More of the agency's responsibilities are being handed off to other departments, which will take control of workforce programs, college access and child care.
Alaska is shifting ownership of crumbling rural schools to underfunded districts as a condition for repair funding. District leaders say this leaves them with major financial and safety liabilities they can’t afford.
"The most effective guidelines encourage critical thinking, center the human decision-making and allow for nuance," says Ken Shelton, an edtech thought leader and featured speaker at the 2026 Future of Education Technology Conference.
The answer starts with recognizing that our most powerful educational tool isn't technology. Rather, it's the one thing machines can never replicate: human curiosity.
AI fluency isn't about memorizing a set of tools. It's a mindset that blends four competencies: Awareness, application, critical thinking and adaptability.
The change, which still needs the approval of state Education Commissioner Mike Morath, would not affect foreign exchange students wanting to participate in sub-varsity athletics or other activities the UIL oversees, like music and academics.
While declining birth rates in the state were already affecting school enrollment trends, the sharp drop in students raises questions about where once-enrolled students have gone, especially without statewide enrollment tracking for students in other settings, like homeschool or private school.
