Today, the Alaska Superintendents Association issued a statement responding to the governor’s recent meeting with superintendents from across the state. While ASA speaks for its members, it is important to clarify — the governor met directly with Alaska’s superintendents, not with the association’s leadership.

As a former superintendent, I know firsthand the value of hearing directly from those closest to the work — those who partner every day with teachers, parents, students, and families to meet the real needs of Alaska’s communities.

At that meeting, the governor’s message was clear: strong policy matters. And Alaska’s students are proving it. In the first year of the Alaska Reads Act — a policy ASA once strongly opposed — our students achieved measurable gains in reading. In fact, Alaska posted the highest reading growth in the nation last year for kindergarten, first- and second-grade students. That’s the power of strong policy — creating the conditions for success and delivering real results.

The governor has expressed his support for increased education funding. But he has also been clear that funding alone is not enough. Investments must be coupled with strong policies that expand opportunity, increase accountability, and put parents in the driver’s seat of their child’s education.

That is why the governor has asked the Legislature to strengthen HB 57 by including open enrollment between districts and expanding due process opportunities for established charter schools — two student- and family-centered policies that put choice and flexibility in the hands of Alaska’s families, not systems.

The governor also supports reading incentive grants to reward progress in literacy, but he has made it clear that these incentives should not be tied to other revenue-raising measures. Literacy support should stand on its own merit — not be dependent on separate political debates about new taxes or revenue mechanisms.

Alaska’s students deserve both meaningful investment and strong policy. We cannot afford to separate the two. Our students, families and educators deserve a system that not only funds schools, but also demands results and gives parents meaningful choices.

I remain committed to working with superintendents, legislators and education partners to ensure Alaska’s public education system delivers on its promise — for every student, every day. But that requires more than funding. It requires leadership and the courage to advance policies that make a difference.

Because when strong policy is in place and parents are in the driver’s seat, Alaska’s students win.

Deena Bishop is the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.