Alaska's Principals Pass Resolutions
at State Principal's Fall Conference
(text of a press release, October 27, 2003)
Over three hundred principals from all over the state attended the State Principal's Conference held at the Sheraton Hotel in Anchorage. They expressed their position through seventeen joint resolutions which were passed. The resolutions received unanimous support from the Alaska Association of Elementary Principals (AAESP) and Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals present at the respective annual meetings.
AAESP and AASSP has a combined membership of approximately 500 members representing K-12 principals from all over the state of Alaska. The resolutions are used to support policy decision makers at the local, state and national levels. Resolutions are voted on one time each year at the annual Principal’s conference held each October in Anchorage.
“The passage of resolutions by both Elementary and Secondary Principal’s
Associations is a significant move toward a unified message from school administrators”
said Mary Francis, Executive Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators,
an “umbrella organization” that includes Superintendents, School
Business Managers and Principals. Secondary Principals Association President
Dorothy Oetter commented “one of the most exciting things that has happened
this year is the fact that eight of these resolutions were supported by Superintendents
in the State at their annual conference just three weeks ago! These joint
resolutions effectively bring a clear and united voice to education issues
in Juneau and Washington D.C. “ she added.
Perhaps the single most significant resolution was the one supporting a comprehensive
fiscal plan for the State. Just last week a letter was sent to the Governor
signed by the Alaska Association of School Boards, the Alaska Association
of School Administrators (Superintendents), the Alaska Council of School Administrators
and a long list of other business and community leaders throughout the State.
The two Principal’s Associations now add their show of support to a
concept that encourages the legislature and Governor to use a three-pronged
approach to addressing the State’s fiscal problems: budget discipline,
earnings from the permanent fund and a broad-based tax.
Karl Schleich, AAESP AND AASSP Chair
Denise Greene-Wilkinson & Tim Whaling AASSP Co-Chairs
AAESP AND AASSP/AASSP Resolutions Committee
The text of all of the 2003 resolutions can be seen by scrolling all the way down this page. Or choose from the list below to jump directly to that resolution. Click on "Resolution List" links throughout the page to return to this list and choose another.
Elementary and Secondary
School Principals
Passed at the Fall Principal's Conference
October, 2003, Anchorage , Alaska
Karl Schleich, AAESP AND AASSP Chair
Denise Greene-Wilkinson & Tim Whaling AASSP Co-Chairs
AAESP AND AASSP/AASSP Resolutions Committee
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 03-1
Submitted by: Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
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 heir 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,
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports parents and guardians to be active participants in the education of their children.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 03-2
WHEREAS, many of America's and Alaska's schools are in desperate need of extensive repair or replacement; and
WHEREAS, a study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCESS) estimates that at least $127 billion is needed to repair the nation's schools in need, and
WHEREAS, the same report noted that 43% of the schools surveyed had at least one environmental problem, such as poor ventilation and indoor air quality, and
WHEREAS, a study commissioned by the National Education Association (NEA) indicated that $54 billion is needed to enable schools to benefit from educational technology: and
WHEREAS, the large enrollment increases predicted in last year's U.S. Department of Education "Baby Boom Echo" report, these needs are clear and compelling;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
That the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports school construction and modernization legislation.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_____________________________ __________________________
AAESP President , Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Resolution 03-3
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; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
That the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals urges Congress to work with the Executive Branch to enact substantive professional development legislation this year.
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 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
WHEREAS, AAESP AND AASSP believes 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 1994 Elementary and Secondary 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 underfunded 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, NCLB, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, Head Start, Child Nutrition, Impact Aid, Elementary School Counseling Demonstration Act, and Blue Ribbon Schools are all federal programs which have a positive impact on children and schools ;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
That the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports increased funding of Federal Education Programs.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Submitted by: Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
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 district associated with them; and
WHEREAS the funding per student in Alaska has remained relatively constant over the past decade; and
WHEREAS additional costs incurred to implement new laws and mandates impact the finite resources of the school district;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals opposes 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 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Submitted by the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
WHEREAS school-business partnerships have the potential to benefit all parties including students, teachers, and businesses; and
WHEREAS the school-business partnership program between the Anchorage School District and the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce brought in an estimated $1 million is donated money, equipment and in-kind services to the Anchorage School District during the 1995-96 school year; 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.
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports school-business partnerships in Alaska and is committed to nurturing these symbiotic ventures.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Submitted by: Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
WHEREAS the current Alaska Teacher Retirement and Public Employee Retirement pension plans offer 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 proposed revision of the current retirement system would make Alaska a much less competitive state in which to make a career as an educator; and
WHEREAS the Alaska State Teacher Retirement System is actuarially sound;
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports a fair and strong retirement program for public school employees.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Whereas, the State Board of Education has set out in 4 AAC 04.020 that graduating seniors need to possess certain skills and qualities, including being responsible citizens; and
Whereas, the State Board of Education in February 2002 went on record expressing its "strong support for mandating a knowledge of Alaska's history for our high school graduates"; and
Whereas, many young Alaskans lack sufficient knowledge of the history and cultures of our state; and
Whereas, the State Board of Education is on record as supporting the convening of a widely diverse group of Alaskans, including community leaders, teachers, administrators, parents, university professors and historians to develop standards and a curriculum of what students should know about Alaska history and our state's cultures; and
Whereas, the Alaska Humanities Forum is a highly regarded organization known for its excellent work and high quality products that possesses a deep commitment to Alaska, its children and its future; so
Therefore, Be It Resolved that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals along with the State Board of Education & Early Development strongly supports the request of the Alaska Humanities Forum for federal funds to develop, produce and distribute standards, curriculum materials and lesson plans for the teaching and learning of Alaska history and culture in the schools of Alaska.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
WHEREAS, the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals believes that full accountability for public education is a shared responsibility of educators, parents, community and government; and
WHEREAS, AAESP and AASSP recognizes 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 believes the broader needs of the whole child must also be addressed , and
WHEREAS, a variety of assessments and indicators other than the Alaska Benchmark Exams and HSGQE 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 IT IS RESOLVED, that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals recognizes the shared responsibility and shared accountability in public education where students will demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, mathematics, and more.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
___________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Opposing Proposed State Regulations Regarding Waivers From Secondary Study Competency Examinations
Originated by: Delta/Greely School Board and others for the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, the State Board of Education has noticed proposed changes in 4AAC 06, describing how a student may request a waiver from the high school qualifying exam (HSGQE), and proposing to establish a procedure for the local governing body to following in granting a waiver, and
WHEREAS, the State Board, as required by law, will implement 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 board 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 proposed 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 IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals objects to proposed changes in 4 AAC 06 that would 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
FURTHER IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals recommends a statute change that would remove local school boards from the graduation waiver process for state mandated requirements.
ADOPTED by the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: The Anchorage School District resolution for the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, Alaska schools are being financially squeezed by unfounded and under-funded mandates, increased costs and funding that is failing to keep pace with escalating costs, and
WHEREAS, success as a school district and as a state in complying with AlaskaÕs performance standards and the federal requirements on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires Alaska policymakers to appropriate funding sufficient to meet the educational needs of our students, and
WHEREAS, while signing the FY04 operating budget into law, Gov Murkowski challenged the educational community to provide accountability in exchange for full funding, and
WHEREAS, the Alaska Association of School Administrator members accept responsibility for raising student achievement and for all students, and for the efficient and effective use of resources, and
WHEREAS, safe, efficient, and technologically appropriate infrastructure is an essential ingredient in achieving academic success, and
WHEREAS, academic achievement also depends on our schools having highly qualified and committed employees, and
WHEREAS, appropriating an adequate amount of funding for education is the responsibility of state policymakers, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESLOVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals believes our policymakers must appropriate sufficient funding for our public schools to meet the educational needs of our students by:
1. Fully funding debt reimbursement and the construction and maintenance needs on the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) priority list.
2. Fully funding the employer contribution increases to the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) and Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)
3. Increasing funding to enable our public school districts to meet the requirements of federal and state mandates and increased costs to public education.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: The Alaska Association of School Administrators at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals believe in and support the Alaska Teacher Retirement (TRS) and Public Employee Retirement Systems (PERS) as an important element in attracting and keeping capable employees, and
WHEREAS, school districts are struggling to meet basic costs of payroll, benefits, utilities, books, teaching supplies and maintenance, and
WHEREAS, by July 1 2004 TRS and PERS are expected to increase over the next few years to as much as 33% or more for the employer, and
WHEREAS, these increases will require reduced services in other areas of school district operations, because school districts are required by the State to maintain the district share of these programs and are thus mandated to absorb these much higher costs, and
WHEREAS, the state retirement programs are critical to its members for long term financial planning and support, and
WHEREAS, funding increases to school districts and other local governmental agencies have not kept up with inflation over the past ten year, now
ADOPTED by the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: Alaska Association of School Administrators at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, recent actions by the legislature and Governor eliminated funding for early childhood education, and
WHEREAS, research is clear and consistent that the benefits for early childhood education are significant and important to the educational development of young children, and
WHEREAS, the children most impacted by the decision to eliminate funding for early childhood education were the least likely to find alternate educational programs, and
WHEREAS, the children most affected by this decision were in many cases children from homes where English is a second language, and
WHEREAS, the children most affected by the elimination of funding for early public childhood education are from regions where educational performance is of greatest concern, and
WHEREAS, early childhood education should be a priority of all Alaskans who desire to see educational improvements, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports early public childhood education and the funding of programs that will offer early education opportunities for at risk children.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: Anchorage School Board for Alaska Association of School Administrators at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, 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) makes this kind of detailed data impossible for many districts, and
WHEREAS, district such as Anchorage, alone had seven grants asking for such data, and
WHEREAS, some districts during their federal site review were placed on notice that they were 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 besides school districts have been confronted with similar constraints, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals urges the State Legislature to modify the HB 70 to enable local school districts to administer anonymous questionnaires and surveys to students with passive parental consent.
ADOPTED by the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: Woody Wilson and passed by the Alaska Association of School Administrators in Oct 2002.
WHEREAS, school districts are negatively impacted by loss of funds due to decreased enrollment, and
WHEREAS, districts are not forward funded, and
WHEREAS, districts do not know actual state revenue until the first of November, and
WHEREAS, districts are required under current laws to notify tenured teachers of their contractual status by March 16, and
WHEREAS, districts are required under current laws to notify non-tenured teachers of their contractual status by the last day of the school term, and
WHEREAS, districts are not currently allowed to carry more than 10% of their budget forward, and
WHEREAS, the loss of funding communities can have large, unexpected negative effects on the budget of the district, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals encourages the Legislature to reinstate the hold harmless provisions that were previously in statute, and
IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that these reinstatements be on a graduated scale to take into account the size of the district and the volatility of student enrollment.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: The Alaska Association of School Administrators at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, the voters have supported several local and statewide bond initiatives for school construction and major maintenance, and
WHEREAS, the public was informed that local and statewide bond efforts would receive state support in the repayment of the bond effort, and
WHEREAS, the planning construction projects and major maintenance efforts where carefully considered with anticipated budget information secured from a variety of sources including information form the State of Alaska, and
WHEREAS, a significant reduction in the repayment schedule from the State of Alaska will adversely affect local budgets at an extremely challenging time, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals support full funding of previously approved bonds as they were presented to the people of the local communities and of the state.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals
Originated by: Alaska Association of School Administrators at the Fall Meeting in Girdwood, Alaska, October 5, 2003.
WHEREAS, the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals (AAESP and AASSP) includes the educational and business leadership of public education in Alaska, and
WHEREAS, public education is a significant economic force throughout the state educating in excess of 134,000 students and employing more than 10,000 teachers, administrators and support personnel, and
WHEREAS, the economic vitality of the state impacts education's ability to conduct the business of operating Alaska's schools and school districts, and
WHEREAS, AAESP AND AASSP is eager to support a responsible and committed effort to address the fiscal challenges Alaska currently faces, and
WHEREAS, AAESP AND AASSP believes Alaska needs a comprehensive fiscal plan to address the priorities of the state in relation to the available resources and desired services, now
THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals supports a three-pronged reform approach including budget discipline, use of Permanent Fund earnings and the institution of broad-based taxes.
ADOPTED by Alaska Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals this 21st day of October, 2003.
_________________________ __________________________
AAESP President, Karl Schleich AASSP President, Dorothy Oetter
End of Resolutions