Anchorage School District is asking the Anchorage School Board to vote on the Academies of Anchorage Master Plan on June 4. As a concerned parent, I have been following the district’s presentations and have significant concerns about the answers ASD has been providing.
ASD’s proposed high school schedule change would increase courses from six to eight per semester, reducing classroom instruction time for existing courses by 24%. This equates to losing more than an hour of instructional time per week. Given that the state evaluates our success based on ninth grade math test scores, how can we expect to improve scores with less classroom time? How will Advanced Placement courses maintain their rigor under this constraint?
The school board acknowledges that the 30 new teachers needed for the Academies program would have to come from existing staff and programs. ASD already struggles to meet current staffing needs. What programs will be sacrificed?
ASD has involved the business community in planning for the Academies but seems to have overlooked the critical input of students, parents, and teachers. The school board needs to hear your concerns and ensure that hard questions are answered before approving the Master Plan.
Contact the school board and demand a thorough, transparent plan before June 4.
— Jarrett Boling
Anchorage
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