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Alaska to use crowdsourcing website to distribute $2M in COVID-19 relief money for public school supplies
Alaska public school teachers short of supplies this year have a new source to turn to for funding, and it’s not the local school budget. Each teacher could receive $650 to $750 from the state in federal pandemic relief money. Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development will devote $2 million in federal pandemic relief […]
Sexual assault survivors in Alaska can now track their rape kits online
A new online tool will allow survivors to check the status of their sexual assault kits, Alaska’s Department of Public Safety announced last week. The department developed a tracker so survivors can stay up to date on their case in “the least intrusive and traumatic way possible.” A sexual assault kit, known colloquially as a […]
In Disability Pride Month, Alaska advocates celebrate progress and look to a more accessible future
July is Disability Pride Month and this year it marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. The law preserves their right to access jobs, schools, public transportation and businesses. But even as people with disabilities celebrate progress, they also say there […]
Alaska Board of Education and Early Development selects new commissioner
The state’s education board unanimously voted to appoint former Anchorage schools Superintendent Deena Bishop as commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development at its quarterly meeting on Wednesday. “We are excited to bring Dr. Bishop on board for the commissioner position,” said board Chair James Fields in a press release. “She has a […]
Alaska Department of Health moves to ease parts of child care licensing burden
The state government is taking aim at eliminating one of the most common barriers for people who want to open child care centers in remote communities: The state requirement for a special internet connection called a “static IP address.” Every device connected to has its own Internet Protocol, or IP, address. While most device addresses […]
University of Alaska and Interior Department partner to increase access to jobs for Alaska Native students
Students from University of Alaska Anchorage’s Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program will have increased opportunities for federal jobs after a partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The agreement will streamline the application process for Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program students. The program started in the 1990s with one university student, and has expanded […]
As more Alaskans face eviction, courts and service providers aim for solutions
When Raven Tulugak Lopez got an eviction notice on his door, it came with another piece of paper that listed resources to help avoid eviction. He was behind on rent by about $900 and was a couple weeks out from a paycheck. “It’s been really tough with inflation and everything,” he said. “The cost of […]
Alaskans faced a food stamp backlog, now they must wait to appeal the delay in benefits
While Alaska’s state government has made progress in getting more people food stamps, advocates say the process to appeal state denials or delays is breaking down. Food stamps are a federal benefit the state of Alaska manages, and there are rules for how quickly the state has to get the benefit to qualified applicants. The […]
A group of attorneys and volunteers helped nearly 2,000 Alaskans get food stamps during backlog
About a year ago, Jamilyn Fenn noticed she was helping a lot of elders in the Seward area repeatedly fill out applications for food stamp benefits. The elders thought their applications were getting denied, but really they were caught up in the state’s food stamp backlog for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Fenn is […]
Nonattorney advocates to represent Alaskans in court under new waiver
Alaska’s Supreme Court, with support from the state’s bar association, approved a waiver at the end of last year that will allow specially trained nonlawyers to represent Alaskans in court for some issues. Nikole Nelson, Alaska Legal Services Corp.’s director, said the system is unique to Alaska — no other state has a program quite […]
Fairbanks elementary school secures $8 million in federal grant money for renovations
As school districts across Alaska struggle with what to do with facilities in need of repairs, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District found a solution to renovate one elementary school: it’s been awarded a significant federal grant totalling $8 million. Jahanara Carreon, who directs the district’s facilities management, said the application felt like a long […]
Study: To hire and keep teachers in remote Alaska, school districts need to pay a lot more
Alaska school districts that are remote and serve mainly students from low-income households need to pay substantially more than they currently do to attract and retain teachers, a study from University of Alaska researchers found. Matthew Berman, a University of Alaska Anchorage economics professor, said that the study shows that compensation does matter when it […]