Senators Joe Paskvan, Dennis Egan, and Gary Stevens during the closeout hearing of the Senate Finance DEED Subcommittee, March 20, 2012
This blog contains highlights from the Alaska Education Update. The update is issued daily during session and contains detailed summaries of education issues under consideration by the Alaska State Legislature. If there is a hearing on a Monday, a report will, with few exceptions, be released by Tuesday morning. There is also a weekly edition of the update. During interim, reports are issued only when there has been action. Interim action may include hearings, bill signings, the release of the Governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year, and other items that may be of interest to the education community.

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Update on HB 104; Education Funding Study


HB 104 - Alaska Performance Scholarship: the bill is ready to be transmitted to the governor, and the speaker's office is just waiting for Governor Parnell to request the bill.  Staff in the governor's office said he will probably request the bill sometime in the next month.
 
When the House Majority announced their education funding proposal in a press conference on April 13, they announced that there would be a task force or a working group of the House Finance Committee that would study school funding over the interim, including what the amount should be and how it should be funded.  House legislative staff are just beginning to look at the issue, and are in the preliminary stages of determining how the issue should be investigated.  Pete Ecklund, staff to Rep. Bill Thomas, is the point person for the project.  He can be reached at 465-3732 or peter.ecklund@legis.state.ak.us 

Friday, June 8, 2012

AKLN continues, despite lack of direct funding from the Alaska State Legislature


AKLN, the Alaska Learning Network has been reorganized and will continue to offer classes to Alaska students, despite lack of direct funding from the Alaska State Legislature.  AKLN is no longer offering generic courses from K-12, but is now offering 21 Alaskan-based courses from 12 sponsoring school districts. 

The cost is $175 for a semester-long course, and $325 for a year-long course, and most course fees will go to the sponsoring school district.  There is room for 20 students in each course, and space is available first come, first served.  All courses meet course requirements for the Alaska Performance Scholarship.  Students from any one of the 54 school districts in the state can enroll in courses, but must be signed up by the principal of their school or the principal's designee

The 21 courses being offered are.....