Greetings fellow Alaska Admins!
As we all approach the final weeks of the school year, I want to take a moment and congratulate each of you for your outstanding efforts on behalf of the children in your schools. Our state is swirling with talk of vetoes, budgets, homeschooling funding, charter schools, and the challenges of funding. In the middle of this, we have been tasked with educating kids, EVERY child, no matter their background, and we have achieved some amazing results. As you wrap up the 24-25 school year and busily plan for the upcoming 25-26 school year, please consider the following:
- Celebrate, congratulate, and reflect on this year. Although it’s busy, make time to celebrate your achievements, congratulate staff and students on their accomplishments, and reflect, both as a staff and individually, as you plan for the upcoming year. One of my mentors used to remind me to continue to reach for the next rung on the ladder of excellence. When you are educating our youth, there is no mountaintop, you’ve never “arrived”, and good enough is never good enough. I know I’m preaching to the choir. Keep up the excellent effort, Alaskan educators.
- Difficulty isn’t bad. One of my favorite messages I have heard spoken to students is, “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” That might be a perfect principal tagline for the work we do. Be thankful for the challenges you overcame, or might still be working through, as these experiences define us and make us better.
- Relationships are the key. Success truly is about building and maintaining positive relationships in all areas. Treasure the relationships you’ve built throughout this year, and look forward to building new ones in your future.
As an Alaskan principal, I’m honored to work with so many dedicated, hard-working educators in our state. I wish you the very best as you lead through these busy but exciting final weeks of the 2024-25 school year. Take time to take care of yourself, be grateful for the many good things in your life, and know that the positive impact you are making for children is changing lives. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if I, or any other board members, can support in any way.
Rick Dormer
AASSP President
Principal, Ketchikan High School
Principal, Nome-Beltz Middle High School
School Website/Facebook page and link: https://www.facebook.com/nbmhsstudents/
Years served as an administrator: 2 as an Assistant Principal and wrapping up my 3rd as Principal - all at NBMHS!
Why did you decide to become an administrator: High turnover in administration is a nationwide problem and when our beloved principal retired after more than 20 years in the region, I gave up my plan to support the school from the sanctity of my English classroom and put my name in the hat. I am extremely proud and protective of the Nome Nanooks and decided that as a leader, I could have a positive impact on our student outcomes.
What is your definition of a successful school? If we can graduate students who have the capacity to be successful adults, regardless of their path, then that is evidence that our systems and processes are aligned to grow each student in every way, every single day!
Biggest struggle and how to fix: Recruitment. I do think that being innovative can draw candidates, but Nome also has a housing shortage, much like many parts of rural Alaska. Properly funding education, offering competitive salaries, solid retirement pensions, and subsidized housing would greatly help in our hiring endeavors. Life off the road system is tough and expensive - if we want to recruit talented teachers, funding is non-negotiable.
Biggest success achieved as an administrator so far: I am extremely proud of our team who has brought the following action plans to fruition:
● The FIRST School Improvement Plan;
● The FIRST Leadership Team;
● The FIRST horizontal/vertical teams with leaders who specifically work to address our SIP goals and address our School Board priorities. We have implemented PLCs which meet twice a month (ELA, Science, Sped, Math, Behavior) and Teams who meet monthly (Attendance, Engagement, Tier 1 and Tier II-III);
● Successful Tier 1 implementation of our PBIS initiative; TFI results have us at 78% proficient and we are already planning how to close in on our areas of growth.
Needless to say: I am oozing with pride and so grateful to be part of the Nanook fabric.
Favorite quote: "Talented teachers are to education what education is to all other professions - the indispensable element, the sunlight, and oxygen, the foundation on which everything else is built." (Lowell Milken)
The above quote from Milken is a new one in my collection of favorites as it reminds me that our teachers are vital and their impact is inextricably connected to their opportunities for growth. Period. I have to work to ensure they have the best resources, professional development, collaborative time, and support and my advocacy has to be consistent.
What advice would you give those entering the field of school administration? Stay true to who you are and trust in your vision. Make decisions that are best for your students and not just for preservation of your job. Commit to work-life balance, even if it means letting some things go or making a late submission. Foster and grow relationships with your staff – they will be your support when you face unexpected challenges. Make sure you stay connected to classrooms and students - get a rolling cart and take your office out to the school! Be transformative and delegate and trust in others to grow your shared vision.
Last book you read? I am an English teacher at heart, so this is not a simple question; I am rarely only reading just one book! This might sound odd, but I find that fiction often provides me with thoughtful opportunities for reflection and a chance to keep students at the center of all I do. My most recent reads include Shelley’s Frankenstein (a great means of keeping perspective and hubris on track while exercising caution when moving into new areas of improvement). I am also keeping Colson Whitehead novels handy - they remind me that every single human has agency and it is our work as educators to grow each learner’s capacity. Of course, I also try to read books explicitly on Leadership and appreciated The Energy Bus (Jon Gordon); I have also pulled The Leadership Challenge (Posner & Kouzes) off the shelf several times this year - I have destroyed this book with dog eared pages and more highlighting and annotations than I care to admit! This book is brilliant. Our Iceberg is Melting (John Kotter), comes out every time I note tension or potential conflicts and it serves as a great reminder of effective teamwork that we can harness when faced with change.
Anything else you would like to share? I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I had through ASLA and encourage all new administrators to apply. The networking, mentoring, and support have truly helped me get my feet on the ground on a solid foundation.
Dear Alaska Principals,
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to educating Alaska's students. We sincerely appreciate your tireless work to ensure that every child in our state has access to high-quality education and meaningful opportunities.
We also want to express our sincere gratitude for your strong advocacy efforts during the ACSA Fly-In and throughout this legislative session. As principals, you are among the most trusted and respected voices in your communities and by our state's lawmakers. You have elevated the conversation around the real and urgent challenges facing our schools—and now, your leadership is needed more than ever.
Last week, the Alaska State Legislature passed House Bill 69, increasing the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by $1,000. This is a critical and long-overdue investment in our public education system, providing desperately needed resources for our students, staff, and communities after years of flat funding. For many districts, this increase could mean the difference between maintaining essential programs and services or being forced to make painful cuts again.
However, the Governor has signaled his intent to veto HB 69, citing the absence of accompanying policy changes he wants. If that happens, the only path forward will be a veto override, which requires a three-quarters majority vote (40 members) of the legislature.
This is where you come in.
Your voice—authentic, informed, and grounded in the daily reality of Alaska's schools—is essential.
First, thank those legislators who voted in support of HB69. Please see the list below.
Next, we urge you to contact your legislators now and ask for their support if an override of the veto of HB 69 is necessary. Your personal stories are powerful: tell them how stagnant funding has affected your school. Share the tough decisions you've had to make. Describe what this BSA increase could mean for your school, staff, and students. We've provided list of legislators and the school districts and schools they represent so you can easily find them here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J2g3ZvIubrOotXQB7Najkeuh7PrbwGSzr7va3k00Khs/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Legislators need to hear these stories directly from those on the front lines of education. They need to understand that this is not about politics—it's about people and kids. They need to ensure that our schools can continue to serve as the heart of every Alaskan community.
Please be sure your advocacy aligns with your school district's messaging and efforts. A unified and consistent message across the education community will amplify our call for action and strengthen our position.
Please contact the ACSA legislative team if you have any questions or need help contacting your legislators.
The next few days and weeks will be pivotal.
On behalf of ACSA, thank you for your leadership, advocacy, and passion for public education. We are proud to stand beside you and believe we can make a difference together.
Be well,
Dr. Lisa S. Parady
ACSA Executive Director
2025 - 2026 Principal's Calendar
Thank you to those who have reached out with feedback on our first ever Alaska Principals' Calendar!
Whether there was something you found in the calendar that you loved and want to ensure is in next year's version, something that needs to be changed or added, or you have an idea for a guest submission, we want to hear from YOU!
Please share your thoughts on anything related to the calendar by emailing Jen Rinaldi at JRinaldi@alaskaacsa.org. Our goal is to finalize next year's version of the calendar by late May and get it delivered to all members by mid-July so you have it to help plan your new school year!
Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals
Email: alaskaprincipal@alaskaacsa.org
Website: alaskaprincipal.org
Location: 234 Gold Street, Juneau, AK, USA
Phone: 907-586-9702
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alaskaprincipals
