Legislators ignore duty to fully fund public schools
I've testified before the legislative caucus, donated my time for many school events, and I have 20 years of experience teaching middle school and high school, which means I have watched as many years of budget wrangling. I have never seen anything like what is happening now to Alaska's education system. Cutting the education budget further, after four years of flat funding and this governor's extreme cuts (I voted for you because you promised to protect public education) is egregious, not to mention breaking the promise made for next year's budget. Alaskans want funding for public education — have you not been reading the letters to the editor?
We have lost many wonderful professional young teachers who were dedicated and successful, yet were let go or displaced after up to 10 years of superb service to the youth of Anchorage. We have already lost librarians, nurses, graduation coaches, and counselors, and class sizes are steadily growing. This has been going on for four years, thanks to Parnell's flat funding, and education has nothing left to give.
Institute an income tax, vote for a sales tax, spend the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend funds, but stop what you are doing to public education. No business could operate without some sort of forward funding -- to be able to plan, hire appropriately, and live within our means because we actually know what they are, are basic business principles being denied the Anchorage School District.
Teachers are being treated like temporary employees instead of the highly educated, highly trained professionals who work each day with your sons and daughters. We find ourselves fighting to defend the state's constitutional responsibility to provide funding for our public schools. Not one cut, not one change, has been good for our students. It is the responsibility of the Legislature, not its whim, to fully fund public education. Do the only right thing.
-- Denise Roselle
Anchorage
Berkowitz is pro-education
As a teacher who sees firsthand the effects of unstable funding for education, I know we need solid leadership at the local level. Ethan Berkowitz supports public education. He has fought for our students, and has a proven track record supporting public education. Ethan will be able to lead us through these uncertain times brought on by the dysfunction of Juneau.
-- Laura Kimmel
Anchorage
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