Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his allies in the Legislature want the power to determine what charter schools can be created; they also want to determine which ones they can take away. Senate Bill 140 is being debated in the Legislature now, and hidden behind a funding increase far too small to meet our schools’ needs is a proposal to take away local control from school boards.
Under this proposed bill, a state board appointed by the governor would have all authority to approve, renew, and terminate any charter school, including the eight serving hundreds of families in Anchorage and Eagle River. These schools provide important alternative approaches to education that support diverse learning styles and offer unique language and cultural focuses.
Even if your family isn’t choosing a charter school, this same proposed board would be able to create new charters that only they would approve, diverting funding away from your family’s school that is already struggling under flat funding for more than a decade. Please take a minute and contact your legislators and tell them you want local control, and that you oppose the government overreach in Senate Bill 140.
— Aaron Poe
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.