Alaska Education Commissioner announces Alaska Statewide Virtual School

PALMER — As Alaskan schools modify the way they educate Alaskan students statewide in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Alaska Department of Education and Mat-Su Borough School District are standing up measures to prepare to deliver education without presence in the school buildings. School districts statewide have begun to distance deliver educational materials.

MSBSD Superintendent Dr. Monica Goyette said that at the beginning of March, MSBSD had just over 1,500 google classrooms registered. This week, over 6,000 google classrooms belong to Mat-Su educators. While education has been pushed to become more technological in the Mat-Su over the past decade, within the last five years MSBSD has worked toward providing one device per student. While many compromises are being made to continue to educate Mat-Su students, not all families have internet access.

“We’re not uniform yet and it’s something that we’re working on,” said Dr. Goyette.

The MSBSD is part of 41 districts that applied for and were granted waivers by the USDA to provide non-congregate meals, according to Alaska Education Commissioner Michael Johnson. The MSBSD provided over 8,000 meals to students just last week.

“The reality is we have to have certain conditions for learning and primary needs that must be met,” said Dr. Goyette. “We have a responsibility to meet those primary needs so that we can accomplish our goals of student learning.”

On Wednesday, Johnson announced the rollout of the Alaska statewide virtual school, which he stressed was not a new concept and had been previously researched by the legislature. Johnson said that the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is also working with Apple to try to get iPads preloaded with materials out to families of early elementary students without internet connectivity. Johnson also said that the state has set up a webpage with webinars and no cost resources and information for students and families at aklearns.org.

“The education community in Alaska is not going to let the coronavirus stop us from teaching and learning and I am happy to be here and report that educators are working very diligently to support students in many creative ways around the state,” said Johnson. “We’re trying to partner with as many folks as possible to support students so that they can continue learning during this unprecedented time.”

Johnson said that he and his department are working with educators and mentioned the Delta Greely staff members that created a YouTube page to help other educators learn how to use virtual teaching tools. Johnson said that he and his department are working with the Department of Law to determine processes for extensions or waivers for emergency certifications and teachers unable to complete student teaching certifications. No Alaskan students will take the PEAKS testing this year and Johnson announced that ACT and SAT test requirements for the Alaska Performance Scholarships will be waived as well as student loan payments extended by three months. Johnson also announced that Alaska is the only state to have a request approved by the USDA for disaster distribution of USDA commodities at food banks and food pantries for the month of April.

“The department is not giving up on student learning,” said Johnson. “We’re committed to supporting districts to provide opportunities for students all across the state. Alaska’s students deserve every chance to learn and grow even in this unusual and unprecedented pandemic.”

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