WTF! (Where's The Funding?)
Were you inspired by the students across the state who walked out of class in this week in protest of the state’s abject failure to invest in their future?
Whether carrying signs exclaiming WTF (Where’s The Funding!?) or making all five floors of the capital reverberate with chants of “Raise the BSA”, our students made their voices heard!
Now it’s time again for us to back them up.
The House Education Committee will be taking public testimony on CSHB 392 – Education Funding, which would raise the Base Student Allocation to $680.
When:
Monday, April 8 at 8:00 am
Wednesday, April 10 at 8:00 am
By Phone
You can testify from your local Legislative Information Office or call in at the following numbers:
Juneau – (907) 586-9085
Anchorage – (907) 563-9085
All Other Locations – 844-586-9085
Please keep your comments to two minutes maximum
By Email
You can also email your testimony to the House Education Committee at House.Education@akleg.gov (be sure to copy your legislators; email addresses listed below)
Suggested talking points:
Please provide positive examples of how a increasing school funding will benefit your school(s), family, and community and support aspects of the bill that would:
Raise the Base Student Allocation of at least $680
Fund pupil transportation (funding for buses is in addition to the BSA increase.)
Provide an additional $180 for each Kindergarten through 3rd grade student who needs additional readying support.
You may want to oppose aspects of the bill that would:
Allow the Governor-appointed State Board of Education to authorize charter schools rather than locally-elected school boards. (This would take away local control and collaboration and could pave the way to further siphon-off public education funds for private interests.)
The most important thing is to let legislators know that the public - students, families, and employers - want to see the state invest in our schools!
Thank you for your commitment to Alaska's students!
- The Great Alaska Schools parent volunteer team
PS - A few reminders from our recent emails:
Join the Alaska Education Industry Lobby
Among the tortured justifications legislators have offered for not supporting increased education funding is criticism of the “powerful education lobby” in Alaska - as if we are some greedy special interest rather than everyday Alaskans fighting for our schools and our communities.
Let’s show them what Alaska’s “education-industrial complex” really looks like! Here's how you can help:
1. Take a photo or selfie of yourself in the midst of life - doing laundry, dishes, homework, etc.
2. Upload it to your social media platforms. You can say something like, “Governor Dunleavy and legislators, I am the face of Alaska’s education industry lobby”
3. Add hashtags like: #akeducationlobby #akleg
4. Share this with your friends!
Check out the GAS action menu
Click here for a few other ways we can get connected
Continue to remind legislators we will hold them accountable!
YES on the veto override (pro-education thank yous!)
Representative.Jennie.Armstrong@akleg.gov
Representative.Ashley.Carrick@akleg.gov
Representative.Maxine.Dibert@akleg.gov
Represenative.Bryce.Edgmon@akleg.gov
Representative.Zack.Fields@akleg.gov
Representative.Neal.Foster@akleg.gov
Representative.Alyse.Galvin@akleg.gov
Representative.Andi.Story@akleg.gov
Representative.Andrew.Gray@akleg.gov
Representative.Cliff.Groh@akleg.gov
Representative.Sara.Hannan@akleg.gov
Representative.Rebecca.Himschoot@akleg.gov
Representative.Andy.Josephson@akleg.gov
Representative.CJ.McCormick@akleg.gov
Representative.Donna.Mears@akleg.gov
Representative.Geneveive.Mina@akleg.gov
Representative.Dan.Ortiz@akleg.gov
Representative.Justin.Ruffridge@akleg.gov
Representative.Calvin.Schrage@akleg.gov
Representative.Will.Stapp@akleg.gov
Representative.Louise.Stutes@akleg.gov
Representative.Jesse.Sumner@akleg.gov
Representative.Stanley.Wright@akleg.gov
Senator.Click.Bishop@akleg.gov
Senator.Jesse.Bjorkman@akleg.gov
Senator.Forrest.Dunbar@akleg.gov
Senator.Cathy.Giessel@akleg.gov
Senator.Elvi.Gray-Jackson@akleg.gov
Senator.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg.gov
Senator.James.Kaugman@akleg.gov
Senator.Scott.Kawasaki@akleg.gov
Senator.Kelly.Merrick@akleg.gov
Senator.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov
Senator.Gary.Stevens@akleg.gov
Senator.Bill.Weilechowski@akleg.gov
Example Message: Thank you for standing behind your vote and standing for Alaska’s kids by voting to override Governor Dunleavy’s veto. I’m not going to give up on our kids or our schools and I hope you don’t either.
NO Votes on the veto override (failed to vote for education funding when it mattered most):
Representative.Jamie.Allard@akleg.gov
Representative.Thomas.Baker@akleg.gov
Representative.Ben.Carpenter@akleg.gov
Representative.Julie.Coulombe@akleg.gov
Representative.Mike.Cronk@akleg.gov
Representative.David.Eastman@akleg.gov
Representative.Delena.Johnson@akleg.gov
Representative.Craig.Johnson@akleg.gov
Representative.Kevin.McCabe@akleg.gov
Representative.Tom.McKay@akleg.gov
Representative.Mike.Prax@akleg.gov
Representative.Dan.Saddler@akleg.gov
Representative.Laddie.Shaw@akleg.gov
Representative.Cathy.Tilton@akleg.gov
Representative.Frank.Tomaszewski@akleg.gov
Representative.Sarah.Vance@akleg.gov
Senator.Shelley.Hughes@akleg.gov
Senator.David.Wilson@akleg.gov
Example Message: By supporting Governor Dunleavy’s veto, you have put our children’s future at risk. I appreciate that many of the floor speeches centered on finding out routes for increasing school funding. Have no doubt, we will hold you accountable to those promises.
