The national nonprofit A Better Childhood is appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Alaska Office of Children’s Services. Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the federal class-action lawsuit in March.

The lawsuit was filed by the nonprofit, alleging foster children in state custody are at risk of harm because of systemic problems, and that the state violated federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attorneys for the organization pointed to high caseloads for caseworkers and inadequate systems for hiring and training.

In her dismissal, Gleason wrote that attorneys from A Better Childhood didn’t prove that the foster youth whose stories were presented at trial were actually harmed or at serious risk of harm.

Marcia Lowry, the attorney who led the lawsuit against OCS said they’re appealing because the dismissal “focuses on the wrong issues” and “departs from long-standing precedent.”

Gleason’s decision is based on a “narrow and incorrect interpretation of whether the children have ‘legal standing’ to bring the case,” Lowry said.

She said the organization hopes to correct that legal error by appealing to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Tracy Dompeling, who heads the state’s Department of Family and Community Services, emailed a statement that said the nonprofit wasn’t able to show in court that the state is violating the federal rights of foster children. She said the state is working “with care and professionalism to keep the state’s most vulnerable children safe.”

RELATED: Alaska’s foster care system is among the worst in the nation. Can a lawsuit force real reform?

Korea Herald correspondent

SEATTLE — The cabin lights dim to a warm amber. A lantern glows softly beside the seat as a flight attendant pours a chilled glass of sparkling wine. A sliding door closes, and for a moment, the hum of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fades away.

This is Alaska Airlines’ new international business-class suite, which debuted April 25 as part of the carrier’s long-haul rebrand.

The airline introduced the suite on its first long-haul international route, Seattle-Incheon, followed three days later by Seattle-Rome. Service to London begins May 21, with service to Reykjavik, Iceland, launching May 28.

Long known as the West Coast’s hometown carrier, Alaska Airlines is now positioning itself as a global airline, supported by its subsidiary Hawaiian Airlines and the Oneworld Alliance, connecting to more than 900 destinations worldwide.

“Alaska as a brand is new to long-haul, especially trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic routes. Hawaiian is not,” Alex Judson, managing director of partnerships and international at Alaska Airlines, told The Korea Herald at the airline’s global training center. “Hawaiian has been serving Korea as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand for many, many years. The beauty of the combination is that we’re leveraging those insights, the learnings, the expertise that the Hawaiian team has as we build this expansion.”

Suite built for sleep

Step into the cabin and the design language is unmistakably Pacific Northwest — muted earth tones, soft textures and a quiet, evergreen restraint. Each suite has a full-flat bed, a sliding privacy door and direct aisle access. An 18-inch HD screen offers more than 1,500 films and TV programs. Headphones from premium audio brand LSTN slip into a discreet stowage compartment alongside a mirror and a custom reusable Path Water bottle.

Two pillows sit on the seat: a wide, plush one for sleeping flat and a smaller pillow that doubles as neck support when upright. The mattress pad, cover and slippers are noticeably more substantial than competing carriers. A wireless charger, individual power ports and an armrest that lifts away round out the practical touches.

The amenity kit leans heavily on West Coast brands. The pouch comes from Filson, made exclusively for Alaska Airlines. Inside are skin care products from Salt & Stone.

Restaurant above Pacific

The food is where the new service tries hardest to set itself apart — and largely succeeds.

Service opens with a cheese and charcuterie platter sourced from Pacific Northwest favorites Beecher’s and Tillamook. The cashews are toasted and savory, the prosciutto restrained in salt, the dried apricots balanced against fresh, snappy grapes.

A cold asparagus soup arrives next, finished with toasted pine nuts. Then a green salad brightened by orange segments and tart green apple. Next came preordered Klingman Farms braised short rib, part of the Chef’s (Tray) Table menu developed with award-winning Seattle chef Brady Ishiwata Williams. Preordering is available through the Alaska Airlines app; the short ribs are popular enough to make planning ahead a necessity. The meat falls apart at the touch of a fork, served alongside Korean rice cakes used to make tteokbokki and topped with a balanced serrano jaew sauce that cuts cleanly through the braise.

Paired with the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Armillary Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Napa Valley — a wine rated 4.5 out of 5 on Vivino — the result is, frankly, divine.

The drink list reads like a West Coast cellar tour, anchored by Stag’s Leap and Roederer Champagne, with a curated selection of craft cocktails, beers and Stumptown coffee. For Korean travelers, the airline has added a JUMO mango, yuja and citrus mint soju cocktail, made with premium craft-distilled soju and real juice. It is bright and effervescent — more refreshing than potent — and a smart nod to the Incheon route.

Dessert is the showpiece. Alaska Airlines has wheeled aboard a Salt & Straw sundae cart. Vanilla bean ice cream, visibly speckled with seeds, is plated with the customer’s choice of toppings. An accompaniment of caramel drizzle and confetti cookie crumble was excellent.

“Salt & Straw is a really fantastic Portland-based company. We’ve been partnering with them for many years,” Judson said, referring to the Oregon city in the Pacific Northwest. “Now we can introduce travelers to that brand as well. Every single product you interact with on board has West Coast roots and origins.”

Approaching arrival, a second meal is served with a tart-sweet berry smoothie made from real blended fruit — exactly the right thing after a few hours of sleep.

Tailored Korean experience

One to two Korean-speaking flight attendants are assigned to the suite cabin on the Seattle-Incheon route, a small detail that matters. Korean banchan accompanies a gochujang chicken option among other main entrees, and Alaska Airlines works with chefs in Seoul to refine the menu.

“I love the gochujang that’s served on the meal platter,” Judson said. “We work with local chefs in Seoul to help us design the menu. We have a call center supporting our guests right there locally from Seoul.”

Ground game

Before boarding, business-class passengers are invited to Alaska Airlines’ newest North Satellite Lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — three connected zones built around floor-to-ceiling windows that frame arriving and departing aircraft. There is a full bar, a hot food station, dining tables, lounge chairs and dedicated workspace seating. An indoor fire pit anchors one corner — an unexpectedly cozy touch for a travel hub.

Passengers have access to the lounge and all Oneworld partner lounges. Oneworld Emerald members can use first-class lounges regardless of their booked cabin.

What’s next

Alaska Airlines plans to install Starlink-based high-speed Wi-Fi on its 787-9 Dreamliner fleet later this year, available free to users signed in to the airline’s Atmos Rewards loyalty program. Sign-up, available in multiple languages, opens the service to anyone.

A premium economy cabin is also in development for long-haul routes, including Incheon, with distinct West Coast-sourced amenities to be announced.

Alaska’s broader ambition, Judson said, is to operate 12 long-haul destinations from Seattle by 2030.

“We see ourselves being a global carrier and continuing to serve these amazing areas where we have our hubs,” he said. “Sustainability is really a key factor for Alaska Airlines.”

The airline is working with its Oneworld partners on joint procurement of sustainable aviation fuel, and the 787-9 fleet is among the most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft flying.

Round-trip business suite fares range from 5.3 million to 7.7 million won ($3,560 to $5,180), depending on whether outbound and return travel fall on weekdays or weekends, before taxes and fuel surcharges.

For Korean travelers, the practical question is whether Alaska Airlines’ new product holds its own against established carriers on the Seoul-Seattle corridor. On the hard product — the suite, the bedding, the food — the answer is yes. The softer details — bilingual cabin crew, a menu that treats Korean food on its own terms and a soju cocktail — suggest Alaska Airlines has studied this market closely.

yoohong@heraldcorp.com

The recent Anchorage Daily News editorial urging us to face a smaller school system misses the real crisis: Our schools are being hollowed out by policy choices at the state level, not inevitability.

Take school nursing. Because of chronic underfunding at the state level, the Anchorage School District is shifting to an untested, unclear regional nursing model. That budget adjustment saves dollars by reducing daily, onsite care — exactly the care chronically ill and vulnerable students rely on to attend school, learn and stay safe. This is not prudent shrinking; it is forcing our students and staff to pay the price for budget shortfalls driven by state inaction.

[Related opinion: Anchorage schools are shrinking. It’s time to face it.]

In elementary schools, art and music are being cut in half. Children will have music in the fall and art in the spring, rotating instructors across semesters. These subjects are not seasonal fluff for young minds. They build creativity, executive function, cultural literacy and social-emotional skills that drive engagement and long-term success. Treating them as short-term elective subjects sends a clear message: We no longer value the full education kids need.

Class sizes tell the same story. A kindergartner who joined a class of 20 in 2015 now shares a room with 27 peers. High school freshman classes built for 30 are packed with 37. Averages hide these extremes — specialized small classes mask overcrowding in general education. At 40 students, a teacher becomes a manager of bodies and behavior rather than an educator of minds.

We are not shrinking responsibly. We are cutting the supports that keep children connected to school and learning. Over the last two decades, state funding for education has fallen in real terms, and student outcomes have followed. When investments decline, programs that prevent disengagement — art, athletics, nurses, counselors — are the first on the chopping block. The result is predictable: higher youth disconnection, lower preparedness for work and fewer pathways to stable careers.

Retention and recruitment problems compound the damage. Without a stable retirement system and competitive benefits, experienced educators leave. Anchorage spends millions each year on short-term fixes — substitutes, recruitment bonuses and temporary staffing — that would be better spent in classrooms and on services that actually improve outcomes.

If the goal is a smaller, more efficient system, be honest about the trade-offs. But don’t dress cuts as inevitability when they are policy choices. The “we spend more for worse outcomes” claim ignores Alaska’s higher cost of doing business and the erosion of per-pupil investment over time. It also ignores the real human cost: a student kept home because a school nurse isn’t available, a child who loses daily music and with it a source of identity, a teacher burning out in an overcrowded room.

Alaskans can choose a different path: restore adequate per-pupil funding that reflects our geography and costs; protect essential services like full-time nurses, art and music; and secure retirement stability so teachers stay. Waiting for a “better” fiscal moment is a decision to lose a child’s year of learning forever. This requires all of us to pay attention to which of our state representatives and state senators are supporting education funding and retirement fixes, and which are offering hollow alternatives and empty assurances.

I hope you will join me in remembering in November when we have the opportunity to chart a better course for our kids.

Christi Sitz has taught elementary and special education in Anchorage schools for 27 years. She is a mom of four Anchorage School District graduates and currently serves as president of the Anchorage Education Association.

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