Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Quality education is a foundation for a growing economy and a civil society. Well educated kids turn into responsible and productive adults that contribute to a strong economy and reduced crime. In addition, education is one of the core functions/obligations of our state government. The framers of our state Constitution understood this so much so that they included specific sections under Article 7 providing for both a public school system and for the University of Alaska (article 7, Secs 7.1 & 7.2).

While much has changed in the nearly 60 years since our Constitution was ratified, our obligation to come remains intact and more relevant than ever. What has changed in that time is how best to meet our constitutional obligation. As education budgets have soared and more federal unfunded mandates have been placed on the states, and thus local school districts, we must consider new strategies to ensure that more of our limited public dollars go toward classroom instruction.

Both in Alaska and around the country, there is a growing trend toward alternative approaches from the traditional public school model. Homeschool, charter schools and school choice continue to increase in the matrix of options for K12 education and in the dialogue about how decision makers wrestle with the complicated issue of public education. We need to carefully consider every option available to provide our kids the best education possible.

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