So, What Actually Happened This Legislative Session?
Dear education advocate,
Wow - This has been quite a legislative session.
There were a lot of ups and downs, but through it all, our activism - and the voices of families, students, and community members across the state - kept education on the front burner.
Governor Dunleavy’s veto of an early Base Student Allocation increase (and the legislature’s failure to override it) was a low. As a result, teachers are currently being laid off across the state. Many will likely get their jobs back once the governor signs the final budget (assuming he doesn’t veto the funding again). However, many laid-off teachers may have taken jobs elsewhere by that time.
Despite that setback, there is still a lot to celebrate.
Legislators approved $175 million in extra one-time education funding, the equivalent of $680 per student.
Legislators authorized the State Board of Education to craft regulations to bring correspondence school spending into alignment with the Constitution. This will provide stability while the Alaska Supreme Court hears the case on appeal.
The legislature rejected Governor Dunleavy’s reappointment of Bob Griffin - who champions vetoing education funding - to the State Board of Education.
Legislators passed a statutory increase to pupil transportation funding.
An additional $5.2 million was allocated to support kindergarten through third-grade reading instruction.
In an effort to help districts fill teaching positions, legislators made it easier for school districts to hire out-of-state teachers and increased the length of time retired teachers can work as substitutes.
The legislature passed a balanced budget – one that did not need to tap the state's savings or overdraw the permanent fund - preserving the state’s financial health.
Our activism made a difference: our stories, our letters, our testimony, our presence in the halls, our voices at rallies, our emails, our posts, our petitions - it was an enormous and necessary effort. The Great Alaska Schools network now includes over 4,400 Alaskans. Over 700 of you signed a petition urging the legislature to override the Governor’s veto and countless more wrote emails, made phone calls, showed up at rallies and townhalls, and testified on behalf of our students and schools.
Our work is not done. We still need to get the budget signed by the Governor without a veto for education items. We will be calling on you to bring your influence to bear on the Governor.
Every House member and half of the Senate will be up for reelection in November. As candidates campaign this summer and fall, we have an opportunity to hold incumbents accountable for their actions, to support those who championed education, and to keep education at the forefront.
There are some seats that don’t yet have contenders. If you are interested in running for a seat in the legislature or know others who are, please consider running. There is a strong contingent of education supporters, but we need more. The filing deadline is June 1st…
Thank you again for your efforts for education - together our authentic, sustained, statewide demands made a difference.
— Polly, Erin, Emily, Sara, Becca and the Great Alaska Schools volunteer team
PS - Drop us a line if you’d like to get more involved. Our volunteer leadership team is planning to meet monthly, with our next meeting on Monday, June 26th at 7.
