board. And just to preface this, um really I wanted to use this update as an opportunity for the first time to share directly with the board as to what's been going on um with regards to our um friends in western Alaska who are here as evacuees who were supporting in various ways as an Anchorage community. Um so first off um our hearts are with these families who have gone through a really devastating situation. Um lives are uprooted, homes lost, and our hearts are with them. who are standing strong with our western Alaska families who are here and within

154the Anchorage School District. The best thing I can do is to make sure we welcome every child with open arms into our schools. And I'm just so thankful for all of the people um both here at the DAS um uh also within the staff within our community who really come out to show um that we stand with YK um because this is a time of great need. I I think that many of us are still even processing what does it mean when your community is 90% um eviscerated by a storm that no one saw coming. So, um with that said, this has shown me who we are as Alaskans. And what I appreciate, I know I haven't been here very long, but I've been here long enough to know that when things get tough, like

155we stick together. And I think the past week has really shown me that firsthand. Uh, and I'm just so thankful for everybody who I've gotten to meet and work with these past um, few days or rather about a week. Um, it's making a difference in the lives of these people and it was truly humbling to get to meet many of them personally this week. Uh, so let's go ahead and go to the the first slide. Um, first I want to underscore the the strong partnerships and steady support that that we've had within the Anchorage School District as we take on our role of educating these students impacted by uh the the West Alaska storm. Uh so we opened our emergency operations center shortly after the storm hit the communities about a week ago. And then

156that unlocked opportunities for us to work directly with the mayor's office, with the governor's office, with the Alaska Red Cross, and a number of different agencies across the state and within Anchorage to support these families. Uh, and then, uh, also I'd like for the board to know that in addition to the agencies that are supporting with the crisis response, um, my senior team has been meeting nearly daily with the leadership teams of the lower Kuspakquin School District, which is the school district that was most impacted by the effects of um, Typhoon Halong. And it's really important that we have those conversations because that means between administration to administration, we're understanding who are the students with special needs that we need to support. What are the needs when it comes to translation services, intensive needs, and

157all sorts of other factors. Uh we're also having conversations around staff transition. Um there are a number of teachers that have been impacted by the storm and some of them may choose to reside here in Anchorage for the foreseeable future and some will not. And as we consider those logistics, that's going to inform our planning so we can design our schools to welcome these individuals into our community. More to come there. Um, but we were just um speaking with uh the the superintendent there today to coordinate on a number of different issues. In fact, uh I'll tell you one of them. Um in between meetings, uh I was told that there's a huge need right now at our emergency shelters for translation support. Um for good reasons. They need so much support that it actually

158goes beyond what we're actually even able to offer within ASD. And we want to show up for these families. So, we may not have the people, but I will say that I sent one call out to all the superintendent colleagues and within minutes they were um calling Sven, Colin myself to help coordinate getting translators from communities all over the state here to Anchorage at least for a couple weeks so we can help these families transition. So, even if we don't have the bandwidth, there are resources right here in ASD. I truly feel a lot of collegiality and a lot of support from districts across the state and I want to thank my superintendent colleagues for that. I know that we're all doing more with less and the same is true in the anchored school district

159but this is a moment where we need to meet it and we're going to do that in service of the families impacted by this storm. So let's go ahead and go to the next slide. really um we're we want to provide a community of care to these families. Again, houses were ripped from underneath them. Um they they wouldn't be able to recognize their villages today um from what they were just a couple of weeks ago. There's a lot of fear. You know, as I speak to more families involved in this, there's culture shock. Um some of these families have never been to Anchorage before. Um and they have a lot of concerns and worries. And the best thing we can do is to greet them with a smile and let them know that we're in

160this together and you're not alone when you're in the Anchorage School District. You're with a a community of hundreds of people, um thousands of people that are standing strong for the YK. Um and I I will say personally, I'm really invested in these student stories. I I've been thinking all all week about what it must be like to be in their shoes. And um you know, I I decided that I wanted to to ride the bus with these students on Monday. So, just so you know, um most of these families are housed at the Alaska Airlines Center as well as the Egan Center. And at least one thing we can do to support these families is to make sure that we have a school bus that's there at the shelter in the morning to make

161sure that these kids start the day strong in one of our schools. So, um when I rode the bus with students on Monday, there were about 60 students. Um I will say this, um you know, many of those students had no idea who I was. because I was just some guy in an ASD vest sitting on the bus with them, but I knew who they were. And these are some of the most resilient, strong children and parents and family members that I've ever met because it takes a lot of strength to go from this situation in their villages to getting on that school bus um and going into a facility in a a town that you may not even know very well. Um, but I think the through line there was that even though some

162of these students and family members were afraid, they were nervous, they they truly are some of the strongest, most resilient people that I've ever seen. And it's in fact their strength and their resilience that gave me the strength to keep on fighting for what these families need to be successful. So, um, I will say the common thread was not just those of us that were on the bus with these students. You know, I I got off each time at all the stops. Most of these students are attending Collegegate Elementary, Wendler Middle School, and uh Betty Davis East Anchorage High School. And um I wasn't alone. I was joined by hundreds of ASD teachers, principals, parents, community members that were right there at the door to welcome them as they walked in. And we were there

163to really, you know, make sure that they were okay. And you know, I'm thankful that the students that I got to see on Monday, they all had at least one familiar face with them in the school. And I hope that as the weeks continue on that they're going to have more friends and more familiar faces because we know we need to stand and stand stand tall and strong for our families in western Alaska who are here during this situation. Uh so and I also want to thank everyone um for for everything that's been done. I mean, everyone from the bus driver that that greeted me and the families Monday morning to the teachers at the door um to even our our food service workers that are working um with various community organizations to provide authentic

164meals to our students. We're trying to roll up our sleeves and do what we can and and I also mentioned the mental health support needs that our students have. We're not just here to teach them. We need to address the whole child. And in this moment, as strong as these students are, they're going through trauma and it's going to take a lot of work. Um, but we're going to put that in because these kids are worth it and they deserve an a wonderful education that we want to offer them in ASD for as long as they'd like to be here. Um, so then the last thing I wanted to share was um sustaining care and connection. the the last slide of this. Um, so it really is taking a village to to make sure that

165we provide the various services that these students need. I mean, think about it from their perspective, right? That many of these families are staying in these um congregate shelters. Um, it's, you know, at the Egan Center, as you can imagine, there's not a lot of showers there. So, we're trying to bust these students and families to local recreation centers and other places where they can have um their showers and take care of all of their daily routines. um that includes laundry and then making sure they have that consistency. Um and again um we're trying to group these students as much as possible within the smaller number of schools, but we're also honoring parents choice too. There are some parents that came to us and said that hey I I know somebody at the Alaskan Native

166Cultural Charter School. Can I attend that school? And we're saying yes. And some of our students I think about three to six um you know wanted to attend Lake Otus Elementary. That's what they're attending. um the bulk of them are remaining with their cohorts and as we progress we're going to start to see the shift from a congregate shelter to whatever lies ahead. Um that's um very important work being led by the mayor and others and ASD is going to be right there to understand where are they going to be at for the the next two weeks and the next two months and their their schools may change but my commitment to these families will remain as strong as it is right now which is to make sure that we're there for our families. Um,

167so this is going to be long work, hard work. I'm glad that we're not in this alone. Um, we have a lot of people locally and also statewide that are here for these families. And it's not just myself on the ASD side. We've had people, um, including some sitting here who have been working around the clock. Um, Saturday was actually the first day that we were providing direct services at both of the shelter sites. So, we had to double our footprint um, to support more families. Then on Sunday, we had hundreds of more families arrive. So the work keeps on coming, but so does the support. So we're going to remain strong so that we can give these families the strength they need to get through this horrible situation. And I I just want to

168um close that we have um wonderful schools in the Anchorage School District. As I mentioned, most of them are at um College Gate, which I want to remind the public is also the home of our UPIC immersion program. I mentioned some students have an affinity for the Alaskan Native Cultural Charter School and they're um choosing various options and we're working to support them. Many are asking are there plans to create a school within a school model um given the the LKSD staff. Um it's too soon to talk about that possibility yet because we need to know how many teachers will actually make the transition to Anchorage because not um all of them are here and not all of them will likely come here. So these we're kind of building the plane as we fly it,

169but I want to walk the public through it. so you understand what it's been like this past week, how high the stakes are, and ASD's role in making sure these students receive a fantastic education. But that that's a lot of my talking. I just want to close with a short video that will allow the public to see kind of what's been happening um with their students. [Music] So we started very early. The state EOC contacted us um well before the first planes started loading up out at Bethl and we have been tied in with them and the MUNC from the very beginning. Um we have already picked up we have sent buses to three C7s already as they landed. We had buses for um people with wheelchairs. We had buses for ambulatory uh personnel and

170we started taking them initially to Alaska Airlines Center. The Red Cross set up a shelter site. Uh we've been working very closely with them. Of course, it is traumatic when overnight you leave your home. You don't know if you're coming back or not. Um so we have mental health uh personnel on standby ready to deploy. We have a nurse who speaks upic. We have multiple other nurses ready to go at the drop of the hat. There were not enough showers for um the displaced people who were coming in and some of them hadn't showered for days. So this morning we stood up u six buses every hour. We'll be taking people from the Alaska Airlines Center and Egan to three different locations. So, they'll be able to take showers all day today through the weekend.

171Um, and of course, we'll continue that every day until it's no longer needed. The plan to get them into school if they're going to remain in Anchorage, we know that we need to enroll them. We know that a lot of these people um are showing up with no identification. Um, things happen so quickly for them. And so, we're going to push all the resources forward and meet them where they are. We've also prepared on the instructional side. Um we've started getting lists by numbers of of ages of children. We know there's a significant prek population. We're putting together games and books um so we can have staff push forward and go to those sites um and start helping these students um adjust through this process. We're going to have a a shortened process for enrollment.

172Get them enrolled. Uh make sure that we're providing um food for them, breakfast and lunch at the schools they go to. If they came from one village and they're all second graders or fourth graders or fifth graders, um we really are going to try to keep them together if at all possible. Our goal is to keep the children together um to not create even more stress in their lives. And that's our goal. and we will be ready this weekend to be on site at both shelters um to be able to help them through this process. [Music] And just to close before we transition to Q&A again, I I just want to close by thanking everyone that's been involved through this um for the past week. Um, I'm so grateful for the compassion and the strength

173and the unity that I'm seeing across the board um from friends and new friends alike. And together we're going to stand with Western Alaska. Um, thank you. Um, I I'd be happy to answer any questions on this topic. >> Any questions from board members? >> Member Donnelly? >> Well, I do have questions for the superintendent. First of all, I wanted to thank you for your report and thank you for your team's amazing efforts to welcome our fellow Alaskans that are coming here from Western Alaska. So, just well done and thank you for doing such amazing good work. Um I second I do have a question uh about current administrative guidelines. Um and these have never been voted on by the school board that allow biological boys to compete in girls sports. And these administrative guidelines

174are uh completely under the superintendent's jurisdiction and discretion and they appear to now be in conflict with both federal and state guidelines. And my question is do you have any plans to revise these guidelines? uh through the president. Uh member Donley, that that's something I'd be happy to look into further, but as I shared a couple of weeks ago, um based off of the reports from my team, we're not tracking any inongruencies between federal and state law in these guidelines. Um should there be an update, we'd be happy to let you know. Um but I'm afraid that that's all I have to share on that topic for tonight. Um really, I've been focused on our families impacted by the storm. Member Wilson. >> I also appreciate all of the work that ASD has done to

175welcome these families in. Um I I have received questions from um community members and thought I would ask here as well, is there anything community members can do to help with that transition? Um any donations, things like that? Uh, great question, Member Wilson. Um, so overwhelmingly I hear the most um useful thing that families can do is to consider making a a monetary donation to the Alaska Red Cross and there may be other providers that are accepting donations and we're happy to make sure that we push out the correct people to to send your donations to. There's a lot of misinformation out there. Very important. But it's the um Alaska Red Cross that's leading this work. Mr. Gus, are there any other asks that uh the committee should know about? >> Not not that I

176know of. I know that the Alaska Community Foundation was also accepting donations for the drive, but I think the main one is the Alaska Red Cross. And and I did want to add, I got a message just a little while ago from a friend that runs a restaurant that two friends of hers were in town and came to dinner that worked for the YK. And of course, you know, coming to to Anchorage has been hectic and and disorienting for them. Um but and they weren't sure what was going to happen. They weren't sure what was going to happen with their kids, how they were going to be able to get things together. Uh, but they talked to her about being invited to meet with the crisis team at ASD. Overwhelmingly impressed with the planning, with

177the execution. Um, I'm I'm going to say that I think there's one other time I've gotten direct messages from people about what a wonderful job administrators are doing, but I've only been here eight and a half years, so maybe it maybe it happens more often, but we don't get any very many emails like that. Um, but I I think a lot of people don't realize what goes on behind the scenes every day. When I watched what happened And my first thought was, I wish we had more capacity. I wish we had elementary teachers that had 20 kids instead of 27. I wish we had high school teachers that had 30 kids instead of 35. We do have some empty space. We've got that going for us. Uh, I wish we had a fund balance that

178was healthy rather than at the absolute minimum because all of these things take money and they take people and they take energy. And we have strained our system so much already that to have something like this happen um test how much we can refocus our priorities for people that are are just in a deep need. Um, you know, like a little phrase I always kept whether I was going out to get my newspaper in the morning or whether or not I was hiking somewhere. You know, in Alaska, you're never very far from a bear. Just kind of like you have to always be alert to that and be looking around. Having also worked in western Alaska, I'll say you're never very far from sea level. And the idea that you could suddenly realize that your

179house is floating, it's flooded and it's floating in a river. how terrifying that has to be and and you wind up making your way to the airirstrip to be airlifted far away from home. Um, another friend of mine that has been very involved in trying to help people out the shelters is collecting money. He said, "I'm going out this afternoon to buy 300 pairs of shoes because apparently a lot of people left their villages without shoes on." and that that's a desperate need. So, it's it is an overwhelming thing. I I haven't been touched by it other than just what I've seen on the news or what I've heard, but I do deeply appreciate that our administrative staff was on it, was ready, that we had buses at the planes, that we had people that

180kind of kind of knew what to do to the best of their ability. It's uh this is a test that no one got to study for and um so far it does look like we've really responded incredibly well and I I deeply appreciate that. Any other questions on the superintendent report? If not, we will begin with board member comments. So I will start way to my left with member Higgins. >> Thank you. Um yeah, I I worked some with the fishing group on the west coast one time and I remember helping one um student come in to the high school in Anchorage and trying to help him adjust to it. He comes from a community with 400 kids and goes into Diamond High. You can imagine the the the shock or the or the impact.

181Uh he did it for a little bit and the parents sent him back. He he just couldn't adjust to it. So this many kids coming in with the adjustment factors given all the stresses and then walking into this type of environment. Um I remember 25 years ago when I drove in New York I didn't want to do it again but that's okay. Uh but that was minor compared to what he was going through and it was really um uh meaningful to me to watch the impact of that knowing what the impact is how teachers as as um as pointed out when you've got large classes you're trying to deal with this many kids who have uh adjustments type factors it's a it's a killer. It's really is and it's emotional. So, um um there's a

182list out there that they put out in the Anchorage Daily News in regards to contacts for what you can give, who to give it to, and the like. I know that was an article that came out quite a little bit ago, but I think googling it and you'll find a lot of locations where the things that they need and how to get it to them. So, um that's important. And I've got family working with university who's working in long hours trying to help with this, too. So, I know how difficult it is. Um, uh, as far as review, I just want to say thank you for all the speakers again. I actually took notes this time. How you like that? That's that's pretty good for me. Um uh cuz there was a lot of quotes

183in there that I would intend to use in the future in regards to um the frustration with the with the compensation and the benefits for what teachers deserve and what we're providing is a frustration that is tremendous from my perspective. Um, I remember when I got on the board the first time in 2008, up until then, arbitration was every year, every time. And then it stopped and we're back and because we just were in impossible situations and but the the requests in here are all reasonable what you're what you're trying to accomplish and we need to find solutions one way or the other uh within it. Um, as far as the importance of neighborhood schools, I'm a big proponent of that, of course, and I have been. And we need to focus on the right

184sizing, but the right sizing means what's best for kids, what's best for the parents. As a school board member, got three big responsibilities according to the National School Board Association. Number one, I'm the voice of the public. So, when I'm hearing from the public, I need to make sure those voices are heard. Number two, we provide directions. Uh it's not taking directions, it's giving directions. Number three, accountability. And um uh I look forward to hearing more from the public. I think we're hearing important issues and concerns about these closures that need to be examined. I've heard some additional things as far as uh activities going on that that really is surprising. I know that will be rolled out in the in the upcoming meetings. But I urge people to um your voice matters and we

185saw that in the past. We've had five requests for schools. We went to one, we had, you know, seven, we went with two. This time it's again the voice of the public does make a difference. And I urge um um everyone in the community who has an interest, parents, kids, um everyone, let us know. Let your voice be heard because I think we need to recognize that as a school board member, you're my boss. And I accept that as being a responsibility I have. And I think it's important that everyone in elected office recognize that. And I also recognize the administration's job is to put forth the best suggest suggestions or recommendations that they see from their perspective. We have to filter that in recognizing what our boss wants to um in regards to it.

186Now ultimately at the end it's what's best for kids and that includes what's best for the community and what's best for involvement where we have parents engaged in the education because that impacts outcomes as well. So, um I look forward to the public meetings that will take place uh so we can hear that. We've got two more board meetings before we vote. We got next one and the one after that they they would like for us to vote. So, we have two more board opportunities. We have public meetings out there. Um and remember, we're looking at right sizing. What can we do to fully utilize the schools? We had a great presentation on the number of needs for uh uh preschool is astronomical. Um and I looked at that and I added the numbers to

187what we've got and I go we're back to where we were in in in capacity if you added if you could accommodate all of it. It's tremendous. So um like I said I I urge you to let us know where you stand. write uh put together ideas what you think and um then the board as a whole will have to weigh that in for the benefits of what's best for kids I hope and not just a political decision not just a um uh because we might be in one position I don't know what we're going to do a gas pipeline I don't know I read that and I'm going is that for real heard this before but all those things are going to change Anchorage and it's never going going to be the same. It's

188going to go up. It's going to go down and we need to be prepared for any of it. So, I appreciate the the the all of the testimony and look forward to hearing more of it. >> Member Dan. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Recently I was listening to National Public Radio and there was a really interesting interview with historian Ken Burns who um is very famous for his serieses on the Civil War and national parks which are really cool. And uh Mr. Burns was expounding on his surprise to discover from his research how frequently early Americans referred to the British citizens as slaves. And to early Americans, the British being subjects of a king were similar to slaves. And they called them that quite frequently. And this reminded me of this board's uh consideration several

189years ago of requiring our schools to play the national anthem at least once a month. Now, that proposal failed with a 3 to four vote. But during the public um comment, the allegation was asserted that the Star Spangled Banner was racist and should not be played in our schools. And the origin of this fiction is the language in the third verse of the Star Spangled Banner and its use of the word slave. So the third verse begins by saying, "And where is that band who so voluntarily swore that the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, a home and a country, should leave us no more." Well, the band is obviously the British military because they had at the time this song was written had invaded the United States and were attempting to destroy it.

190And they in fact had burned uh captured Washington DC and burned the White House. So the author here Francis Scott Key is talking about the intent of the British to destroy our country. Um it goes on and says their blood has washed out their foul footsteps pollution. Once again he's talking about the burning of Washington there. And here comes the the sentence that's in question. No refuge could save the hierling and slave. So what Scott Key, Francis Scott Key is talking about there is a hirling. A hirling were the Hesshen mercenaries. They were hated by the Americans. They were evil and mean to the American colonists and just absolutely hated. So they were hired by the British crown to fight against the United States. So he's talking about hieranks and slave. Those are the British,

191the British citizens that the Americans, the early Americans considered to be slaves of the king of England. It goes on to state that from the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave and the star spangled banner in triumph doth wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave. So obviously clearly the spar spangle banner is not racist. That term refers to the British soldiers and the Hessins and was not referring to the actual foundation or the existence of slavery in the United States of America. Um, I made that point that evening that it was not accurate to say the Star Spangle Banner was was racist, but I was just really excited to hear that the research of Ken Burns has has now confirmed that the you utilization of the

192word slave was very common among early Americans in reference to the British. >> Thank you, member Madison. Um, I don't have much else to say other than of course being a student rep. I want to also give a lot of appreciation for what the board has been doing for the Western Alaskan students that we've been welcoming and that as a student myself, I see every one of those students as equal as myself and many others in our school district. I don't see any differences in each other. And I feel that every single one of you who are coming into our schools that we equally welcome you and we're excited to meet you and that we hope that we can help you in every single way. And I just hope that my community and my peers

193around you give you the best experience like you were having at home and that you still feel at home in this district and that we can do the best for you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Member Wilson. >> I have no comments. Thank you. Member Wessence. >> Thanks. I um just wanted to take this opportunity to add my appreciation. Uh it was not really a question for the question and answer section of the agenda, but really wanted to um just say how much I admired um the efforts of everyone in ASD from the administrators to the bus drivers to the teachers who packed up their rooms at the last minute to make sure that space would be available if students were incoming. Um it it takes it takes a village and in this case I

194think the Anchorage Village and the Anchorage School District village has um really worked together uh to to make this circumstance as positive as it can be and I know that that work will be ongoing. Um so I will be happy to support that however I can. um including maybe a conversation um about it in our finance committee meeting uh in a couple of days. Um other than that, I I don't have any further comments. Thank you. >> And I think I said everything I wanted to during the superintendent report. President Jacobs, would you like the last word? >> Uh no comments. Thank you, Chair. >> Thank you very much. At that point, um, any further comments from the administration? >> Mr. Chair, move to adjourn. >> Is there a second? Moved by President Jacobs, second

195by member Higgins.