Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-1
Supporting parents and guardians to be active participants in the education of their children
WHEREAS, parents bear a significant responsibility to assist their children in developing their full potential; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that school programs involving parents on a regular basis can significantly improve the development of skills and positive self-concepts that help ensure greater success of children in school; and
WHEREAS, parents are responsible for ensuring the well being of the child--proper nutrition, adequate sleep, personal hygiene, attendance to school assignments and recognizing school as a most important priority; and
WHEREAS, it is essential that parents communicate with the school and the teachers; and
WHEREAS, parents also need to communicate with their children, celebrating their successes and listening to their concerns; and
WHEREAS, attendance at conferences and student performances is an effective way to maintain the lines of communication, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals support parents and guardians to be active participants in the education of their children.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-2
A resolution urging Congress to work with the Executive Branch
to enact substantive professional development legislation
WHEREAS, the Principal is the primary instructional leader of a school; and
WHEREAS, the Principal has a unique role to play in implementing standards-based school reform; and
WHEREAS, it is important for Principals to have opportunities to receive ongoing, high-quality professional development and to be involved in its design; and
WHEREAS, the shortage of qualified candidates for the principalship is expected to increase and must be addressed, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals urge Congress to work with the Executive Branch to enact substantive professional development legislation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports legislation that would support professional development for principals.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-3
A resolution supporting increased funding of Federal Education Programs
WHEREAS, AAESP AND AASSP believe that one of the most important responsibilities of Congress is to provide adequate funding for federal education programs that address the critical needs of the nation's public schools; and
WHEREAS, Title I provides important assistance to schools seeking to help disadvantaged children gain basic and advanced skills in the core academic subjects; and
WHEREAS, the 2000 Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization improved the program structure by putting an emphasis on high performance standards and increasing the availability of the option for school-wide projects; and
WHEREAS, the federal education budgets of the last several years have consistently under funded Title I; and
WHEREAS, the federal investment in special education has never come close to the promised 40 percent level, leaving states and local districts to bear the burden virtually alone; and
WHEREAS, as instructional leaders, principals want and need to have access to high quality, sustained professional development that helps them lead reform efforts in their schools; and
WHEREAS, ESEA (ÒNCLBÓ), Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, Head Start, Child Nutrition, Impact Aid, Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Act, High School Reform ACT, and Blue Ribbon Schools are examples of federal programs which have a positive impact on children and schools, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals support increased funding of Federal Education Programs.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-4
Opposing laws that will require funding to implement unless adequate funding is awarded by the governmental body passing such laws (unfunded mandates)
WHEREAS, the operation of public schools are in part directed by federal and state governments; and
WHEREAS, laws and government mandates are routinely passed each year impacting school districts; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of many laws and government mandates often have significant cost to the school districts; and
WHEREAS, the funding per student in Alaska has lagged behind the costs of operation over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, additional costs incurred to implement new laws and mandates impact the finite resources of the school districts, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals oppose laws that will require funding to implement unless adequate funding is awarded by the governmental body passing such laws (unfunded mandates).
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-5
Supporting school-business partnerships in Alaska
WHEREAS, school-business partnerships have the potential to benefit all parties including students, teachers, and businesses; and
WHEREAS, businesses who have actively sought out and nurtured school-business partnerships have benefited in a variety of ways including improved community relations, student-generated services, and a better prepared work force; and
WHEREAS, local businesses have many assets and opportunities to offer the youth of the community; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate for local businesses to take an active role in shaping the educational experiences of the young people in our community; and
WHEREAS, the leaders in the business community of Alaska recognize the need for involvement in our schools, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals support school-business partnerships in Alaska and are committed to nurturing these symbiotic ventures.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-6
Supporting a fair and strong retirement program for public school employees
WHEREAS, the Alaska Teacher Retirement and Public Employee Retirement pension plans offered a strong incentive to be able to attract the best support staff, teachers and administrators in the country; and
WHEREAS, a strong retirement program includes medical benefits for retirees and their families; and
WHEREAS, a pension plan which allows for retirement after a career of service can allow for motivated professionals; and
WHEREAS, the ability to receive credit for unused sick leave offers employees incentives which save districts money while improving instruction; and
WHEREAS, the recently enacted revision of the retirement system makes Alaska a much less competitive state in which to make a career as an educator; and
WHEREAS, the new revision does not provide an incentive for educators to make a long term commitment to the education system of Alaska, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals support a fair and strong retirement program for public school employees.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-7
A Resolution Calling for Full Accountability
WHEREAS, the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals believe that full accountability for public education is a shared responsibility of educators, parents, community and government and
WHEREAS, AAESP and AASSP recognize the professionalism of the educators working with Alaskan students, and
WHEREAS, resources for on-going professional development must keep pace with current best practices and research in order to meet the changing needs of our students, and
WHEREAS, while the Alaska standards identify many skills that students should know and be able to do, AAESP and AASSP believe the broader needs of the whole child must also be addressed, and
WHEREAS, a variety of assessments and indicators, other than those currently mandated by federal and state governments, should be used to demonstrate student proficiency and adequate yearly progress, and
WHEREAS, test results and other assessments should be used to guide instruction and identify additional skills that students need, now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals recognize the shared responsibility and shared accountability in public education.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-8
A Resolution Regarding Changes to the Public Employee Retirement System and the Teacher Retirement System
(PERS/TRS)
WHEREAS, The Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) and the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) are both seriously under-funded, a problem the Legislature and the Governor have known for many years; and
WHEREAS, the adoption and implementation of SB 141 takes new employees out of the system and does not provide a mechanism for bringing in new resources to deal with the under-funded liability; and
WHEREAS, from the current school year to the 2007-2008 school year, the employer contribution rates for PERS and TRS have almost doubled; and
WHEREAS, similar increases exist throughout Alaska, affecting every government entity from state offices in Juneau, to the university system, to the smallest village; and
WHEREAS, if there is no adopted relief from the State of Alaska, school districts will be required to issue layoff notices to hundreds of tenured certificated employees on or before March 15, 2007, forcing teachers and other public employees to move out of state if they wish to remain in their chosen profession, thereby negatively impacting thousands of AlaskaÕs children and causing a loss of experienced public employees and a long-lasting negative impact on the entire state; and
WHEREAS, the amortized cost of the TRS and PERS unfunded liability under a 25 year pay down schedule is catastrophic to local governments, the state of Alaska, the University of Alaska and political subdivisions of the State; and
WHEREAS, the most immediate remedy to the pension liability will provide the greatest cost savings to the State, now
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Alaska Association of School Administrators calls on the Alaska Legislature to address the crisis in the state retirement systems as its first order of business when the Twenty-fifth Alaska Legislature Legislative Session convenes in January 2007, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Association of School Administrators requests that, at a minimum, funding for the increase in TRS and PERS be adopted and transmitted to the Governor during the first two weeks of the session; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Legislature adopt a solution to this crisis during the remainder of the legislative session; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the fiscal solution for the TRS and PERS liability cannot be used as a reason not to address the other significant financial needs faced by school districts; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor work with the Alaska Legislature, local governments, universities, and local school districts, on both immediate and comprehensive solutions so that the short term funding bill can be signed in January 2007, and a comprehensive solution can be signed in May 2007.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-9
Granting of Waivers for Graduates
WHEREAS, the State Board of Education, as required by law, implements the HSGQE, and therefore should be responsible for determining any waivers from this requirement, and should not delegate that responsibility to local school boards; and
WHEREAS, the only allowable waiver should be for students who move into the State during their senior year and not for "rare and unusual circumstances"; and
WHEREAS, granting local school boards the right to waive an essential graduation requirement for "rare and unusual circumstances" will certainly lead to inconsistent and subjective application around the state, thereby throwing into doubt the fairness of the high school graduation system; and
WHEREAS, the regulations practically invite litigation by people denied a waiver, subsequently forcing districts to either grant a waiver, or risk incurring untold legal expenses; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals object to regulations that place the burden on local school boards to grant or deny high school graduation diplomas based on a test mandated by the State of Alaska, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals recommend a statute change that would remove local school boards from the graduation waiver process for state mandated requirements.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.
AAESP President, Barbara Nagengast
AASSP President, Cyd Duffin
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 06-10
Revised Parental Permission Requirements
<WHEREAS, for State and federal grants, school districts need school-by-school data to accurately assess the need and success of current efforts; and
WHEREAS, low response rates on the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) and other surveys makes reliable data impossible to obtain for many districts; and
WHEREAS, districts have multiple grants asking for such data; and
WHEREAS, some districts during their federal site reviews are placed on notice that they are bordering on non-compliance due to lack of current data; and
WHEREAS, districts have actually lost funds and not applied for others because the criteria indicated a requirement for contemporary data; and
WHEREAS, other child service agencies have also been confronted with similar constraints; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals urge the State Legislature to modify HB 70 to enable local school districts to administer anonymous questionnaires and surveys to students with passive parental consent.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 17th day of October 2006.