Steller Secondary School
| Steller Secondary School | |
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"Only the Educated are Free"
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| Address | |
 Steller Secondary School
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2508 Blueberry Road Anchorage, Alaska United States |
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| Coordinates | 61°11′51″N 149°53′35″W / 61.1975°N 149.8931°WCoordinates: 61°11′51″N 149°53′35″W / 61.1975°N 149.8931°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public alternative secondary |
| Established | 1974 |
| Principal | Reed Whitmore |
| Faculty | 23 |
| Enrollment | 281 (2016) |
| Colour(s) | Blue, Royal Blue, Green |
| Mascot | Steller's Jay |
| Website | Official Site |
Steller Secondary School is an alternative school located in Anchorage, Alaska. It is based on the philosophy of responsible freedom, personal initiative, and individualized education. The Anchorage School District established the school in 1974 as a response to a proposal by the Committee of Alternative Secondary Education. Steller was named after Georg Wilhelm Steller, a naturalist from Germany who traveled with Vitus Bering on an exploratory voyage to Alaska. The school was named after him because of his independence, love of knowledge, courage, and pioneering spirit.
For the first nine years of its existence, Steller was located in the old North Star Elementary School building. After much political activity by Steller parents, the Alaska Legislature approved funds to remodel the school and add a new gym as well as a drama facility/auditorium. In 1992, the auditorium was rebuilt after a structural failure caused the roof to collapse, leaving nearly everything ruined except for the stage's curtains. The voters of Anchorage approved a school bond in 2003 to provide funding for the addition of a new science lab and relocation and renovation of the staff lounge, offices surrounding the gymnasium, and the special education office. This construction was completed in October 2004.
Steller accepts students in grades 7-12 from anywhere in the Municipality of Anchorage through a lottery process. However, their student population is almost always maintained at under 300 students. Steller's governmental system is based on the advisory group, where each classroom teacher is assigned a group of 20-30 students. This advisory group elects 2 representatives to the Operational Group, which deals with the day-to-day school issues, as well as the student funds. Op Group is the government, where students come together and decide for the school. It is a joint executive and legislative branch of government, common in many schools.
In addition, a member of the advisory group (traditionally the high school (9-12) representative) is also a representative to the General Steller Community during All Community Meetings, which handles larger issues, such as the school's philosophy, policies and bylaws. The General Steller Community is notable because it has real power to change the workings of the school, from changing classroom hours, to eliminating the grading system (which has been considered, but never adopted) through an All Community Meeting. As a public school, Steller's policies must stay within the requirements of the Anchorage School District, but everything else is open to discussion and modification by the Advisory Board. On all committees where voting is involved, students always have a larger number of potential votes than staff or parents.
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