Nome School Board adopts new reading curriculum, voluntary mask policy

During their April regular meeting, the Nome Public Schools Board of Education adopted a new K-5 language arts curriculum called Bookworms, made masking voluntary starting April 18 in Anvil City Science Academy and Nome-Beltz Middle and High School, and heard some of the challenges facing the district in recruiting all positions, including janitorial staff. Masking will continue in Nome Elementary School through the end of the school year.

Bookworms

The board heard a presentation from the Nome Elementary School English Language Arts Curriculum Committee, about a language arts curriculum called Bookworms. The committee went through several highly rated reading curricula, but presented only one to the board, saying they are “confident that it is a good fit for our students and community.” Not everyone was present, but the committee was made up of NES Assistant Principal Elizabeth Dillman, first grade teacher Heidi Secor, second grade teacher Rebecca Wilkerson, third grade teacher Kim Erikson, fourth grade teacher Krista Marvin and NES parent Ashley Crockett.

Created by Open Up Resources, the program is designed to foster a love of reading in young children. Instead of using excerpts from books, Bookworms uses the whole text, including both narrative stories and informational writings. The program is used in schools with high poverty rates or school-wide Title 1 programs, and students in schools with similar demographics to Nome have made “significant gains,” said one of the teachers. One Title 1 school in Delaware eliminated the achievement gap in two years.

By teaching a variety of books, the curriculum aims to grow student vocabulary, and has students write about what they have just read. Teachers also noted that by repeating similar tasks for each book, it simplifies their routine, while still providing quality language arts education. A partner curriculum, Handwriting without Tears, is already in use in Nome Public Schools.

During the period that the curriculum was on display in the Elementary School, there was only one public comment, a criticism of a different curriculum saying it taught critical race theory. One teacher from the committee said that the curriculum mentioned in the comment was unrelated to Bookworms. Together, the teachers said, “we feel [Bookworms] is reflective of our community and all literature.”

A six-year subscription to the curriculum, which includes the books and shipping costs $91,297. The administration asked the board for approval and said that the money comes from COVID funds. The board unanimously approved the curriculum.

Masking optional

The second piece of big news was the COVID update in the superintendent’s report. With cases decreasing in Nome and across the region, over 75 percent of the NPS community vaccinated, and consultation with the health advisory team, ACSA and NBMHS will make masks optional starting April 18 through the final six weeks of the school year. Superintendent Jamie Burgess said that the community was less enthusiastic about making the Elementary School mask optional. The hospital and Public Health are continuing their response to the pandemic, the school district has an abundance of at-home tests and masks can always go back on in the event of an outbreak; a decision for the fall will be made over the summer, as the situation, and virus, evolves.

Also in Burgess’s report was an update on education issues happening at the State legislative session in Juneau. The Alaska Reads Act passed the Senate and is now headed to the House, which could provide money for a Pre-Kindergarten program in Nome if the program gets off the ground. The House also passed a budget which included an additional $57 million for schools across Alaska. Because one-time funds are difficult to use on personnel – there is no guarantee the funds and position will continue in the future – the couple hundred thousand dollars that

Nome will get will go toward offsetting fuel costs. Normally, Burgess said, the school district locks in their fuel price about this time, but, like the City of Nome, they have elected not to do so at this time of high fuel prices, and pay when the barge arrives, a gamble they’re taking.

Staff shortage

The only public comment of the evening was from Ms. Rebekah Albertson, a teacher at Nome-Beltz Middle High School, speaking to how dirty the school has become. Her trash hadn’t been taken out for four days, the soap dispensers are always empty, and an additional problem, she said, “is not having access to administrators because they are busy taking out the trash.” NBMHS assistant principal Ms. Teriskovkya Smith shared with the board student feedback on the building.

Facilities Director Mark Casey said that they’ll hire one person and lose two, competing against other jobs which can pay more or have better hours, an issue the school district isn’t unfamiliar with. NES Principal Elizabeth Korenek-Johnson said that one Special Education teacher declined their offer, leaving them still searching for one or two more. NES is also still looking for a behavioral specialist. “We’re definitely feeling that strain,” she said. The Superintendent’s written report to the board included an update on how two recently attended teacher job fairs were neither “particularly well attended nor fruitful.” The school district has had to close schools several days this year due to a dire lack of substitute teachers.

During the Action Items portion of the agenda, there were revisions to the current FY22 budget due to staff turnover and asbestos training; a first reading of board policy on Philosophy, Goals for Student Learning, and Youth Services; a second reading of board policy on School Accountability/School Improvement, Access to District Records, Bids, and College and Career Readiness Assessments; Approval of the Bookworms subscription; Approval of a teacher contract; and an approval to change the board calendar to have fewer, more focused work sessions. All motions passed.

Saving the best for last

Nome-Beltz Middle School’s Student of the Month is Brennan Kakoona. Brennan is encouraging of his peers and emanates kindness in all that he does, his teachers say. He always has a positive attitude, even when he struggles. A “shining star,” with “a heart of gold,” one teacher described him as “one of the sweetest, most kind-hearted kids in the middle school.”

Nome-Beltz High School’s Student

of the Month was Erika CrisciOlanna. Introduced by Ms. Smith saying “you really are a wonderful human being,” Erika has shown huge improvement over the years. She is quick witted, hardworking and contributes to a positive atmosphere in the school.

ACSA’s Mrs. Lisa Leeper was not present at the meeting due to her chaperoning the eighth grade trip to Washington D.C., and the ACSA Student of the Month award will be presented later.