Good News and Bad News for Our Schools - and How You Can Help!
The following message was emailed to our Action Network subscribers on December 20, 2024.
Dear Great Alaska Schools Ally,
The legislative session begins on January 21 and we anticipate a lot of focus on education. The outlook includes good news and bad news, and it’s clear we will have to fight hard to get the investments our students deserve.
The Good News: On the state level, the November election results were a win for education. A number of legislators who failed to stand up for education funding when it counted lost their reelection bids. The result is a more education-friendly majority in the House that announced its priorities are education, energy, retirement reform and balanced budgets. The Senate will continue to be led by a bipartisan coalition that has stood strong for education funding.
Incoming House Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I-Dillingham), Rep. Rebecca Himschoot (I-Sitka), and Rep. Andi Story (D-Juneau) said in a statement, “We have heard loud and clear from Alaskans that we need stable education funding for great schools with small class sizes.” Rep. Story, a former school board president, and Rep. Himschoot, a longtime teacher, will co-chair the education committee.
Thank you to each and every person who spent time this fall letting friends, neighbors, and candidates know how important education funding is.
A Little More Good News: Some amazing volunteers created a Great Alaska Schools website. Check it out and share with friends!
The Bad News: Gov. Dunleavy’s proposed budget, released last week, includes no increase for K-12 funding, and he cut the modest increase approved last year. As a result, Dunleavy’s education budget request is 15% below the current-year budget - and that’s before accounting for inflation. This is unacceptable for our schools, our students, and our state.
We Need You: We are a volunteer-led grassroots network of Alaskans. Our power lies entirely in the collective voices of everyday Alaskans - that means you! Here are several actions you can take now:
Sign the petition urging the Governor and the legislature to invest in education. (If you signed our petition previously, please sign again as this is a new one for the 2025 session.)
Arm yourself with information. Join us for a Great Alaska Schools Advocacy Update on Wednesday, January 22nd from 7 - 7:45pm. Register here for the Zoom link
Volunteer! Opportunities include tabling for Great Alaska Schools at local events, joining our organizing team, and sharing info with your network. And thanks to the Alaska Children’s Trust - and to the volunteers who wrote our grant proposal - we have some funds to help education advocates like you get to Juneau during the legislative session. We welcome volunteers from all walks of life and all parts of the state. No experience needed. Email us at hello@greatakschools.org.
Invite your legislator to visit your school. Show them what you love, and what your kids are at risk of losing (or have lost) if we continue to cut K-12 budgets. Find your legislators at the bottom of this page (“Who represents me?”) and find all legislators that represent your school district here.
Share this email! Encourage your friends and neighbors to join the 4000+ Alaskans who make up Great Alaska Schools by signing up here.
Recommended Reading: Opinion: Alaska schools are bending under the weight of an attack on public education, by Sen. Loki Tobin (D-Anchorage), education committee chair (Anchorage Daily News, Dec. 10, 2024)
Budgets are about values. Do we value our children’s futures? Do we value creating communities where families want to live and raise their kids? Do we value investing in our future workforce? Our kids & Alaska deserve better. Let’s ensure they get it.
With gratitude for your commitment,
- Colleen, Roz'lyn, Rachael, Rebecca, Emily, Sara, Sarah, Becca, Tamara, Caroline, Aaron, Jessica
