<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:2.625rem;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem;padding:0px;font-weight:400;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:1.25;max-width:640px">Juneau School District and educators reach deal</h1><p class="gmail-lead" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.3;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Fira Sans","Droid Sans","Helvetica Neue",sans-serif;max-width:640px"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">3-year contract also OK’d for administrative staff</span></p><ul class="gmail-author-meta" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 0.5rem;padding:0px;list-style-position:outside;line-height:1.6;list-style-type:none;max-width:640px"><li style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;display:block;font-family:"Open Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;line-height:1.25rem"><span class="gmail-by" style="box-sizing:inherit;text-transform:capitalize">By </span><a class="gmail-byline" href="https://www.juneauempire.com/author/ben-hohenstatt/" rel="author" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(1,100,150);text-decoration-line:none;white-space:nowrap">Ben Hohenstatt</a></li><li class="gmail-datestamp" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:0.875rem;display:inline;font-family:"Open Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;line-height:1.2rem">Wednesday, June 12, 2019 10:52am</li><li style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px;padding:0px;font-size:0.875rem;display:inline;font-family:"Open Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;line-height:1.2rem"><a class="gmail-label gmail-category-meta-news" href="https://www.juneauempire.com/news/" style="box-sizing:inherit;background:rgb(66,89,139);line-height:13px;color:rgb(254,254,254);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;padding:3px 8px;border-radius:2px;font-size:12px;white-space:nowrap;font-family:"IBM Plex Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:0px 6px 0px 0px;text-transform:uppercase">NEWS</a><a class="gmail-label gmail-category-meta-tag" href="https://www.juneauempire.com/tag/education/" style="box-sizing:inherit;background:rgb(141,156,170);line-height:13px;color:rgb(254,254,254);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;padding:3px 8px;border-radius:2px;font-size:12px;white-space:nowrap;font-family:"IBM Plex Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:0px 6px 0px 0px;text-transform:uppercase">EDUCATION</a><a class="gmail-label gmail-category-meta-tag" href="https://www.juneauempire.com/tag/local-news/" style="box-sizing:inherit;background:rgb(141,156,170);line-height:13px;color:rgb(254,254,254);text-decoration-line:none;display:inline-block;padding:3px 8px;border-radius:2px;font-size:12px;white-space:nowrap;font-family:"IBM Plex Sans","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:600;letter-spacing:0.25px;margin:0px;text-transform:uppercase">LOCAL NEWS</a></li></ul><ul class="gmail-social gmail-story gmail-top" style="box-sizing:inherit;padding:0px 0px 17px;list-style:none;line-height:1.6;overflow:hidden;font-size:0px;max-width:640px;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(230,230,230);margin:17px 0px"> <li style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 6px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:inherit;display:inline-block;zoom:1"><span title="Post to Facebook" style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.juneauempire.com%2Fnews%2Fjuneau-school-district-and-educators-reach-deal%2F" class="gmail-social gmail-fa gmail-fa-facebook-f" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(59,89,152);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:18px;line-height:34px;font-family:FontAwesome;color:rgb(254,254,254);text-decoration-line:none;display:block;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;width:34px;height:34px;border-radius:100px"></a></span></li> <li style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 6px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:inherit;display:inline-block;zoom:1"><span title="Post to Twitter" style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Juneau+School+District+and+educators+reach+deal+-+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.juneauempire.com%2Fnews%2Fjuneau-school-district-and-educators-reach-deal%2F" class="gmail-social gmail-fa gmail-fa-twitter" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(29,161,242);font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:18px;line-height:34px;font-family:FontAwesome;color:rgb(254,254,254);text-decoration-line:none;display:block;overflow:hidden;text-align:center;width:34px;height:34px;border-radius:100px"></a></span></li> <li style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 6px 0px 0px;padding:0px;font-size:inherit;display:inline-block;zoom:1"><span t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erit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“This is a major piece to the backbone to our working relationship with a very important group of our employees, so I appreciate all the efforts of JEA as well as our management team during this process,” Superintendent Bridget Weiss said.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">The JEA agreement took more than 76 hours of negotiations, said Darryl Smith, director of human resources, but he and incoming JEA President Kelly Stewart said it was a constructive process.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">Stewart, Weiss and Smith each said they were glad to reach a multi-year agreement and that it was reached before the previous one lapsed in July.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px"><ins style="box-sizing:inherit;text-decoration-line:none">[<a href="https://www.juneauempire.com/news/its-negotiating-time-for-juneau-school-district/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(43,47,49);text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(150,219,254)">It’s negotiating time for Juneau School District</a>]</ins></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“We were excited to not have to start the new year in the process, and we can focus on the kids,” Stewart said.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">The JSAA agreement calls for a raise of 1 percent in fiscal year 2020, .5 percent in ‘21, and .5 percent in ‘22. The agreement also provides an increase to the district paid portion of health insurance of $25 per month in fiscal year 2020, $20 in ‘21, and $20 in ‘22.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“While it is a smaller group — just over 20 employees — it is a critical group,” Weiss said. “Again, a collaborative process resulting in a three-year agreement.”</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">While the agreements received final readings, an indigenous language revitalization policy was given its first reading.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">The policy states the school board’s support for Tlingit language revitalization efforts and willingness to work with community members to further the effort. If it gets its final reading in August, it won’t mean any immediate changes in classrooms, Weiss said, but instead signifies the district’s support of revitalization.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">Lingít, the Tlingit language, was among the languages declared endangered in 2018. <a href="http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/tli" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(43,47,49);text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(150,219,254)">The Endangered Languages Project</a> estimates there are about 200 fluent speakers of Lingít worldwide. <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/languages/stats/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(43,47,49);text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(150,219,254)">The Alaska Native Language Center</a>similarly puts that figure at 175 speakers.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px"><ins style="box-sizing:inherit;text-decoration-line:none">[<a href="https://www.juneauempire.com/news/new-summit-gathers-many-of-the-worlds-fluent-alaska-native-language-speakers/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:transparent;line-height:inherit;color:rgb(43,47,49);text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:2px solid rgb(150,219,254)">New summit gathers many of the world’s fluent Alaska Native language speakers</a>]</ins></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">Weiss said the policy is the result of efforts by the district’s Tlingit Language Revitalization Task Force subcommittee consisting of Weiss, Short, board member Kevin Allen, Joe Nelson and Haifa Sadighi.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“The voice through this policy is a strong voice coming from us the educational agency that is often attributed and connected to the loss of the language,” Weiss said.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">She said the policy is unique, and it will be shared by the Association of Alaska School Boards around the state as an example of something other schools could implement.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">Allen, who is Tlingit, said he was glad to be part of the process that shaped the policy.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“I feel extremely humbled to be part of the process to make this policy,” Allen said. “I just wanted to touch on my extreme approval of seeing this policies.”</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">The school board also OK’d accepting the donation of two yellow cedar logs to Floyd Dryden Middle School for use in the science, technology, engineering and math program — most likely for making bentwood boxes. Bentwood boxes are a traditional Northwest Coast item that make use of steam to bend wood. The logs were donated by Ryan and Kris Dorsey, who are teachers in the Juneau School District. They were accepted unanimously.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px;font-size:1.063rem;line-height:1.75rem;max-width:640px">“This is really helpful for engaging students we really need to engage,” said </p></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>