Avoid Hoonah City School District

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Alaska Teachers Chatboard

Avoid Hoonah City School District

by Roasted

Mar 18, 2010

Hoonah City School District has the most dysfunctional school board in the state. They fire new teachers on a whim. You can have stellar evaluations and chances are that you will not be rehired.

They recently fired the superintendent during the middle of the year.

Unfortunately this is becoming the problem with many of the rural districts in Alaska. Essentially you have uneducated school board members (many without high school diplomas) that abuse their authority and are allowed to act immorally because there is little state oversight.

Be very cautious of districts that have high turnover rates and remember that the ATP website is a lot like a military recruiting office. Many things like prejudice and working conditions are white washed.

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Ben McLuckie Whoa! Some angry writing here... Instead of trying to correct each distortion or qualify each blanket statement, let me add my perspective of teaching here for 19 years (as well as years teaching at other Districts):

I have seen a lot of school boards here in my time, some great and some weak. The current School Board is great, made up en...See More

Apr 18, 2011

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Roasted When I originally started this thread, I hoped that it would begin a change and every once in a while I check the replies to the original thread.

Well, this proves change can happen! Check out the new school board: Sally Dybdahl, Sandy Howard, Robert Jennings, and Bob Hutton... Sally and Bob are rock stars of education. Sandy and Richard ...See More

Apr 24, 2011

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Robert Starbard On 4/24/11, Roasted wrote: > When I originally started this thread, I hoped that it would > begin a change and every once in a while I check the replies > to the original thread. > > Well, this proves change can happen! Check out the new school > board: Sally Dybdahl, Sandy Howard, Robert Jennings, and Bob > Hutton... Sally and...See MoreOn 4/24/11, Roasted wrote: > When I originally started this thread, I hoped that it would > begin a change and every once in a while I check the replies > to the original thread. > > Well, this proves change can happen! Check out the new school > board: Sally Dybdahl, Sandy Howard, Robert Jennings, and Bob > Hutton... Sally and Bob are rock stars of education. Sandy > and Richard are hard working stand up people. I don't know > Kim Savland, but Joe Comolli is an outstanding student with > real leadership potential. > > I only wish I had been working for people of this caliber. > > In short, you can stop running from Hoonah... sounds like the > bend has been rounded and the sky is the limit. > > On 3/18/10, Roasted wrote: >> Hoonah City School District has the most dysfunctional >> school board in the state. They fire new teachers on a >> whim. You can have stellar evaluations and chances are that >> you will not be rehired. >> >> They recently fired the superintendent during the middle of >> the year. >> >> Unfortunately this is becoming the problem with many of the >> rural districts in Alaska. Essentially you have uneducated >> school board members (many without high school diplomas) >> that abuse their authority and are allowed to act immorally >> because there is little state oversight. >> >> Be very cautious of districts that have high turnover rates >> and remember that the ATP website is a lot like a military >> recruiting office. Many things like prejudice and working >> conditions are white washed.

I am a product of the "dysfunctional" Hoonah Schools System. As a proponent of life long learning, I have no problem pointing to the Hoonah teacher(s) that developed within me not only "how to learn", but the desire to learn. I went on after Hoonah to earn a Bachelors Degree and two Masters. That speaks to the quality of the school system.

These same teachers also taught me to accept responsibility not only for my errors but for my words. As I have explained to my students (College freshman through Graduate candidates) I will give credence to "opinion" when they are back by facts and attributions. Papers submitted without attribution and lacking a name would score as a poor to failing submission. I imagine about now you are glad you were not one of the students in my courses.

Jan 26, 2012

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Yes, I certainly will! On 3/18/10, Roasted wrote: > Hoonah City School District has the most dysfunctional > school board in the state. They fire new teachers on a > whim. You can have stellar evaluations and chances are that > you will not be rehired. > > They recently fired the superintendent during the middle of > the year. > > Unfortunately...See More

Jan 29, 2012

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robinegg On 3/05/11, Lynne Lindley wrote: > On 3/18/10, Roasted wrote: >> Hoonah City School District has the most dysfunctional >> school board in the state. They fire new teachers on a >> whim. You can have stellar evaluations and chances are that >> you will not be rehired. >> >> They recently fired the superintende...See MoreOn 3/05/11, Lynne Lindley wrote: > On 3/18/10, Roasted wrote: >> Hoonah City School District has the most dysfunctional >> school board in the state. They fire new teachers on a >> whim. You can have stellar evaluations and chances are that >> you will not be rehired. >> >> They recently fired the superintendent during the middle of >> the year. >> >> Unfortunately this is becoming the problem with many of the >> rural districts in Alaska. Essentially you have uneducated >> school board members (many without high school diplomas) >> that abuse their authority and are allowed to act immorally >> because there is little state oversight. >> >> Be very cautious of districts that have high turnover rates >> and remember that the ATP website is a lot like a military >> recruiting office. Many things like prejudice and working >> conditions are white washed. > > I applaud the person who is truly speaking the truth on this > school district. I was recuited and work there for one year > before being let go. I witnessed, school board members and > school administration openly stealing government grant money > for personal use, remodeling their homes, payments on boat > etc. I openly opposed them along with many community > members, and other teachers which were also let go, we were > harassed our careers destroyed for demanding professional > ethics and accountability. The state and Union officals did > nothing even when documentation and legal proof was provided. > > The school board elected are the same members serving > currently that you discussed. One was a convicted felon for > drug and prostitution charges. One member has no high > school diploma and has a serious drunking problem. I hope > that your administration was trying to help the students > because the adminstration that was there in 2003-2006 openly > worked with the school board on benefiting from the money and > furthering their careers than helping the students. Many are > now superindentants in other small towns. As a school > counselor is was sicking to watch as students issues were > ignored many students were bullied into dropping out of > school before state testing so the school scored higher. I > was appalled with the conduct of the adminstration in which > students were punished for conduct and they openly were just > as guilty. > > Again I warn any educator from seeking employment in Alaska. > The State officals refuse to hold school adminstrator > accountable the Union takes dues but does not protect > teachers who have high personal and professional ethics. > I also am a highly educated individual with two masters > degrees a long list of creditals and experience and I could > do nothing to help the students and families of Hoonal except > speak out which was pointless and demental to my career, > hopefully me and the other teachers and community member > showed the students that they at least mattered to us.

I am reading on here because I have begun an in depth search on my former corrupt Alaska District (not Hunnah) that I just fled from with 6 school age children. I thought for the 2nd half of last year that there was something wrong with me. Went and still in a pretty bad depression over the bashing my ego took. 20+ year positive, happy teaching record, and it is gone now because of one family running the district. As bad as this sounds and as sorry as I am for the hardships I'm reading, it feels good to know I am not alone nor a "bad teacher" all of a sudden. Hang in there all. This is the first August in my life that I wont be returning to school after break. :-( I gave up my retirement and career to make a difference and teach in the bush, and now I have nothing after flying and shipping my things south and need to start over financially with a family of 8. The corruption and nepitism is throughout Alaska and it is in the administration. I loved my co-teachers, although they did nothing to morally support me. It is those in charge with criminal records and false names that scare me. The community members and native Alaskan's were wonderful to me and I do not judge their way of life, and most of them did not judge me. It is the white people in Alaska with the money that hurt the good teachers. They want "yes- sir/ma'am" employees without a brain, an opinion or the curiosity to fight for the truth in our integrity. I don't know if I will ever be able to bring my piece of employer bullying I endured to light, but I will do my research and know I did what was right by speaking up in my profession. I love my students and teaching and the system has lost another good educator. Sad. Hang in there everyone! Don't teach in Alaska if you do not have thick skin.

Jul 27, 2014

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