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AoA: Letter from the Director

Dear ASD Families and Staff,

As the school year comes to an end, we’re reflecting on what has been a deeply rewarding, and at times, challenging period of growth for the Academies of Anchorage (AoA). Across our comprehensive high schools and through the strong support of community partners, we continue to build a system where every student has access to meaningful learning that prepares them for college, career, and life success.

Impact in Numbers and Experiences

Students across ASD engaged in nearly 1,000,000 career-connected learning touchpoints (and counting!) this year. These included:

  • King Tech hiring events
  • UAA and JBER field trips
  • Alaska World Affairs Council speed networking
  • Law panels and mentorship programs
  • Career and technical student organization competitions and industry expos

These touchpoints continue to grow in volume and variety, highlighting how AoA provides equity in access to real-world, career-aligned learning for all ASD students.

What’s Next

We’re excited to launch at least two career pathways in each comprehensive high school this fall, and continue the freshman experience we started this year. 

Clarity on Budget, Expansion, and Schedules

We’ve heard the questions about funding and program growth, and we want to be transparent:

  • There are no plans to change the high school bell schedule for at least three to five years. The administration recognizes that such a major shift would require thoughtful community engagement; any proposal for expansion should be based on student outcomes data and ongoing feedback from families and stakeholders, given the scarcity of resources. Career pathways will continue to be optional, and opt-in for students. We anticipate in 3 – 5 years we will have enough data to inform a path forward. 
  • AoA is not expanding at the cost of other core programs. Federal grant funds are separate from the District’s operating budget; it is not an either-or, it is an and. 
  • In fact, a strategic reallocation of grant funding this year helped create the equivalent of six full-time teacher positions, giving principals more flexibility to protect electives and core classes that might have otherwise been cut.

We continue to advocate for sustainable funding at the state level and are focused on protecting the programming we’ve built to date.

Growing and Evolving with Input:

We’re committed to a phased implementation that’s collaborative, thoughtful, and adaptive. Any potential expansion will be informed by student data and community input. 

  • The Freshman Academy Career Exploration course is being reimagined as College and Career Exploration and Personal Finance. This course is aligned with Alaska’s updated social studies standards and embedded with personal finance and career navigation. Students enrolled in the first iteration of Freshman Academy before this curriculum update will have that social studies requirement waived. 
  • Reflecting on this year, we saw a 5% increase in GPA and an increase in attendance among our ninth graders. Engaging learning experiences make a measurable difference. 
  • This course provides foundational support as students explore and select pathways while gaining early exposure to high school resources, extracurriculars, and CTE options.
  • A Master Plan 2.0 for AoA is in development, with a working draft expected by this fall. This revision will incorporate insight from tactic teams, steering committee members, and, critically, family engagement efforts, especially from communities who felt underrepresented in the original version.

We’re exploring expanding public listening and will use upcoming committee meetings to map out a transparent and inclusive process.

Upcoming Events & Key Dates:

  • Freshman First Day Orientation: August 14 
  • Freshman Career Expo: September 26

These events reinforce our goal of early exposure and real-world connections, helping students see what’s possible and begin charting their path forward.

Thank you for your continued collaboration and care for students. As always, the success of AoA depends on all of us working together - principals, coaches, teachers, families, and community partners - to help students thrive in a changing world.

Always Good,


Sean Prince
Senior Director, Teaching & Learning