The governor most likely will be short funding (don’t know how low he will go) the most current education bill (House Bill 57), which increases the base student allocation by $700.
The governor is not a big fan of public education. He often sites poor state test scores for a reason not to fund education. He is right about the fact that test scores are low. When 54 school districts don’t know their budget until May, it is hard to run an effective program. Teaching in Alaska is not as attractive as it was 15-20 years ago because of inadequate state funding and an abysmal pension plan.
In May, I watched a House hearing about increasing mental health efforts in our schools.
During that proceeding, one of the representatives said that only math, reading and writing should be taught; all of those other things could be taught by the family.
But what is school for? We all know that schools are much more than just a place to learn about reading, writing and math. Schools teach about responsibility, how to follow a schedule, working with others, learning about one’s self, and finding more interests. School is a microcosm of what your future may become.
So, it came to a surprise to me when I went to renew my teaching certificate and part of my requirement was to learn about social issues that are impacting our communities. My recertification material had nothing to do with the learning about the three Rs, (reading, writing and arithmetic).
The e-learning classes I had to complete dealt with domestic violence, (Alaska is No. 2 in the U.S. for domestic violence), alcohol and drug-related issues, suicide awareness, and how to mandate reports of child abuse.
Schools provide an environment of safety. Schools are on the front lines for identifying any form of abuse and by law they must notify the Office of Children’s Services within 24 hours of any form of abuse they suspect.
In the meantime, we have been losing many teachers, aides and counselors. This reduction in experienced teachers and staff would seem to make it more difficult to identify students that may be in crisis.
AK Youth Risk Behavior Survey at Alaska Department of Health in 2023 recorded that 22% of students who seriously considered attempting suicide.
That stat shocked me. Schools can make a difference. Even if it is for one child. Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?
Please Mr. Governor, I really hope I am wrong, and you won’t take any money away from HB 57. For it is not just academics you will be dismissing, but there is a good chance that some students’ needs would be missed to the point where their welfare could be in jeopardy.
Alex Koplin lives in Homer. He is a father, grandfather, and advocate for a healthy democracy, where every voice matters.
