Save ASD Student Health, Mental Health and IGNITE services: reject the proposed budget cuts

Please stop cutting out the voice of littles. They are not old enough to drive a car but cuts like this make decisions about their future. Please do not butcher their growth potential. Programs were created out of identified need. Not a savings account to recall when it does not produce revenue from spectators.

Education and health is important for our society.

I think this wouldn't be beneficial to cut in our school systems and really needs ti stat inplemented for our atudents

6 years ago Featured

My 10 year old daughter benefited from the ignite program in 2016-2018 while in the 3rd grade in Anchorage School District. I would like to see it continue for other gifted kids as well!

6 years ago Featured

Accurste and meaningful health education is essential for all students. Teaching ot is a specialty. Passing this off to untrained and over-tasked teachers or librarians is a disservice to all of us. (Children, parents, teachers and society).

Please invest more in our children not less.

Can it be edited to say mental health counselors rather than just counselors? Schools will often have a “counselor” but it can be a bachelors level professional who focuses on college admission and graduation. Additionally, we need more school social workers. We have an embarrassingly small number. The school psychologists only do assessments. We need social workers as they’re boots on the ground and get things done.

This petition says it all. I would only add that strong relationships are the key to all learning and loss of any staff is a loss to all students.

Please spread the word! These programs make a huge difference in our kids life long learning.

6 years ago Featured

Please listen to ASD families before making the proposed budget cuts. My son is in kindergarten and has started lecturing me on proper medicine and vitamin administration that he learned from his health class, along with other practices he sees in our community. We need to grow healthy individuals

Students need safe adults in their life, education on healthy nutrition and body safety, and mental health care. Trauma-informed care esspecailly is valuable in the Alaska population, as we have unacceptably high rates of sexual abuse, childhood trauma, obesity and poor dietary habits. Please do not make these harmful changes to our families who need the resources! My other concern is adding additional expectations of our classroom teachers will continue to add stress and strain, leading to premature retiring or transfers to other states. Our kids are already missing out on quality social, artistic and free-time in the classroom, these cuts will only add to their busy-stressful days - they deserve better. So do our teachers.

This is not a solution it just hurts our next generation

Budget cuts towards the schools and teachers need to stop

It is awful To think further cuts Are even being considered. These kids deserve better! No more cuts! My kids don’t even get science or social studies at school anymore. Because teachers don’t have time . It is sicking.

And while we are fighting for “what is best for children...” let’s also save the district money by getting rid of excessive testing of our children! Stop the district from labeling our children at a young age. Let’s join together and start teaching our children the love of learning and finding what they love and who they are through discovery and doing/playing!

Fund our future.

Health is an important and essential part of a student’s education!!!

Please fight for the education that our kids need and deserve. Every child should be allowed to reach their potential and by eliminating IGNITE and health, you will eliminate that potential. I know the district is phrasing it as “restructuring” IGNITE by adding it to WIN time. However, WIN time is supposed to already be providing What I Need (though it doesn’t - my kids sit and read). What my kids need is to be challenged and to be surrounded by their peers that also should be challenged because learning this way advances innovation and creativity. Highly gifted students should be taught by highly qualified teachers in gifted education. Eliminating IGNITE will throw more responsibility on classroom teachers that already don’t have the time to spare. Eliminating health is even more ridiculous then eliminating IGNITE. You are failing our students. I understand that budgets are tight but you need to fight for education. Tell the legislators that we can’t teach to all students if we don’t get more funding. At what point do you think it’s appropriate to stand up and say, “no more cuts”? Do not capitulate. Advocate.

Please support education and what is developmentally appropriate practices for our children!

Please support our kids!! We need to stick up for appropriate developmentally practices!