Kenai Peninsula Borough School District – KPBSD Communications Field Notes

News release: School board approves interim Superintendent of Schools

Board of Education approves Mr. John O’Brien to become interim KPBSD Superintendent of Schools

Soldotna, April 18, 2019—At a special board of education meeting, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District school board voted 8-0 to amend and approve John O’Brien’s FY20 contract to officially place Mr. John O’Brien as the KPBSB Interim Superintendent on July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2020.
“I humbly accept this appointment as Interim Superintendent and am 100% committed to work on behalf of the entire Kenai Peninsula community to achieve positive educational outcomes for our students,” said Mr. O’Brien. “The Board of Education asked me to step up to help our school district through this challenging transition period in our state. I am committed to the students, parents, and staff of this District and will work with everyone to provide a high quality educational experience for our students through the continued implementation of our five-year strategic plan. We clearly have many difficult choices ahead of us as a District due to the fiscal uncertainty in our state. I am hopeful that by persistently working together we will emerge from this storm stronger, more resilient, and more cohesive.”

An educator since 1993, Mr. O’Brien began his career twenty-six years ago as a special education teacher in Maine. While an educator in Maine, he served schools as an athletic director, assistant principal, principal, and as Maine’s Distinguished Educator for Teacher Quality at the Maine Department of Education. In 2005, he and his family moved to Nikiski, Alaska, where he joined the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District as the educational and instructional leader of Nikiski Middle-High School. In 2011, he left the role of school principal to serve as the director of secondary education for the KPBSD, and in 2015 became the assistant superintendent of instruction. Mr. O’Brien holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership. In his free time he takes every opportunity he can to chase rainbow trout with a fly rod.
Board President Penny Vadla said, “I have every confidence that Interim Superintendent John O’Brien is committed to move our District forward through these challenging and demanding times. Superintendent O’Brien will work diligently to ensure our five year strategic plan and our vision are kept intact; and with the collaborative efforts of the District Leadership team and the Board of Education, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will continue our commitment to provide a quality educational experience for all KPBSD students.”
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Soldotna School Consolidation: survey and meeting

Soldotna High School Principal Graham, Soldotna Prep Principal Schmidt, district administration, and the school board request your thoughts and input about consolidating Soldotna Prep School (9^th grade) and Soldotna High School (10^th-12^th grade) beginning with the school year beginning August 20, 2019.
Current reality
Enrollment is declining at Soldotna Prep and Soldotna High School, so both schools will lose teaching staff in the 2019-2020 school year. In addition to declining enrollment, the current state budget deficit in Alaska will require the KPBSD to adjust high school staffing formulas—raise the Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio (PTR)—which will increase class sizes and reduce teaching staff at both schools.
Academic offerings
To retain essential elective offerings for 9^th-12^th grade students in Soldotna, and ease the teaching position reductions, Principal Schmidt and Principal Graham believe that now is time to move Soldotna ninth grade students into Soldotna High School. This move would create an economy of scale that will lessen the amount of staff reductions and allow for more core and elective offerings for Soldotna 9^th– 12^th grade students.
Savings to budget
Moving Soldotna Prep 9th grade students into Soldotna High School, relocating River City Academy (RCA), and closing the building that houses Soldotna Prep and RCA will result in an approximate $630,000 overall annual savings to the district budget expenditures. This savings would come from reduced building operations and personnel costs to operate the current building housing two schools.
Soldotna High School and Soldotna Prep School consolidation meeting
April 11, 2019, meeting, 6:00 PM,
Soldotna High School Auditorium

A community meeting for Soldotna High School, Soldotna Prep School, incoming 9^th grade students for the school year beginning in August, and community members, families, and staff will be April 11, 2019, at 6:00 p.m. in the Soldotna High School auditorium. The meeting will be hosted by the school principals and John O’Brien, KPBSD assistant superintendent of instruction.

Survey: Parent, student, and staff survey is open from April 4 – 12, 2019
Kindly participate in the survey to share your thoughts, and participate in the potential fast-track action that will benefit the educational opportunity for our Soldotna area teens.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZVY7YLR

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District principal thoughts

Tony Graham, Soldotna High School principal:

“We want to provide the best experiences and most opportunities for the students. With the likelihood of an increase to high school pupil-to-teacher ratio and loss of staffing, it will hinder our ability to provide a 10th -12th grade quality education. However, because of economy of scale and staffing formulas, a consolidation with Soldotna Prep 9th grade house would allow us to maintain offerings for 9th -12th grade students that will give them the ability to have a full and rich high school experience preparing them for their future.”

Curt Schmidt, Soldotna Prep School principal:

“Research tells us that ninth grade is the most critical point to intervene and prevent students from losing motivation, failing, and-or dropping out of school. At Soldotna Prep (and through partnership with Soldotna High School) we have done an excellent job to create a school that consistently leads to increasing graduation rates for ninth graders. However, faced with the near certainty of reduced staffing (due to declining enrollment and a loss of state and local funding) our community may be facing a scenario where our school district can no longer support Soldotna Prep in a standalone environment. Under these unfortunate circumstances, we have reached a tipping point that requires us to examine consolidation with Soldotna High School if we are to continue to offer education programming that includes a broad variety of electives, effective intervention programs, and utilizes proven strategies that we know motivate and encourage 9th grade student success.”

Sarge Truesdell, Skyview Middle School principal:

“At Skyview Middle School we created a high school academic schedule with a middle school climate. We use this two-year transition from elementary to high school as a learning experience in preparation for the demands and the rigor of the high school. Over the past five years, the ninth grade Soldotna Prep School has helped our students by intervening during this critical first year of high school. The data has shown that Soldotna Prep School has helped raise graduation rates and success for ninth grade students in the Soldotna area. With the uncertainty of the state budget and declining enrollment, the school district may no longer be able to provide this standalone ninth grade school. If consolidating the Prep School into Soldotna High School is necessary to broaden the elective, intervention, and advanced options for our ninth graders, then I am confident Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Graham, and their teachers will use the strategies and successful ninth grade model to make sure our students are successful in a 9th – 12th grade high school.”

Dawn Edwards-Smith, River City Academy (RCA) principal:

“I’ve discussed with our students and parents the possible closure of the Soldotna Prep building, and the potential need for RCA to move. The district is working to find us a location, should we need it. In the eleven years I have been at RCA, we have moved a number of times. In each of those new spaces, we have built positive partnerships and used the opportunity to evolve. At RCA, we value improving our work through revision or iteration cycles. Changing location or changing space is just one more way to iterate how we do business. With each move, we have maintained our central mission, core values, positive school climate and family atmosphere.”

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Three cities, three decades, three leaders: KPSBD graduate #inspirations

Good things come in threes, and on the Kenai Peninsula, this week the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District celebrates and introduces you to three graduates who now manage three of the largest cities in the Borough spanning 25,600 square miles.

Meet

Katie Koester [Homer High School Class of 1998] Homer City Manager

Paul Ostrander [Soldotna High School Class of 1986] Kenai City Manager

Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen [Kenai Central High School Class of 2000] Soldotna City Manager

Katie, Paul, and Stephanie talk about a city celebration, favorite local spot, and vision, priority and project that matters. Individual profiles for each of these graduates will follow in this four-part series highlighting KPBSD graduates.

K-12 Memories

Katie Koester, Homer High School Class of 1998
“Hands down Bishop’s Beach is my favorite spot! In high school my best friend Krista and I played Spice Girls in the parking lot and danced to,“tell me what’chu want what’chu you really, really want.” Bishop’s Beach is a wonderful spot to meet up with friends, go for walks, and crank some tunes—Spice Girls or not.”

Paul Ostrander, Soldotna High School Class of 1986
“I rode my bike all over town every summer growing up, hanging out at the mall, on the beach, or off-roading on the trails north of town, but my favorite spot was on the Kenai River. I spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours fishing the Kenai River, mostly in the slough directly above Eagle Rock boat launch. It was a short walk from the house I grew up in, giving me the freedom to get there as a kid without help from mom and dad.”

Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen, Kenai Central High School Class of 2000
“A couple of my early Soldotna memories are birthday parties at the roller rink (with the giant fuzzy dice and the limbo stick), and going to the Soldotna Airport for dog sled races and to watch the model airplane club fly their planes!”

City Celebrations

Homer problem solvers and determination
“I celebrate the people of Homer–the families who have made it here for generations along with the new families who come to the end of the road, fall in love with this place, and figure out how to make it in this town. This community’s underlying determination to live and persist in Homer means people here are interesting, creative, and diverse. I celebrate the people of Homer because they are problem solvers, because they make Homer the place for their life’s work.” –Katie Koester, City Manager, Homer, Alaska

What separates Kenai is its heart.
“Kenai has a diverse history and residents are ardent in their support of their hometown. When people talk about living in Kenai, whether talking about fishing the river or family time on the beach, you can sense the pride they have in our natural resources and community. The statement that, it’s the best place to live in the world, is heard often, and meant wholeheartedly.” – Paul Ostrander, City Manager, Kenai, Alaska

Entrepreneurial spirit and partnerships in Soldotna
“One of the things I really appreciate about Soldotna is how engaged our residents are. We’ve figured out how to work together across public, private, and non-profit lines, to move big projects forward. This has allowed us to accomplish several of the community’s long-standing goals; something we would not have been able to do without strong partnerships.I value our community’s entrepreneurial spirit. It is true in the traditional sense, of people investing in and starting new businesses. But, it’s also true in the many events, races, festivals, markets, and concerts that people are creating, which provide more opportunities and new things to do in our area. It is great to be part of a community that rewards creativity, and supports people who are willing to invest their time and talents to build something new.” –Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen, City Manager, City of Soldotna

Vision, Projects, Goals

Open For Business
“I was appointed city manager under Mayor Wythe who had an open for business theme for Homer. I work really hard to continue this vision because I want Homer to be a town with family-sustaining jobs—jobs where someone can raise their family while also being professionally satisfied. Families thrive when our local businesses thrive.” –Katie Koester, City Manager, Homer, Alaska

Project Top Priority
The City of Kenai has been pursuing the Bluff Stabilization Project for the better part of 40 years, and for the first time in our history, the project is ready to become a reality. It will stabilize approximately one mile of river bluff fronting Old Town Kenai. A stable bluff will protect the original part of Kenai–the heart of our City. I am excited to see this project begin and stimulate other projects that explore Kenai’s tremendous potential. –Paul Ostrander, City Manager, Kenai, Alaska

Downtown Connections
“Part of the City of Soldotna’s economic development strategy over the past several years has been incremental investment in our downtown, and this is a priority I would like to continue to pursue into the future. We started with low-hanging fruit such as new highway banners, park signs, and landscaping improvements. And, we supported and encouraged events that bring people to Soldotna Creek Park and the commercial core.We now have an opportunity to explore more significant–although complex–redevelopment concepts, particularly along the portions of our downtown that border the Kenai River. My goal is to work closely with private landowners to plan for future infrastructure and developments, which not only add value to their property and benefit surrounding businesses, but also provide a more attractive downtown that is well connected to the rest of the community.” –Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen, City Manager, City of Soldotna

Watch for individual profiles in this series!
Links
Katie Koester, Homer High School Class of 1998
City Manager, Homer, Alaska www.cityofhomer-ak.gov
Paul Ostrander, Soldotna High School Class of 1986
City Manager, Kenai, Alaska http://www.ci.kenai.ak.us/
Stephanie (Arbelovsky) Queen, Kenai Central High School Class of 2000
City Manager, City of Soldotna https://soldotna.org/
Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org.
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Superintendent Sean Dusek announces retirement

News Release
On Monday, January 14, 2019, Superintendent of Schools Sean Dusek tendered his resignation and retirement, effective June 30, 2019. The resignation and retirement letter is posted in the online Board of Education packet, and this action was approved during the Monday evening public school board meeting.

In his words
“I am very grateful for the many years I have been in KPBSD that started with student teaching at Skyview High School in 1991,” said Superintendent Dusek. “Being a part of this district and holding the position of Superintendent of KPBSD has been a great honor, and while this position is very challenging, it has been the most rewarding. We have excellent staff throughout our district and I have full faith that KPBSD will continue providing the students and our communities excellence for many years to come. I look forward to beginning retirement on July 1, 2019, and will always keep my on eye this district since I consider it my home.”
Next Steps
The school board will form a Superintendent Search Oversight Committee to determine the next steps to select and hire a new KPBSD superintendent. Details of the job posting, scope of the search, and methods for community input will be determined by the Oversight Committee. When a decision about the next step is determined, KPBSD will communicate with our staff, schools, families, and the public.
Board President Vadla reflects
“I applaud Superintendent Dusek for the direction he has taken the district toward meeting the individual needs of every one of our students through the choices we provide our students, and the voices we help to empower in them during their personalized learning journey,” said Penny Vadla, Board of Education president. “As Superintendent Dusek stated in his 2017-2018 Annual Report, ‘This journey includes preparing students to be ready for life through a rigorous, relevant, and responsive educational experience.’ Superintendent Dusek is a game changer who has enabled this vision to go forth. We, as a district, will continue our vision of meeting the individual needs of each student in our district thanks to Sean Dusek. While we are saddened by his impending retirement, we wish Superintendent Dusek the best and extend a very sincere ‘Thank you’ for helping to set an amazing vision in motion.”
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KPBSD Inspiration, Homer High School Salmon Sisters

KPBSD Graduate Inspiration
Homer High School | Claire (Laukitis) Neaton (2008) and Emma Teal Laukitis (2009)
#SalmonSisters

“Growing up in a small town in Alaska, it is sometimes difficult to know how different life can be outside the state. We both ended up going to college on the East Coast because people in our high school years encouraged us to try something different and helped us imagine what our lives could be like. We came back to Alaska because our time away helped us realize what a special, wild place it is and how lucky we were to grow up in a supportive community like Homer. We had amazing role models growing up here, and will always be grateful for the people who taught and inspired us.” –Claire and Emma Teal, aka the Salmon Sisters

Struggling to find jobs that could accommodate the lifestyle of commercial fishermen, after college Claire and Emma Teal knew they wanted to continue spending the summers on the water with family to harvest wild Alaska seafood. Emma Teal explains,

“There were not many people who wanted to hire someone who disappeared at sea for many months at a time. We had to decide if we were going to stop fishing, or commit to the lifestyle we knew and loved and find odd jobs in the off-season. Around this time we had also started making our first Salmon Sisters designs–and though we were making t-shirts and hoodies mostly for our family and friends–we decided to start taking our work seriously.”

At the University of Vermont Claire studied business, and Emma Teal studied art and design at Williams College and the University of Washington. Emma says, “We combined skills to start the Salmon Sisters business to complement our fishing schedule and be inspired by our work as fishermen. Years later, we are grateful that we made the choice to commit to the community that has always been inspiring to us, to invest in ourselves, and to use the ambiguity of our schedules to do something new and interesting.” Now, Salmon Sisters home base is in Homer, Alaska, Claire and Emma Teal fish for salmon in Prince William Sound, halibut in the Aleutians, and in the winter run Salmon Sisters.
KPBSD teacher and coach stories spawn vision
“We were both really inspired by many of our coaches and teachers in high school who shared their personal experiences as young adults with us,” said Emma Teal. “Whether they ski raced or studied or traveled after high school, their stories helped us form a vision for what kind of work we wanted to do, where we wanted to go to college, and to know what was possible for our future.”
The possibilities continue to expand: in December 2019, Forbes named Emma and Claire in their 30 Under 30 annual list chronicling the brashest entrepreneurs across the United States and Canada.

“Salmon Sisters is our way of protecting our community’s way of life and the wild places we love by creating more awareness for it. People outside Alaska are interested in the story of our industry, and we see this as an opportunity to engage and inform them.” –Emma Teal Laukitis

“Every day with our business, we celebrate Alaska’s responsibly managed fisheries and the hard work fishermen in our state do to put wild, nutrient-rich seafood on plates around the world,” explains Emma Teal. “Because we grew up with Alaska’s natural abundance, it is easy to take our thriving marine ecosystems for granted–but in truth, Alaska is the last of its kind as fish stocks have declined due to poor management and development. As fishermen, we know that if we want to continue fishing for many generations, we must also be stewards of the resources we depend on.”
Cans of salmon for Alaskans
Growing up, “salmon helped power our bodies as athletes and brains as students,” so to share these benefits with as many young people as possible, Emma Teal and Claire created a program through Salmon Sisters to donate a can of wild salmon caught by Alaskan fishermen to the Food Bank of Alaska with every item the business sells. The donated salmon is distributed across the state and helps support the communities that have supported the business for many years.
Claire and Emma Teal attended Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Homer Middle School, and graduated from Homer High School. Claire attended the University of Vermont, and Emma went to Williams College, and the University of Washington for graduate school.
KPBSD celebrates 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Emma Teal Laukitis (Class of 2009) and Claire (Laukitis) Neaton (Class of 2008) who are proof positive of the KPBSD mission to empower all learners to positively shape their futures.

Links

Website: https://aksalmonsisters.com/

“Salmon Sisters strives to make their garments the ones you dress up and dress down, get dirty and wear holes through, because they’re just too cool and comfy to take off. For every product sold, we donate one can of wild salmon to the Food Bank of Alaska.”

Facebook Salmon Sisters
Instagram: akSalmonSisters
Twitter: akSalmonSisters
The 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs, December 2018
Outside: The Salmon Sisters on the Art of the Side Hustle, October 2017
Microsoft Surface Go and the Salmon Sisters, August 2018

Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org.

KPBSD Wednesday Inspiration: Megan Mazurek, #Classof2005

“There’s something satisfying with meeting daily deadlines and starting fresh the next day.”

–Ms. Megan Mazurek, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District graduate, Class of 2005, Nikiski Middle-High School, and KTVA 11 News Anchor in Anchorage, Alaska.
Only 150 miles by road, and 20 minutes by plane from where she attended school at Nikiski North Star Elementary and Nikiski Middle-High School, Megan Mazurek is now a familiar face in households bringing us the evening news at 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00 PM Monday through Friday, on the CBS Affiliate news station in Anchorage. Mazurek is proud to share stories about people making a difference and challenging news coverage. She explains, “Every day is different. It’s filled with new stories, new people and new challenging coverage. I get to meet with new people who are helping make a difference in our community. At the end of every day I have proof of all the hard work our team has put together in a broadcast.”
As a young girl, she was active in dance, which became a building block into her now very public role as a television news anchor with a camera trained on her to broadcast body language and every word she speaks to thousands of viewers. A graduate of University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and minor in Art History, Megan is only a few classes away from completing her Master in Business Administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. The UAA College of Business and Public Policy provides learners with perspectives and skills needed to assume significant leadership and managerial roles.

Advice to her younger self or a K-12 student from a 2018 perspective:

“What you may be interested in now will not necessarily be what you make into a career later; however it will teach you valuable lessons in other ways! I was very involved in dance growing up, and though I didn’t go on to teach, I used what I learned about being in front of an audience as a building block to working in front of a camera.”

Service and care for others:

Megan does not stop at only reporting about people making a difference in our communities, she is involved. When asked what issue or organization grabs her heart of care and concern, she replies,

“I’m actively involved with the Abused Women’s Aid In Crisis Shelter (AWAIC) in Anchorage. It provides a safe place for women, children and sometimes men when they are in a dangerous situation or may not have anywhere else to go. This year I did my first Sleep Out with the Covenant House of Alaska, which offers a safe place and resources for homeless and trafficked youth. I helped to raise $1 million, a record amount for the annual Sleep Out Champion event!”

Connect with Megan Mazurek every evening on KTVA, or through social media

Jacob Doth, one of her teachers said, “Dance was her life in high school. Her talent matched her determination and you can see that her hard working, never give up attitude is continuing to aid in her blessed life!”
KPBSD celebrates Ms. Mazurek who is proof positive of the KPBSD mission to empower all learners to positively shape their futures.
Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff at communications@KPBSD.org.

Flying with the Thunderbirds, Oh the places we’ll go! KTVA story

Ms. Natali Jones, 2018 Alaska Counselor of the Year!

The 2018 Alaska School Counselor of the Year is Ms. Natali Jones, itinerant counselor serving Chapman School Anchor Point Alaska, Homer Flex High School, Nanwalek School, Nikolaevsk School, Port Graham School, and Susan B. English School in Seldovia!

“The communities that I serve are incredibly diverse. Weekly, I work with Alaska Native villages, a Russian Orthodox village, a township, and an alternative school. I fly to work three days a week and drive the other two. As different as these places are they have many things in common: incredible students, dedicated staff, cultural pride, and caring communities. It can be challenging to serve a school one day a week when there is need for a full time counselor at each site, but it is a gift to be able to work where I do, and for that, I am grateful.”
–Natali Jones, KPBSD itinerant counselor, 2018 Alaska School Counselor of the Year

This makes it worthwhile and meaningful…

The most moving part of my work is when a student seeks out their own wellness and post-secondary success. Whether it is sharing a safety concern, or their dream to become the first person in their family to graduate it takes bravery to speak your truth. I know I am in the right place when I hold the belief that anything is possible.

“Ms. Jones is an excellent example of how wonderful our counselors are in KPBSD. She works hard to support the whole student and is heavily invested in all of her student’s success. This is a well-deserved award and I’m very proud of Natali and all she does for our students!” –Sean Dusek, KPBSD Superintendent of Schools

Help people hear their story and support ambitions

I became a school counselor in August 2011. My parents, who spent a great deal of their careers as teachers and passionate about working with youth said they were not surprised by my choice—in fact they had been wondering when it was going to happen. I was a peer counselor in middle school. I later pursued careers in journalism, film, and Human Resources. These all had a common thread: helping people tell their stories and supporting their ambitions. School counseling was a very natural next step.

Gratitude

This honor evokes a great deal of gratitude, first and foremost to the wonderful students and communities I serve. I have learned such an incredible amount about generosity, dedication, and cultural values. Next to each of those that support my role as school counselor including the incredible teams that make up our schools and a web of support for our students. This includes all employees classified and certified. Without each of these people, I would not be able to do my work.

Influence

School counselors provide supports with academic, career and social-emotional development. I am most impacted by those who support my role and those in our district that understand the challenges of small schools including equity of resources.

This is best!

Hands down working with students is the favorite part of my day. As an itinerant, it sometimes looks a little different. It may be online e-mail correspondence, but the best is sitting with a student and supporting their success.

Advocate

I could not do my work without the support and collaboration of my family, friends, colleagues, students, and communities. Truly wrap around services bolster our youth. Each of my schools has a level of need that could justify a full time school counselor. My hope is that school counselor professionals be viewed as an intricate part of student success and safety. I advocate and wish for a school counselor in each school in our district, state, and nation because together we can create change.

Lifelong Learner

I grew up outside of Eugene, Oregon, in the country and went to Harrisburg High School, then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Spanish (double major) from the University of Oregon. I received Masters of Education in School Counseling from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Ms. Natali’s Counselor Corner: http://believeyoucan.kpbsd.org

“Natali is a tireless advocate for all students, but she also provides a necessary voice for the needs of those attending small schools. She opens doors for our students and helps them find post-secondary fulfillment. Ever the professional, Natali also works to inform the practice of her colleagues and better the profession as a whole.” –Principal Chris Brown, Homer Flex High School
“Natali is a champion for opportunities that benefit the students she serves, and her efforts have not gone unnoticed. Her accolades are well deserved.” –Principal Conrad Woodhead, Chapman School

Amelia and Stella video convo #TaylorSwift

Dear Taylor Swift, kindly meet Amelia and Stella, two very special teens from Homer High School, in Homer, Alaska. You inspire Stella to be herself, and you brighten her life everyday.
My name is Amelia Springer and I compiled this video for my friend Stella, who says she is the #1 Taylor Swift fan! I love watching Stella dance and sing to Taylor Swift songs at lunch and thought how amazing it would be if Stella ever got the chance to meet her in person.
Stella has down syndrome and I have a rare type of ectodermal dysplasia, AEC, which is a skin condition and was #21 in the world diagnosed with my specific type.

“I want this video to show people that we are individuals outside of our conditions, because I often feel that medical conditions are looked at from the medical side of things and I want people to see the brilliant minds and personalities behind the conditions.” – Amelia Springer

Although Stella and I both have our syndromes we don’t let them define us, which is my goal for this video.
My other goal for this video is for it to possibly reach Taylor Swift so Stella experience her dream of meeting her!

So please like this video and share it!
Let’s see how far this gets!

How RESPONSIVE fits into the KPBSD educational strategy

Four key areas define the KPBSD five year strategic plan. In this two minute video, Superintendent Sean Dusek explains how Responsive is a core element:

Learn more about the KPBSD 2017 – 2022 Strategic Plan

Video text
Hello! This is Sean Dusek and today we are going to examine what Responsiveness means in KPBSD.
As you know, we are working hard to refine our instructional approach for each student in our schools. With that being said, our foundational philosophy is still centered on the concept of a strong, positive relationship between every teacher and each of their students. In order to strengthen this foundation, our teachers believe that every student can learn and hold high expectations for that learning. A growth mindset for all teachers and students is critical.
The Alaska State Standards define what each student should know. Our teachers understand what engages each student through the foundation of a strong, positive relationship. This allows teachers to build assessments tailored to each student to determine if they are proficient in a given standard. The assessment is very likely much more than a test and is relevant to the individual child.
If a student cannot demonstrate proficiency on a given standard, we respond in a variety of ways with that individual. The learning environment is of the highest quality with specific interventions and a wide-variety of instructional practices that fit what an individual child needs, when they need it. If a student easily demonstrates proficiency, we respond with other opportunities for growth that expands the depth of knowledge for the child.
Overall, KPBSD responsiveness is about the instructional environment and expanding the quality of it for each individual. This will take outstanding and focused professional learning opportunities for teachers and leaders as the instructional toolbox is deepened to optimize student learning.
Thank you!
Responsive: Be immersed in a high quality instructional environment:

Prioritize strong, positive relationships with all students to support their social and emotional needs
Teachers will utilize a repertoire of high-yield instructional strategies that are research-based, high quality instructional strategies, within the instructional environment
Develop a culture of continuous innovation within all schools across the district
Professional learning is embedded and ongoing, resulting in continuous growth and innovation
Develop a highly reliable and efficient organization through online and concurrent collaboration tools

Links

How-to measure KPBSD student success #KPI

KPBSD measures student and organizational success with multiple Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Superintendent Sean Dusek explains in short two minute video:

Learn more about the KPBSD 2017 – 2022 Strategic Plan, and KPBSD KPIs

Video text:
Hello! Sean Dusek here with you again today to continue our discussion on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Strategic Plan.
The focus of this video is on what our district measures to determine organization success. We call these measures Key Performance Indicators. With such a diverse school district we monitor a wide range of data points that are meaningful to not only the district, but to local communities.
First, we monitor academic performance very closely at all grade levels. This includes how students perform in relation to the Alaska State Standards. Most of these measures are classroom based and our teachers use a wide variety of assessments to ensure students are growing on a daily basis.
Attendance is a very important indicator we monitor as we have seen that students who are at school more than 90% of the time perform at a high level in school. While this seems intuitive, we have many students who struggle to get to school for a lot of different reasons and we do our best to support families to be in school every day with a positive and safe learning environment.
Another area that we monitor is a student’s participation in school and the community. Research has shown that school and community connection provides additional supports for a student as they go through a wide variety of experiences. We call these wrap around services to provide safety nets to promote student resilience, work ethic and empathy. These characteristics are highly valued by employers as they are looking for people who can work with others, overcome challenges, be optimistic and think.
We have several other indicators we monitor and I encourage you to take a look at our district dashboard on our website for more information. All of the indicators we currently have are grounded in research and give us a snapshot of how our district, schools and even individual students are doing throughout a school year. We will provide updates on progress with these indicators periodically and utilize the information to make adjustments to better meet the needs of our students.

Tag: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District