Product Description
The public cares so much about the education ofits children that schooling frequently becomes a political issue as partisans propose means for improving schools and support them with appealing rationale. This has certainly been the case with the charter school movement.

Proponents have seen charter schools as a means to improve student achievement and make schools more accountable to the public. The charter school movement has swept across the country powered by the momentum of these appealing ideas, even without data demonstrating these much touted benefits. Gordon Castanza provides an analysis of the history of the charter school movement and of school accountability. His original research reveals the answer to the question, "Are charter schools more accountable to the public than other schools?" Carolyn H. Chapman, Professor Emerita, U. of Nevada, Reno ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Kudos for first research-based book about charter schools
Dr. Castanza's pioneering work provides the first comprehensive study from Alaska of the core issue in the current debate over the charter school system - the need to match freedom with accountability. His objective, factual examination reveals the current down-playing of accountability, traces the problem to the political tendencies which impact the school system, and digs deep down to the philosophical underpinnings of these tendencies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An impressive little book on the history of Native Alaskan education
This is an EXCELLENT little book for those interested in the historical background of how the original Russian missionaries to Alaska had a vastly different philosophy on "education" as it related to the Alaska Native peoples, than their latter counterparts from the "Lower U.S. 48" led by Sheldon Jackson of the Presbyterian Church in combination with the United States government. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Harrison's book is a valuable reference for developing collaborative programs between indigenous groups and outside experts. In it she outlines the process of program design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Program designers, researchers, or fieldworkers will find this book valuable for formal or pilot projects in developing a variety of programs including economic development, education, social services, and health. The rich case study materials provide useful detail about collaborative programs in Alaskan Native communities and in New Zealand Maori communities. This book will be a valuable tool in anthropological practice and research methods, for courses in ethnographic methods, comparative indigenous studies, multicultural education, and Native American studies. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
In 1958, Alaska was not yet a state; it was one of the last frontiers in the West and offered a life of adventure to anyone willing to relocate there. Donna Joy McGladrey, the daughter of a Methodist minister, had recently graduated from college and was ready for what Alaska promised.

McGladrey became the first band instructor in Dillingham, a remote fishing village 350 miles west of Anchorage. Before she arrived, someone showed her a photo of Dillingham and her immediate reaction was, "It's terribly primitive." But later she reported in a letter to her family, "I SAW A GLACIER! WOW! . . . Fall colors are the most gorgeous I've ever seen. And the mountains—Wow."

On her first day of class, the new music teacher discovered there were no instruments for the students to play--she had to convince the parents, who depended on the annual salmon harvest for income, to buy them. But her students were excited about music and they energized their young teacher as much as she inspired them.

McGladrey made new friends, learned to appreciate Alaska and its ruggedness, and decided to make her home in the forty-ninth state. In those days before instant communication, she and her family maintained close contact through the mail. Sandra Mathews, McGladrey's niece, made extensive use of that correspondence to tell the story of her aunt's experiences in Alaska. Mathews also interviewed people who had known McGladrey and supplemented the letters and interviews with archival research. Between Breaths reflects Donna McGladrey's willingness to adapt, accept, and, perhaps most importantly, to rely on herself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Author comments
This book took over eight years to research and write, and is a labor of love yet grounded in sound historical research.You will get to know Donna in a very personal way, experience her growth into a thoughtful and caring adult, share her enthusiasm for her new teaching career and delight in her introduction to falling in love (and out of love)!You'll hold your breath as she rides with student pilots across the frozen tundra and wind and snowswept mountains, landing in remote bush villages as they stop to ask directions, and let go a huge sigh of relief as they land on fumes.It is a book of hopes and dreams fulfilled and lost.It is a book Donna had hoped to write, but could not---so instead, I wrote it for her with the help of her twin sister and older sister, best friends, colleagues, former students, and even a landlord; as well as extensive research in local, regional, state, and national archives.
Please enjoy it!I think she would be proud! ... Read more

Product Description
From Outrageous to Inspired shows how all the people associated with any school--teachers, principal, parents, children, neighbors, and other community members--can take up leadership together to create a vibrant learning community. David Hagstrom promotes new ways of thinking about parental participation, neighborhood involvement, and teacher leadership in schools. In From Outrageous to Inspired he offers a guidebook for school leaders who are engaged in a journey of school improvement and community building. The book is filled with stories and reflections from Hagstrom’s transformative experience as the principal of Denali Elementary School in Fairbanks, Alaska. As principal of the school he asked the question “What do you want for your children, here at Denali?” These extraordinary stories offer a framework for creatively bringing about change from within an organization and for dealing with the larger issues of school change and reform. ... Read more

Product Description
Rhythm's experience in a dog-sled race in Alaska shows him that God does not expect you to win every time, as long as you do your best. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Northern Review, published by Northern Review on January 1, 2008. The length of the article is 5949 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Counsellor training via distance education: opportunities for rural Alaskan communities.(General Articles)(Report)
Author: Christine R. Cook
Publication: Northern Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2008
Publisher: Northern Review
Issue: 28Page: 230(16)

Article Type: Report

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
An intimate and utterly moving story of a dedicated teacher, a supportive community---and a group of children who refuse to let the prospect of death disrupt their classmate's schooling.

Elaine Moore, a veteran teacher in Eagle River, Alaska, is a firm believer that the classroom is, first and foremost, a community and that learning is best when shared in a circle of peers. When one of her students, ten-year-old Seamus Farrell, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Elaine and her innovative methods are put to their most severe test. Elaine's Circle is a heart-wrenching look a the remarkable achievements of a dedicated teacher and a group of children who take her at her word when she tells them, "Learning is not just something we do in school. It is something we do until the day we die." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Well-Written
I really loved this book. Yes, it was sad, but it was so well-written and compassionate that the underlying story was not about death, but life, and how his illness affected a community, and how one person can become an everyday hero and role model. As one reviewer said: "The story is so well written, before you know it the book is done and your life is changed forever." I totally agree.

An incredible experience
This was an excellent book.It was well written, and a fabulous story.We should all take a lesson from how the children rallied around their friend and classmate!This book greatly emphasizes the power of friendship!

A book you won't forget...ever
The story is so well writen, before you know it the book is done and your life is changed forever.Elaine's Circle tells the story of a phenomenal teacher who handled the terminal illness of a student with grace, honesty and true insight into how a childs mind works. Kudo's to all involved!

A story of love
one of the most endearing stories ever.A MUST on the reading list of compassionate people. ... Read more

Product Description
Terri Austin shares her journey as she steps back and offers the responsibility of assessment to her middle school students. ... Read more

Product Description
An Alaskan Author & Educator Shares Cool Activities, Projects, Games, Maps, and Fascinating Facts to Help You Explore Our Northernmost State
NEW! Funtastic social studies!
Bundle up for fun with this learning-packed resource on awesome Alaska! Students make a model of Denali, avoid the perils of the icy Iditarod in a History and Hazards board game, chart the sizes of big bears and other "giants" of the Alaskan wilderness, ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Fun Teaching and Learning Book
I used this book as a part of an Alaskan unit for second graders.They loved it!The poetry drew them in, they laughed and learned from the "Cheechako tips."Brilliant photographs and clear text make this a wonderful read.The book lends itself to a multitude of reading and writing lessons.It is great an introductory or summarizing text.

A fun way to learn about Alaska!
If you want to teach your child about Alaska,this is a fun way to do it! ... Read more