QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE READINESS

What comes to mind …

Aniak and Anchorage participants were asked what came to mind when they thought about the quality of education of Alaska Native children who live in villages and in the Anchorage area. Business participants were asked a similar question about how well prepared Alaska Native children are for entering the workplace. (Appendix B)

"Choices are available. Excellent when taken advantage of." (Anchorage)

"Barely adequate. The normal response is not making the child proud to be Native." (Anchorage)

"Good thing is there are not as many students so you get more of a student-teacher relationship …but some teachers think because they are up here in rural we don't know things like students in other places." (Aniak)

"Quality is fair, but shouldn't have to sue for funding the basics of education - we are all citizens of Alaska." (Aniak)

"We are seeing students coming to the university …not prepared to start on a college level." (Business)

"What's always lacking are communication skills." (Business)

All groups gave education quality mixed reviews. They focused on concerns about teacher quality and inadequate incorporation of Native language and culture into the curriculum. All groups noted the lack of Native teachers, who could serve as role models and better relate to the students. In addition, all groups expressed concerns about school funding in the villages.

Aniak participants said the smaller student/teacher ratio in villages is an advantage, but that poor quality teaching negates this advantage. Several felt villages often get teachers who are "the bottom of the barrel," comments supported by several participants in the business group.

When speaking on behalf of all Alaska Natives, Anchorage participants were concerned about cultural insensitivity in the schools, large class sizes, and basics not taught consistently. However, because there are school choices available in Anchorage, some participants seemed to have found suitable schools for their own children, including one child who was in a private school. Some praised the schools for their cultural sensitivity and programs. Two had very different personal experiences with a "school within a (high) school" for Alaska Natives, one positive and one negative.

Anchorage business participants were especially concerned that most students lacked basic skills, particularly math, science, and communication skills, and good work habits (e. g. punctuality) . On the other hand, they praised students' enthusiasm and cited numerous successes in their internship programs. Several participants felt that schools were focusing too much on getting students to go to college and neglecting vocational education and other options.

Asked how well prepared they thought Alaska Native children would be in the future to enter the workplace, nearly all were somewhat to very optimistic. (See Appendix E.) Their comments, however, indicated some serious reservations. As one participant wrote, "I have a heavy heart when I think about this because the challenge is SO huge -where do you start?" Additional concerns included school funding, teacher turnover, and readiness of universities and employers to receive students. The increasing awareness and involvement of businesses and communities gave hope to the most optimistic participants.

Return to the Issues in Alaska Native Education: Focus Group Research

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