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News and Stories that affect the public school, charter school and homeschool environment.
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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationFamilyHomeschoolPublic SchoolHomeschool numbers in Mat-Su may double

2 months ago11643 min

In the wake of COVID-19, it appears the number of homeschool students may double in the Mat-Su Borough, which is home to the state’s second largest school district. Speaking to the Mat-Su School Board on May 20, Superintendent Monica Goyette said a recent survey by the district indicated that the number of parents who want to home educate next year will rise from 2% to 4%. The survey polled 4,939 parents around the Mat-Su Borough....

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationFamilyOpinionParental Rights25-year Alaska teacher raises key questions in dealing with controversial books

3 months ago53411 min

Editor’s note: The following testimony was delivered on May 6 to the Mat-Su Borough School Board during its deliberation on whether to rescind its April 22 vote to remove five controversial books from a list of recommended reading for an elective high school literature class. It is reprinted with permission. Hello. My name is Carol Carman and I live in Mat-Su Borough, District 6. I am a retired Alaskan teacher, parent, grandparent and 66-year Alaskan...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
https://cdn2.alaskawatchman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/08161724/Teacher-gives-book-pic-1280x720.jpg

EducationFamilyOpinionParental Rights25-year Alaska teacher raises key questions in dealing with controversial books

3 months ago92411 min

Editor’s note: The following testimony was delivered on May 6 to the Mat-Su Borough School Board during its deliberation on whether to rescind its April 22 vote to remove five controversial books from a list of recommended reading for an elective high school literature class. It is reprinted with permission. Hello. My name is Carol Carman and I live in Mat-Su Borough, District 6. I am a retired Alaskan teacher, parent, grandparent and 66-year Alaskan...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationFamilyParental RightsPublic SchoolMat-Su book clash reveals flaw with how schools tackle divisive topics

3 months ago70010 min

After three hours of call-in public testimony, including name-calling, half-truths and some thoughtful insights, the Mat-Su Borough School Board gaveled out of its May 6 meeting at 10 p.m. National interest in the meeting arose based on a false report that the school board had “banned” five modern American classics from an elective high school English class at its April 22 meeting. In reality the board merely pulled the titles from the class’ “recommended” reading...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationPublic SchoolMat-Su School Board issues statement on book controversy

3 months ago9784 min

The following statement was issued by the Mat-Su School Board on May 6 to address controversy and misunderstanding surrounding its decision to remove five books from a “recommended” reading list in a high school English elective class. The school board convenes again tonight (May 6) and is slated to address this matter during its public meeting. BOARD STATEMENT Prior to April 22, 2020 there existed no adopted High School English Electives course curriculum. A proposed...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationPublic SchoolMat-Su to announce finalists to replace school superintendent

3 months ago5054 min

Alaska’s second largest school district is about to announce the top finalists in its search for a new superintendent who will oversee 46 schools and the education of 19,000 students. The Mat-Su School Board hopes to announce their leading two or three candidates later this week. “Because they are in charge of overall operations for the district, they are pivotal,” School Board President Thomas Bergey said on May 5. “Who they place under them directly...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationFamilyParental RightsPoliticsPublic SchoolBook controversy shows need to empower Mat-Su parents, school board president says

3 months ago79012 min

There’s nothing like national media coverage over a local controversy to liven up a school board meeting in Alaska. In the wake of the Mat-Su Borough School Board’s April 22 decision to pull five controversial books from the list of recommended reading in an elective high school English class, board president Thomas Bergey expects robust and passionate public comment at the May 6 meeting. “I’m hoping for a lot of public testimony – the good,...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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EducationFamilyFreedomHomeschoolParental RightsHarvard’s anti-homeschool summit cancelled

3 months ago7204 min

An anti-homeschool summit that was scheduled for next month at Harvard Law School has reportedly been cancelled. According to one of the invited speakers, the controversial event was scratched due to COVID-19 concerns. Calls and emails to Harvard to confirm the cancellation were not returned, but the event was by invitation only. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education, which was scheduled to present at the conference, posted a notice stating that the event “is no...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
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CultureEducationPublic SchoolMedia fixation on Mat-Su’s so-called ‘book ban’ begs comparison to Fairbanks

3 months ago6546 min

The Mat-Su School Board made national news a few days ago for its decision to remove 5 modern American classics from the list of required reading in an elective English class offered within the school district. All five are relatively famous titles like “The Great Gatsby,” “Catch 22,” and “Invisible Man,” among others. The mainstream media, literally frothing at the mouth, cast the school board decision as a modern-day book-burning by a bunch of redneck...

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Joel Davidson
by Joel Davidson
https://cdn2.alaskawatchman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/30201220/School-1280x720.jpg

EducationFamilyHomeschoolPrivate SchoolPublic SchoolSchools took the role of parents because we let them

3 months ago82511 min

Much has been said about Alaskan student test scores lately. We now hold the honor of being dead last in literacy rates. That’s right, Alaska holds the red lantern of literacy as measured in the 4th and 8th grade. It’s time to have an honest conversation about education. Many people I know are teachers, whose pay and benefits have not kept up with the rest of the country and whose class sizes are 50% larger...

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